1x9 - Solitary

We open with a wide shot of a lonely and isolated Sayid. All he has is his pictures of a girl back home (Nadia) for comfort. The wire on the beach I assumed would be irrelevant. Amazingly though, it does get mentioned again 50 episodes later. The wire leads to a tripwire (only Sayid could spot a tripwire), indicating he might not be quite as alone as he thought.

Sawyer seems to be laying on the guilt trip pretty thick, doesn't he? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure he told Jack to let him die. Kate explains Sayid has been gone for 2 days. I think this time lapse is because they knew they wouldn't be able to have Sayid away from camp for long, so they needed it to seem like a bigger deal.

Introducing multiple new characters this episode made Ethan's sudden appearance less suspicious. Locke's connection to Ethan was really understated. We're thrown into the middle of a relationship and don't even get any focus on it when Ethan does eventually become more integral.  

Danielle's shelter is like a cave of mystery. Where did she get all this stuff? We also learn she speaks many languages. Talking of languages, the flashbacks of this episode uses a common cinematic trope of switching language from Arabic to English in the middle of a scene for the benefit of the audience. We see Sayid interrogate someone, and later concludes he knows nothing, to which his superior oficer Omar replies is not the point. Sayid seems to actually enjoy his job.

He only really begins questioning it when his next suspect becomes someone from his past. We recognize her as the girl from the photo immediately. Turns out Nadia was a childhood friend who used to push Sayid in the mud to show her affection. Interesting that when Nadia tells of the torture she's been put through, Sayid replies "If you were innocent, then I'm sorry". He still thinks the methods are justified on guilty people.  

Now we get to hear more of Danielle. She gives several snippets of information - "they" control the radio tower, "they" were the carriers of the sickness. Who are they? Other people on the Island that she has never seen, but heard. Unlike many fans, I never thought Danielle was lying during this conversation. Some may be incorrect interpretations, but it seems really counterproductive to give out false information at this stage, and she seemed genuinely offended when she wondered if Sayid believed her. I do wonder where she was during the plane crash though if she never knew about it. 

When Sayid says Nadia was dead, I never thought this was true. But it's not technically a lie either. At the end of the episode where he says he has been holding onto the blind hope that she's still alive, he acknowledges it may not be the case, and explains that he has just let go of her because he doesn't think he'll ever see her again. This also explains why he jumped into bed with Shannon so easily.

Danielle points out that Sayid doesn't like to talk about Nadia because it causes too much pain. She might be right there, but Danielle is also trying heavily to deflect every time Sayid mentions Alex. If you notice, they never state whether Alex was male or female. The best answer Danielle gives is "Alex was my child".

Hurley and the golf course he builds to combat boredom was one of the lighter subplots of the episode. It even got the rash guy to loosen up. It also allows for one of the cleverest act openings they've ever done. A misdirection where Michael and Jack appear to be debating something serious but instead are dealing with a tough shot.

I didn't like Michael in this episode. His serious neglect of Walt causes his son to gravitate towards Locke and for the first time it felt justified. On the positive side, his artistic skill is revealed this episode when he draws an awesome sketch of a new water system.

Danielle is taken aback when Sayid offers to fix her music box. She's not used to nice gestures these days. Interesting how Danielle's motives for keeping Sayid in captivity have totally changed. She now just wants a friend, telling him "you need me". It's been a lonely sixteen years.

The place Nadia is held is similar to Danielle's hovel. Dark and confined. It adds to the contrast of the captive becoming the captor. Nadia is refusing to give up information and instead insists on torture (remind you of Sawyer last episode?). But her protest seems to be about changing Sayid and making him a better man. That, and because she wants Sayid to visit her. Why does Nadia always have to result to pain to get attention?

