Pop culture references

This is a list of confirmed or irrefutable allusions and references of movies, television, and miscellaneous pop culture seen on Lost (per transcript verbatim and/or crew citation). As it is a list of miscellany, it primarily lists movies, TV and comic art content that is not included in other cultural references pages.

For references from shows, movies, and other outside sources to Lost, see Outside references to Lost.

The full list of direct references to Movies, TV or miscellaneous pop culture is sorted by name below. Only direct references or influences confirmed by major contributors to the production team are given.

	Main Articles
	Alias
	The Blue Danube
	Boston Red Sox
	Green Lantern and Flash
	Stephen King
	Star Wars
	Voltron
	Watchmen
	The Wizard of Oz
	π

20000 Leagues under the Sea (Movie)[]

The Admiral MacCutcheon that Charles Widmore mentions to Desmond was a character from a remake film of the classic, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (by Jules Verne). ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")

Altered States (Movie)[]

Charlie says "I'm going to stand out here in case you devolve into a monkey" when Locke asks him to stand guard at the sweat tent, which is what happens to the main character of Altered States. ("Further Instructions")

Alias (TV)[]

Main article: Alias

Back to the Future[]

“

[Miles looks at Jack and points at Kate, emphasizing her point. Miles walks over to the table where Hurley is inspecting his hand.]
MILES: What the hell are you doing, Tubby?
HURLEY: Checking to see if I'm disappearing.
MILES: What?
HURLEY: "Back to the Future," man. We came back in time to the island and changed stuff. So if little Ben dies, he'll never grow up to be big Ben, who's the one who made us come back here in the first place. Which means we can't be here. And therefore, dude? We don't exist.
MILES: You're an idiot. [Takes a seat at the table]
HURLEY: Am I?
MILES: Yeah. It doesn't work like that. You can't change anything. Your maniac Iraqi buddy shot Linus. That is what always happened. It's just...we never experienced how it all turns out.
[Hurley looks at Jack, confused.]
HURLEY: This is really confusing. .

”

The Blue Danube (Cartoon)[]

Main article: The Blue Danube

The Blue Danube was a cartoon shown to Jack. ("Every Man for Himself")

Boston Red Sox (Sports team)[]

Main article: Boston Red Sox

"That's why the Red Sox will never win the World Series." was a phrase repeatedly used by Christian Shephard to describe his thoughts on fate. ("Outlaws")
The Red Sox winning the World Series was a clip Ben showed to Jack on the Hydra television. ("The Glass Ballerina")
- This tape, entitled RED SOX, was later "taped over" by Ben, with footage of Charles Widmore beating one of Ben's "people", which he showed to Locke. ("The Other Woman")
Jack asks Frank if the Red Sox really did win the World Series. ("The Economist")
Jack scoffs at the headline, "Yankees bludgeon Red Sox in Series Sweep", exclaiming "A-Rod", a reference to the Yankees' successful and controversial third-baseman, Alex Rodriguez. ("Something Nice Back Home")

The Brady Bunch (TV)[]

Sawyer compares Karl with Bobby Brady, from The Brady Brunch. (Karl responds with "What the hell is The Brady Bunch?") ("Stranger in a Strange Land")

Celtic FC (Sports team)[]

Desmond sings "The Celtic Song" which is sung by supporters of the Scottish football club. His girlfriend Ruth also says that Desmond's only religious experience while they dated regarded Celtic winning "the cup". ("Catch-22")

Dallas Cowboys (Sports Team)[]

As Lafleur and Juliet are being led up the dock to the sub, Sawyer says: "We'll bet the Cowboys in the '78 Super Bowl. We're gonna be rich", referencing the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII. ("Follow the Leader")

Disney (Theme parks)[]

During a game of I Never, Sawyer says he's never been to Disneyland. Kate does not drink, indicating that she also has never been to the Anaheim, California-based theme park, to which Sawyer replies, "Now, that's sad."("Outlaws")
According to the Season 2 DVD featurette "Secrets from the Hatch", the Swan interior was originally inspired by Disneyland's Tomorrowland.

The Flintstones (Cartoon)[]

Libby says "You ever watch The Flintstones?" to Hurley when they were lost in the jungle. ("Two for the Road")

Gilligan's Island (TV)[]

Sawyer calls Charlotte "Ginger" after he slaps Daniel Faraday. ("Because You Left")
In the episode "Two on a Raft," Gilligan and the Skipper set off on a raft to find help. Their raft is attacked by sharks and they end up on the other side of the island. ("Exodus, Part 1") ("Adrift")

Green Lantern and Flash (Comic)[]

Main article: Comic book

A Green Lantern and Flash comic book was seen in multiple episodes of Season 1, as a comic Walt picks up and enjoys. Contains pictures of a polar bear. It originally belonged to Hurley, and was burned by Michael. ("Special"),("Exodus, Part 2")

Harry Potter (Movie)[]

Hurley told Sawyer he looked like "someone steamrolled Harry Potter. ("Deus Ex Machina")

Little House on the Prairie (TV)[]

Sawyer watched Little House on the Prairie as a child, while at home ill. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")

Lord of the Rings, The (Movie)[]

Charlie said that he's heard trees are great conversationalists. This referenced actor Dominic Monaghan's role in The Lord of the Rings, where his character spent time talking to Ents. ("Further Instructions")
The 6th Season Soundtrack features a piece entitled "Down The Hobbit Hole."

