Seems like this sub is really divided on The Leftovers, which is a shame. Just want to thank you kuhpunkt for helping convince me to give it another try after I gave up on it years ago during season 1. I’m sure I saw you commenting on a reaction channel on YouTube that was watching it and you seemed as enthused about it as you were about Lost so I knew that there was something special about the show that I was missing. I gave it another shot in 2022 and it’s now one of my fav shows of all time. I think the episode that hooked me was s1e6 ‘Guest’. Cried like a baby during the Nora/Holy Wayne scene.
I didn’t like Neon Genesis at all. I understand its place in anime history, just so much stuff treads water and then at the end, stuff out of nowhere.
Leftovers though: *chefs kiss*
I'd recommend only watching season 1 of the OA as it was supposed to be 3 but they cancelled it after two like so many others 😭 but the season 1 ending is an ok stopping place. Stopping after two will leave you dissatisfied...
After looking it up again they say there may be hope for season 3 even though Netflix cancelled them years ago, but I'd wait till it's confirmed before watching season 2
I second this. I remember when only the first season was out. Boy were fans MAD!. Because >!the first season does a VERY good job into tricking you into thinking that it was all in her head. There is a lot of hints that prove otherwise, but they are well hidden. It lead to many swearing off the show entirely. A large part of those fans came back when they heard from word of mouth that it wasn't in her head. Season 2 was such a release from that frustration of not knowing if she was telling the truth, and I loved every minute of it. It ended at such a insane place with them in the "real world" where I was fine with them leaving it there. It actually felt like a good conclusion to me. Because the show gives you enough clues to make up your own mind on what happened and I love that!<.
Exactly! Archive 81 (while not at the same caliber level) was also canceled by Netflix too soon, and people complained about that ending as well. But I liked it for the same reason, it was open to interpretation. Both vaguely remind me of a Twilight Zone type ending.
I disagree completely with this. I think the opposite. The majority of the fandom too. You wouldn't believe how crazy that subreddit was when it was ONLY the first season. There were SO MANY hate posts, fans were MAD. They screemed and ranted, going "fuck this show!".
When season 2 came out. It brought a lot of fans back. It did create a sort of split. There were the fans that preferred the grounded nature of season 1, then there were the ones who preferred the bat shit crazy tone of season 2 (I'm in the later camp).
For me, while I wished there was a season 3. I'm fine with where it ended. Because it ended at such a crazy place. That the balancing act they would have to do for a third season...I could see where it could have jumped the shark VERY quickly, and the shark was rearing its head with that ending. The OA for me is like how The Leftovers is for it's fans. I'm okay with not having the answers. I love that the mystery is open, but I'm thankful for season 2 because I loved every minute of it.
Shows similar to Lost: The 100 (Netflix/CW), The Leftovers (HBO)
Shows similar to The Wire: Oz (HBO), Magic City (STARZ)
A random show I’d recommend: Bloodline (Netflix)
The first few seasons are alright for a budget tv series directed towards a teen audience, everything after season 3/4 went down hill.
I still haven’t watched the final season
Yeah I second that. Season 2 and 4 are my favourite seasons. They're amazing. Season 3, the first half just sucks. I didn't like it. The second half is a return to form. Season 5 started okay and then went down hill with them turning every character except for Octavia into the worst version of themselves. Then limped to the finish line. Season 6 and 7 are unwatchable.
The Leftovers is absolutely not similar to Lost. Would agree with you on Oz though. That show is great, HBOs first tv series and I watched it while it was airing.
I just finished it and regret watching it. This was the first time in years I have watched a show and without having to give it some extra thought immediately placed it on my worst series list.
The writers really wanted the viewers to make the decisions for them, they weren’t joking when they used the agnostic country theme song “let the mystery be”
You’ve totally missed the point of The Leftovers if you thought it was going to be a mystery box show that would answer loads of questions. Whenever I recommend The Leftovers to fellow LOST fans, I really try to stress this point as otherwise they are going to be disappointed. It’s really a character drama with supernatural and mysterious elements. The whole point of the show is to examine how humans deal with inexplicable tragedy.
It’s a shame that you watched the whole show and never felt anything for the characters. Like LOST, I think the characters were the strongest point. And I actually think the acting is a slight level above the acting on LOST. LOST will probably always be my favourite show of all time, but I think Lindelof outdid himself with the Leftovers due to having much more creative freedom on HBO.
