Lost

:

Season 5
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 22, 2004
Season #: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 428 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 385 out of 428
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 428
  3. Negative: 21 out of 428
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User Reviews

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  1. LouisM
    Jan 7, 2010
    10
    The best TV show ever. It is surreal beyond anything ever seen on TV. It is addictive, mythical, engaging, intriguing, fascinating, thrilling, confusing and tense. It has complex character development, beautiful scenery and a story which has completely captured my imagination.
  2. SchroederRock
    Jun 7, 2012
    8
    Season 5 continues the solidity of Lost as a prime time TV shows. At times this season staggers a bit, and it feels a little slow at times. But the way it's presented is incredible, offering so many sub plots and thought-provoking events that it will be hard to turn away. The cast continues to be simply fantastic, and you get the sense that everyone has a big role to play in the grandSeason 5 continues the solidity of Lost as a prime time TV shows. At times this season staggers a bit, and it feels a little slow at times. But the way it's presented is incredible, offering so many sub plots and thought-provoking events that it will be hard to turn away. The cast continues to be simply fantastic, and you get the sense that everyone has a big role to play in the grand scheme of things (and grand it is). One would hope for a 30,000 ft view of everything at some point, but they never quite give it to you. It is getting late, however, and Lost might finally be showing signs of weakness. They are far and few between, though, so enjoy it as it's simply one of the best things you'll watch on TV/On-Demand.… Expand
  3. amitidis
    May 31, 2015
    10
    Best show ever made! Absolutely amazing, best acting, storyline, or plot ever. I don't know one thing wrong with the show because it is the best ever.
  4. Ravenous
    Nov 19, 2010
    1
    Absolutely fantastic first season. The premise was unique and fascinating, and the ensemble cast was wonderful. I honestly couldn't believe how good this show was. I was hooked, but then their best writer left after season 1, and they proceeded to make those OTHER seasons. The fact is that the remaining writers never even came close to recapturing the clever storytelling of season 1. TheAbsolutely fantastic first season. The premise was unique and fascinating, and the ensemble cast was wonderful. I honestly couldn't believe how good this show was. I was hooked, but then their best writer left after season 1, and they proceeded to make those OTHER seasons. The fact is that the remaining writers never even came close to recapturing the clever storytelling of season 1. The additions to the cast starting in season 2 were all disasters, and from that season onward the writers just seemed to have no solid direction whatsoever for the story. By the end of the series, it established itself as one of the greatest disappointments in television history.… Expand
  5. drlowdon
    May 25, 2013
    7
    From the very start Lost always featured strange goings on but it was season five that really saw the show step head first into the realm of science fiction. Introducing disappearing islands and time-travel into the mix at such a late stage in the shows mythology seemed unnecessary at the time and ultimately (having now seen season six) left too many questions to be resolvedFrom the very start Lost always featured strange goings on but it was season five that really saw the show step head first into the realm of science fiction. Introducing disappearing islands and time-travel into the mix at such a late stage in the shows mythology seemed unnecessary at the time and ultimately (having now seen season six) left too many questions to be resolved satisfactorily.

    The story of the Oceanic Six (the six survivors who escaped the island in season four) and their attempts to get back was also slightly dull compared to the mystery of the island itself that was the sole focus of previous seasons. A lot of time was devoted to this story but it ultimately lacked the mystery audiences had come to expect from Lost.

