The Meta Storytelling of ‘Lost’ in 6 Episode Titles

When Lost aired 20 years ago, it changed how television stories were told—and how audiences absorbed information. The show pioneered multimedia storytelling: LOST fans found information from cryptic websites, a video game, and mini webisodes, filling in portions of the narrative that didn’t make it onto the small screen. There were a plethora of sources, including podcasts and other media, that fans could consult to try to unravel the show’s mysteries.

Lost’s creators also told stories through the show’s episode titles, which often had multiple meanings that were never shared on screen— providing the audience with little Easter eggs through which they could learn more about the show. To celebrate 20 years of Lost, here’s one example of the showrunners’ clever episode titling from each season.

“Tabula Rasa” // Season 1, Episode 3

Strong meta episode title contenders abound in Season 1, but “Tabula Rasa,” the third episode, undoubtedly wins. Aside from properly introducing John Locke (the character, played by Terry O’Quinn, is named after the real-life English philosopher who first promoted the concept in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, published in 1689), perhaps the biggest and most thoroughly explored LOST theme is introduced: redemption. The phrase tabula rasa means “blank slate,” and the sentiment is paraphrased by Jack Shepherd (Matthew Fox) to Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) when discussing her past. Jack tells Kate that the crash—and being on the Island—are opportunities to restart. While the episode focuses on Kate’s need for a second chance, the idea of tabula rasa has broader implications for the characters and the whole show.

“… And Found” // Season 2, Episode 5

 “… And Found,” the fifth episode of Season 2, focuses on the characters of Jin-Soo Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) and his wife Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjim Kim). This episode is all about searching: Jin is on the other side of the Island trying to find a way to get back to his wife when he takes a side quest to look for Micheal (Harold Perrineau), who has run off in search of his son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley). Meanwhile, Sun looks for her lost wedding ring at the beach camp, her only reminder of her husband. In flashbacks, viewers see how Jin and Sun first met immediately after suffering a loss (him a job, her a potential husband) in their separate lives. The idea of finding yourself in a loving relationship is explored in the episode, as is the recurring theme of fate versus free will. The episode title is a clear play on the phrase lost and found.

“D.O.C.” // Season 3, Episode 18

The title of Season 3, episode 18, “D.O.C.,” has multiple meanings. First, it’s a reference to Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell), a doctor specializing in fertility. Second, we discover Sun is pregnant and learn the “date of conception” of her child, which sets up further recurring themes of (in)fertility, the Island’s mysterious healing properties, and redemptive, loving relationships after a serious betrayal.

“Something Nice Back Home” // Season 4, Episode 10

They say doctors make the worst patients, and episode 10 of Lost’s fourth season, “Something Nice Back Home,” only reinforces that notion. Jack finds himself on the operating table on the receiving end of an appendectomy—and he wants to direct Juliet’s every move, insisting that Kate hold a mirror so he can watch what his fellow doctor is doing. Bernard (Sam Anderson), a dentist, offers chloroform to Jack, asking if he would rather be “dreaming about something nice back home.” Jack refuses. During the procedure, Jack’s demands scare Kate, who is having a difficult time handling the situation, and Bernard applies chloroform to knock him out on Juliet’s order.

But Jack doesn’t dream of anything pleasant. In a flashforward, we see Jack and Kate living a seemingly idyllic life “back home,” off the Island. But things quickly deteriorate due to Jack’s worsening mental health and Kate’s secretive behavior. The title of this episode is more ironic than most. When Bernard asks Jack this question, Jack’s only goal is to leave the Island—but viewers see that the nicest part of Jack’s life actually happened on the Island with the people he loves. Jack finally realizes this in the series finale, “The End,” when conversing with his father.

“Jughead” // Season 5, Episode 3

In this Season 5 episode, everyone’s favorite Scotsman, Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), shows just how stubborn he can be—particularly when dealing with his nemesis, Charles Widmore (Alan Dale). Desmond visits Widmore to get some information about the Island, stubbornly refusing to leave until he tells him what he needs to know—behavior that could be described as jugheaded (as a noun, jughead can be used as a pejorative for a foolish person). The episode also introduces a new plot device: a hydrogen bomb nicknamed “Jughead” (which, incidentally, was a real-life bomb built by the U.S. that was never detonated). While Desmond’s visit to Widmore and the introduction of the bomb aren’t directly related, they set up the concluding chapters of Season 5 while prepping for Season 6’s various twists and turns, many of which revolve around Desmond.

“Ab Aeterno” // Season 6, Episode 9

The ninth episode of LOST’s final season, “Ab Aeterno,” focuses on the previously mysterious Richard Alpert, showing his life before he ended up on the Island and how he came to be its ageless advisor—which involves his dead wife, Isabella, and the Island’s two longest-lasting inhabitants, Jacob and the Man in Black.

The episode—whose title is Latin for “from eternity, from the beginning of time”—sets up the tension between Jacob and the Man in Black and illustrates how immortality can impact someone’s life. In a conversation reminiscent of Season 4’s “The Constant,” Richard and Isabella (aided by Hurley) show audience members that love can be eternal but that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is let them go, helping to rid them of remorse while pushing them in the right direction, hoping to see them on the other side.

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