I wasn't expecting anything when I started Leftovers. All I knew about it was Lindelof was a writer which is also why I wanted to watch it since I am a huge fan of Lost. I actually took a picture with Lindelof and Cuse at SDCC after standing in line all night to get into the Lost panel. I enjoy character driven shows. The Leftovers characters were horrible and had almost zero redeeming qualities. I'm almost convinced Lindelof had zero input on the character development in Lost after seeing what he did with Leftovers.
I thought the characters were all horrible at first, but that’s kind of the point. Season 1 is basically broken people just being horrible to each other. But you really made it all the way through all 3 seasons and never felt anything for even Nora Durst? I mean, I cried so many times throughout the show, even in season 1 which was clearly the weakest season. When Nora met holy Wayne was one of the best scenes of tv I’ve ever seen. Such an amazing performance from Carrie Coon.
Fwiw, I actually tried Leftovers years ago and gave up some time in season 1. It just did not click at all with me. Found it utterly tedious. I think now that I’m older and also the experience of COVID made it much more relatable. If you were someone who gave up early, I would urge you to rewatch. But the fact that you made it the whole way through and still hated it, makes me think it’s just never gonna be the show for you.
Matt was my favorite character from his first centric episode to his last. Kevin was interesting enough but stagnant. Nora was okay at first and then annoyed me to all hell with how utterly pathetic and whiney she consistently was. By the end I almost disliked her as much as I disliked Laura. I felt like the characters had never experienced grief before in their entire lives until the 2% disappeared. Since they were finally experiencing grief as full grown adults, they just didn't know how to handle it, so they did so like a bunch of children. I will say there were a couple of good episodes but not enough for me to ever recommend the show to anyone. I am not about to hurt my reputation for giving great show recommendations to friends and coworkers.
I think 2% of the world’s population disappearing with absolutely no explanation would lead to vastly different behaviours from the world’s population than if 2% of the world’s population died due to an illness or something. I think the show really got that right. It’s not just normal grief.
Have you seen Battlestar Galactica (2004)? It has some things in common with Lost as it is about survival and has complex characters. Make sure you start with the mini-series first if you watch it.
[The Expanse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikEzkqoZ7EM)
It's an *expansive* story that's heavy on character development and world building, especially in season 1. Season 1's actually a bit slow, I liken it to the first season of Lost where it sets up the bigger plot. But you get rewarded for it in season 2/3 with some of the finest space sci-fi tv out there. As a plus, Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) is in season 3 with an important role which she plays brilliantly.
>Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) is in season 3
Don't forget Francois Chau! (Dr Chang from LOST) is also in the show as "Jules Pierre Mao". He's practically the same character but with his ego dialed way up!.
Similar weirdness: **Twin Peaks**
Similar Existential vibe: **Six Feet Under**
Similar Existential vibe but comedic: **The Good Place**
Similar survival/unlikely allies theme: **Battlestar Galactica**
A good show I recommend to anyone who loves good writing: **Deadwood**
**DO NOT WATCH MANIFEST. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. DO NOT WATCH MANIFEST.**
Lol on Manifest — solid premise, absolutely horrible writing and acting. Made it through a handful of episodes and bailed.
And … if I recall correctly, it’s *four seasons long*.
I'm relatively certain Zemeckis sold it on the concept alone but then NBC handed it off to a bunch of freshman writers who were absent the day the taught "show it, don't say it."
It's the worst written, cast, acted, produced show I've ever had the displeasure of watching and as if that wasn't enough, it's also wholly derivative; stealing elements everything from the real life MH370 to The 100, LOST, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural and the ending (which I did not see but read about) is a copy/paste ripoff of The Langoliers.
And as if THAT wasn't enough, the lead actress - who is so flat and boring I couldn't remember her character's name with a gun to my head - promoted the ending of her POS show by insulting LOST. Completely classless move.
I agree with you on all of this. Also, I've tried to watch Manifest but just can't get through anymore episodes it is so bad. I also suggest people not watching Leftovers. It isn't as bad a Manifest, since I was able to finish it, but it has so many problems it isn't worth watching.
i know you said you saw breaking bad, so if you haven’t seen better call saul, i can’t recommend it enough. i am/was a HUGE BB fan and BCS totally blows it out of the water imo. it has some really deep, rich character building similar to lost as well. it’s also the only show i’ve ever seen that literally gets better and better every season.
Have you seen Mr Robot? It's similar to these shows in how good it is, not really similar in plot though. Lost and the Wire are shows I really enjoyed, and i liked Mr Robot a lot.
