LOST

#12: Jack Becomes a Leader

The pilot episode of "Lost" was one of the most original, spiritual dramas I'd ever seen on television. The magicians behind the show created a plane crash that was so realistic I felt like I was there. From the wreckage emerged the significantly named Jack Shephard, the show's lead character. A doctor who was en route to California to bury his father, Jack immediately jumped into action. He tended to the wounded and kept his cool when others around him were panicking. It's clear to anyone who watched the two-part pilot episode why the other crash survivors feel such a loyalty to Jack--he was the one who gave them hope when they had none.

--Lilit Marcus