Omar has had enough of her lack of cooperation and orders her be executed. I believe this was the main reason for the "she's dead because of me" lie...just a simple misdirection trick. Sayid stages Nadia's escape and shoots himself. I originally thought the bullet wound we saw earlier was foreshadowing this, but if you watch he actually shoots himself in a different place. He tell Nadia he can't leave because they'll come after his family. This is the first mention of Sayid's family. Maybe he's not so alone after all. 

Another loner comes out of the group when Sawyer joins in the golf game at Kate's request. Kate is always great as an extension to other characters, as she always brings out the best in them.

It's interesting that Danielle has encountered multiple bears. Wonder how many there were. It's also interesting that she claims there's no such thing as Monsters. Between this and the security system comment in Exodus, I believe she knows what it is.

Sayid takes the maps and leaves the photo. He also takes a gun that doesn't work. Danielle confesses to killing her crew and lets Sayid go, with a warning. The episode ends with Sayid alone again...but the whispers in the trees indicate that once again he may not be as alone as he thought. 


8/10 - Great mix of interesting backstory and mysteries that further the plot

1x8 - Confidence Man

This is the first episode to really use the love triangle in a prominent way. For all the criticism it comes under, there has certainly been a lot of character and plot development to come out of it, and the show would definitely be worse off without it. This episode would've been impossible without it.

OK, might as well nail my colours to the mast - I'm on team Jate. Like I said in my last recap, I don't even really consider the Sawyer angle a legitimate option. Sawyer is just an obstacle to stop the OTP from getting together too soon. Who was there to share Kate's first scene in the Pilot? Jack, of course. It took until over half way through before Sawyer even interacted with her. Sorry Sawyer, Jack saw her first.

However, I must admit...the kiss was pretty hot. It almost converted me. Almost.

Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves...we open on a beefcake shot of a shirtless Sawyer. He playfully harasses Kate, who sarcastically responds "you sure now how to make a girl feel special". Key flashback cut to some chick who Sawyer has clearly just made very happy. The briefcase full of money falls down, and that serves to intrigue us more. For some reason it reminds me of Kate's case in Whatever The Case May Be.

Kate's two love interests are pitted against eachother throughout this episode, and this is not my Jate bias talking...Jack is clearly the good guy and Sawyer is the bad guy. It starts with Sawyer beating up Boone, who was just looking for the inhalers he thinks Sawyer took. It only gets worse from then on - every scene makes him look like more of douche. When Jack punches his lights out, we cheer him on. Jack is just trying to save his patient, and even has a Jedi moment. Sawyer doesn't even explain his motives, and we can't side with someone who has no motives.

The only person who seems to be interested in finding out what makes Sawyer tick is Kate. This is where they do make a good pairing. Kate is pretty successful at it - which is good for the viewers, because obviously we want to know more about Sawyer too. It's a long awkward silence when Kate gets more than she bargained for, and Sawyer show her his precious letter, which is a note from a boy who holds "Sawyer" responsible for killing his parents. 

So, yep, we now know Sawyer is a damn dirty con man, who sleeps with married women, steals money and possibly causes deaths indirectly. Not exactly projecting a positive image so far. We're not even meant to sympathize with Sawyer during the torture scene, as it's made clear repeatedly that all he has to do is tell them where the inhalers are and all this pointless nonsense will stop. When Sawyer reveals he never even had the inhalers, Sayid flips out and stabs him.

Locke's role in this episode is small, but surprising. Sayid had been trying to figure out who clonked him on the head in the previous episode. Locke not only blames Sawyer for it (when it was him), but even gives Sayid his knife, seemingly encouraging him to hurt Sawyer. What's the deal with that, I wonder.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the other character-driven subplot of the episode. That's Claire and Charlie of course, who continue to be as cute as a pair of buttons. Following a conversation about their cravings, Charlie promises Claire peanut butter if she moves to caves with him. In the end, they have to settle for imaginary peanut butter. It's a sweet moment though. Sweet like peanut butter....mmmmmm. 