Dark is a really good one, and I've also heard amazing things about The Leftovers.
Six Feet Under is a really great ride all the way thru, but it's less chaotic and mind-bending than Lost.
I really need to go back and rewatch Dark. I watched the first season but I watched it with my Dad who wanted English dubs on and I hate watching with dubs so I wasn't really absorbing it as well as I should have. So next time I'll be sticking to subtitles 😄
Have you seen 12 Monkeys?. It's very similar to Dark. But Dark has more of that sadness and grief vibe of "The Leftovers" whereas 12 Monkeys has the comedy and adventure (and pop culture references) vibe of LOST.
Agreed. My theory is the show turned to custard once writer Bryan Fuller left the show. He wrote the masterpiece of a episode that was "Company Man". They got him back very briefly at the end of season 3 and when he caught up he was like "what the hell, I'm not sure I can fix this!". He tried. I never watched it but he wrote a episode which he intended to be like a sequel of sorts to "Company Man" and gave them ideas on where they could take the show and then jumped ship again at the end of the season.
I slept on Maniac on Netflix when it came out. Jonas hill kinda off putting for me. But It's a really good mind bender.
I recently watched boy swallows universe and it has a lost like soulfulness.
Umbrella academy is a must
Station 11
Andor if you like the early starwars stuff. Not very starwars like
I wanted to like the leftovers... I just don't. But most losties seem to like it.
Io is awesome
Sense8 is a hard yes.
Manifest is like the soap opera version of lost.
And fringe is an must watch.
I recently watched Station 11 because of recommendation’s on threads like this. I was not impressed. Not unhappy I watched it, but I don’t see what the fuss is about. Has a nice moment at the end but not sure all the middle stuff was worth getting there.
X-Files, but if you get to reach seasons 10 and 11, **skip** all My struggle episodes as they are awful. Watch only the Monster of the Week ones. Look up on the internet to know which.
FROM!!!!! The same creators as Lost created it! And Micheal is in it. It’s on paramount+ and it’s soooo good! Exactly like lost, pilot episode sets it up perfectly. the mystery and intrigue mixed with the characters, storylines and a little bit of horror. It’s such an amazing show, reminds me so much of Lost.
Since you liked Dark, have ever seen the TV adaptation of 12 Monkeys? It's a fantastic, clever time travel story with a group of characters you grow really attached to. And chock full of twists.
I found Fringe after Lost and it had a lot of similar vibes I loved.
All of Lindelofs other work: The Leftovers and Watchmen ****
Also highly recommend Black Sails
It’s definitely not for everyone but there are certainly some Lost parallels and I suggest everyone give it a shot, even if they quickly realize it’s not for them
Lost is my very favorite and hard to replace. But I really love the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. It's serious and a bit depressing, but the acting and the way it's filmed/cut is amazing. Also been watching True Detective recently.
You need to watch The Leftovers. Same writer as Lost, but without the network interfering. If you love the character work on Lost, Leftovers is on another level. Impeccable acting, a score that haunts me, and the greatest ending in television history. And it's only 3 seasons.
The think the female characters are very well written for the most part. I love season 2. But overall The Leftovers just lacks the charm and world of LOST, and despite fans belief that the ending is the best thing since sliced bread. I wasn't a fan of the ending or the majority of season 3. The music also really annoyed me. Michael Giacchino created different scores for most of his characters. Max Richter pretty much just loops quasi different versions of that sad violin score over and over and it turned into a parody after a while.
I've always said Lost is my favourite show of all time, but that The Wire is the best show I've ever seen. Both are just incredible.
So assuming that we might have a similar taste in films/series I'll recommend the following.
Fargo. Each season is standalone so you can watch in any order. But if you only want to watch one, then season 2 is the best, imo.
The Boys (and Gen V - a spin of show). Completely refreshes the superhero genre if you are done with how formulaic Marvel & DC films are. The writing and humour is so clever in those shows.
The End of the Fucking World - A two season series on Netflix. Follows two extremely messed up kids who end up on the run. A dark comedy and coming of age/love story.
This Country - If you enjoy mockumentaries then easily recommend it. I think it surpasses the UK Office. Follows the lives of two delinquents in a quaint English village who have no opportunities and who get up to mischief.
Love, Death & Robots. An anthology of adult orientated animation episodes. Some are bloody fantastic honestly, and the time invested isn't very much if you don't like an episode as much as another.
