10 Disappointing Lost Mysteries That Seemed Really Important At First

By Charles Papadopoulos Published 5 minutes ago

Lost was known for continuously introducing new mysteries. By the show’s end, mysteries of varying importance weren’t resolved in a satisfying manner.

Summary

• Lost was known for introducing unresolved mysteries, frustrating some viewers with unanswered questions after the finale.
• The show pushed the medium forward by engaging audiences to discuss and theorize online about various plot points.
• While Lost's characters were central in the finale, the lack of answers for certain mysteries left some audiences feeling unsatisfied.

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ABC's Lost was known for constantly introducing new mysteries, though some that seemed important ended up with dissatisfying payoffs. Beginning in 2004, Lost was an enormous cultural hit, pushing the television medium forward in how audiences could use the internet to discuss and theorize about the show. With mysteries of varying sizes, Lost kept viewers engaged with material to contemplate, as whenever one was solved, several more took its place. Several threads still hadn't been solved by the show's end.

The Lost ending was a divisive piece of television, with many audiences feeling frustrated with their questions unanswered. Lost's characters are the central focus of the finale, rather than the island's captivating mythology and various supernatural concepts that viewers were engrossed in. Rather than answering questions, the ending left its meaning to the viewer's interpretation, allowing them to engage with their own creativity and philosophical interpretation when watching. While it's a beautiful finish for the many beloved characters and the show's thematic exploration, audiences who sought answers to certain technicalities were left upset.

10 The Polar Bear

Lost season 1 shockingly introduces a polar bear, but it's not that important.

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The existence of a polar bear on a tropical island raises questions about the scope of the series and its mysteries. Many of the show's earliest mysteries, like the smoke monster or the hatch, factored into the central narrative. However, the polar bear mystery is never of significant consequence. Season 3 sees Sawyer locked in a cage on Hydra Island that used to belong to the Dharma Initiative, suggesting that the team of scientists had brought the bears onto the island for some purpose.

The disappointment of the polar bear mystery isn't that it wasn't solved; in fact, there is an explanation for the polar bears in Lost. The polar bear skeleton found in Tunisia implies that the polar bears were used to turn the wheel under the Orchid station to "move" the island. This was likely orchestrated by the Dharma Initiative to test the island's electromagnetism. Still, given how monumental of a mystery the polar bear was in season 1, making it a tangential concept wasn't as interesting as initially made to seem.

9 The Dharma Supply Drops

Someone has to be funding routine supply airdrops.

Lost left viewers with plenty of unanswered questions about the Dharma Initiative, with what being the cause of the supply drops. The survivors of Oceanic 815 are treated with supply drops of food sent from a warehouse location in Guam. Seeing as the Dharma Initiative no longer exists, even away from the island, it begs the question of how these drops are being afforded. The economics of Lost are a constant question, as the Others seem to be wealthy without any description of off-island income that allows their facilities to function.

8 The Others' Wealth

The Others have access to a submarine and international travel without explanation for the expense.

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Following up on the wealth of the Others, it's a point of notable confusion that Ben and his people can access infinite off-island resources. It's especially questionable, given that the Others were initially natives of the island who had been living in nature for years prior to their occupation of the Barracks. Charles Widmore is the only member of the Others to possess known wealth, but he's estranged from the group throughout the show's timeline. Perhaps it's an issue that can be attributed to Jacob's magic and the island's fantastical properties.

7 The Outrigger Attackers

The survivors are fired at in a time-travel sequence, and the shooters are never identified.

The Outrigger shootout is one of the least consequential Lost mysteries, yet one that's stuck with dissatisfied audiences as a problem with the later seasons. Season 5 is one of the worst Lost seasons overall, and the occasional carelessness is part of the reason why. In "The Little Prince," Sawyer and his group of survivors are stuck jumping through time when one sequence sees them shot at from another boat. The identity of the shooters is never revealed.

6 The Four-Toed Statue

There's an enormous statue on the island, and its existence is not explained.