I wonder what this episode would've been like as a Sayid-centric, we learn some interesting things about him. When he walks off at the end, he tells Kate "I hope we meet again" - pfft, I didn't believe for a second that that wouldn't happen. Kate gets another kiss, but on the hand this time.

Sun saves the day using a plant. We saw her playing with plants at the start of episode 6, remember? We never got a flashback to explain why she's so good with them. Shannon's asthma was never mentioned again, and she never found her inhaler. Are we to believe she just kept on using eucalyptus? Probably, I guess.

You gotta love the reveal at the end, and how it puts a whole different spin on things. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, something unexpected happens. Sawyer walks away from the con he's set up, after seeing the kid who we thought would be the letter writer. Kate then points out it was Sawyer who wrote the letter. The viewers have been conned by the writers! 

And finally, we have our motive. Kate theorizes that Sawyer intentionally pisses people off to punish himself. He wants to be hated because he's scared of getting close to people. I guess it makes sense, though it doesn't seem like something most normal people would do. But Sawyer said it himself in episode 1 - "I'm a complex guy, sweetheart".

9/10 - One of the strongest character episodes of season 1, proving the show could survive just fine without relying on mythology.  

1x7 - The Moth

The main theme of the episode is redemption – admitting to your mistakes and trying to make up for them. Charlie acknowledges his drug addiction was bad, and he later gains redemption when he rescues Jack from the cave-in.

Charlie did not start out wanting to do drugs. He was an innocent church-goer at the start of the episode. He was worried about temptations, like he told the Priest. The flashback is an old fashioned origin story, explaining his drug use, and how his brother, who started on his side, changed with the fame into a colossal jerk, and eventually convinces Charlie he is nothing without it. 

Charlie is struggling with his withdrawal, and his crankiness levels are upped when he is made to feel useless around the camp – Jack deems the fat guy more useful in transporting large bags from the beach to the caves. He confronts Jack about this, screaming his signature quote "I'm a bloody Rock God!" – which causes the caves to collapse (not particularly convincingly) on top of Jack. For once, it is the hero in need of help.

The episode gets its title from a cool metaphor – Locke demonstrates that struggle is natures way of strengthening. Of course, Charlie in this instance is the moth. When Locke acts as a mentor, he is excellent.

Sayid is in full badass mode this episode, and he even gets a 360 spinning camera whilst he's explaining his plan to Kate and Boone (although neither end up being the ones helping him in the end – leave that to Sawyer and Shannon). He wants to triangulate a signal – whatever the hell that means. And to do it he needs fireworks. Wait, what?

"Thank Heavens for firework smugglers" announces Sayid. Yes, indeed. I've always thought one of the most unrealistic things about LOST (other than smoke monsters, obviously) is the amount of equipment they have. They didn't really explain where the hell the axe came from.

So, some of the beach people have reached the caves now, including Scott and Steve who are introduced – with lines! Michael works in construction (though we never saw this in any of his flashbacks) and is able to dig a tunnel. Charlie plays hero and goes through the dark tunnel to rescue Jack (although to be fair, he was the one who caused the cave-in) but gets trapped himself. It’s actually a great cut to flashback in this scene, as the contrast with the confined tunnel and the corridor full of fans works perfectly.

Kate is unnecessarily mean to Sawyer in this episode, telling him nobody loves him. It pays off the first time, as he gives them a laptop battery from his stash. But the second time, after Sawyer finds her to tell her about Jack, I bet she regrets interrupting him, and telling him "What makes you think I'm interested in anything you have to say?"...because it's at that point Sawyer decides not to bother.

"So what is it about that guy – Jack?" Sawyer asks Kate, being the first to acknowledge the love triangle. If you can even call it that at this point – Kate appears to detest Sawyer, asking "You're actually comparing yourself to Jack?" Sawyer says the difference between them isn’t too big. He's not wrong, we just haven’t seen his good side yet. Kate, having shared her body with both of them, now has plenty of reasons to compare the two.