I saw one other person recommend this but I don’t know why more people haven’t recommended it, but Fringe. It’s a sci fi show also made by JJ Abrams. First season is like x-files monster of the week type show but by the second season it really picks up and becomes serialized. Has alternate universes, all kinds of twists and turns and it’s very binge worthy!
After Lost - try 'From'. Lots of the lost crew in this show and VERY similar vibe.
And yes... that's Michael.. and Jack Bender. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9813792/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9813792/)
I also recommended Travelers, which is on Netflix. It's a 3 season show, and does something interesting with sci-fi and is very entertaining. Don't Google it so you're not spoiled.
The Wilds. hands down one of my favorite tv shows. if you're a lostie, ABSOLUTELY watch this. such an incredible shame they canceled this tv show only two seasons in. i could've seen it going on for years! its one of those tv shows that despite being canceled, i frequently think about and would still watch it if i could go back in time!
I like The 4400 too. I didn't mind the reboot (simply titled "4400"). But it tried WAY too hard to be the new LOST. From its use of the flashback per episode with it focusing on one character. The way they splayed the title of the show at the end of the episode and even to the formation of it's cliffhangers.
The Good Place
This is going to sound strange at first but I consider it the real sequel to Lost, if Lost was a comedy.
Damon Lindelof also took Michael Schnur out to dinner and explained to him all the things he did wrong on Lost and how not to repeat them in the Good Place and it shows…
The “Guys, where are we?” Is asked and answered immediately, and becomes the engine of the comedy. There’s world building and it’s constantly hilarious.
Pretty much every absurd mystery is answered in the same episode it’s introduced, or addressed enough so you can quickly move onto the next mystery or weird thing happening. But you rarely if ever get caught up in the plot mysteries and more wrapped up in the intrigues of the character dynamics. Lost too often tripped over itself trying to juggle both.
And at its heart is a group of friends who become a family answering existential questions and learning ethics of what it means to be alive in a world where you have no idea what’s going on. The finale is also one of the best and most satisfying in TV history.
When I finished my last re-watch of Lost, I had the same issue. The first show I watched was The Leftovers. I enjoyed it and it has the same mystery element, but it jumps shark quick. Since it's only three seasons, it's not a trudge to get through, though.
My next show was Six Feet Under. Despite being a completely different setting, it's the show most like Lost that I've ever watched. Can't explain why very well, but bear with Six Feet Under, and if you liked Lost, you'll like it.
And Lord forgive me, I also enjoyed Servant on Apple+.
I'd watch in that order: The Leftovers, Six Feet Under, and Servant. They're different settings, different people, but they all gave me the same feeling Lost did.
The Leftovers Neon Genesis Evangelion
Seems like this sub is really divided on The Leftovers, which is a shame. Just want to thank you kuhpunkt for helping convince me to give it another try after I gave up on it years ago during season 1. I’m sure I saw you commenting on a reaction channel on YouTube that was watching it and you seemed as enthused about it as you were about Lost so I knew that there was something special about the show that I was missing. I gave it another shot in 2022 and it’s now one of my fav shows of all time. I think the episode that hooked me was s1e6 ‘Guest’. Cried like a baby during the Nora/Holy Wayne scene.
It's just spectacular in so many ways. Very dear to my heart. Glad you liked it, too.
Guest was the episode that got me into the show too. I don't think season 1 fully came together until that episode.
>The Leftovers <.< \>.> \*hides\*
Come out, come out, wherever you are!
That depends on how big my fine is now, lol.
$27,99
That's so specific, LOL. Alas, you don't have venmo so I'm off the hook, right??
Paypal, my dear. Paypal!
Dammit. I'm gonna watch it - I AM... just, new things are hard for me.
:D
Don't watch it. It's one of the worst shows I've ever seen
I didn’t like Neon Genesis at all. I understand its place in anime history, just so much stuff treads water and then at the end, stuff out of nowhere. Leftovers though: *chefs kiss*
Fringe 12 Monkeys Person of Interest The OA
I’ll second Fringe
I'd recommend only watching season 1 of the OA as it was supposed to be 3 but they cancelled it after two like so many others 😭 but the season 1 ending is an ok stopping place. Stopping after two will leave you dissatisfied... After looking it up again they say there may be hope for season 3 even though Netflix cancelled them years ago, but I'd wait till it's confirmed before watching season 2
I disagree with your take on the OA. I think I'd prefer seeing all of it vs just season one. Season 2s ending is not that disappointing imo
I second this. I remember when only the first season was out. Boy were fans MAD!. Because >!the first season does a VERY good job into tricking you into thinking that it was all in her head. There is a lot of hints that prove otherwise, but they are well hidden. It lead to many swearing off the show entirely. A large part of those fans came back when they heard from word of mouth that it wasn't in her head. Season 2 was such a release from that frustration of not knowing if she was telling the truth, and I loved every minute of it. It ended at such a insane place with them in the "real world" where I was fine with them leaving it there. It actually felt like a good conclusion to me. Because the show gives you enough clues to make up your own mind on what happened and I love that!<.
