Even 16 years after its premiere, the genre-bending Lost is still considered to be one of the best shows on television, despite its controversial final season. Lost is about the journey, not the destination, which is the reason it can sustain six seasons and remain interesting the entire time. From The Others to The Oceanic 6 to the infamous flash-sideways, Lost is revolutionary.
However, Lost isn't without its flaws. There are definitely a number of episodes that the show could have done without; although, they remain an inside joke for the most loyal fans. Here are five of Lost's best episodes, and 5 that should be locked back in the hatch.
5. The Worst: Meet Kevin Johnson (Season 4, Episode 8)
The return of one of the show's most controversial characters finds Michael on the freighter off the coast, working undercover to kill everyone on board in order to protect the island. The timeline of Michael's activities doesn't make sense, so the episode unnecessarily convoluted. Meanwhile, on the island Rousseau and Karl are killed, so the whole hour is a giant emotional rollercoaster.
5. The Best: Man of Science, Man of Faith (Season 2, Episode 1)
As one of the two best reveals of the series, the episode begins with a man going about his day in a seemingly normal apartment, but the day gets a little strange with odd beeping, injections and finally the reveal of this all happening inside the hatch. The episode's flashbacks show Jack saving his future wife with spinal surgery, and on the island Shannon is having creepy visions of a dripping wet Walt. This all works together, making it gold from top to bottom.
4. The Worst: What Kate Does (Season 6, Episode 3)
The flash-sideways story finds an on-the-run Kate helping a pregnant Claire get to the hospital, mirroring her original role in Aaron's delivery. This happens while the original island timeline takes place at the temple and introduces Crazy Jungle Claire. These stories may have done well in their own, but paired together this episode is an hour-long eye roll.
4. The Best: Walkabout (Season 1, Episode 4)
One of the craziest twists of the series - which is saying a lot for Lost - finds Locke walking around the island, but it's revealed he is confined to a wheelchair in his flashbacks prior to the crash. Locke's Terry O'Quinn always gives an incredible performance, but this one takes the cake. The episode is emotional, as most Locke episodes are, with a fantastic final sequence.
3. The Worst: Stranger In A Strange Land (Season 3, Episode 9)
A bizarre Jack flashback finds him on a trip to Thailand and in a relationship with a tattoo artist (Bai Ling), whom he forces to give him a tattoo despite her refusal. Meanwhile, the on-island story of Juliet's trial, her potential execution and Kate and Sawyer's escape from Hydra Island make it an essential episode to watch, but the other plot line makes this an episode to skip when rewatching the show.
3. The Best: The Variable (Season 5, Episode 14)
An incredible Faraday-centric episode, "The Variable" establishes that his arrival on the island was determined from birth by his mother, Eloise. The events on the island in 1977 find Faraday returning to warning Dr. Chang of the impending incident. The real twist is that adult Faraday is then murdered by Eloise while she is pregnant with him. This episode proves no one pulls off a time-loop quite like Lost does.
2. The Worst: Recon (Season 6, Episode 8)
The flash-sideways finds Sawyer and Miles paired up as cops, where Sawyer dates Charlotte and freaks out after she roots through his things and finds his file on Cooper. The on-island story also introduces possibly the most insufferable character of the show, Zoe, who works alongside Charles Widmore. Overall a great Sawyer-centric episode, but it's against a backdrop that focuses too much on setting the stage.
2. The Best: Through The Looking Glass (Season 3, Episodes 22 & 23)
This two part episode is a guarantee tearjerker with Charlie sacrificing his life to save his friends. It is one of the most emotional moments of the entire series. The episode also makes sneaky use of flash-forwards, framing them so they appear to take place in an unspecified moment in time, before revealing they are from the future and that some of the survivors make it off the island. So many things happen all at once, which is normally the kiss of death, but these episodes manage to be flawlessly executed.
1. The Worst: Exposé (Season 3, Episode 14)
The only thing satisfying about this episode is the killing off of two of the show's worst characters, Nikki and Paulo, but it was written hastily due to the audience's negative reaction to the characters. For some unknown reason, the writers attempted to casually introduce these two as if they had been a part of the gang all along. It is pointless, frustrating and considered a huge blunder by many Lost fans.
1. The Best: The Constant (Season 4, Episode 5)
Ask any Lost fan what their favorite episode is and they'll likely respond with "The Constant." Even if it isn't truly their favorite episode, it's definitely the most memorable, making it a common answer. Desmond's journey through time, leading back to his girlfriend Penny, gives viewers another emotional episode. From the experimental format to Desmond tracking down Faraday in 1996 to the nick of time phone call for Penny 8 years in the future, "The Constant" deserves it's position as one of the best Lost episodes of all time.