I'm double posting today in order to get all of the lists out by Tuesday. I once again encourage everyone to read this on the actual Web site for formatting reasons. Lastly, this post is the last Lost list that will appear on Reviewing Life, as the final two are slated to appear on GooseRadio. I will link to them when they are up.
If it could have been argued in the past that Lost was not a science fiction show, all such protestations have by now been firmly put in their place. However, even before time travel and weird Dharma stations, Lost acted like science fiction, in that it used the on island situations to explore real world themes and philosophies. And, like the skilled science fiction writers they are, J.J. Abrams and company realized that the dilemmas, mysteries and, well, science on their show would only be palatable if their story was populated with interesting characters.
To this end, they have done an almost (but not quite, as you'll soon see) universally good job at making their main and supporting characters complex, compelling and diverse people. And let's not forget their sheer numbers. With the announcement of season six's starring cast, the final tally for main characters appears to be 28 (unless they pull a season five Jin again and introduce a new main cast member partway through). To put that in perspective, the revolving door, 15-season-long ER only had 26 characters with top billing. NYPD Blue (12 seasons) had 24, and Dallas (14 seasons) had 17 (source: Wikipedia).
This combination of quality and quantity have created one of TV's richest worlds. This list will give you the 10 characters I think have contributed to that world the best. First, however, I'll give you five characters that have done more harm than good.
Lost's Five Worst Characters
5. Shannon Rutherford
This one is more of a missed opportunity than anything else. I have many friends who hate on Shannon to no end, and I don't really think that's fair. Maggie Grace played the role she was given, that of a manipulative, spoiled brat, quite well. That her character was unlikeable isn't necessarily a bad thing, as not every character is meant to be a sympathetic one. And, as her time on the island went on, she eventually matured a little bit and began to show some sort of character progression.
Then she died, serving no purpose but that of a plot device to make the main section survivors view the tail sectioners with animosity. To further add to the pointlessness, her stepbrother Boone was already dead, his main contribution being tripping over the hatch and making Locke feel guilty. The two characters' (especially Shannon's) contribution to the mythology and overall progress of show are infinitesimal, and yet they both received flashbacks, centric episodes, the works. Assuming that the island picked these people for a reason, the question now becomes why?
Worst Moment: Seeing Walt and then getting shot.
4. Juliet Burke
My previous Juliet bashing aside, I do feel bad that I have to include her. While her writing and that stupid smile have always seemed a bit trite to me, the little else I've seen Elizabeth Mitchell in has been good, at least partially due to her being in it (see particularly ABC's V). And her role on Lost, while never captivating, was at least mildly interesting at the beginning of her story. Her opening scene in season three is probably one of the most memorable moments of the show.
However, both her likability and importance have gone down considerably since her debut, and season five reached new lows as she became nothing more than Sawyer's personality-free girlfriend who would occasionally take nonsensical actions in order to move the plot forward. It's all about motivation, but Juliet doesn't seem to have any. Bottom Line? I'd really like that bomb to go off, hopefully blowing her up with it.
Worst Moment: Clearly it is the completely out-of-place divorce "reveal" ("The Incident"), if you can even call it that.
3. Nikki and Paulo
These two would make the absolute bottom if they were on the show more, but thankfully, the writers realized what a mistake they'd made fairly quickly. The attempt to retcon these two into the plot was awful and sloppily done (a fact that Sawyer humorously references in "Expose" with his repeated "Who the hell is Nikki?" questions). Fortunately, we only had to see them in seven episodes before the writers, sensing viewer hatred, not only killed them off, but buried them alive. Sweet.
Worst Moment: Either their retconned Pearl discovery or their weird accompaniment of Locke to the Pearl later.
2. Kate Austen
While Kate was all right but unspectacular in season one, seasons two and beyond saw her turn first into a childish pouter who always followed other characters through the jungle after being told she couldn't come with them and later into an emotional crybaby who made the often trembling-lipped Jack look positively stone-faced. Whether it was her should-I-or-shouldn't-I relationship with Sawyer and Jack, her seemingly endless "Mom, why won't you thank me for killing your husband?" flashback episodes or her constant agonizing over Aaron's welfare, you just get tired of all the weepiness. That the writers never give her anything really important to do only adds to the problem.
To be fair, she does do something interesting every now and then, but a few good flashback episodes aren't enough to earn her redemption.
Worst Moment:, Her sobbing "They're gonna kill Sawyer!" in "I Do" has always particularly irritated me. That and all of her "I must get that toy plane back!" episodes.
1. Ana Lucia Cortez
I know my list must seem misogynistic, but it's not my fault: a few characters aside (Danielle, Sun, etc.), Lost just isn't quite as good at handling female characters. Perhaps it's just that Lost is primarily a man's world - out of the 28 main characters, only 10 of them are female, and, depending on Juliet's fate, only four or five of them have survived to see season six (and Claire made it by skipping season five altogether).
All perceived misogyny aside, however, Ana Lucia really is terrible. Sulky, unemotive (except when she was angry), constantly looking as if she was vaguely sick to her stomach - all of these words or phrases could be used to describe her. She was written shallowly, and Michelle Rodriguez did nothing to make this portrayal any better. She was also irritating, spitting out all of her lines with a half-formed sneer that made you wonder why the tail section survivors hadn't looked to Mr. Eko for help instead of her.
In short, I was a little relieved when Michael finally shot her. A brief interesting story arc involving Christian aside (and even then, it was interesting because of Christian, not her), her tenure on the show was one of nearly constant aggravation.
Worst Moment: When she has sex with Sawyer.
Now, the good.
"Lost's" 10 Best Characters
Please note: these rankings are based on a combination of which characters are actually my favorites and which ones I think add the most to the show. These two opinions are often the same, but not always.
10. Jack Shephard
First appearance: "Pilot"
Currently: In the past, escaping what is probably "The Incident"
Jack has his ups and downs, but uncertainty about miracles, occasional whimpering and fixing complex aside, he really is the soul of the show, and, for a character who has had to deal with so much, he really is a good protagonist. His relationship with his father is an added bonus, as is his tumultuous marriage.
Jack was originally going to be killed in the pilot, but ABC insisted that he be kept on as the main character. For once, the meddling network executives were right; a show like "Lost" needs an everyman, and Jack fills the role nicely.
Best Moment: Every moment he was onscreen with the crazy beard. Man, I loved that thing.
9. Martin Keamy
First appearance: "The Constant"
Currently: In the present, dead, presumably rotting on the floor of the Orchid
Though he only makes an appearance in 10 episodes (nine if you don't count his brief ghostly appearance in "Dead Is Dead"), the menacing mercenary makes the most of every minute of screen time he can grab. He is the driving force behind much of season four's drama, as you know that he will only wait so long for the four freighter folk before coming down hard on the island's inhabitants. Every moment he's onscreen is filled with a sense of grim inevitability, a sense that is only increased when he dons the killswitch. He's also responsible for three supporting character deaths in two episodes, which is a pretty big amount in a short time, even on "Lost."
Best Moment: A tie between him killing Alex and the "fix my gun" moment with Captain Gault.
8. Christian Shephard
First appearance: "Walkabout"
Currently: In the present, presumably hanging out with Claire. Last seen telling Sun to wait for Locke.
Christian is one of the most important (if not the most important) factors in making Jack as interesting as he is, and his own story is pretty compelling as well. John Terry does an excellent job portraying a father who really does love his son but who is crippled by pride. Plus, there's the always fascinating question: What's he doing up and walking around, anyway?
Best Moment: Drinking in the bar with Sawyer.
7. James "Sawyer" Ford
First appearance: Pilot
Currently: In the past, escaping The Incident and mourning over the presumed loss of Juliet.
Sawyer occupies a special place in both the hearts of many fans and the overall makeup of Lost itself. Fans have (understandably) latched onto Sawyer because of his wisecracking personality and endearing nicknames. He's good for the show because he's one of the only characters who has actually undergone a significant change in personality and character over the years.
Josh Holloway has also shown a surprising depth over the course of the show, portraying a man who is at times wiseacre, at times tortured, at times responsible leader and at times wracked with guilt and self-doubt. His changing roles on the show have served it well.
Best Moment: His long con to acquire the guns.
6. Richard Alpert
First appearance: "Not In Portland"
Currently: In the past, presumably dragging the unconscious Eloise back to the Others' camp, and in the present, looking at Locke's dead body with confusion.
Richard is always so fun because the show rarely ever addresses his apparent immortality. He's just always around, safeguarding a nuclear bomb, checking up on Locke, taking Ben in, recruiting Juliet, etc. Why he is the way he is is seldom mentioned, making him a fascinating, enigmatic character. He also always remains on an even keel, and he even seems kind, a trait not usually seen in the Others. The word that he's going to be one of the main characters on season six is good news to me.
Best Moment: His testing of young Locke to see if he was eligible for the "special school."
5. Charlie Pace
First appearance: "Pilot"
Currently: Serving as fish food in the submerged Looking Glass station.
Charlie was one of the few characters on Lost who was good for both comedy and pathos. His wit was always sharp, but his story arc, both on and off the island, was quite poignant. He was a very well rounded character.
While Lost is known for great characterization, many of the players on the show are not easily to relate to. Charlie, however, is, if only because his constant confusion and impetuousness in the face of danger mirrors the way that many, perhaps even most, people would act in those situations. He met us where we are on a more personal level too. Even though he was a rock star, Charlie illustrated the failures faced by us all and our own quests for redemption.
Best Moment: If I had to pick one, it would be his sacrificial death scene.
4. Daniel Faraday
First appearance: "The Beginning Of The End"
Currently: Dead in the past, shot by his mom.
There is something so oddly compelling about Faraday, probably because everything seems to go drastically wrong for him. He put the woman he loved in a coma, he zapped his memory, he was fired from Oxford, the next woman he loved died because he couldn't save her and his mom knowingly sent him to his death. Poor guy.
And yet, rather than wallow in misery, Faraday always attempted to get up and move on, always putting others first and trying to do what was right. In a way, there is a sense of purity about him. Perhaps no other character on Lost has been so consistently selfless.
Best Moment: You've gotta love Shaggy Dan from the past, but I'll say the missile test when he first realizes that something might be wrong with the island's timeline.
3. Desmond Hume
First appearance: "Man of Science, Man of Faith"
Currently: In the present, recovering from a gunshot wound at the hospital.
Oh Desmond, how I love you so. Henry Ian Cusick hits every right note, perfectly capturing this poor, scared, unlucky man who just wants to live happily ever after with his girlfriend (are they married yet?).
The time travel elements of Desmond's character are always good for speculation, and he plays them up perfectly, but the primary draw of this beleaguered Scot is his likability. He just genuinely seems to be a good guy, and it is his character who I most want to see survive the show.
Best Moment: A toss-up between his entire performance on "The Constant" and when he beats the crap out of Ben.
2. Sayid Jarrah
First appearance: "Pilot"
Currently: In the past, hopefully not bleeding out in the jungle.
Sayid is my favorite character. He may not have had the most influence on the show, but Naveen Andrews always seems to know exactly when to play him as tormented, angry, bemused or sympathetic. He's not a good person, but he truly wants to be, and his self-loathing just makes us want to comfort the poor guy.
Acting like the sensitive guy is only one part of Sayid's role, however. The other part is arguably more important: serving as Lost's consummate badass. I mean, come on. He's constantly trekking, shooting, torturing or otherwise killing people and things, all ostensibly for the greater good. It's enough for me to even excuse his womanizing tendencies. However, this season promises to be one of the saddest for our dear old Republican Guarder. Between his dire wound and the writers' constant mission to keep his from being happy, I've got to agree with the MTV movie blog on this one: there's no way he's making it out of season six alive.
Best Moment: All of his flashback/forward performances, the scene where he fights the men in the safehouse, and, of course, "snap[ping] that guy's neck with that breakdancing thing you do with your legs."
1. Benjamin Linus
First appearance: "One Of Them"
Currently: In the present, hanging out inside of the foot statue after killing Jacob.
Cuse and Lindelof often cite "Star Wars" as a major influence on their work, and perhaps nowhere is it more apparent than in their realization that making the villain the best part of the story totally rules. I may like Sayid a bit better, but Ben has been a major series player since the very beginning of his "Lost" tenure, and things have only gotten crazier since.
Perhaps the best thing about Ben is that he's got his finger in everything. You never know what he's gunning for until whatever he wanted to happened has happened, and only then do you realize that he's not only been manipulating the characters into doing his foul bidding, but the audience into wanting it. He is perhaps the primary mover and shaker of the show's last three seasons, and, unlike many of the other characters, the motivation for his actions has always been clear and menacing: whatever keeps me on top.
Best Moment: The Henry Gale saga, culminating in the "Got any milk?" scene, which may be one of the best in the show's history.
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