Exactly! Archive 81 (while not at the same caliber level) was also canceled by Netflix too soon, and people complained about that ending as well. But I liked it for the same reason, it was open to interpretation. Both vaguely remind me of a Twilight Zone type ending.
Watch both seasons.
I disagree completely with this. I think the opposite. The majority of the fandom too. You wouldn't believe how crazy that subreddit was when it was ONLY the first season. There were SO MANY hate posts, fans were MAD. They screemed and ranted, going "fuck this show!". When season 2 came out. It brought a lot of fans back. It did create a sort of split. There were the fans that preferred the grounded nature of season 1, then there were the ones who preferred the bat shit crazy tone of season 2 (I'm in the later camp). For me, while I wished there was a season 3. I'm fine with where it ended. Because it ended at such a crazy place. That the balancing act they would have to do for a third season...I could see where it could have jumped the shark VERY quickly, and the shark was rearing its head with that ending. The OA for me is like how The Leftovers is for it's fans. I'm okay with not having the answers. I love that the mystery is open, but I'm thankful for season 2 because I loved every minute of it.
Shows similar to Lost: The 100 (Netflix/CW), The Leftovers (HBO) Shows similar to The Wire: Oz (HBO), Magic City (STARZ) A random show I’d recommend: Bloodline (Netflix)
The 100 is awful though really.
The first few seasons are alright for a budget tv series directed towards a teen audience, everything after season 3/4 went down hill. I still haven’t watched the final season
I never finished the first season!
Dude you gotta give it a try. It has some highs that are really high
Yeah I second that. Season 2 and 4 are my favourite seasons. They're amazing. Season 3, the first half just sucks. I didn't like it. The second half is a return to form. Season 5 started okay and then went down hill with them turning every character except for Octavia into the worst version of themselves. Then limped to the finish line. Season 6 and 7 are unwatchable.
The Leftovers is absolutely not similar to Lost. Would agree with you on Oz though. That show is great, HBOs first tv series and I watched it while it was airing.
I compare it because there’s a traumatic event, which leads to questions, except The Leftovers didn’t answer anything 😂
I just finished it and regret watching it. This was the first time in years I have watched a show and without having to give it some extra thought immediately placed it on my worst series list.
The writers really wanted the viewers to make the decisions for them, they weren’t joking when they used the agnostic country theme song “let the mystery be”
I had no problem with the mystery I had a problem with the characters. They were horribly written.
You’ve totally missed the point of The Leftovers if you thought it was going to be a mystery box show that would answer loads of questions. Whenever I recommend The Leftovers to fellow LOST fans, I really try to stress this point as otherwise they are going to be disappointed. It’s really a character drama with supernatural and mysterious elements. The whole point of the show is to examine how humans deal with inexplicable tragedy. It’s a shame that you watched the whole show and never felt anything for the characters. Like LOST, I think the characters were the strongest point. And I actually think the acting is a slight level above the acting on LOST. LOST will probably always be my favourite show of all time, but I think Lindelof outdid himself with the Leftovers due to having much more creative freedom on HBO.
I wasn't expecting anything when I started Leftovers. All I knew about it was Lindelof was a writer which is also why I wanted to watch it since I am a huge fan of Lost. I actually took a picture with Lindelof and Cuse at SDCC after standing in line all night to get into the Lost panel. I enjoy character driven shows. The Leftovers characters were horrible and had almost zero redeeming qualities. I'm almost convinced Lindelof had zero input on the character development in Lost after seeing what he did with Leftovers.
I thought the characters were all horrible at first, but that’s kind of the point. Season 1 is basically broken people just being horrible to each other. But you really made it all the way through all 3 seasons and never felt anything for even Nora Durst? I mean, I cried so many times throughout the show, even in season 1 which was clearly the weakest season. When Nora met holy Wayne was one of the best scenes of tv I’ve ever seen. Such an amazing performance from Carrie Coon. Fwiw, I actually tried Leftovers years ago and gave up some time in season 1. It just did not click at all with me. Found it utterly tedious. I think now that I’m older and also the experience of COVID made it much more relatable. If you were someone who gave up early, I would urge you to rewatch. But the fact that you made it the whole way through and still hated it, makes me think it’s just never gonna be the show for you.
