FAVORITES

Every viewer had their own favorite character. That is the charm of an ensemble cast. There will someone you can identify with even if that character is secondary or in the background. For example, a few teachers immediately gravitated toward Artz on a professional level. But the series was not kind to his purported knowledge of dynamite.

If there was a consensus of the most popular characters, it probably would be:

1. Hurley. Just like in the original Survivor series, the happy-go-lucky Rupert, who was not into the back stabbing politics of the game, came off more likeable and friendly, Hurley was the de facto eyes and ears of the fans within series. He was our proxy. We could identify with his reserved demeanor. We could understand his cultural references and his humor. He did not have any hidden agendas or bad intentions against any of his fellow castaways.

2. Ben. It may have been Michael Emerson's intense big eyed but stoic acting style, but Ben became a fan favorite by his cunning manipulation of the castaways. People like good, evil characters. Ben embodied all the traits of a great villain: cruelty, intelligence, warped sense of purpose, absolute authority and Machiavellian principles. Ben's immediate popularity took a three show guest shot into a full time character that made it to the end.

3. Desmond. For some reason, the hopelessness of Desmond's lost love turned many women viewers into die hard Dez fans. The Penny-Desmond love story was a highlight moment for many when Desmond finally connected with Penny on the freighter radio. Despite her father's interference and Desmond's lack of confidence, they were meant to be together. It was a classic princess and the pauper story line. Despite all the obstacles, Desmond would be reunited with the love of his life.

4. Ford. Then female fans also were attracted to the series "bad boy," Sawyer. There is something about a good looking, charming, rebellious man that sparks imagination in women. It is a cultural constant since the 1950s with James Dean.  It is an American fairy tale of the loner underdog who society believes has no future, finds one with an innocent lovely girl-next-door.

5. Jack. Nearly half of the fans believe the LOST series was all about Jack. It started and ended with the heroic doctor. He was smart, skilled, practical and handsome. He took charge of the beach like an ER triage. People are drawn toward powerful men because most people believe they have little control over their own lives. Jack became the focal point for the main characters because of his character's low key leadership. Since Jack became a story focal point, fans of the series made Jack their focal point. So why is Jack in fifth place? Because some Jack fans thought the heroic doctor's change in the O6 arc (into the drug induced, suicidal cry baby) ruined the character for them. And when Jack returned to the island to become a meek, non-action figure like Ben's janitorial father, it lost even more fan support. Then there were the neutral Jack supporters who lost it in the last episode that tried to wrap up the series at Jack's father's funeral in the after life.