Hi all! 

Today I am ranking every single season of Lost. As a HUGE fan, this is long overdue. In the past, I have ranked all of the characters (read here) and listed my five favourite episodes (read here). If you didn’t know, the show follows a group of survivors that land on a deserted island…or so it seems. It isn’t long before they encounter strange happenings and mysterious occurrences. I have watched the entire thing from start to finish (more times than I can count) and each time, I discover a new layer. I want to say a big thank you to Kevin Tiernan for allowing me to use their awesome artwork. Without further ado, from most to least favourite, let’s get into it!

Spoiler Warning! 

1.) Season 3

My absolute favourite season of Lost is the third one. This is where the show really begins to cook. Viewers are granted more answers to their never-ending list of questions. The reason being: the island expands significantly from the beach/cave setting that dominated the first couple of seasons. We are now in Others territory and if you read my character ranking post, you would know that Benjamin Linus is literally everything to me. Getting to witness his reign as leader, always makes me giddy. We are also introduced to my favourite female antagonist: Juliet Burke. Not only that, we learn how Locke and Sawyer are connected, where the damn polar bears came from and what The Dharma Initiative actually is. Furthermore, I would be remiss in not mentioning the brilliant opening scene, where the Others witness Oceanic 815 break apart in front of them. I cannot listen to Downtown by Petula Clark without thinking of that moment. And let’s never forget Charlie Pace’s ultimate sacrifice in the finale – it still breaks me every single time…

2.) Season 2

In second place, we have season 2. This is a favourite for many, given that we finally learn what/who is inside the Hatch. I’ll never forget watching the premiere episode for the first time, meeting Desmond Hume and learning about the button that needs to be pushed every 180 minutes, or the world will end. This part of the show really begins to take on the faith vs. science argument – which is a running theme for the rest of the series. On one hand, we have practical surgeon Jack, who doesn’t believe in anything, least of all the button. On the other hand, we have spiritual hunter Locke, who feels that pressing the button is his destiny. It gives him a purpose. As they grapple with their beliefs, we are introduced to the Tailies – the tail-end survivors of Oceanic 815. As quickly as we meet them, we lose them too, including Ana Lucia and Libby. Their deaths are shocking, unforgettable and heartbreaking. If I’m being honest however, the best part of season 2 is encountering one Mr. Benjamin Linus, pretending to be the innocent Henry Gale. He is always worth the wait!

3.) Season 1

In third place, we have the very first season. I have such a fondness for the beginning of Lost. The pilot episode alone cost between $10-14 million to produce. Go watch it and you’ll see why. I don’t think any television show in history has a better start. You can’t help but love where it all began. Meeting our core main characters, learning about them via flashbacks, watching their interactions with one another etc. Newcomers will be drawn in by the mysteries of the island yet frustrated by the lack of answers. Hang in there, because you’ll get them. Season 1 is all about setting up pivotal storylines, chance encounters and sinister threats. It’s fate weaving its magic, proving to everyone that everything really does happen for a reason. 

4.) Season 4

In fourth place, we have season 4. How fitting! Spoiler alert – this pattern continues for the rest of my ranking. I like to say season 4 is for the nerds. At this point, we are in the thick of electromagnetic energy, time-travel and constants. The show also starts to pivot from flashbacks to flash-forwards. We are now seeing into the future – what happened after leaving the island. It’s here we learn more about the power-hungry Charles Widmore and his determination to take over the island, no matter the cost. This is where the freighter comes into it. Furthermore, we are introduced to the very lovable research team of Faraday, Charlotte, Miles and Lapidus. The survivors of Oceanic 815 officially divide, choosing either Jack and Locke as their leaders (science vs. faith) and by the end, only 6 escape in a helicopter, believing they will never see the island again. Oh, how wrong they were…

5.) Season 5

In second-last place, we have the fifth season. As a die-hard lover of time-travel, this season scratches an itch like nothing that came before it. After the island was moved by John Locke, it began skipping like a record, transporting its inhabitants backwards and forwards through time. The only way to stop it? By bringing those that escaped right back to where they started. We get to relive some amazing moments from the earlier seasons, not to mention scenes we had heard about, but had never witnessed until now (e.g. Rousseau killing off her sick team). My issue with this season are the flash-forwards. The whole Jeremy Bentham mission bores me. I’m not as interested in Ajira Flight 316, nor the new characters that come with it. I would rather it had focused entirely on the island, its different eras and La Fleur’s crew living in 1970’s Dharma Initiative. 

6.) Season 6

In last place, we have season 6 – the beginning of the end. If you think it’s due to the finale, you would be wrong. I actually love the way Lost comes to a close, despite that being an unpopular opinion. What I truly dislike are the flash-sideways. They are meant to depict the characters in purgatory, waiting to find one another again. It’s confusing though, because their lives resemble alternate realities. I guess that’s the point. Similar to season 5, I prefer when we are on the island, in the thick of the action. And speaking of the island, here is where we finally learn about Jacob, The Man in Black, the Candidates and why Richard Alpert possesses eternal life. All of our questions are finally answered, including why the characters were brought together in the first place. There is an epic battle of good vs. evil, a significant number of deaths and a thousand rebirths. It is both beautiful and poetic, but also a struggle to comprehend, even to those of us who have watched it many times over. At the very least, I love that it all ends where it began. 

Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know if you agree/disagree with my list. How would you rank the seasons? 

Peace & Love xoxo