    Despite these added complications however Lost continued to tell a truly intriguing tale that for the most part kept audiences on tender-hooks hoping for answers to the ongoing question of the islands true purpose. Workplaces and forums were constantly alight with speculation and the amount of discussion generated by the show was clear testament into just how deeply involved audiences had become in this unique piece of television.    … Expand
  6. joao1198pedro
    Oct 19, 2013
    4
    this whole season was very bad, the writers made ​​a very fictional story without any sense (before the stories were fictions but it was not much), but the season finale was very good and made me wait desperately the last season.
  7. TaylorW
    Apr 21, 2009
    9
    The main criticism I have read for this show is that they have no plan. They singlehandedly destroyed all of those comments this season. *SPOILERS for 5 and 3* When Flight 316 crashes on "The Hydra;" it is on the "runway" we see the others building back in Season 3. TWO. SEASONS. AGO. The facts remain, this show has a beginning, a middle and an end. Hang on.
  8. KenD
    Apr 6, 2009
    10
    This is hands down the most entertaining thing on TV. Lost requires an investment of staying with the show and not missing and episode, but it's well worth it. There are so many pay offs and wonderful scenes and interactions. While it is easy to have a favorite character it is also easy to switch favorites as you get to know them and the layers are peeled back. MINOR SPOILER... This is hands down the most entertaining thing on TV. Lost requires an investment of staying with the show and not missing and episode, but it's well worth it. There are so many pay offs and wonderful scenes and interactions. While it is easy to have a favorite character it is also easy to switch favorites as you get to know them and the layers are peeled back. MINOR SPOILER... Sawyer really comes into his own this season and demonstrates how one of my least favorites can be seen in a new light as we learn more about them.… Expand
  9. JonathanF
    Jan 21, 2009
    9
    Insanely good television.
  10. QuinnR.
    Jan 29, 2009
    10
    This is the best acted, best written show on television. Much is made of some of the more mythological elements of the series and the show can at times get bogged down in the crazy sci/fi. But the reason the show works so well is that the writers and actors use these fantastical elements to heighten the development of the characters. There has never been a show with as many well rounded This is the best acted, best written show on television. Much is made of some of the more mythological elements of the series and the show can at times get bogged down in the crazy sci/fi. But the reason the show works so well is that the writers and actors use these fantastical elements to heighten the development of the characters. There has never been a show with as many well rounded characters experiencing the full range of human emotion and emotional conflict. The writers are also not afraid to wait two or three seasons to pay off story suspense. It is a series made for a thoughtful and devoted audience and is unapologetic in this pursuit. There will always be crime procedurals for those who like trite and accessible self contained bow-wrapped television but Lost fills the void for a viewer who wants to be rewarded for commitment and who wants to enjoy the full exploration of character development.… Expand
  11. seanshaun
    Feb 9, 2009
    8
    I'm REALLY glad the season began without all the characters running around with machine guns. I am nuts about the storyline of LOST but by the end of Season 4 I was ready to stop watching because it was just a bunch of people running around in the jungle shooting each other. Who knew that the island had a machine gun under every palm frond!? Now that the story has become mysterious I'm REALLY glad the season began without all the characters running around with machine guns. I am nuts about the storyline of LOST but by the end of Season 4 I was ready to stop watching because it was just a bunch of people running around in the jungle shooting each other. Who knew that the island had a machine gun under every palm frond!? Now that the story has become mysterious and fast-paced again without relying on macho crap, I am hooked. Can't wait to see what happens when they all get back to the island. The psychic Asian guy is obviously Marvin Candle's son... but who is Charlotte? Is she really the little girlfriend of Ben when he was a boy?… Expand
  12. HughH
    May 12, 2009
    10
    There's T.V. shows, and then there's Lost! It is by far the most engaging show on T.V. dare i say..ever? I do. It is not the type of show you just pick up from nowhere however though, you must start from season 1. If you do invest in it, you will find the most engrossing character driven show you will most likely ever see in a long time. It deserves the be among the classics. There's T.V. shows, and then there's Lost! It is by far the most engaging show on T.V. dare i say..ever? I do. It is not the type of show you just pick up from nowhere however though, you must start from season 1. If you do invest in it, you will find the most engrossing character driven show you will most likely ever see in a long time. It deserves the be among the classics. Season 5 picks up like a freight train and does not let up. It also has my personal favorite episode of Lost thus far. Episode number 8: 316. The episode is just one of the reasons Lost is the best shows. Stop making excuses already and watch this show..Now!… Expand
  13. JimH
    Jan 22, 2009
    9
    I like the way Cuse and Abrams admitted that they "could still screw this up." But by now, I'm not sure I would care because the show has delivered so many dazzling twists and dramatic whoppers. In my next life, I'm coming back in some parallel universe, as a TV producer, so I can create a show about plane crash survivors on a (nearly) deserted island that travels through time. I like the way Cuse and Abrams admitted that they "could still screw this up." But by now, I'm not sure I would care because the show has delivered so many dazzling twists and dramatic whoppers. In my next life, I'm coming back in some parallel universe, as a TV producer, so I can create a show about plane crash survivors on a (nearly) deserted island that travels through time. Oh, yeah.… Expand