Memoirs of a Geisha (Movie)[]

A background character at the airport (Gina) remarked that Sun's subservience to Jin was like "Memoirs of a Geisha come to life." ("Exodus, Part 1")

Mission Impossible III (Movie)[]

Pan Pacific Airlines was previously seen as part of "Pan Pacific" livery in Mission Impossible III.

Mr. Ed (TV)[]

Sawyer calls Mr. Eko "Mr. Ed", in reference to the 1960's sitcom Mr. Ed. ("...And Found")

Muppet Show, The (TV)[]

The Muppet Show plays on one of the monitors in The Flame. ("Namaste")

Nash Bridges (TV)[]

The title "Nash Bridges" was visible on the document Gina was reading. ("Exodus, Part 1") ("Exodus, Part 2") (Producer Carlton Cuse created the television series Nash Bridges.)

New York Yankees (Sports team)[]

Main article: New York Yankees

Jack asks Frank, "Did the Sox really win the Series?", to which Frank replies, "Don't even get me started on that, I grew up in the Bronx", which references Frank's allegiance to the Yankees. ("The Economist")
Jack scoffs at the headline, "Yankees bludgeon Red Sox in Series Sweep", exclaiming "A-Rod", a reference to the Yankees' successful and controversial third-baseman, Alex Rodriguez. ("Something Nice Back Home")

The Office (TV)[]

Charlie's date, Lucy, mentioned that her dad was out of town looking to buy a paper company in Slough. This was a reference to the British comedy The Office, which took place at a paper company in Slough, which some of the writers are reputedly fans of. ("Homecoming")

The Outsiders (Movie)[]

Hurley's friend Johnny told him "Stay gold, Ponyboy". This is a reference to the book/movie The Outsiders. ("Everybody Hates Hugo")

Power Rangers (TV)[]

Walt is watching Power Rangers: SPD on the hotel room television. ("Exodus, Part 1")
Several Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive and Mystic Force items are visible in the toy store where Jin purchases the stuffed pandas. ("Ji Yeon")

The continuity issue with these is that, officially, the plane crashed in September 2004. Power Rangers: SPD first aired in February 2005, Power Rangers: Mystic Force first aired in February 2006 and Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive began in February 2007.

Pi (Movie)[]

Main article: Pi

Rambo (Movie)[]

Hurley tells Jack he shouldn't go to the helicopter because "those Rambo guys" are heading there. John James Rambo was a troubled war vet and a Green Beret in a series of movies that highlight his survival skills and special ops training. "Going Rambo" has become synonymous with a person who uses excessive gun violence. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
Rose tells Bernard "Remember you're a dentist, you're not Rambo" as he joins an armed mission with Jin and Sayid. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

Say Anything (Movie)[]

The movie "Say Anything" was referenced to by Hurley when he requested the radio from Sayid to woo Libby, describing how in the movie the protagonist uses a boombox to please his crush. ("Two for the Road").
"Us", "Up", "So", and "Security" are all spoken in dialogue ("Two for the Road"), denoting Peter Gabriel album titles after Hurley refers to Peter in reference to "Say Anything".

Shining, The (Movie)[]

Minkowski referenced The Shining when he commented about Michael bouncing a ball against the wall in the freighter. ("Meet Kevin Johnson") The film's main character, Jack, bounces balls against the wall in the hotel out of boredom.

Star Trek (TV)[]