This is definitely a strike for Team Jate, though. Look at how Kate tirelessly tries to dig Jack out of the cave whilst everyone else takes a break. Look at the hug she gives him when they are reunited. She even makes him a sling (which is off the very next episode, by the way).

Charlie asks for his drugs back from Locke. We think – "oh no! He’s reverted!" – but no, he throws them in the fire and destroys them, completing his transformation to good guy as the cocoon transforms into a moth.

10/10 – The series' best musings on one of its most interesting themes, redemption.

1x6 - House Of The Rising Sun

Seeing sweet, flower-bearing Jin was a shock. This is not the brute that we're used to seeing. The episode acknowledges this because the very next scene we see Jin at his worst, beating up Michael for no reason and trampling one of Sun's plants on the way.

Sayid and Sawyer imprison Jin until they can find out what happened. Sun points to her wrists, to which Sayid responds "the cuffs stay on". However, Sun wasn't talking about the cuffs, she was talking about the watch. 

Michael claims that he was attacked because Korean people don't like black people. Later on his son asks him what he meant by this comment. This is pretty much the only LOST episode to deal with race relations. Surprising for a show with such a diverse cast.

Sun learned English with the intention of leaving her husband, and it is this episode in which she reveals that secret. She tells Michael he was attacked over the watch. When Michael finds this out he's even more pissed. He yells angrily at Jin, who obviously can't understand him, holding an axe. Jin's reaction as Michael swings the axe at his cuffs to free him is priceless.

The flashbacks show the gradual deterioration of Jin and Sun's marriage. First, he has to spend time away for his training but assures her he'll be back later. Then he comes home with blood on his hands and yells at her when she expects an explanation. His transition to the brute we know is complete by the end of the episode, although not really explained. But don't worry, they're saving that for later in the season.

We see at the airport that Sun came very close to leaving her husband forever but decided to stay when she caught a glimpse of the old Jin. The downside is she's now stuck on an Island.

The producers have said Adam and Eve will be the mystery that proves they weren't "making it up as they go along" – so their introduction may be season one's most important moment. Speculation has ranged from Amelia Earhart and her Navigator, important characters from the Island's past to Jack and Kate after time travel.

Jack and Kate stripping their clothes off may not have just been for gratuitous value. The fact that they are naked (or as naked as you can get on Network television) in the presence of the skeletons fortifies the Adam and Eve comparisms. With the lovely lush caves as their Garden of Eden.

There are a lot of Jack and Kate moments in this episode. First Kate asks about his tattoos (a set-up for a future flashback, perhaps?). Then she takes her shirt off in front of him. Then she bends over in front of him to give him a great view of her ass and accuses him of checking her out. But it doesn't end happily for the couple as they decide to part ways when the group splits. Jack has also changed his mind about not wanting to know what Kate did, but Kate has changed her mind about wanting to tell him.

Charlie and Locke also share a lot of scenes. At first Locke comes off as a creepy stalker, but he's actually trying to help Charlie overcome his addiction. Last episode, he introduced Jack to the idea of faith. This time, he does so to Charlie. He tells him he has faith that he will find his lost guitar. And sure enough, once Charlie gives up his drugs, he gets his guitar back.

The camp can't agree on where to live, so they split up – but who goes where, and why? Well, it seems the people who went to the caves – Jack, Hurley, Jin, Sun and Charlie – are the ones who don’t believe rescue is coming. The ones who stayed – Sayid, Kate, Michael, Walt, Shannon, Boone and Claire – just want to get off the Island as quickly a possible. Interesting then, that Sawyer stays on the beach, after previously announcing in Tabula Rasa "rescue boat ain't coming". The song choice is Willie Nelson’s "Are you sure?", and as the last character on screen it seems it is aimed at Kate – is she sure she is where she wants to be?

