17. Locke Cold Cocks Boone

Episode: Hearts and Minds (1×13)

Locke was a mysterious character from the get go. By this time, we had learned enough about him that he seemed less disturbing and more of a sympathetic character. But when Boone decides to tell the rest of the group about the hatch, Locke knocks him out cold. He then somehow makes Boone hallucinate his sister’s horrific death (via Smoke Monster, not Ana Lucia Monster).  Yet another time in season one that my expectations were flipped upside down.

The episode itself was one of the weaker ones of the first season, as one story line I was not looking for was Boone and Shannon’s desperate, drunken tryst.  But moments like this kept me riveted as I wondered where the hell the writers were going to take me next.

16. Gary Troup Gets Sucked Into a Turbine

Episode: Pilot (1×1)

When I saw the preview for the show back in 2004, I thought it looked kind of cool, but I couldn’t see how an entire series about castaways could hold up. Obviously, I never paid close attention. I have little doubt now that had I actually bothered to watch the pilot I would have been hooked immediately. The chaos on the beach was a visual and visceral treat. I noticed the turbine right away and thought it would be freaking awesome if some idiot gets sucked right into it. It took a few minutes, but some dude finally got too close. KA-BOOM!  I was hooked.

15. Finding The French Woman’s Transmission

Episode: Pilot (1×1)

If the pilot being sucked out by WTF! and coming face to face with a polar bear wasn’t enough, the first episode ended on a fantastic cliffhanger. For one of the only times in her short run on the show, Shannon was useful, translating Rousseau’s message into English. Sayid gets to show off his skills as a communication specialist, dropping another bombshell on the group. Yeah, I was going to watch the second episode.