For the most part, LOST is a masterclass in television writing with the show being a trailblazer for the mystery genre and cultivating a cult following from the get-go due to its gripping style of storytelling. The incredible writing of the show is made even more impressive when you account for the fact that the show produced its 121 (over 40 minute long) episodes in just 6 years – something that is inconceivable for a mystery show in the streaming era. However, over the course of the six seasons there a number of plot points which fall flat with fans and are what many would consider plot missteps. This list breaks down the top ‘mistakes’ made by the writers of LOST.
1. The Others Abandoning Otherville (a.k.a . The Barracks or Dharmaville)
Season 1 and 2 built up the mystery of ‘The Others’ and in season 3, viewers were finally introduced to the permanent island residents. The introduction of The Others saw the introduction of characters like Ben Linus and Juliette who became fan favourites and their suburban-esque village made for a fascinating watch which only built to the allure of the mystery of who The Others really were. However, ‘Otherville’ was shortly lived with the majority of The Others choosing to abandon their houses for tents later on in season 3.
The Others’ abandonment of their homes made for one of the best episodes in the series with Juliette and Kate who were left behind bonding, fighting and ultimately braving The Smoke Monster together for what is one of the most entertaining 40 minutes of network television ever. However, The Others decision to live the tent life ultimately destroyed all the allure of them along with the mystery of them which had kept so many viewers on edge – and was really the beginning of the end for any meaningful involvement of The Others.
2. The Meaningless Shock-Value Death of Rousseau
Rousseau is one of the only ‘recurring’ characters in the first three seasons of the show and usually served as a sign to the audience that they could expect some serious plot progression within the episode. Rousseau’s presence on the island was something that many viewers were unhappy to have taken away for the sake of a dramatic cliffhanger for one episode – even though it was slightly refreshing for a character to not have an overly dramatic departure.
Many fans of the show often state that they felt her character’s sporadic appearances should have been a constant throughout the entire run of the show and that the loss of her character marked the loss of her mystery which was still not fully resolved at the time of her death (i.e. how she ended up on the island and what happened to her crew – which is eventually explained through the magic of time travel in season 5).
3. Giving Up On Walt’s Storyline
LOST fans are well aware of the reasons for the abandonment of Walt’s character – the timeline of the show not aligning with the aging of the actor (the first three seasons of LOST take place over roughly 100 days). However, the mystery of Walt’s supernatural abilities which were teased in season 1 is still something many LOST fans crave answers for.
4. Season 6’s Purgatory ‘Flash Sideways’
This is a somewhat divisive take amongst LOST fans with many a fan of season 6’s fun flash sideways and others ‘bored’ by them. The flash sideways show the characters of the show in a purgatory of sorts living different life’s which are designed to help fix/prepare them for the after life.
Many of the storylines in the flash sideways are on the goofier side and are enjoyed by some fans however, as most of the flash sideways are pretty pointless to the overall storyline of the show, many consider them to be boring/skippable and a waste of screen time. Ultimately, the flash sideways provided a great payoff in the end as they set up the killer finale of LOST which most LOST fans who kept up with the show truly loved.
5. Killing Locke For The Sake of The Man In Black/Flocke/The Smoke Monster
One of the most unique and beloved characters in LOST is John Locke – the man of faith with a pretty tragic background who truly believes in his purpose on the island. John Locke is killed off in season 5 to make way for the smoke monster (who takes on his likeness) who will ultimately bring about the endgame plot of the show. The loss of John Locke from the show stands out as one of the most unsatisfying deaths in the show with the character not having his beliefs affirmed before his demise.
That’s all for this list of the top mistakes made by the LOST writers. Do you agree with these picks? Are there any other plot missteps you would add to the list? Comment below 
Leave a Reply