Top Ten Greatest Episodes Countdown - #5 “There’s No Place Like Home”
The season four finale checks in this week at number five on the countdown. The final day on the island as well as the eventual staged rescue of the Oceanic Six are chronicled. The flash forward scenes show us how they are each dealing with life off the island. We also see the death of Michael, Keamy, and possibly Jin.
“There’s No Place Like Home” without a doubt contains some of the most violent, action-packed scenes we have seen in Lost to date. Sayid’s fight with Keamy is intensely brutal and a fantastic overall fight scene (although it did pain me to see Sayid, the resident island mercenary, lose the upper hand before being rescued by Richard Alpert’s gunfire). Ben’s maniacal stabbing of Keamy in the Orchid Station was a very cool moment as well. Previously constantly calm and collected, here Ben simply loses it and gets fitting revenge for the murder of his daughter and the siege on his island.
Throughout the episode there is an overwhelming feeling of dread. The previous seasons have trained us as viewers to always assume the worst and trust no one. Was there a viewer out there who didn’t have flashbacks to Walt’s kidnapping in season one as Penny’s boat approached? Even as we watch the Oceanic Six get rescued, it is marred by the realization by Jack that they are going to have to lie to protect those left behind. Rescue has finally arrived, but there is certainly no closure.
“There’s No Place Like Home” will most be remembered, though, for being the episode in which the island is moved. In season one I wondered how polar bears could possibly roam the island jungle. Season two brought on the wonders of electromagnetism. Three seasons in we were introduced to the still unexplained nature of Jacob. Of all the mysteries and mind-blowing events and characters we have seen in Lost, I would have to say this tops them all. Ben turning the “frozen donkey wheel” and assumedly sending the island off through space and time was unrealistic, absurd, awesome, and perfect all at once. Lost has never advanced the plot in a reasonable or stale fashion; seasons five and six have some serious explaining to do, and that should make for some very compelling episodes.
What are your thoughts on “There’s No Place Like Home”? Worthy of a Top Five spot? Discuss!
Cool. Can you provide a breakdown of the previous ones on your list every week?
Comment by HoboCode — December 10, 2008 @ 8:46 am
I almost feel like season finales shouldn’t be considered for the top 10 episodes, just because it’s expected that they’ll be better than your typical episode… I mean, they’re twice as long, and they’re ALWAYS action-packed with huge twists, and very often death. So, to compare them to the rest of the episodes seems kind of unfair. Because, taking the finales into account, they should just automatically have the one through four spots on the list.
That being said though, I absolutely LOVED the season 4 finale. It was crazy, and same with the finale of every other season. There has not yet been one to disappoint me. Well… I mean I was definitely confused by season 2’s when I saw it, but having watched it dozens of times since then, my opinion has changed.
I just pray that I see at least one of the following in the top five positions: “Lockdown,” “The Other 48 Days,” “Maternity Leave,” “?,” “The Constant,” “One Of Us,” “The Brig,” “The Man Behind The Curtain,” “Raised By Another,” “The Shape Of Things To Come,” “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “The Man From Tallahassee,” or “Numbers.” Granted, I’m not sure if any of these have been listed in the top 10 so far, so just ignore them if they have. But I’d say those are the best episodes (in no particular order), ignoring season finales.
Comment by Matt — December 10, 2008 @ 9:41 am
The Constant = #1
Easy.
Comment by Steven — December 10, 2008 @ 7:58 pm
Steven, don’t worry, it will be. Although it shouldn’t.
Comment by JD — December 11, 2008 @ 7:33 am
Walkabout = #1
Comment by L — December 11, 2008 @ 10:08 am