Lost is full of wonderful little details that are easy to miss upon first viewing, but it was these little details that proved incredibly popular among the die-hard fanbase, and every little Easter egg or reference was cause for both celebration and discussion. Of course, some hidden details meant more than others. Some were actually relevant to the story, its characters, and/or its themes, but others were just cute little things the creators decided to sneak in for a laugh—and you can guarantee that these details were pored over with a fine toothcomb.
These are ten hidden details you may not have noticed from Lost.
The TVs
One of the most popular recurring Easter eggs in the show involves the characters appearing on TV in each other's individual flashbacks. For example, in the season two episode "What Kate Did," Sayid can be seen on the television in the Army recruitment center. Another example can be seen when Jin goes to beat up the man for Sun's father. In the background, you can briefly see Hurley on the television discussing his lottery winnings. Why that would be on TV in Korea is anyone's guess, but, hey, it's a cute little Easter egg, nonetheless.
Dharma Shark
This is one of those details that elicited lots of undeserved attention. Such is what we got with Lost. In the season two episode "Adrift," a shark swarms in the water near Michael and Sawyer. Very observant viewers noticed that the shark had a Dharma Initiative logo emblazoned on the tail. Speculation ran rampant as to what this could mean, with some people even calling robot-controlled sharks. However, it was nothing but a simple Easter egg for the fans. It's likely that Dharma was experimenting on the local sharks and just put their label on its tail for some reason... yeah.
Hoffs/Drawlar
In the season three finale, a depressed, bearded, and drug-addicted Jack visits a funeral parlor with the odd name of Hoffs/Drawlar. It's certainly a weird—and weirdly specific—name, and some people got to work deciphering just what it could mean. Well, it actually proved quite relevant. "Hoffs/Drawler" is an anagram for "flash-forward," and, as we all know, Through the Looking Glass is famous for its flash-forward twist. The clues were there. We just weren't looking, or thinking, hard enough.
Canton-Rainier Van
The makers of Lost really love them a good anagram. Or a bad anagram, depending on how you look at it. Ben gets a "Canton-Rainier" van to transport Locke's coffin, and, just like Hoffs/Drawler, it's a very odd and bizarre name for a company. Canton-Rainier doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it?
Well, it's not really supposed to. Canton-Rainier is an anagram for "reincarnation," which hints at Locke's supposed reincarnation back on the island. Of course, Locke wasn't reincarnated, but that's beside the point...
Ethan Rom
Okay, one more anagram, we swear. Ethan plays a large role in season one, as we discover that he had been sent by the Others to kidnap Claire. The reveal is meant to be a big twist, and it certainly was... if you weren't good at anagrams (but, let's be serious, no one is actively looking out for anagrams). Ethan Rom is an anagram of "Other Man," a clear indication of his true allegiance. We wonder if he created the anagram himself, seeing as how his real name is Ethan Goodspeed?
Polar Bears
Polar bears are a major recurring element throughout Lost. Of course, they show up in obvious places, including the polar bear attack in the jungle and in the comic book that Walt is reading, but there are also many other instances that remain hidden.
For example, Chang read a book to baby Miles that had a polar bear on its cover. Two polar bears can briefly be seen fighting in the Swan Orientation Film, and a reference to the bears can be found on the blast door map, as it contains the Latin words "Ursus maritimus," or "polar bear."
Mr. Cluck's
Mr. Cluck's is Lost's obvious stand-in for KFC and Popeye's, and it's where Hurley worked before winning the lottery. Later in the show, he becomes owner of the franchise, and, in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead," it is famously hit by a meteor. But, did you know that it can briefly be seen in the episode Flashes Before Your Eyes?
If you look closely at the televised football match that Desmond is watching, you can see a Mr. Cluck's advertisement on the football field. Now that's next-level detail right there.
Future Paint
Another cute little detail hidden in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" is "Future" paint. In the episode, Desmond falls off a ladder while painting the apartment and spills a bunch of red paint all over the floor. If you look very, very closely, you can see that the paint brand is "Future." While Desmond is technically in the past here, this likely alludes to his time-hopping abilities and his penchant for seeing the future in later episodes.
Membata
After the Oceanic Six return home, they claim to have survived for 108 days on the Indonesian island "Membata." Of course, this is just a cover story to keep the island itself secret, and, if you happen to know Indonesian, you may have picked up on the cute little detail. The Indonesian word "Membata-bata" means "ambivalence" or "doubt," so it's a fitting name for a fictional island meant to keep something secret!
Exposé
Exposé is the fictional television show starring everyone's favorite character, Nikki, and it appears numerous times throughout Lost's run. In the episode Ji Yeon, Sun is watching an episode of Exposé dubbed in Korean. A billboard advertising the show also appears on the soccer pitch in the episode Flashes Before Your Eyes. And, finally, Locke half-mindedly watches the program while eating a TV dinner in the season three episode The Man from Tallahassee. This show really gets around!