  14. hollyf
    Jan 31, 2009
    10
    I don't think I've ever given anything in my life a ten before Lost. This truly is the perfect show. I feel so entertained and enthralled by every episode. This is a show made by people who truly love what they are doing and love the stories they are creating. I don't see that in other shows that are boring and predictable compared to this one. I think everyone should I don't think I've ever given anything in my life a ten before Lost. This truly is the perfect show. I feel so entertained and enthralled by every episode. This is a show made by people who truly love what they are doing and love the stories they are creating. I don't see that in other shows that are boring and predictable compared to this one. I think everyone should appreciate Lost because they're will never be a show like it. They haven't introduced a serialised show that isn't borderline soap in the past couple years because Networks are playing it safe again. I am so so so so sick of watching shows that don't challenge or exite me or make me so so so gidy when the peices fall into place. That's another reason why Lost is so great. It's just like CSI in that you try and guess the mystery and once its solved for you, you feel so awed and amazed by its brilliance and originality. I love shows that demand I actually pay attention. And its not particularly high browed either. You just have to pay attention, which is a shame these days because people have such short attention spans. I will be so sad when Lost is over. I really will be. No other show has ever dared to do what it has done all the while being incredibly touching, riveting, entertaining, emotional and engaging. I hope it goes down in the history book as one of the best sci-fi dramas ever.… Expand
  15. StephenA
    Feb 2, 2009
    9
    This season is starting out slow as far as content goes but since there is only one season left after this then I am sure LOST will deliver the goods. Or not.
  16. MartinS
    Feb 2, 2009
    7
    A good but confusing start, hope some questions are finally cleared up this season.
  17. ShafiqueA
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    Excellent mind boggling show.
  18. CameronM
    Mar 22, 2009
    8
    Lost is no doubt an amazing show with a little bit of everything from every genre, but this season seems like it's leaving out to much and the episodes need more to them. but other then that it's still the same great show it always was!
  19. BillyP
    Apr 23, 2009
    10
    So far every minute of every episode has been meaningful. Not only that, what movies and t.v. shows frequently lack, Lost has it: great characters, writing, acting, setting, and innovative plot ideas.
  20. FrancisK.
    May 11, 2009
    10
    LOST is, undoubtedly, the best TV show ever. Especially the fourth and fifth season. And it's still getting better.
  21. Felix
    Jan 22, 2009
    10
    A great start for the new season.
  22. CooperH
    Jan 23, 2009
    10
    Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Keeps you thinking, and forever on your toes. Great acting, scripting, location, plotline, twists, editing.....I could go on and on. One of the best things to ever be on television.
  23. JH
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    Even my most diligent attempts to forecast the resolution of the seemingly endless intertwining story arcs have yielded 0% success rate. That's what makes this show so fascinating. Sure, it has it's share of hokey moments, but compared to the production line drivel that pollutes TV, it's Citizen Kane. It is the best serial drama ever created. I dare you to deny it.
  24. PhilP.
    Feb 12, 2009
    10
    One of the best written thing I've ever seen or read. Everything's just great : the actors, the story, the episodes, the characters... We've got answers. We've got blood and twists that just might blow your conception of what a show can deliver.
  25. JohnB
    Apr 11, 2009
    10
    If you aren't currently watching Lost, you aren't fully living life. Start at Season 1 and try and catch up to where everyone else is. You won't regret getting lost in Lost.
  26. tvbuff
    Jan 12, 2011
    10
    I've had the benefit of watching the DVD sets having never seen a single episode beforehand and only hearing things in passing. I can keep up better with no commercials or weekly and seasonal breaks. While 4 was a bit of a downer 5 was better for me. There is some letdown when you come to find out some secrets of the island aren't as mysterious as we're led to believe. I'm halfway throughI've had the benefit of watching the DVD sets having never seen a single episode beforehand and only hearing things in passing. I can keep up better with no commercials or weekly and seasonal breaks. While 4 was a bit of a downer 5 was better for me. There is some letdown when you come to find out some secrets of the island aren't as mysterious as we're led to believe. I'm halfway through 6 and a couple of characters I held in high regard are downright mortal after all.… Expand
  27. moonman1994
    Oct 16, 2013
    7
    Although still very interesting this season of Lost did venture into the absurd. Between the nuclear bomb and just certain characters being 50 years in the past. It doesn't quite have the realism or the tangibility of the previous seasons.
  28. TNF1343
    Feb 4, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I feel Season 4 of Lost found a perfect balance between character moments and plot, the 5th Season seems to gravitate towards the latter. It's hard to fault the writers too much though. They handle the convoluted time travel issue with great mastery. If Lost was a lesser show, the time travelling would be jumbled and possibly even unnecessary. But ironically, the biggest complaint weighed against Lost (its lack of explanation), is turned on its head, making Season 5 another noteworthy Season in Lost's impressive run.

