Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Lost was a hugely popular series when it first aired between the years of 2004 and 2010, but one surprising character dominates the iconic TV show's strongest episodes.
Many of these episodes, however, feature one specific character, who managed to outshine the rest of the Lost TV show cast, despite not strictly being among the main protagonists. This character's stories rose above Lost's various individual arcs, with many of the show's overarching plot threads converging neatly with their personal journey and transforming them the show’s most interesting figure.
Desmond Hume was not introduced until Lost season 2, but as soon as his story began to take shape, Henry Ian Cusick's charming hero became a firm fan favorite. Desmond had been shipwrecked on the Island for three years before the rest of the characters crashed there, giving him a unique perspective among the Lost ensemble, and allowing him to play a totally different role in the story.
The fact that so many of Lost's most celebrated episodes centered on Desmond makes his less prominent role in season 6, and to a lesser extent season 5, even more baffling. Although Desmond never vanished from Lost completely, he was never afforded the same level of importance as seasons 2-4 managed. With the benefit of hindsight, it becomes clear how much Lost's greatest episodes relied upon Desmond, and, therefore, how badly Lost's later seasons wasted the character.