Lost TV Series Review: Romance & Love Triangles

While there are many romantic relationships in the show, I only want to focus on the love triangles between four people: Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Juliet.

As I mentioned in my overall series review, Lost handles all of its mysteries incredibly, but I have to say that its romances with the characters above leave something to be desired at times.

Jack Shephard and Kate Austen

This love connection is established as soon as the show begins, and it’s clear from the get-go that these two characters belong together. To put it simply, Kate is a good girl at heart who is capable of committing bad crimes to help her loved ones, and Jack is a good-natured surgeon who is always interested in doing the right thing. Fundamentally, these characters make sense as they both desire good (even if they take different paths of getting there), and I feel Kate sees her romance with Jack as a way to prove herself and redeem her past mistakes.

While they do have some cute and fun moments together, it becomes hard not to notice how little screen time their romance actually gets. In fact, we don’t even get to see the first time Kate tells Jack she loves him, although we do get this from Jack, as he admits his feelings first. And when certain circumstances lead Kate to be intimate with Sawyer before Jack, there is oddly never a discussion about it between them. Heck – Jack even sees them being intimate on a camera feed, and Kate knows!

But aside from that, these two do get a few happy years together off island, and despite the shortcomings, they are still a great couple with strong chemistry, and my favorite pairing.

Kate and Sawyer (real name: James Ford)

Remember how I said Jack and Kate get far less screen time than they deserve? Well, that’s because the writers were busy putting Kate and Sawyer together instead. While it’s obvious that Sawyer wants Kate, she makes it very clear that she does not want to be with him romantically, as he reminds her of a lot of things in her life she would rather forget.

Despite this, their love triangle is constantly and annoyingly milked, and eventually, Kate does end up sleeping with Sawyer twice. However, they never enter an official relationship like Jack and Kate later in the show, and Sawyer ultimately serves as Kate’s sexual rebound when she is upset with Jack (not that he minds).

This couple is quintessentially toxic, and fundamentally, they do not desire the same things, as Sawyer could care less about doing what’s right for the sake of what is convenient. And when faced to make a decision about who to turn to or check up on, Kate always chooses Jack.

Sawyer and Juliet Burke

Juliet is probably the most perfect woman for Sawyer. And while you probably wouldn’t think to pair these two together, seeing their romance in action proves it’s surprising validity. While Juliet can certainly do terrible things for her own convenience or the greater good, I feel she does use a bit more logic than Sawyer, and her calm nature is a good balance to his lively one.

While these two end up in a relationship mostly because of circumstances outside of their control, what they have quickly becomes real and deep, and their subtle, quiet chemistry is far more intriguing and natural than something hot and heavy.

Juliet’s relationship with Sawyer also coincides with the character being at his best, as we see him become a responsible leader and care for Juliet more truly than he is ever shown to care for anyone else (even Kate). Juliet also appears at her most happiest with Sawyer during the three years they get to live happily and peacefully together. I have no doubt that period was the best in both of their lives.

Jack and Juliet

No–just, no. Out of the four pairings, these two are the most lackluster with the least amount of chemistry or intrigue. First off, I’m not sure the actors themselves actually had an attraction to one another, which does hinder the believably of their affections on screen. Second, Jack and Juliet are both even-tempered people in the medical field, which means they really have nothing of value or interest to bring to the other.

This pairing is also the weakest formed and gets the least amount of screen time. While Juliet’s affections are stronger than Jack’s, he chooses to kiss her first before Kate (!), which I deemed as unforgivable until a specific, mostly plausible reason is given for it later.

Basically, the Jack and Juliet love triangle only exists to create drama, as it becomes clear these two are not a natural or intriguing fit. Also, Juliet kind of enjoys the drama her presence causes for Jack and Kate, which also makes this triangle even more frustrating. Thankfully, it doesn’t last too long.

star rating overall: 3/5

★★★☆☆