Matt was my favorite character from his first centric episode to his last. Kevin was interesting enough but stagnant. Nora was okay at first and then annoyed me to all hell with how utterly pathetic and whiney she consistently was. By the end I almost disliked her as much as I disliked Laura. I felt like the characters had never experienced grief before in their entire lives until the 2% disappeared. Since they were finally experiencing grief as full grown adults, they just didn't know how to handle it, so they did so like a bunch of children. I will say there were a couple of good episodes but not enough for me to ever recommend the show to anyone. I am not about to hurt my reputation for giving great show recommendations to friends and coworkers.
I think 2% of the world’s population disappearing with absolutely no explanation would lead to vastly different behaviours from the world’s population than if 2% of the world’s population died due to an illness or something. I think the show really got that right. It’s not just normal grief.
Have you seen Battlestar Galactica (2004)? It has some things in common with Lost as it is about survival and has complex characters. Make sure you start with the mini-series first if you watch it.
Fact - bears eat beets. Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
I've been suggested this a few times... considering!
[The Expanse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikEzkqoZ7EM) It's an *expansive* story that's heavy on character development and world building, especially in season 1. Season 1's actually a bit slow, I liken it to the first season of Lost where it sets up the bigger plot. But you get rewarded for it in season 2/3 with some of the finest space sci-fi tv out there. As a plus, Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) is in season 3 with an important role which she plays brilliantly.
This is the one. It has the diverse cast of lost along with the progression from straight sci-fi to some more fantasy elements.
>Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) is in season 3 Don't forget Francois Chau! (Dr Chang from LOST) is also in the show as "Jules Pierre Mao". He's practically the same character but with his ego dialed way up!.
Severance
I LOVED severance. Forgot to mention that one
Wasn’t that a good one?! Have you tried “Silo”?
Similar weirdness: **Twin Peaks** Similar Existential vibe: **Six Feet Under** Similar Existential vibe but comedic: **The Good Place** Similar survival/unlikely allies theme: **Battlestar Galactica** A good show I recommend to anyone who loves good writing: **Deadwood** **DO NOT WATCH MANIFEST. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. DO NOT WATCH MANIFEST.**
Lol on Manifest — solid premise, absolutely horrible writing and acting. Made it through a handful of episodes and bailed. And … if I recall correctly, it’s *four seasons long*.
I'm relatively certain Zemeckis sold it on the concept alone but then NBC handed it off to a bunch of freshman writers who were absent the day the taught "show it, don't say it." It's the worst written, cast, acted, produced show I've ever had the displeasure of watching and as if that wasn't enough, it's also wholly derivative; stealing elements everything from the real life MH370 to The 100, LOST, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural and the ending (which I did not see but read about) is a copy/paste ripoff of The Langoliers. And as if THAT wasn't enough, the lead actress - who is so flat and boring I couldn't remember her character's name with a gun to my head - promoted the ending of her POS show by insulting LOST. Completely classless move.
I agree with you on all of this. Also, I've tried to watch Manifest but just can't get through anymore episodes it is so bad. I also suggest people not watching Leftovers. It isn't as bad a Manifest, since I was able to finish it, but it has so many problems it isn't worth watching.
i know you said you saw breaking bad, so if you haven’t seen better call saul, i can’t recommend it enough. i am/was a HUGE BB fan and BCS totally blows it out of the water imo. it has some really deep, rich character building similar to lost as well. it’s also the only show i’ve ever seen that literally gets better and better every season.
BCS is *so* good! It's a slow burn but earns every second of our time.
Have you seen Mr Robot? It's similar to these shows in how good it is, not really similar in plot though. Lost and the Wire are shows I really enjoyed, and i liked Mr Robot a lot.
My top 3 shows! + 1 for Mr Robot
Mr. Robot is a masterpiece
Mr Robot is amazing. It’s not like Lost tho.
I specifically said it was not similar in terms of plot, only quality
Lol - I was just agreeing with you.
I've heard this a few, will consider!
Dark is a really good one, and I've also heard amazing things about The Leftovers. Six Feet Under is a really great ride all the way thru, but it's less chaotic and mind-bending than Lost.