6/10 – Decent episode, but more of a set-up for the other Sun/Jin episode later in the season

1x5 - White Rabbit

Christian Shepherd is the least encouraging father figure ever. He tells his son to not become a leader because he doesn't have what it takes when he fails. His message evokes the words of Homer Simpson: "Trying is the first step towards failure".

Jack went against Christian's wishes and, on the Island at least, became a leader. We've already seen his never-leave-a-man-behind attitude in the opening scene (young Jack trying to save his friend from bullies) then we switch scene to Jack going after a drowning woman and instead rescuing Boone. The woman dies, and Jack does fail. And Christian was right...Jack takes it badly.

Jack gets frustrated at the way Hurley and Charlie follow him around like sheep (to his Shepherd) asking him about the low water supply. Jack thinks it is unfair of them to ask so much of him – and expect him to come up with solutions to problems that are unavoidable. He doesn’t want to be leader yet everyone asks him to be. 

Boone is angry at Jack for saving him. Either this is due to his selflessness or humiliation. Boone fancied himself as a leader, but his is not the first time he has failed – in the Pilot he makes a half-assed attempt at saving Rose before being bailed out by, yes, Jack. Apparently Boone is a lifeguard. Not a very good one, it seems. This cement Boone’s reputation as The Guy Who Tries To Be Helpful But Rarely Is. 

There are two great self-contained scenes in this episode, both between pairings that don’t usually interact. The first is between Shannon and Sawyer. Shannon approaches asking to buy the sunblock when Sawyer tells her "You’re in my light, sticks". "Light sticks? What the hell are those?" she replies before Sawyer clarifies he meant lights, comma, sticks - referring to her legs. The two characters have a great dynamic together which makes for a lot of humour. The second scene is between Kate and Claire, when Kate is sorting clothes. Claire correctly guesses Kate is a Gemini. It tells us a lot about Claire.

Jack undergoes a kind of spiritual journey. It's what he needs at this point – some time alone, and some time to decide if being a leader is right for him. Both in flashback and in real time, Jack is chasing his father. His mother sends him to Australia after Christian goes AWOL and the island contains a shadowy figure of the man who may or may not be an apparition. Jack has always felt in his father's shadow, and for most of this episode he literally is.

In one of LOST's most ridiculous act breaks ever, Jack somehow trips and ends up hanging from a rocky edge. Literally a cliffhanger ending. Don't worry though, help is on hand from the show's other hero, John Locke.

Locke and Jack share their first and most meaningful exchange of the series. Locke discusses with Jack the possibility that everything happens for a reason and that his white rabbit may be real despite his refusal to believe so. This discussion is much calmer than ones that will follow – neither are trying to force their viewpoint on each other. They are acceptant and respectful of one another. 

With Jack out of action, Sayid and Kate team up to find out who stole the water. (Told you they work well together.) Their first suspects are "the Chinese people" – They're Korean, dude. Jin and Sun are unresponsive to Sayid's interrogation. "She understands me" insists Sayid. He's always been good at telling when people are lying. Next episode he is proved right. 

Their next suspect is Sawyer, but this turns out to be another red herring. The thief is actually Boone. Just when things are going to get messy, Jack comes in to defend him and gives a call for unity. Everyone agrees and rallies behind him, and finally Jack is comfortable as leader.

Jack tells the stewardess he needs his coffin on the plane because he needs the funeral over as soon as possible. Unfortunately it looks like he'll have to wait a little longer. Jack needs to bury his father, to get over his past. Their bad relationship was hinted earlier on when Margo tells Jack that Christian doesn’t have friends any more after what Jack did, and Jack mentions they haven’t spoken in months. The missing coffin that Jack finds is a metaphor for his inability to bury the past.

8/10 – Important episode, basically essential to understanding LOST 

1x4 - Walkabout

It's not far in to Walkabout before someone asks the question everyone has been wondering about Locke, who has just given the camp a speech about boar and nearly thrown a knife into Sawyer's head. And it's Hurley who asks it – "Who is this guy?".

