I've been online searching for a comprehensive list of great Lost episodes for about two days and couldn't really find one, so I decided to write one myself. Considering these are my favorites I guarantee I'm not gonna get universally positive reviews, but I don't really care too much about that, as long as some people enjoy this list and I can get it out of my head. I also chose the number 15 because ten was too hard and really, so was 15; I actually had 19 that I absolutely wanted on the list however 19 is an odd number, and some characters had several episodes so I left off things like Lockdown and Further Instructions in order to get more main character variety.
#13 Par Avion (Season 3, Episode 12) Featured Character: Claire
Synopsis: This episode follows two distinct storylines on the island and the flashback is Claire's. Charlie has decided to stop being worried about his imminent death and tries to spend the time he has left with the people he cares about the most. Desmond interrupts a romantic picnic between Charlie and Claire and all but tells Charlie that if he spends the day with Claire, he will die. Of course, Claire doesn't understand what is going on when Charlie leaves her to go hunting with Desmond, and she is understandably angry. Claire discovers migratory birds on the island, and realizing that they are tagged and will be checked on from time to time by scientists, she decides to catch one and write a message to attach to its collar.
Elsewhere on the island, Sayid, Locke, Rosseau and Kate are carting the captured Mikhail through the forest. He begins to let slip some things about the nature of the island and how each person was brought here by a great man (God? Who knows). The eventually come upon the sonic fence which lines the barracks (obviously we don't this yet) for the first time. After pushing Mikhail through the sonic beams and apparently killing him, they realize they must find a way over. Finding a large tree limb, they construct a crude ladder and climb over.
Claire's flashback depicts a car accident involving Claire and her mother in which her mother was sent into a permanent coma. Blaming herself for her mother's condition, Claire is further angered by discovering that an American doctor, Christian Shephard, is actually her father, whom she believed dead since she was a baby. Confused about how she should feel about this man, Claire eventually lands on anger and decides she does not want him as a part of her life.
At the conclusion, three other major things happen: Claire is finally told by Desmond what he has been seeing and Charlie's imminent death. This helps Claire understand Charlie better and care about him more. They finally capture a bird and Claire attaches her letter to it, which is read by Claire while a montage of island scenes flash by on screen, this is done very theatrically and is a great one minute scene. The sound and direction are excellent and it is a very touching letter. The final thing that happens is that the intrepid four who have been traveling through the forest finally come upon the barracks ready to capture Jack back, when they see him happily playing a game of catch with one of the others.
Why It's on the List- I love this episode for a few reasons. The Claire, Charlie, Desmond thing was always one of my favorite triangles that happened throughout the series; Charlie's fear of getting too close, Claire's fear of letting Charlie get too close, Desmond essentially watching the whole thing evolve from the sidelines yet interfering when it was necessary. This was the first episode in quite some time that featured any sort of rescue effort and I was glad that the producers didn't let that little tidbit slip away. Many things were revealed in this one: 1. Jack and Claire are half-siblings making Jack Aaron's uncle. 2. The Others neighborhood is accessible to the survivors. 3. Jack isn't really being held prisoner, he appears to like it there. 4. Charlie and Claire have finally fallen for each other and now Charlie's death is more at the forefront than ever.
Importance to the Storyline- The biggest impact this one has on the storyline is that the barracks are now accessible to the survivors and that Jack and Claire are related. The fact that things from the outside world can actually somehow get to the island (migratory birds) is a big issue, because up to this point, nothing known to be from the real world has been introduced. The writer's really forced home that Charlie's death is approaching in this one and made everyone wish that that wouldn't be the case, finally showing a true relationship between Charlie and Claire.
