18 Shannon Rutherford

Played by: Maggie Grace

Main: Seasons 1-2

Guest: Seasons 3, 6

 

The first time we see Shannon is a perfect indicator of the character we see through season 1, and perhaps a representation of how most of the audience would react if their plane had crashed onto an island and they were surrounded by a wreckage in the middle of nowhere - she looked helpless, crying and screaming instead of helping out. Perhaps that's just me? Of course, Shannon wasn't entirely useless from the start - she helped to loosely translate Rousseau's looped signal. Through season 1, half-brother Boone gives her a hard time, and their past is explored through their dedicated flashback episode, in which we learn that Shannon had conned him into rescuing her from abusive relationships just to get money, not to mention the twist of the half-siblings having a romantic relationship themselves. Despite their rocky relationship, Shannon is emotional when Boone dies, not speaking at his funeral and holding Locke at gunpoint, blaming him for his death. Sayid proves to be her rock, right to the end when Shannon follows Vincent through the jungle, spotting Walt along the way. In the jungle, she's shot my Ana Lucia and dies in Sayid's arms.

 

Shannon's an example of a character who had a strong arc in her time on the show, but I'd still have loved to see more from her. She's relatable from the start - it's a safe bet that most people wouldn't be like Jack, Kate or Locke, and her preference of keeping out of the action and sunbathing while awaiting rescue is very much what I'd do in that situation! The relationship with Boone is an interesting one throughout even if, as I said in Boone's post, the romantic twist was a bit yucky. I loved seeing Shannon becoming more selfless through her time on the show, helped by her strong bond with Sayid - they brought out the best in each other, in my opinion, and I'd have loved to have seen them together for longer. Another favourite moment is Walt giving Vincent to Shannon, acknowledging that she needed the company. Shannon seems to get a tough time from Lost fans from what I've seen - I enjoyed her character and would have loved to see her continue to grow and blossom, so her death felt very untimely (and only made me hate Ana Lucia more :lol:)

Shannon :wub: Now that death affected me in unimaginable ways. I thought she was going to continue to grow and mature as the show went on and become a key heroine figure but she was cut short in the most brutal of ways. Her death in the arms of Sayid will forever replay in my mind.

 

I found her to be a great character - obviously flawed, totally selfish and a princess, but the islanders needed it. It's how many people would react in that situation and obviously offered some light relief to everyone else taking it all so seriously. I loved her kindness and nurture towards Vincent and her relationship with Sayid. I have a lot of time for her, it's a shame the show didn't though :'( (but of course her death was a huge moment for the show and so she left her legacy like that, even if it was heart-breaking).

Shannon :wub: Now that death affected me in unimaginable ways. I thought she was going to continue to grow and mature as the show went on and become a key heroine figure but she was cut short in the most brutal of ways. Her death in the arms of Sayid will forever replay in my mind.

 

I found her to be a great character - obviously flawed, totally selfish and a princess, but the islanders needed it. It's how many people would react in that situation and obviously offered some light relief to everyone else taking it all so seriously. I loved her kindness and nurture towards Vincent and her relationship with Sayid. I have a lot of time for her, it's a shame the show didn't though :'( (but of course her death was a huge moment for the show and so she left her legacy like that, even if it was heart-breaking).

Agree with all of this, she had a beautifully formed but tragic story, but I'd have loved to see it go a different direction with Shannon sticking around and becoming a more prominent team member to keep her progression going. I was gobsmacked when she died, one of the most shocking and heartbreaking moments of the whole show surely.

 

17 Elizabeth "Libby" Smith

Played by: Cynthia Watros

Main: Season 2

Guest: Seasons 4, 6

 

One of the tail section survivors of Flight 815, we meet Libby in season 2 alongside characters including Ana Lucia, Bernard and Mr. Eko. Libby has a background in medicine and immediately tries to help some of the survivors, though she wasn't always successful. Upon meeting Jin, Michael and Sawyer, arriving back on the island after the failure of their raft, Libby and the rest of the group unite with the rest of the survivors, and she immediately formed a bond notably with Hurley, ultimately stopping him from jumping off a cliff at one of his lowest moments by professing her feelings for him. Hurley plans dates for the two of them, and when he forgets drinks and blankets for their date, they split up, leading Libby into the hatch where she's accidentally shot by Michael, killing her.