Well, that's exactly what the flashback is hoping to explain. Our appetite was already whetted with the sinister close-up on the man at the end of Tabula Rasa. Now it’s time to see his past. We see Locke on a telephone, talking in Military dialogue. Of course! He's in the Army, we say. But then we pan out to reveal he's working in a cubicle at a box factory.

The John Locke we see in flashbacks is very different from Island Locke. He's weak, frustrated and lonely. He's...normal, basically. His boss Randy belittles him that he can't be a hunter. Locke tells him not to tell him what he can’t do. And eventually he proves Randy wrong. 

Walkabout's main plot is the boar hunt, but the episode has more subplots than any other episode. There's Kate and Sayid's attempt to get a signal, Charlie getting a fish for Shannon, Claire preparing a memorial speech and Jack talking to Rose.

I can't help but feel the writers are overplaying the threat of the boars. They're not exactly huge or dangerous creatures – seeing the whole camp running from them in the first scene was pretty farcical. Michael does however somehow manage to get injured by one.

The trek itself is not that exciting, that at least we learn more about Michael as he tells the story of how he got on the plane. Kate is interrupted before she can give hers, luckily. Michael's choice of babysitter for Walt is interesting at best, considering he picks one of the few people who doesn't speak English (yet). Their attempts to communicate are amusing however, and more proof that a Michael/Sun relationship was originally planned.

Kate and Sayid is a double act which is often underrated. They trust each other, they work well together and are often thinking the same thing. Another more obvious double act is introduced in this episode – Charlie and Hurley, LOST's number one comedy pairing. They try to catch a fish together for Shannon.

The Boone and Shannon pairing is often irritating but they can produce comic moments too – Shannon belittles Boone by calling him Captain America and her general lack of not caring what he has to say is amusing. Boone also makes jokes at Shannon's expense telling her "the ocean won't accept your gold card".

Shannon has always used her sexuality to get what she wants. And she couldn't have picked better than Charlie to do her bidding, he was practically slobbering all over her in the Pilot. After Walkabout, the Charlie/Shannon relationship is never revisited. Obviously Charlie saw he had been used and gave up.

Rose and Jack sit together for a bit, and Rose gives Jack some kind words, saying he has a good soul. Rose is insistent that her husband from the tail section is still alive, but Jack says it is more logical he is dead. An early instance of man of science vs. (wo)man of faith. If you’ve seen season two, you’ll know who was proved right.

Claire deciphering details from strangers' possession has a lot of subtle grim humour. She points out one of the deceased was on organ donor. "Or at least, would've been".

The final scene of the episode is one of the shows most brilliant endings. It's a strong contender for best LOST scene ever. Not only is it a huge surprise, but a heavy emotional beat too. And as with all great twists, previous moments now make more sense. We understand why the episode opened showing Locke's feet twitching after the crash, a shot which was mimicked again later on. 

10/10 – Perfect introduction of John Locke with an amazing performance from Terry O' Quinn

1x3 - Tabula Rasa

Generally, character-driven storylines are viewed separate from the mythology elements of LOST, which are the Island mysteries. But back in season one, it was not just the Island that had the mysteries. Quite often the characters were mysteries too. One of the most notable instances was- what did Kate do? Another is concerning Locke, but that is for the next recap.


The survival aspect is still very much a part of the show in these early stages, with the shock of the crash still fresh. Kate has more reason than most to want that clean state the title promises, as being an important and trusted member of a new community sure beats being on the run from the law. But new starts are never simple, and her past soon comes back to haunt her.


The episode begins with Jack still reeling from learning the truth about Kate, and Kate’s group on their way back from the previous episode. The gang agree to lie about what they heard. Lying is not exactly a new concept to Kate.

Kate smiles a lot, even when she's uncomfortable. It's a false front she puts on. Kate keeps a lot back. Her attempts at being nice to Hurley fall flat because Hurley not only knows the truth but that she has the gun. Funny how everyone agreed that Kate was the most trustworthy person.