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In Lost season 2, viewers are introduced to one of the island's mythological sites, a ruined statue with only four toes. The island mythology was one area viewers hoped to receive more information on, but the statue's origins ended up as a mystery left to interpretation. The statue seems to depict an Egyptian god, and it's not the only reference to Ancient Egypt in the show. The island's ties to ancient mythology are fascinating and offer a supernatural explanation for the show's overarching narrative.

5 Walt's Powers

Walt was made to seem vital to the show but was written off by season 3.

Lost season 1 established Walt as a character with significant importance, but he was ultimately written off the show shortly after. Unfortunately, the reason for this narrative diversion was due to an off-screen matter, as the actor playing Walt had a noticeable growth spurt between seasons. While most TV seasons span the course of a year, each season of Lost encompassed just a few weeks, so the growth spurt would've been hard to ignore. Walt's seemingly supernatural abilities that made him "special" turned out to be nothing, with the Others catching and releasing him to be written off.

4 The Rules

Several Lost characters mention "the rules," but they're never defined.

This is one instance where the ambiguity doesn't work, as "the rules" seem like a plot device that can be thrown in whenever needed.

One of the more frustrating Lost mysteries to not be solved is the idea of "the rules." Numerous characters mention them several times regarding who can be harmed in island conflicts. For example, Widmore's mercenaries killing Ben's daughter broke the rules. Again, the Man in Black can't harm Jacob because it would break the rules. This is one instance where the ambiguity doesn't work, as "the rules" seem like a plot device that can be thrown in whenever needed.

3 How Anthony Cooper Ended Up On The Island

John Locke's dad ends up on the island with no reason as to how.

Another mystery ended with ambiguity is how Anthony Cooper, Locke's dad, ends up on the island. He's used as a plot device in season 3 so Locke can prove himself to the Others, but it's never explained how the man got there. It's another situation where the thematic questioning in Lost outweighs the need for logic, as Cooper's arrival is prefaced with the concept of Ben's magic "box." Lost constantly grapples with the philosophy of fate, and the fact that Cooper would somehow end up on the island is baffling but speaks to the mystical pull of the island.

2 Who Is Matthew Abbadon?

Lance Reddick's mystical character works for Charles Widmore, but his personal motives are left ambiguous.

In Lost season 4, the late great Lance Reddick portrays a character named Matthew Abbadon. While it's clear that Abbadon works for Widmore, there's not much more explained than that he "gets people where they need to be." Abbadon is later killed by Ben before his personal motives and relationship to the island can be explored. While Reddick is the perfect actor for a mysterious character, it's fair to say there was more story to be told with him.

1 Libby's Backstory

Libby is shown in Hurley's psychiatric institution but dies before the show can explain why.

Introduced in season 2 as part of the tail-end survivor group, Libby is a sweet character who's known best for bonding with Hurley. In the episode "Dave," Libby guides Hurley through the mental health struggles he's experiencing, helping him ease his distress. Hurley mentions that he recognizes Libby from somewhere, and the end of the episode reveals that she was in the same psychiatric institution as him. Unfortunately, Libby never has flashbacks to explain the twist, and her character is brutally murdered shortly after.

Libby's unsolved involvement in Hurley's past helps emphasize that thematic exploration, leaving it to the viewer to determine whether she was actually there.

While the twist may seem crucial to the story initially, it's fair to say that many of Hurley's backstory episodes are shrouded in ambiguity as he struggles with his grasp on reality. Episodes like "Dave" explore eerie, existential ideas, as the viewer is intended to question their relationship with reality, just like Hurley. Libby's unsolved involvement in Hurley's past helps emphasize that thematic exploration, leaving it to the viewer to determine whether she was actually there. Lost often leaves its prominent philosophical questions for the audience to ponder, effectively generating conversation for the show years later.

Cast Evangeline Lilly , Naveen Andrews , Henry Ian Cusick , Daniel Dae Kim , Harold Perrineau , Dominic Monaghan , Emilie de Ravin , Jorge Garcia , Josh Holloway , Michael Emerson , Terry O'Quinn , Matthew Fox , Ken Leung , Elizabeth Mitchell , Yunjin Kim Release Date September 22, 2004 Seasons 6 Network ABC