ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 22nd/29th September 2004
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 1
WRITTEN BY: J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof
You can expect Lost to show up a lot on this list. It's pretty much been my favorite show since the minute the first episode aired, and the Pilot had a lot to do with that. Six seasons and 120 episodes later, and the show still never quite topped the magic of its two-part opener for me.
It's rare for a Pilot to be anything other than just a passable episode of a show. Usually shows take a while to find their feet. But Lost gets going right from the very first scene - intense, frantic, dramatic no matter how many times you see it. It's a perfect introduction to all our characters, especially Jack - he's the hero, who wants to help and save everyone. There's plenty more action to come with a mysterious encounter in the night and an exploration of the cockpit. All of it is directed like a big-screen production. If this is J.J. Abrams' only contribution to the show, then it's a worthy one.
The small character moments are also present. Who can forget charming interactions like Jin's attempt to give Hurley and Claire some sea urchin? It's a large ensemble but every character gets something going for them, and putting several bodies on the one final trek uphill to get the transceiver working allowed us to get to know more people. It introduces several mysteries off the bat – polar bears, unseen monster, French signal. Even the one episode-long prisoner mystery is exciting, and a big shock once revealed.
The Pilot is a brilliant seminal episode that represents everything that is good about the show.
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