The best sci-fi episode in television history came courtesy of greatest science fiction TV shows, Lost is ittedly not one of the first that comes to mind. There are so many other high-quality shows with much clearer ties to the genre, such as Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Doctor Who.
Some of these shows, such as Doctor Who, or ones like Star Trek that occupy entire franchises, have offered a multitude of memorable entries into the world of sci-fi over the last few decades. And with the growing trend of science fiction shows launching on streaming services, the abundance of sci-fi content on TV has magnified immensely in recent years. But though that certainly has been the case, there's yet to be a show that could top what Lost - a show that doesn't even fit neatly into the sci-fi category - pulled off in the late 2000s.
Lost's Best Episode, "The Constant," Aired February 28, 2008
Lost delivered its best episode ever when it aired "The Constant" on February 28, 2008. Released as the fourth episode of Lost season 4, "The Constant" focused on Henry Ian Cusick's Desmond, a character who received little attention compared to the biggest players in the narrative. Following up on ideas that had their roots in season 3's Desmond-centric episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," "The Constant" fully flipped the show's flashback formula on its head, having Desmond literally traveling back and forth between his present and his past.
This unconventional storytelling method on its own made "The Constant" compelling TV, but its great character moments is where it really shines
This unconventional storytelling method on its own made "The Constant" compelling TV, but its great character moments is where it really shines. Henry Ian Cusick put in a spectacular performance, showcasing the range of emotions that Desmond experiences - from joy to hysteria - as he bounces back and forth between 1996 and 2004, eventually understanding that it'll eventually bring about his death. The episode culminates in an emotional reunion between Desmond and Penny, cementing it as one of the best love stories ever to occur on TV.
Why The Lost's "The Constant" Is The Best Sci-Fi TV Episode In History
More than just the best entry in Lost's six-season run, "The Constant" even stands above the greatest episodes in more traditional science fiction shows. While it's true that time travel is a common plot device in both shows and movies in the genre, "The Constant" was able to offer something unique from what previous shows had attempted. That's because Desmond wasn't simply traveling in time; his consciousness was essentially dislodged from the timeline, causing him to experience two different periods in his life randomly.
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Someone time-traveling back into the body of their younger self wasn't unprecedented, as Quantum Leap had done it before with Sam Beckett. However, it was a rare use of the time travel mechanic, and one that the show did well to explain through the Daniel Faraday character. Making it all the more noteworthy was how Lost connected Desmond's 2004 and 1996 adventures; as he learned from Faraday, he had to find a connection between both time periods in order to create stability and end his time-traveling. That "constant" was Penny.
How Lost's Season 4 "The Constant" Episode Still Holds Up Today
17 years later, there remains a uniqueness to the story that "The Constant" told for Desmond Hume, as its handling of time travel still comes across as a novel approach now, even as a multitude of shows have since sent their main characters through time through various methods. There's a certain brilliance to the concept that Daniel Faraday laid out in the episode; the idea that a "constant" can bridge Desmond's two lives combined with the electromagnetism of the island serving as a catalyst for time travel created a remarkable framework for a TV episode.
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Desmond's plight is capable of resonating at any time, independent of a rewatch, given how it's structured as a mostly-standalone story. Even so, it maintains high stakes throughout, aided in large part by its premise. Desmond's realization that his very life depends on finding "the constant" adds a greater feeling of urgency to his search for Penny, and helps the show build a strong feeling of intensity that doesn't waver until the episode's final moments that pay off in a truly satisfying manner.
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