We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Lost featured complex, intertwined narratives; more characters than one can reasonably expected to keep up with; and boxes full of secrets. The show, which kicked off with flashbacks that peeled back the layers of the various crash survivors before diving headfirst into surrealism, was an uncommonly smart network offering that rewarded careful viewing. Whether it all wound up being deeply profound or a load of nonsense was always in the eye of the beholder—but it remains one of the most discussed and debated shows in modern TV history.
Fringe (2008 – 2013)
We don't talk nearly enough about Fringe, a smart sci-fi/crime procedural that served as a true successor to the X-Files (and that wrapped more satisfyingly than that show ever did, even given multiple tries), as well as to the weirder aspects of Lost, all while anticipating multiversal storytelling before it got annoying. Starting out as a kind of weird-mystery-of-the-week thing, it soon becomes clear that the odd occurrences the characters have been investigating are all linked to potentially universe-ending incursions across time and space. Stream Fringe on Hulu.
The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)
The premise of The Leftovers is brilliantly subdued: Around two percent of the world's population disappears without explanation, and it's enough to upend just about everything. Politics have adapted to the new normal, religions have collapsed and reformed, and families have had to make peace with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season revolves around the Garvey family, led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left him to join a cult, while subsequent seasons broaden the scope to bring in other characters in other locations. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost, and the two series share some similarities (including a relatively grim tone), but where Lost (arguably) spun out of control, The Leftovers recognized that complex plotting and the search for answers is the point. Stream The Leftovers on HBO Max.
Yellowjackets (2021 – )
This time-hopping survival drama is about a group of teenage girls who are stranded in the wilderness in 1996 and do terrible things to survive—the extent of which we only learn about via flashbacks from the present day, where the events of 19 months spent in the wild continue to resonate. There are ambiguous teases of the supernatural here, but there's plenty of human-level horror as well. The show plays in some of the same territory as Lost in its explorations of the morally ambiguous choices we make when in survival mode, while also cynically (but accurately) positing that there's a huge difference between the version of the past we talk about and the one that really happened. Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+.
Dark (2017 – 2020)
Dark began as a mystery involving a missing child and evolved, over its three seasons, into a wildly complex narrative: a time travel-driven story that explores dark family secrets over the course of several generations. The German import has a striking look and atmospheric feel, with an ensemble cast of teens and adults whose narratives are deftly intertwined. You'd be right to assume that the tone here is darker even than that of Lost, but the shows share loves of complex mysteries, time shifts, and strange holes. Stream Dark on Netflix.
From (2022 – )
Travel to The Town, a place from which no one can ever leave. The residents and visitors are trapped as surely as if they were stranded on an island—and are beset by creatures that come from the woods that kill anyone found outside after dark. The Matthews family learn all about this firsthand when they roll into the place in their RV and soon find themselves trapped alongside the local sheriff (Lost alum Harold Perrineau) just as it's getting dark. The monsters here aren't just mindlessly hungry—they're cunning and sadistic, and more than capable of killing residents in gory ways. It's a supernatural spin on the "small towns ain't what they seem" vibe. Stream From on MGM+.
Alice in Borderland (2020 – )
For the plane-crash survivors of Lost, the island serves as a purgatory, a world that might be alternately paradise and hell for the largely middle-aged castaways. An analog for modern teenagers might look something like Alice in Borderland, where kids find themselves in a world of mysteries—one that feels like an escape until it doesn't. Videogame-obsessed Arisu gets his wish, after a fashion, when he finds himself, along with a couple of friends, transported to an alternate, eerily abandoned version of Tokyo—the title’s Borderland—vividly brought to life via some clever green screen work. The three are directed to an arena and given the instructions for the game, which they’ll be playing whether they want to or not. The first competition involves a locked-room-style puzzle; if they fail, the room goes up in flames with them in it—think Ready Player One, with deadlier stakes. There are games each night, though the rules allow for winners to get time off. There are a lot of rules, actually, but the games are cleverly and sadistically constructed. Stream Alice in Borderland on Netflix.
Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009)
While the original Battlestar Galactica was a fun, middling blend of sci-fi and dated kitsch, the aughts reboot from (Star Trek vet and For All Mankind head) Ronald D. Moore and company brought science fiction fully into the prestige TV era. Created to be humanity's robot slaves, the Cylons rebel and launch a sneak attack on the human colonies, leading to an exodus into space. The only hope for humanity is to reach the mythical world of Earth. The monotheistic Cylons see their crusade as a nearly holy one, while the more rationalistic human refugees struggle to survive and find common purpose in an order that's crumbling day by day. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell lead an impressive cast. Stream Battlestar Galactica on Paramount+.
The 100 (2014 – 2020)
The 100 tells the story of the descendants of refugees of nuclear devastation who return to Earth from their habitat in space to encounter the remnants of humanity who have survived on Earth. Naturally, the first people sent to scope things out are the juvenile delinquents (better them than me), and they discover that three civilizations have risen up in the aftermath of the apocalypse, and they are all pretty scary (including one populated by cannibals, naturally). More humane, perhaps, than Lord of the Flies, even as it explores similar themes, this show builds an impressive mythology over the course of its run, leading to a conclusion that’s borderline metaphysical. Buy The 100 from Prime Video.
Missing 9 (2017)
About as close an analog as you're likely to find to Lost is this bonkers South Korean drama. A plane crash leaves a bunch of celebrities (mostly) stranded on a mysterious island—initially, we're getting much of the story via flashbacks from an amnesiac stylist. Things get complicated as the stories of other survivors come to light, and no two people's versions of events quite match. The fame angle adds an extra layer of mystery, as the government investigators are willing to do a little obfuscating to minimize public outcry. We come to learn that five people who never made it off the island had survived the crash, and at least one of the others knows why. Stream Missing 9 on Kocowa via Prime Video.
Silo (2023 – )
The characters in this show all live in the 144-story silo of the title, a sealed environment sustaining (or imprisoning) the last vestiges of humanity on a ravaged Earth. Societal politics blend with civilization-threatening secrets in an impressively conceived dystopia—less mythological than Lost, perhaps, but every bit as mysterious. Based on Hugh Howey’s book trilogy, the show has at least one other thing going for it in addition to its killer cast (including Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, and Tim Robbins): Unlike so many prematurely canceled streaming series, it will reach a planned conclusion after having been renewed for two more seasons. Stream Silo on Apple TV.