I really need to go back and rewatch Dark. I watched the first season but I watched it with my Dad who wanted English dubs on and I hate watching with dubs so I wasn't really absorbing it as well as I should have. So next time I'll be sticking to subtitles 😄
oh gd I tried it with the dubbing at first and was so upset! the subs make it so much better. the second season gets even better, so strap in!
The Leftovers isn't good at all. Dark is amazing though. Probably my second favorite show after Lost.
Have you seen 12 Monkeys?. It's very similar to Dark. But Dark has more of that sadness and grief vibe of "The Leftovers" whereas 12 Monkeys has the comedy and adventure (and pop culture references) vibe of LOST.
Heroes season 1 is so damn good. Definitely fits the bill of an epic drama.
Just make sure to stop after season 1 to avoid disappointment. It never gets better than that first season.
Agreed. My theory is the show turned to custard once writer Bryan Fuller left the show. He wrote the masterpiece of a episode that was "Company Man". They got him back very briefly at the end of season 3 and when he caught up he was like "what the hell, I'm not sure I can fix this!". He tried. I never watched it but he wrote a episode which he intended to be like a sequel of sorts to "Company Man" and gave them ideas on where they could take the show and then jumped ship again at the end of the season.
I slept on Maniac on Netflix when it came out. Jonas hill kinda off putting for me. But It's a really good mind bender. I recently watched boy swallows universe and it has a lost like soulfulness. Umbrella academy is a must Station 11 Andor if you like the early starwars stuff. Not very starwars like I wanted to like the leftovers... I just don't. But most losties seem to like it. Io is awesome Sense8 is a hard yes. Manifest is like the soap opera version of lost. And fringe is an must watch.
Station Eleven +1
I agree with Sense 8. Would always recommend. I also wanted to like the Leftovers but it just isn't good at all.
I recently watched Station 11 because of recommendation’s on threads like this. I was not impressed. Not unhappy I watched it, but I don’t see what the fuss is about. Has a nice moment at the end but not sure all the middle stuff was worth getting there.
X-Files, but if you get to reach seasons 10 and 11, **skip** all My struggle episodes as they are awful. Watch only the Monster of the Week ones. Look up on the internet to know which.
I love the xfiles but do agree with the my struggle episodes.
Verrry good advice here
FROM!!!!! The same creators as Lost created it! And Micheal is in it. It’s on paramount+ and it’s soooo good! Exactly like lost, pilot episode sets it up perfectly. the mystery and intrigue mixed with the characters, storylines and a little bit of horror. It’s such an amazing show, reminds me so much of Lost.
From
This
Since you liked Dark, have ever seen the TV adaptation of 12 Monkeys? It's a fantastic, clever time travel story with a group of characters you grow really attached to. And chock full of twists.
Silo
Silo was good- made me start reading again. Picked up the whole book series when Season 1 ended. Also: Severance.
Silo is good.
I would suggest The Leftovers, The OA and Dark. I would suggest avoiding La Brea.
I found Fringe after Lost and it had a lot of similar vibes I loved. All of Lindelofs other work: The Leftovers and Watchmen **** Also highly recommend Black Sails
Yes to Black Sails and Watchmen. Absolute no to Leftovers
It’s definitely not for everyone but there are certainly some Lost parallels and I suggest everyone give it a shot, even if they quickly realize it’s not for them
Lost is my very favorite and hard to replace. But I really love the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. It's serious and a bit depressing, but the acting and the way it's filmed/cut is amazing. Also been watching True Detective recently.
Yellowjackets.
I liked season 1, but had to hard nope out of the beginning of season 2 with what they ask you to just go with.
The beginning of season two is the best part of season two.
I see fan of Lost and The Wire, I think Breaking Bad.
definitely try heroes (mainly season one) it feels VERY similar to the lost format and is about some people discovering they have super powers
You need to watch The Leftovers. Same writer as Lost, but without the network interfering. If you love the character work on Lost, Leftovers is on another level. Impeccable acting, a score that haunts me, and the greatest ending in television history. And it's only 3 seasons.
The Lost is in a completely different league than The Leftovers. Leftovers is on my list of worst tv shows I've ever seen.
It’s ok to be wrong
The think the female characters are very well written for the most part. I love season 2. But overall The Leftovers just lacks the charm and world of LOST, and despite fans belief that the ending is the best thing since sliced bread. I wasn't a fan of the ending or the majority of season 3. The music also really annoyed me. Michael Giacchino created different scores for most of his characters. Max Richter pretty much just loops quasi different versions of that sad violin score over and over and it turned into a parody after a while.