 

Libby's story broke my heart! Undeniably one of the nicest characters the show produced, I really enjoyed seeing her integrate into the group, and alongside the abrasive Ana Lucia and the eccentric Mr. Eko, she was a breath of fresh air. The fact she didn't receive a dedicated flashback episode to explore her story is criminal, but her on-island scenes were enough to show us how kind-hearted Libby was. Her relationship with Hurley was one of the show's genius pairings, and it broke my heart when Libby died, especially realising the impact this would have on Hurley. I'd have loved to see Libby stick around for longer, and I was pleased at least that she got a happy ending with Hurley in the afterlife if nothing more...

Libby's death was one of the most unexpected on the show, probably the most to be honest. Mainly because they had set her character arc up and it never really got explained.. but the actrress got another job at the time. Same for Maggie Grace too with Shannon & plus the writers ran out of backstory for the younger characters, hence why Boone was chosen for the chop too.

Libby is another huge favourite of mine! She's actually my #1 of the tail-section survivors for many reasons. Firstly, she's the most grounded and controlled of the new characters introduced. You can tell there's something going on with her but she masks it well and devotes herself to the island and in particular with Hurley - is there a cuter pair in the whole show than these two? It is devastating that their relationship eventually leads to her demise, with the picnic blanket fiasco :( Her support for him (as you've mentioned) when Hurley is losing control is so admirable and shows just how beautiful a soul she is. There's also the brilliant moment in Hurley's flashback where it turns out Libby is in the same institution as him - genius tbh and made my jaw-drop!

 

Overall, she's a brilliant new member of the regulars in her time in the show and yet another reason why Michael's brash actions are unforgiveable.

 

16 Michael Dawson

Played by: Harold Perrineau

Main: Seasons 1-2, 4

Guest: Season 6

 

Michael was travelling back to the US with his son Walt when Flight 815 crashed onto the island. Quickly, we learn that Michael's only just gained custody of his 10 year old son and their relationship is non-existent. Through season 1, we see the ups and downs as the duo get to know each other, including Michael's protectiveness (or even overprotectiveness) when Walt and Locke befriend each other, and how he deals with the revelation that Walt destroyed the first raft Michael built. He also had a potential love interest in Sun, and also a rival in Jin, though this was later dropped when Sun and Jin's relationship was received positively, as was the chemistry between Harold Perrineau and Daniel Dae Kim as friends. Michael spearheads the mission to build a raft to take his son and a select few others to safety, and to send help back to the island, but the raft is hijacked and Walt is kidnapped, leading Michael onto a dark path in season 2 as we learn the lengths he'll go to to find his son. Michael makes a deal with the Others - releasing Henry Gale (aka Ben Linus) and bringing Jack, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley to them, in return for getting his son back. This ruthless streak gets Ana Lucia and Libby killed, though it works and Michael is reunited with Walt. We see him again in season 4, returning to the island on the freighter. We learn that he is again estranged from Walt, and is returning to try and redeem himself by saving the other survivors. Michael slows the detonation of a bomb on the freighter, though it ultimately detonates and he is killed in the explosion.

 

Summarising Michael's story was one of the toughest to do so far. That's because I think he's one of the most complex character's in the show, and for that, he earned the right to a respectable position in my countdown. A middling position also makes sense as far as my personal opinion goes - in season 1, I really liked Michael and he was one of my favourite characters. His flashbacks often broke my heart as he lost his grip on his son little by little, and it was clear he was a well-intentioned if flawed man who simply wants what's best for his family. This proves to be his downfall as we see a progressive shift in his character in season 2, and I ended up hating Michael. He was selfish and reckless, though driven by his love for his son. Killing Ana Lucia and then Libby was a horrible move and one of the most shocking moments of the entire show. His redemption arc in season 4 is decent and I appreciate it for showing us what became of Michael and Walt after they left the island, but I didn't really care as much for his freighter scenes. Nevertheless, undoubtedly a complex character and one that I have mixed feelings on, but you can't say Harold Perrineau didn't act his socks off with incredible strong material for most of his run. The chemistry with Walt was fantastic and believable, and I loved his friendship with Sun too.

 

Oh, and WWAAAAAAAAAÀAAÁÆÆAAAAÃaÂĄĂAAAªÄÅAAAAAAAAAAAAAĹĹLŁLĽLLĻTŤTTŢŢȚ

Not a big fan of Michael, would have had him much much lower

 

This countdown makes me really wanna re-watch Lost again, but I don't think it's available on Netflix or HBO?

Drinking game for how many times Michael says 'my son' or 'walt', you'd die before the episode ends

 

He had his moments towards the start where you saw there were good intentions, but overall an incredibly frustrating character to watch and he became pretty much unforgivable with his later actions (especially Libby :cry: ) though his final comeback was an interesting twist, it was too little too late.

 

Wasn't massively engaged with a lot of the later characters including the freighter as they just weren't given enough time like the main crew. Boone and Shannon I think could've really clicked given a few more episodes and arcs given more time, but as it stands, I just never quite warmed to them and found them more of an annoyance, along with Michael, probably my least favorites from the original plane crash.

Friendly bump!

Sorry, I've been at gigs for the last 3 nights so haven't had much free time at all! Will resume today I promise :D

#WWAAAAAAAAAÀAAÁÆÆAAAAÃaÂĄĂAAAªÄÅAAAAAAAAAAAAAĹĹLŁLĽLLĻTŤTTŢŢȚ x

 

Michael... the character with the biggest fall from grace for me. He began as a doting father, annoyingly protective and loyal but heart in the right place. Then as Walt became under threat he became insufferably annoying with this protection and his screams during the raft scenes live etched in my mind like some sort of fever dream :') After the raft drama and Walt's kidknapping, I think he went from bad to worse. His story arch was here, there and everywhere and never was he the shining beacon he thought he was. The Kevin Johnson twist was pretty great initially tbh but even then his character quickly became annoying. Too high in this list for me, but your commentary does explain the cause for him well so it's fair - he's certainly one of the most complex characters which is probably why he's so divisive!

 

15 Claire Littleton

Played by: Emilie de Ravin

Main: Seasons 1-4, 6

 

Heavily pregnant when Flight 815 crashes onto the island, Claire immediately forms a close bond with Charlie. Occasionally anxious about giving birth on the island, even causing nightmares, Claire leaves the group with Charlie though chooses to return, realising she needs Jack there for the birth. She's kidnapped by Ethan on the way back and returns almost 2 weeks later, unable to recall a thing about her time on the island. Kate, Jin and Charlie help Claire deliver the baby, who she names Aaron, but flashbacks reveal that she was travelling to LA to give her baby up for adoption, against the advice of a psychic; a psychic who later gives her the ticket for Flight 815 to visit a specific couple who can adopt the baby. Claire is both grateful and annoyed by Charlie's attempts to play a father figure in Aaron's life, leading to a bumpy relationship between them. Claire regains her lost memories with help from Libby, Kate and Rousseau. In season 3, Juliet saves Claire's life when she falls ill, but is worried in the finale when Charlie does not return to shore after helping to unblock the jamming signal. She joins Locke after hearing of Charlie's death, but returns with Sawyer and Miles after the barracks come under attack. In their camp overnight, she sees her father, Christian Shephard, and follows him, leaving Aaron. Claire is seen again in season 6, some years later, still on the island but much more volatile than she previously was. Loyal to the Man in Black (aka "Locke"), Kate attempts to convince Claire of her justified reasons in raising Aaron as her own, and that Aaron needs her. Claire leaves on the Ajira plane at the end of the series.

 

Claire brings an interesting element to the dynamic in season 1 - how would raising a baby on an island with so many mysteries fare? Not to mention the kidnapping plot and her subsequent amnesia. That played such a big part in the mystery of the island and the "others" in season 1 and it was one of the reasons I was kept so intrigued. I also loved her dynamic with Charlie, they had a great chemistry even if the "will-they-won't-they" seemed to be dragged out for a while with their regular falling out...! Of the original characters, I think Claire was one of the less essential group members as the show went on and I'm not sure they always knew what to do with her, though I did love the bombshell of her and Jack being siblings - I'm glad that was touched upon a bit more in season 6. Her return in season 6 spiced the character up and made her a little interesting once again, and I'm glad she didn't just vanish for good after season 4, though rabid Claire was... quite something to watch and bordered on annoying for a bit. On the whole I did like her character, though, and midtable (only just missing out on the top half) feels about right for someone who was a notable presence on the show but isn't one of my top favourites.

I knew Claire would be next! She’s underrated!

 

14 Sayid Jarrah

Played by: Naveen Andrews

Main: Seasons 1-6

 

Serving as a communication officer in Iraq before being captured by the US and being used to torture people to gather information, Sayid initially keeps his past close to his chest after the crash, focusing on fixing the transceiver so they can send a distress signal. However, when Shannon suffers an asthma attack, he interrogates (and by that, I mean tortures) Sawyer in an attempt to get her inhaler. He becomes a key link between the survivors and Rousseau, who initially captures him when he leaves the group in ashamed. Sayid forms a touching bond with Shannon, before she's killed by Ana Lucia and dies in Sayid's arms. He later becomes one of the Oceanic Six, returning from the island with Jack, Hurley, Kate, Sun and baby Aaron. He's reunited with Nadia, the love of his life, but she is killed and he ends up working for Ben as an assassin. He's brought back to the island by Ilana and taken captive in 1977 by the Dharma Initiative, escaping and shooting a young Ben. He is later shot and dies, but is revived in the Temple and is said to be "infected". Sayid dies in the submarine explosion but is seen in the final flash-sideways, aka the afterlife with the rest of the group.

