The pilot episode of Lost came to the UK on channel 4, showing trailers of plane wreckage scattered across the beach. For many, this looked like one of the most expensive-looking TV shows to date, making it an eagerly watched pilot.
But it wasn’t the plane wreckage and the cries for help that initially caught the imagination of millions of viewers around the world. It was the landmark, simplistic opening scene in that memorable pilot episode that grabbed your obsession for years to come. As you hear the nature of the bamboo forest, the camera is fixed on Jack’s closing eyes for what feels like only two seconds. The signature Lost beat impacts as his eyes open, with his pupils immediately constricting. As Jack familiarises with his surroundings and experiences the trauma of what is going on, a random dog passes him. Plucking up the courage to lift himself, he clambers through the bamboo forest following the noise from the beach, which he finally reaches to see the absolute carnage.
Lost could have easily opened up with a plane crash to give viewers an adrenaline-fuelled opening; however, this move felt bolder and much more effective, using confusion and sound to articulate what is happening to Jack. Lost instead chose the power of the character rather than the setting, allowing you to imagine what it would have felt like. This opening scene in the pilot, of course, spurred many mysteries for many seasons.
Many years later, fans still argue that the pilot episode of Lost remains one of the best opening chapters to date. People often focus in on the action of this episode, and how the wild nature of survival was vital, but it was the start of understanding each character and their traits.
What do you think is another outstanding scene in Lost? Comment below and join the debate.
