Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #1

Number 1: Episodes 3x22 & 3x23 – “Through the Looking Glass”

Featured Character: Jack
Major Events & Revelations: Certain characters eventually leave the island
Major Death: Charlie

“Through the Looking Glass” is frequently regarded as a “game changer” – and rightfully so – but I might take it one step further and say that this episode saved Lost from suffering the same fate that befell Heroes.

While Lost was still an extraordinarily clever and entertaining show, leading up to the season three finale, they desperately needed to tweak or completely abandon the flashback formula that it had become known for. I mean, by that point, the character histories were becoming incredibly redundant. How many times could we watch Locke being taken advantage of? Or Jack destroying a relationship because of his trust issues? Or Michael attempting to become a part of Walt’s life but coming up short? Or Kate trying to live a normal, happy life before her past catches up on her? I honestly don’t know if Lost would have lasted this long if it had continued down that path.

The episode cut between scenes of Jack leading the rest of the Oceanic crash survivors to apparent salvation, and Jack in Los Angeles depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, and drunk to the extent that he can barely function. We’re left to wonder if he had once fallen down the same path as his father, or if he was a hypocrite due to his judgments of others who have faced such demons. We had wondered what made him hit rock bottom, and marveled at how he could rise above to the point that he would be compared to Moses. But the big twist at the end – the proverbial rattlesnake in a mailbox – was that we were actually looking at Jack’s future, instead of his past. Somehow, at some point in the near future, Jack gets off the island. And Kate is off the island too, and the two of them seem to have a tense and uncomfortable relationship – a far cry from their tender scene on the island, where Jack confidently confessed his love for her. And another, then-unrevealed Oceanic survivor, had recently died. And unexpectedly, for some reason, Jack – the man who was so desperate and determined to get off of the island – is now demanding that they go back.

“Through the Looking Glass” was also the culmination of the season-long Desmond/Charlie story arc, which saw Desmond having visions of Charlie’s death. Throughout the season Desmond was saving Charlie from his unfortunate fate, however by this point Charlie had accepted his destiny, believing that his death would somehow lead to Claire’s rescue (oh, if he only knew what lied ahead for her….) And through the duration of the two part episode, there were numerous teases that Charlie might actually survive this latest life threatening situation. But in the end, Charlie chose to sacrifice himself for the welfare of his friends, and as a result we witnessed what was arguably the most touching and impactful death scene in modern television history. And how often does this occur between two characters that aren’t in a relationship with each other? The fact that they didn’t go the easy route by involving Claire in Charlie’s death, yet it was still so emotionally powerful, says a whole lot about the scene.

And finally, this episode featured the climax of the castaways’ war with the Others. Following this episode, the Others spent a season hiding out in the Temple, only to re-emerge in that year’s finale to assist the Losties in defeating Kearny and the Freighter crew. And this season they were essentially disbanded, initially protecting the crew from Smokey before being massacred by the monster. So “Through the Looking Glass” was really when this three year rivalry came to a head. Sadly, it came at the expense of Tom’s life.

However, this episode wasn’t all doom and gloom. “Through the Looking Glass” featured the return of Taller Ghost Walt. We also saw the first hint of the future Sawyer/Juliet romance, as the two traded playful jabs as they made their way to the beach to rescue Sayid, Jin, and Bernard. And then we also saw Hurley emerge as an unlikely hero by incapacitating/distracting the Others with the Dharma van, suddenly making the events of “Tricia Tanaka is Dead” seem a little less like filler.

So, yes, the season three finale was a game changer. But it was also much more than that.

Click here for my original review of the episode

Watch this episode in its entirety. Part 1:



Part 2: