Lost Season 5 – Episode List & Guide

Click on the links below to read the Full Reviews:

5.01 – Because You Left: B+

“Because You Left” opens Lost’s fifth season. As premiere’s go, this one certainly had the energy, the mystery, and the impact one would expect. But what was missing – indeed what has been missing for quite some time – is an explicit focus on character. Lost was once a show that expertly wove mystery with stories about humanity. Now, whatever “humanity” can be found in an episode is bent to serving the overall narrative. Without question, the approach works for a great many viewers. And on a personal level, I find the science-fiction elements to the series very compelling. But something is missing. And as much as I enjoyed this episode, I cannot help but wonder if the series will ever return to its roots – to what made it a transcendent story to begin with.

5.02 – The Lie: C+

“The Lie” is a companion episode to “Because You Left” in more ways than the fact that it was part of a two-hour season premiere. Indeed, the connecting element here is one of consequence – in this case, the consequences of The Lie told by the Oceanic Six. As such, the episode is slightly deeper than its predecessor, though, the pacing isn’t quite as strong. In the end, this is a decent installment, but once the newness wears off, it isn’t quite as strong as it appears to be. It’s certainly good television, but I wouldn’t rank it as one of the series’ ten best.

5.03 – Jughead: B

In some ways, you have to hand it to Lost … they’ve completely abandoned the deep character exploration which elevated the series to something special and instead have devoted themselves to a purely mystery-based, plot-twist narrative. And yet the story is so interesting that the episodes remain rather entertaining – even if they are ultimately devoid of any real meaning or intrinsic value. Such is the case with “Jughead” – an episode that is sure to thrill fans who simply want to be surprised every other scene. This episode accomplishes its goal with such aplomb that you can (almost – but not quite) forget that this series once represented the epitome of episodic television.

5.04 – The Little Prince: C

“The Little Prince” is an example of what happens when a series runs out of real character development and is existing purely on narrative twists. There are certainly a number of interesting, exciting and unexpected turns … but it’s becoming rather pointless. The central conflicts, established at the beginning of the season, are now being prolonged and perpetuated simply to provide more excuses to twist and turn the plot – without any real purpose or significance. Lost continues to be ahead of the curve in terms of crafting a story … but enough already. Get to the point and move on.

5.05 – This Place Is Death: C-

“This Place Is Death” is a continuation of the same formula lost has been following for a few weeks now. For those that enjoy being needlessly strung along, with melodrama and plot twists, this will be yet another enjoyable installment. For those of us who just want the nonsense to end, we can take some solace in the fact that events are moving (albeit very slowly) toward a resolution.

5.06 – 316: A-

With “316,” Lost has its most entertaining episode in a long, long while. I hesitate to call it an exceptional installment because, quite frankly, it continues the growing tradition of sacrificing real character explorations in favor of plot twists. But there’s quite a bit to this episode beyond simply the fact that, finally, pieces of the puzzle start falling into place. Indeed, the episodes best moments are its most understated ones, involving symbolism that exists on a couple of different levels. Because of this, “316” is an example of just how good Lost can be at telling a story with a bit of intelligence and craft. Now, if only they would return to an explicit focus on, character all will be right with the world of Lost.

5.07 – The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham: C+

“The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” is a notably intriguing — if somewhat unfulfilling — episode. From start to finish, it is intent on pulling audiences along a remarkable, and seemingly inexplicable occurrence – one that was heavily foreshadowed in the previous installment. To its credit, the episode takes some time to focus on character, though, admittedly, it doesn’t cover a whole lot of new ground. Even so, the rehash serves to provide an additional layer on a story that is so full of revelations and paranormal events that it desperately needed *something* (however minor) to anchor it. For the most part, the episode is successful with this formula, however, the melodrama of its final paces is a bit awkward.

5.08 – LaFleur: C

“LaFleur” is a good story, told with a good deal of craft and care. The problem, though, is that it really isn’t about anything. Once again, the narrative successfully weaves its tale of twists, turns and revelations. But once again, there’s hardly any real depth to the story. There are a number of missed opportunities to focus on loyalty, friendship, destiny, fate and so forth. The closest the episode gets to any real exploration is the brief scene in which the question: “Is three years enough to get over” someone you once loved? The idea of dealing with the sudden absence of a loved one is certainly interesting, but the episode pays little more than lip service to the idea – and its stated conclusion is just silly.

5.09 – Namaste: C

“Namaste” is the perfect example of what Lost has become: a saccharine-sweet dose of plot-coated goodness around a singularly hollow core. Part of me simply cannot help but be amused and entertained by what transpires on-screen. In that respect, I have to give Lost credit for continuing to create episodes which are, if nothing else, entertaining. Unfortunately, the story continues to be just as shallow as ever, detailing a wonderfully detailed plot that has almost no relevance beyond the series itself – a far cry from what Lost used to be. And if I seem to be belaboring the point, it’s because I’ve long hoped for a return to the more character-driven stories of the earlier seasons of the series. At the very least, though, Lost manages to avoid the self-indulgent nonsense of Battlestar Galactica.

5.10 – He’s Our You: B

“He’s Our You” is a riveting and entertaining episode that just so happens to provide a major focus on character. As such, the direction and intentions of this installment are refreshingly welcome in a series that, for some time now, has been content to focus on the greater plot machinations of its story – rather than on the deep explorations of the characters. That isn’t to say that this episode is entirely successful with its purpose, or that it’s as good as earlier episodes of the series. But to give credit where it’s due, I enjoyed both the story and the character work of this installment.

5.11 – Whatever Happened, Happened: C+

“Whatever Happened, Happened” is an episode that takes a much closer look at Kate’s character – her recent motivations and inner conflicts. And while the episode deserves credit for some deliberate character work, and some natural dramatic tension following the previous episode’s dramatic twist, the fact remains that the character work isn’t seamlessly integrated into the overall plot. And, too, the pacing doesn’t help matters. The result is a decent episode, one which fans of Lost will surely enjoy, but is otherwise only marginally successful.

5.12 – Dead Is Dead: B-

“Dead Is Dead” plays something a bit like a ghost story. It’s an episode that is often tense, suspenseful and intriguing. But there are some issues with characterization which are more than a little bit annoying. What the episode has going for it, aside from the overall tone, is its ability to continue to deepen the “mythos” of the Island and the series. As such, the episode is almost as notable for what we learn about the Island as it is for what we learn about Ben and Locke.

5.13 – Some Like It Hoth: B-

“Some Like It Hoth” is an episode modeled much like some early Lost episodes, using the past to explore character and thematic connections. In this case, it’s the first episode to explore the history of Miles – as well as provide a rather important connection between his character and the DHARMA Initiative.

5.14 – The Variable: B+

Fate and free will. Two sides of a coin that has “constantly” flipped throughout the entire series of Lost. At one moment, the series heavily advocates the ideas of destiny while, at others, the notion of personal choice plays a prominent role in deciding events. “The Variable” is the first episode in some time to take such an extended and explicit look at these concepts – and the answers are, unsurprisingly, a bit ambiguous. Even so, the episode is, once again, thoroughly entertaining and engrossing. The character interconnections are even further deepened. And there’s just enough shoot’em-up action to give everything a kick.

5.15 – Follow The Leader: B-

Tensions (and levels of violence) are ratcheted up to extreme levels in “Follow The Leader,” the latest installment of Lost. Charged with setting the stage for the two-hour season finale, this episode moved pieces into place with a flurry of pistol whips, slaps to the head, gunshots, and all manner of deviousness. Having held most of this high-octane melodrama in check for most of the season, Lost is no going for broke. Personally, it’s a bit of a turn off for me. Fortunately, the episode manages to wedge a few character and thematic points into the cacophony – enough to allow the episode to be slightly better than average.

5.16 – The Incident, Parts 1 & 2: B+

“The Incident, Parts 1 & 2” wraps up the penultimate season of Lost with what can only be describes as a very big bang. The episode itself unfolds in tantalizing bits as each piece of the puzzle is slowly placed, revealing deeper and more intricate patterns and connections. This is best symbolized by the opening scene of the episode which features a heretofore unseen character at a loom, slowly constructing an intricate tapestry. The story itself is much like this tapestry in terms of how layered and interdependent each character is. Toss in the mythic notion of fate as woven tapestry, and you’ve got plenty of thematic elements and narrative twists to keep Lost fans scratching their heads in wait for the series finale in 2010.