 

The first character to drop out to have appeared as a regular from start to finish, I'm not really sure if this is a controversial one or not! Sayid's an integral part of Lost and a character that helped shape the show, adding a unique dynamic into the group from the start. Sayid's pragmatic approach both contrasts and complement's Jack's leadership and it makes for an interesting relationship, and I love Sayid's more tender moments, especially his relationship with Shannon and his scenes with Rousseau. I must admit though, his flashback episodes often interested me the least which is the only real reason I've put him lower down (because, at this stage, it's fair to say I really like every single character remaining!). I enjoy that he's a complex character who isn't afraid to do immoral things to get the group the information they need, and the show doesn't shy away from showing his personal conflict over such actions. His death scene disappointed me, though, as did much of his season 6 presence. The Temple scenes were highly disposable and served little purpose beyond bringing Sayid towards Locke/the Man in Black, but Sayid ultimately ended up back with Jack's group in the end anyway. He didn't get a proper death scene really and it felt anticlimactic, overshadowed by Sun and Jin's deaths instead (more on that later, still reeling x). Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Sayid and Naveen Andrews always put in a captivating performance!

Sayid was ruined in series 5&6. It’s almost like they had no idea what to do with him. If his story had ended with him getting off the island at the end of S4 I’m sure he would have been more fondly remembered.

Ooh I would say that's rather low for Sayid, one of my favourites :o Especially given the context of the show coming very soon after 9/11 and in the midst of the Iraq war, having such a complex and three-dimensional Muslim character in an American show without resorting to stereotypes was really well done for the time. I found his backstory and attitude really compelling and much more interesting than Jack's. He admittedly wasn't as great in later seasons, but I guess I've blanked them from my mind! :lol:

 

Claire was quite a sweet tonic in the earlier seasons and I really loved her and Charlie, the rabid rebrand was weird though x

^ the context is actually really interesting, being a recent viewer I hadn't thought about the significance of his nationality too much in relation to when it aired!

 

13 Jack Shephard

Played by: Matthew Fox

Main: Seasons 1-6

 

As soon as he awakes following the crash of Flight 815, Jack Shephard springs into action to save people from the wreckage. As a doctor, he helps the injured and gives directions to those around him to help out. He forms close relationships with many of the islanders through his leadership skills and bedside manner, notably Kate, with a clear romantic attraction between the two even when she grows closer to Sawyer for a period of time. Jack's flashbacks show a troubled relationship with his now-deceased father, also a doctor who was an alcoholic. He shares a connection with Juliet when he's captured by the Others, though when the Oceanic Six return to their lives, Jack and Kate become an item and break apart within those years. Upon his return to the island, Jack makes the decision to detonate the hydrogen bomb, a decision that ultimately ends up killing Juliet. In the final season, Jack accepts the role of "protector" of the island, succeeding Jacob, though he gives this role up quickly to restore the light in the heart of the island, an act that ultimately kills him.

 

Jack's firmly a character in the middle of the rank for me. Perhaps unusual to have the effective main character so low, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy Jack - I did, very much! He worked well as a leader and he always had a very moral view of the things going on around him. That doesn't make for the most exciting character, though - Jack often works as a connecting piece between the more interesting characters around him (Kate, Locke, Hurley, Jin and Sun, etc), as well as the "frenemy" relationship with Locke - this was SO watchable! This can often happen with a main character in a TV show and it's not a bad thing really, a character like Jack was undoubtedly essential and he played such a gigantic part in the whole show, it just means I ended up feeling more strongly about other characters who were perhaps more interesting at times. Jack's flashbacks were decent (tattoo one aside lol) and the will-they-won't-they with Kate was predictable but they had great chemistry. He was an obvious contender for "protector" of the island in the finale so I was somewhat pleased when he gave that over to Hurley to make the ultimate sacrifice - it was very much in character and made for a poignant end as he died with Vincent by his side, mirroring how he woke up in episode 1. An important, necessary character, but one that quite often paved the way for more interesting people around him.

^^^ One of the worst characters on the show.