We get to see our first ever traditional flashback this episode, which is Kate’s time on the Australian farm. It opens with Kate being held at gunpoint (exactly where the story will also end). Ray’s barn is a totally different colour scheme to anything on the Island, almost sepia-tone, which is good for contrast.

The Marshal's condition worsens and Kate suggests he may have to be euthanized. This is where Jack reveals what he knows. He probably suspects Kate may have an ulterior motive in her suggestion – getting rid of the evidence. Jack still wants to trust Kate – he gave her a chance to tell him the truth but she doesn't. Would she have ever told him herself? Who knows, but she did offer to tell him everything at the end of the episode. 

Jin tells Sun he loves her, which was a surprising moment. Up until then we'd only seen him be possessive.

Michael seems very interested in Locke. Perhaps even jealous that Locke already has a better relationship with Walt than he does. The only way he can win Walt over is finding his dog, which he says he’ll do once the rain stops. Interesting how the rain stops as soon as Michael says that. Could it have been an early indication of Walt's powers?

Locke bringing Michael the dog to give to Walt may have been intended as a friendly gesture – but also serves at a patronising reminder to Michael that Locke is better than him.

Michael encounters topless Sun. This makes Sun the third female character to strip off in just two episodes – the last one also saw Shannon in a lovely orange bikini and Kate going for a swim in just her underwear. Eye candy for the females has been strangely lacking for now, with only Jack going shirtless. But plenty of shirtless Sawyer will be coming up soon.

Kate saving Ray Mullen from the car wreck proves once again that despite whatever her crimes may be, she is indeed a good person. A similar attempt at conveying this was shown in the first episode, where Kate gives Edward the oxygen mask.

One of the outstanding guest performances of the season is Frederic Lehne. He manages to be intimidating and cool. In the above scene, he plays the hunter, tracking down his prey. We get hint at his obsession by the way he says to Jack "She got to you too, huh?".

"In case you didn't notice, I did get away" - In a way, getting caught is the best thing that ever happened to Kate – because now she’s more free than she was before. I wonder how things would have been different if the Marshal had lived and got off the Island with Kate. Would he have let her go, like Nicholas Cage did to Sean Connery in The Rock?

Sawyer and Jack's first significant interactions occur in this episode, and they are immediately shown as opposites. Sawyer is the renegade, not afraid of cutting ethical corners, like looting from dead people. Jack has a moral code and sticks to it, however impractical, like letting Edward Mars suffer rather than killing him because he doesn't believe in it. Sawyer is the cynic. He's the one who wants to talk about the depressing French message, and who is adamant that the rescue boat isn't coming. Jack is the optimist, insisting the Marshal is not going to die.

This culminates in the episode climax, where Sawyer uses the Marshal's own gun to try and end his suffering, but simply leaves him in an even worse condition, forcing Jack to do what he has refused to do. This is the most uncomfortable scene in the episode, and it happens off screen.

Although Jack says he doesn't want to know what Kate did, that's clearly not true...he asked the Marshal the same question earlier on. He doesn't want Kate to know he wants to know. He is trying to make Kate feel better – he is telling her he forgives her because he believes she is a good person. This is where the title comes in, and the line "three days ago we all died" – responsible for a billion purgatory theories.

The final montage, set to Joe Purdy's "Wash Away" is a great feelgood moment. It shows it's not just Kate who wants a clean slate – After squabbling constantly in Pilot, Sayid offers Sayid a piece of fruit as a peace offering, and Walt and Michael end their fighting when Vincent is brought back into their lives. 

8/10 – Solid but uneventful episode with its highlight being the final montage  

1x1 - Pilot

Let's start at the start: the first image we see is on LOST is an eye. Eyes turn out to be a recurring theme on the show, and most of the time they demonstrate which character we will be seeing the episode through the eyes of. Pilot has no real centricity in the traditional sense, but at least it establishes Jack as the show's main character.

