There are some TV shows that stick with you forever (and others that you completely forget you ever watched). Lost, which originally aired for five seasons on FX, has been in my brain since it first aired in 2007. And now it’s available to stream for free on Tubi.
I was hooked on the first episode of the series, which opens with Rose Byrne’s character running out of an apartment building onto the bustling streets of New York wearing nothing but a blood-soaked trench coat and high heels. As show openings go, this was one of the best.
Byrne co-starred with Glenn Close in the series, and they were an incredibly dysfunctional, addictive duo. Close played Patty Hewes, a high-powered attorney with zero scruples who hires Byrne’s Ellen Parsons to work at her law firm. Ellen is fresh out of law school and has several offers, but she chooses to work for Patty, even though a lawyer at a rival firm warns Ellen not to get involved with Patty. She’s told that Patty will “own” her, a warning Ellen ignores to her own detriment. From the moment Ellen arrives at Hewes and Associates, her life is a living hell.
While each season focuses on a long-running trial involving Patty, Ellen, and their firm, the show focuses on the couple’s relationship. Patty’s Life Life Life is like a chess game, and it turns out that hiring Ellen wasn’t just about keeping a smart, young lawyer. Ellen apparently has a family connection to Patty’s latest trial, and she and her relationship are assets that Patty can manipulate and bend to her will to advance her case. Ellen starts out as a pawn in Patty’s game, but over the course of the show, it’s clear that she’s learned something from her mentor. And as for that opening scene? It’s a glimpse into Ellen’s future, six months from now. That blood she’s covered in belongs to her boyfriend, who’s suspected of being murdered, and Ellen is the prime suspect.
The show’s effective time jumps as it tries to solve this murder, Patty’s narcissistic ability to manipulate people, and all the courtroom drama combine to create an incredible legal thriller. I would go so far as to call Season 1 a perfect season of television. As with truly great shows, quality tends to fluctuate over time — and I have a short list of series whose impeccable first seasons have given them the ability to reduce returns: Broadchurch, The OC, and The Eve of Murder top that list.
There’s an added bonus to watching the series now, though, and that’s the people watching. The cast features a Who’s Who of recognizable talent. Ted Danson, Tate Donovan, William Hurt, Campbell Scott, John Goodman, and Martin Short ( in dramatic roles), among other actors, were featured on the show. Part of the fun isn’t just watching the leads, but also spotting recognizable actors in smaller roles before they became big stars. And while Rose Byrne is now best known for comedies like Platonic, Neighbors, and Bridesmaids, her turn in Losers — a complete 180 from the goofball comedy — established her as a dramatic star.
All five seasons of Lost just arrived on Tubi. And while there’s plenty of new content to binge-watch these days, this is one show that sets the bar high for a complex and engaging storyline, executed to perfection by actors at the top of their game.