    Disappointingly though, the first half of the Season isn't all about the interesting time travelling trek across the island. We're also given a separate, less interesting tale about how the Oceanic Six made it back to the island. It's really quite madcap when I look back on it with full 20/20 vision; it had a bit too much of Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, and Sun running around doing few meaningful things. And one of the more frustrating moments of Lost came when Ben gave Sun Jin's ring to prove that he's alive. Doesn't that prove... the exact opposite?

    I did say above that Season 5 benefits from being more forward with the audience, but I have to say, keeping Desmond and Claire away from us was downright annoying. Desmond's given little screen-time in his quest to find Faraday's mother, and I don't believe we had a single scene with Claire this Season after her peculiar appearance in the cabin last year.

    Anyhow, the story picks up when the Oceanic Six (or five) make it back to the island. Sawyer, Juliet, Faraday and Miles were all perfectly happy in the three years they spent tin the 1970s. Jack and co. had good intentions, but they ended up making life worse for them in the end. The relationship between Sawyer and Juliet is shocking when I first heard of it, but it's retroactively believable. And even after the death of Juliet, I hope this squashes the love triangle involving Sawyer, Kate, and Jack, as it was one of the series' weakest and generic aspects.

    Most of the Season's best moments are on island, with one exception: "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham". John Locke episodes tend to be the best, and unfortunately, this may be last considering that we saw Locke's corpse again in the finale. This exceptional episode follows John as he tries and fails to convince the Oceanic Six to come back. Hoping his suicide would be the only way to save the island, he is stopped, then promptly strangled by Ben Linus after giving up some key information. The episode sadly fits John Locke's life off the island. It's spot on -- he even has another wheelchair! -- and an appropriately sad end to Locke's life... or so it seems. You can never tell with this damn show.

    I was definitely fooled by the new John Locke. I though that death at the hands of Ben had Locke become a new person, no longer falling for his deception. It now appears, that this Locke is a manifestation of the smoke monster, getting revenge on Jacob. It's undoubtedly connected to the man talking to Jacob at the beginning of "The Incident", if he's not smokie himself.

    The Season once again provides us with a breath-taking finale. First of all, the variable vs. the constant was handled deftly. After Faraday's random change in heart on the past, Jack thoroughly believes he can prevent the plane from ever crashing. His determination is so strong, that not even the chance of never meeting Kate changes his mind. Jack's obsession with fixing things is at its boiling point here. Whether Faraday's plot worked or not is a question that will be left for next Season. I do doubt, however, that the final Season will take place entirely off the island.

    Regardless of some of the flaws, this Season builds a great narrative. It's genuinely amazing to see so many loose ends covered, along with new developments. It's clear that the pieces of the final puzzle are beginning to fall into place. The sixth and final chapter of Lost is going to be one hell of a ride.    … Expand
  29. Swati
    Jan 15, 2013
    9
    Lost has changed so much since Pilot that one might not recognize it as the same show anymore. I can understand why Sun and Sayid would be so unhappy in the real world without their significant others and want to return to the island, but the reasons given for such a central character as Jack do not fit with his character. He gets plain pathetic for no apparent reason, even before BenthamLost has changed so much since Pilot that one might not recognize it as the same show anymore. I can understand why Sun and Sayid would be so unhappy in the real world without their significant others and want to return to the island, but the reasons given for such a central character as Jack do not fit with his character. He gets plain pathetic for no apparent reason, even before Bentham dies. Kate as a mom might have worked. It did for three years. I think sometimes linear storytelling works better than flashbacks, because when they got to explaining how Bentham died, I just wanted to get on with the narrative, and found the whole episode a waste of time. All things considered, including the mind boggling revelation at the end, I think this was my second favorite season, but still a far cry from a perfect score.… Expand
  30. TheApplegnome
    Oct 3, 2015
    9
    Lost never fails to deliver, neither does this fifth installment.

    Boring? Never! This fifth season got a higher tempo and a big character mix. We see new sides to our characters, new combinations and even more development. The amazing and inventive plot continues on new paths, and the show keeps revealing new twists and turns. That’s one of the main reasons why ‘Lost’ never feels boring    Lost never fails to deliver, neither does this fifth installment.

    Boring? Never! This fifth season got a higher tempo and a big character mix. We see new sides to our characters, new combinations and even more development. The amazing and inventive plot continues on new paths, and the show keeps revealing new twists and turns. That’s one of the main reasons why ‘Lost’ never feels boring nor less-exciting! We still get new unanswered questions but it’s also fun to get some of the old mysteries answered. Even smaller aspects that began in season one. The show has on the other hand begun to become aware that it really is superb, and therefor it might try “too hard” at certain places when it comes to action and storytelling. But it’s still awesome, even though it also is a bit predictable and the CGI still needs more work. It might also have lost some of the very strong character development that the fourth season had, but it’s still stunning and very enjoyable! This continuation is more high-paced and full of nuanced storytelling and it really is the best so far, even though it’s not as flawless as season four with it’s stronger focus on character development.

    Personal rating for each episode: 8.72
    (+0.21 since S04)

    Personal rating: 9/10
    Critical rating: 9.5/10    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best TV Season of 2009
32
#32 Most Discussed TV Season of 2009
26
#26 Most Shared TV Season of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    80
    I've seen both of tomorrow's episodes, as well as next week's, and I loved every minute. But I'm also a geek who read Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov growing up.
    Read full review
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    75
    The season's premiere represents pig-in-the-python storytelling--there's so much to work through, so many details, stories, characters and time dimensions to attend to, that after a while this all starts to feel like a very full meal.
    Read full review
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    70
    The episode is a fast-moving two hours that answers enough questions to satisfy fans and raises still more questions in an effort to further the intrigue.
    Read full review
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