There's also lots of other important things in the first scene before we even get to the plane crash set. We start off in the jungle. Some say this will turn out to be significant come the end of the show. Personally, I believe the decision was made purely for the lush cinematography it creates.

Another strange instance is the white tennis shoe hanging from a tree. Is it just simply to show something bad has happened? Maybe not, as white tennis shoes will be seen again later (see White Rabbit). At the very least, it introduces a primary motif for the show – black & white, which is shown one again later on when Locke holds up two backgammon pieces of either colour.

When we get to the beach the fun begins. Loud, chaotic and exhilarating. Arguably the best scene in all of LOST, and it’s the very first scene of the very first episode. Jack pulling people out of the wreckage is the perfect character introduction because we instantly see his selflessness and great leadership. We also catch our first glimpse at the first halves of three pairs – Shannon shouting for Boone, Michael shouting for Walt and Jin shouting for Sun.

The survivors are just settling down after the chaos when they hear the sound of the Monster. It sets the tone for the rest of the series – the Island is very dangerous. The next day, Jack decides to go to the cockpit with Kate and Charlie to look for a transceiver. The shot of the broken cockpit is one of the best shots of the episode, and the climb up inside it has great atmosphere. It’s not long before the Monster claims it's first victim – the Pilot. With these scenes, the episode uses lots of elements of the horror genre: unseen threat lurking in the shadows, main characters running for their lives, gory death, even the old foot-gets-caught-on-something cliché. 

The second trek is another great moment. It was a great decision to involve so many characters on it – it plunges them right into the action. Also an interesting decision to give the leader a rest, by having him work on patient Edward Mars. It gives more airtime to the odd couple, Sayid and Sawyer.

What about the characters left off trekking duty? Sun gets the least screen time, but the most development. We see that she’s being repressed by her husband, but her little act of defiance when she unbuttons her shirt is a subtle, but indicative moment of her unhappiness. Michael is looking for his boy, which he seems to do quite a lot over the course of the series. Hurley provides the humour – fainting at the sight of blood, squirming after seeing Claire having contractions. But also shows his sweet side – giving Claire the food. Claire has some of the worst lines of the episode. After the trees are torn down from the ground, she asks "Did anybody see that?." It seemed that they couldn’t find her enough lines so they ended up making her say stuff that was superfluous. But we do get a cute moment between her and Jin, when her baby starts to kick.

Walt makes a worthwhile discovery – handcuffs, which leads the survivors to suspect one if them was a prisoner. It immediately establishes recurring themes in LOST – lack of trust and dark secrets. And also, intriguing questions – but this not one the audience will have to wait out long to know the answer to.

Rose has a far more prominent role in this episode than usual – she is Jack's first patient on the Island, shares a flashback scene with him on the plane and is in the background for several scenes. One suspects she may have originally intended to be a main character, and it’s kind if a shame it didn’t work out that way.

Surprisingly it is Locke, one of the shows main characters, has the least screen time. It makes sense though, because it builds up his mystique. In Pilot he comes off as an oddball – orange peel smiles, standing in the rain – but also extremely wise – reciting the origins of backgammon.

We are also introduced to the second of three major mysteries – the polar bear, in a tropical surrounding. A shocking reveal no doubt – but not as shocking as the flashback moment where we see Kate is a prisoner. Just goes to show – nobody on LOST is who you expect. And the moment is even better because of clues that you can see in hindsight – Kate rubbing her wrists when we first see her and her reaction when she us handed the handcuffs.

And finally, the third major mystery is introduced in the last scene: the distress call. Sayid picks it up on the transceiver - a French message which Shannon translates to mean "It killed them. It killed them all". And, just like the first part did, it ends with Charlie asking a question – Guys, where are we?

10/10 – Brilliant seminal episode that makes use of all its characters and provides shocks and thrills like no other