Star Trek was mentioned by Boone to Locke in reference to the "redshirt" stock character (Terry O'Quinn, who plays Locke, had previously guest-starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation). ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues") The redshirt reference was later discussed in detail by Damon Lindelof [1] and developed into fan name for "background character" Flight 815 survivors.
A life-size poster of Captain Kirk is visible in Damon Lindelof's office in the Season 3 DVD extra "Lost in a Day", at the "4:39 pm Los Angeles" segment.
During a flashback in "Do No Harm", Jack Shephard confides in his father before his wedding that he is having difficulty writing his vows, to which Christian Shephard responds with "you're a doctor, not a writer." This is a reference to the famous catchphrase of Doctor Leonard H. McCoy.
In "Born to Run" Sawyer calls Jin Sulu. Sulu was an Asian character on the original series.
In "The Beginning of the End" Sawyer calls Desmond Scotty. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott is a character in the original series of Star Trek.
Charlotte jokes that she speaks Klingon (in addition to Korean). ("This Place Is Death")
In the American broadcast of "The Variable" the Lost intertitle was suddenly placed among stars, with a Starship Enterprise soaring through the "O" in Lost as part of a promotion for J.J. Abrams' new film Star Trek. startrek.gif
Damon Lindelof said in the Season 4 commentary that the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "All Good Things", was a big influence on the episode The Constant.
In "What Kate Does" Dogen has a baseball placed on his desk. In Deep Space Nine, Benjamin Sisko, the commander of the station, used to have a baseball prominently placed on his desk throughout the entire run of the show. In the pilot episode, he used the baseball as a metaphor to explain the nature of linear time to the inhabitants of the wormhole, who experienced time all at once.
In one of his flash-sideways, John Locke (at the time a bald, wheelchair-bound teacher) asks for Earl Grey tea. This was likely a nod to Sir Patrick Stewart, who played both Captain Jean-Luc Picard (who always requested Earl Grey tea and was bald) and Professor Charles Xavier (a bald, wheelchair-bound teacher. ("The Substitute")
Both Terry O'Quinn and Fionnula Flanagan guest-starred (in separate episodes) in the final season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
J.J. Abrams directed the 2009 film.

Star Wars (Movie)[]

Main article: Star Wars

Subterranean Homesick Blues (Music video)[]

Juliet's video, in which she holds up cue cards, is reminiscent of Bob Dylan's video for Subterranean Homesick Blues. (confirmed reference in 11/06/06 podcast) ("The Cost of Living")

To Kill a Mockingbird (Movie)[]

Before Juliet plays the fake movie for Jack, she claimed to put To Kill a Mockingbird into the VCR. ("The Cost of Living")

Terminator (Movie)[]

In a decisive rebellious confrontation with Jack, Locke told the remaining survivors "If you want to live, you need to come with me". It is likely that this is a reference to the movie Terminator in which rebel Kyle Reese says "Come with me, if you want to live". ("The Beginning of the End")

The Twilight Zone (TV)[]

J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the opening credits of Lost were intended as an homage to The Twilight Zone, and that he himself designed them on his own laptop. The choice that the credits be black and white is one of the components to that homage. Source: [2].
When Hurley and Sayid were talking about the WXR radio broadcast, the camera panned to a starry sky after Hurley said, "Or anytime. Just kidding, dude." This was a confirmed reference to The Twilight Zone by Damon Lindelof on the Season 1 DVD and J.J. Abrams in a New York Times interview. ("The Long Con")
In almost every opening sequence of the various seasons of The Twilight Zone, there is a close-up shot of one single open eye, similar to the opening shots of many episodes of Lost.

Voltron (Toy)[]

Main article: Voltron

A Voltron toy was given to young Liam on Christmas morning. ("Fire + Water")

The Wages of Fear (Movie)[]

The name Montand refers to a character in The Wages of Fear, as confirmed by Carlton Cuse in the 5/19/06 podcast. The plot of the extraordinarily tense movie involves transport of dangerous explosives in a desperate situation with few safety precautions. It also features the idea of separating into two groups that keep their distance from one another, planning for the "worst-case-scenario" of one of them not making it; that the other will reach the destination with adequate explosives to accomplish the mission (much like Jack's idea). ("Exodus, Part 1")

War Games (Movie)[]

In Enter 77 the computer asks John, "Would you like to play a game of chess?" In the 1983 film War Games, Matthew Broderick plays a teenage hacker (David) who accidentally begins a nuclear countdown with a super-computer named The WOPR, which initially asks him "Would you like to play a game?" When David chooses "Global Thermo-Nuclear War". The WOPR responds, "Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess?"

Watchmen (Comic)[]

Main article: Watchmen

The Wizard of Oz[]

Main article: The Wizard of Oz

The name Henry Gale is a reference to The Wizard of Oz. It was cited by Damon Lindelof at Comic Con '06 as being a confirmed reference. ("One of Them")
The title of the Season 4 finale, "There's No Place Like Home", is an iconic quote from The Wizard of Oz. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

The title of the Season 3 episode The Man Behind the Curtain is a reference to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. When Toto pulls the curtain away to reveal the man creating the Voice of the Wizard, the Voice says: "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

The X Files[]

When Bernard returns from the lavatory, Rose flips over the fictional magazine she has been reading, Weekly Woodsman, to reveal an advertisement for Morley Cigarettes featuring the phrase, "The truth is out there..." accompanied by a picture of a UFO. The Smoking Man character notably smoked Morleys, and the phrase, along with a similar picture, was often seen on a poster hanging in Fox Mulder's office. ("LA X, Part 1")

Other confirmed influences[]

The following works are not directly referenced in Lost, but are confirmed influences.

Both J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof have each confirmed in interviews, including one with T.V. Guide, that the 1960s television program The Prisoner was one of the influences for not only Lost, but Alias as well. Source: [3]. Lindelof even credited The Prisoner as "ultimately what the show aspires to be" during a 2006 question and answer session at Wizard World LA. Source: [4]