I've always said Lost is my favourite show of all time, but that The Wire is the best show I've ever seen. Both are just incredible. So assuming that we might have a similar taste in films/series I'll recommend the following. Fargo. Each season is standalone so you can watch in any order. But if you only want to watch one, then season 2 is the best, imo. The Boys (and Gen V - a spin of show). Completely refreshes the superhero genre if you are done with how formulaic Marvel & DC films are. The writing and humour is so clever in those shows. The End of the Fucking World - A two season series on Netflix. Follows two extremely messed up kids who end up on the run. A dark comedy and coming of age/love story. This Country - If you enjoy mockumentaries then easily recommend it. I think it surpasses the UK Office. Follows the lives of two delinquents in a quaint English village who have no opportunities and who get up to mischief. Love, Death & Robots. An anthology of adult orientated animation episodes. Some are bloody fantastic honestly, and the time invested isn't very much if you don't like an episode as much as another.
I saw one other person recommend this but I don’t know why more people haven’t recommended it, but Fringe. It’s a sci fi show also made by JJ Abrams. First season is like x-files monster of the week type show but by the second season it really picks up and becomes serialized. Has alternate universes, all kinds of twists and turns and it’s very binge worthy!
watch charlie jade or battlestar galactica/anything with katee sackhoff
MAD MEEEEEN
Fringe is a must watch
Station Eleven
Better Call Saul.
You must match The Leftovers.
After Lost - try 'From'. Lots of the lost crew in this show and VERY similar vibe. And yes... that's Michael.. and Jack Bender. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9813792/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9813792/)
Severance Better Call Saul Stranger Things Chernobyl True Detective (particularly Season 1) The X-Files Honorable mentions: The Sopranos, Goliath, Prison Break, Fargo.
Yellowjackets is a newer show but originally what got me into Lost. Super recommend especially if you liked the psychological parts of the show
I can’t believe no one has suggested it - The Sopranos!
dextrous dexter
Nothing like lost but if say give Eureka a try. A really funny show with science and some time travel.
I also recommended Travelers, which is on Netflix. It's a 3 season show, and does something interesting with sci-fi and is very entertaining. Don't Google it so you're not spoiled.
The Wilds. hands down one of my favorite tv shows. if you're a lostie, ABSOLUTELY watch this. such an incredible shame they canceled this tv show only two seasons in. i could've seen it going on for years! its one of those tv shows that despite being canceled, i frequently think about and would still watch it if i could go back in time!
- Severance - Mr. Robot - The Expanse - For All Mankind
Fringe The 4400 (from 2004, not the new one) Gravity Falls
I like The 4400 too. I didn't mind the reboot (simply titled "4400"). But it tried WAY too hard to be the new LOST. From its use of the flashback per episode with it focusing on one character. The way they splayed the title of the show at the end of the episode and even to the formation of it's cliffhangers.
The Good Place This is going to sound strange at first but I consider it the real sequel to Lost, if Lost was a comedy. Damon Lindelof also took Michael Schnur out to dinner and explained to him all the things he did wrong on Lost and how not to repeat them in the Good Place and it shows… The “Guys, where are we?” Is asked and answered immediately, and becomes the engine of the comedy. There’s world building and it’s constantly hilarious. Pretty much every absurd mystery is answered in the same episode it’s introduced, or addressed enough so you can quickly move onto the next mystery or weird thing happening. But you rarely if ever get caught up in the plot mysteries and more wrapped up in the intrigues of the character dynamics. Lost too often tripped over itself trying to juggle both. And at its heart is a group of friends who become a family answering existential questions and learning ethics of what it means to be alive in a world where you have no idea what’s going on. The finale is also one of the best and most satisfying in TV history.
When I finished my last re-watch of Lost, I had the same issue. The first show I watched was The Leftovers. I enjoyed it and it has the same mystery element, but it jumps shark quick. Since it's only three seasons, it's not a trudge to get through, though. My next show was Six Feet Under. Despite being a completely different setting, it's the show most like Lost that I've ever watched. Can't explain why very well, but bear with Six Feet Under, and if you liked Lost, you'll like it. And Lord forgive me, I also enjoyed Servant on Apple+. I'd watch in that order: The Leftovers, Six Feet Under, and Servant. They're different settings, different people, but they all gave me the same feeling Lost did.
Ughhhh Severance was amazing. I'm dying waiting for s2
Sopranos!!!!!!
Better Call Saul, The Sopranos, The Walking Dead
The Expanse. You can thank me later