16 Years Later, This 'Lost' Release Still Adds Another Layer to the Sci-Fi Series

Published Oct 15, 2026, 4:07 PM EDT

Bradley is an experienced and award winning journalist and all around entertainment fanatic. He is a passionate film and TV fan and long time attendee of San Diego Comic Con. 

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One of the greatest serialized dramas on television, ABC's Lost, revolutionized the way stories were told on the small screen. From its showstopping pilot, widely regarded as one of the best of all time, to the non-linear storytelling, the series was a massive hit for a reason, earning the Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series in its inaugural season. The show was also known for its compelling mysteries that kept viewers tuning in week after week, which has since become a hallmark of the works of its creators, JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof.

And when the popular series was released on DVD, the secrets and hidden details carried over to the discs themselves. While modern DVDs have dropped the ball when it comes to their presentation, Lost went the extra mile to reward its many fans on the DVD releases, with creative menus, plentiful supplements, and tons of hidden goodies.

Fans of Lost were rewarded on DVD

Image via ABC

While the trend as of late when it comes to DVD and Blu-Ray releases of popular media has not come off well, what with numerous uninspired menus that are simply the film's poster with menu options beneath it, in the early 2000s, DVD menus and extras were just as much of an event as the media itself. There were tons of informative behind the scenes interviews and featurettes, interactive menus, and, in the case of the Harry Potter franchise, virtual tours of the locales of the film. Sadly, nowadays, these have gone by the wayside and DVD companies are being lazy with their menus and stingy with how many, if any, extras they are including.

Enter Lost, whose DVD menus were often specific moments from the series frozen in time, be it the beach following the pilot's devastating plane crash, or Jack (Matthew Fox) and Locke (Terry O'Quinn) discovering the hatch in season two. Some of these menus even included hidden features themselves- for example, disc six on season one showcases a plane hanging in a tree, but if one was to wait long enough, the plane would fall to the ground, just like in the episode.

In addition to the creative menus, the supplements were varied and even show specific. Season two's extras are divided into three distinct phases via a Dharma Initiative training reel, forcing viewers to explore each and every phase to get the full experience. The extras themselves were also in depth and featured numerous interviews with the cast and creators delving into the making of the iconic series, which for longtime fans was invaluable information.

Easter Eggs made Lost's DVDs worth exploring

Another element of DVD releases that has unfortunately been forgotten is the Easter Egg. For those not in the know, an Easter Egg is an unadvertised feature that takes some effort on the part of the viewer to find. Back in the day, Easter Egg hunters would take the time to hit every button on their remote to find these and document them to the world, but in the age of Blu-Ray and 4K, Easter Eggs are now all but extinct.

But Lost not only featured countless Easter Eggs across all six seasons on DVD, but they rewarded fans who found them. One such Easter Egg allows viewers to listen to the distress signal that the survivors receive in the pilot, while others are fun vignettes with the cast and crew. Finding these Eggs was just as much fun, as the DVDs creators hid them well and forced curious viewers to look in every nook and cranny of the menus to catch the hidden content.

It didn't stop there, either. After Lost went off the air in 2010, the series was collected in a limited edition box set that featured collectibles from the series, a board game, as well as a bonus disc of exclusive extras that was hidden beneath a 3D model of the island- and of course, that disc had Easter Eggs of its own. The amount of effort put into the DVDs was staggering and something that physical media companies should take note of when it comes to future releases.

Lost was one of the most influential shows of its time and amassed countless fans and the makers of the DVDs felt the responsibility to reward those fans. They delivered in spades and created one of the most compelling DVD sets to explore and marvel at, which is a rare honor in today's digital only world. Hopefully, DVDs of this caliber and effort can make a comeback.

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  Jack Shephard

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  Kate Austen

Lost follows the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, which crashes on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. The diverse group must work together to survive while uncovering the island's many secrets, including a hidden hatch, a smoke monster, and other supernatural elements. Known for its complex narrative structure, the series includes flashbacks and flashforwards that provide deeper insights into the characters' backstories and their lives off the island. As they navigate the island's dangers and mysteries, the survivors form bonds and face challenges that test their limits and reveal hidden truths.