Now that the third season's over, I'm quietly hoping and praying that we'll get word of the next soundtrack CD in the not too distant future. Right back when the first block of episodes was airing in October/November last year, I was thinking about which of Giacchino's cues I'd like to see on the Season 3 CD. So, here's what I think of as some of the best score from the last 23 episodes - get ready for a fair bit of reading!

A Tale of Two Cities
On the previous sountrack CDs, the very first piece of score from the season opener has appeared in both cases, and I don't imagine that this trend will change. The pounding drums that accompanied the reveal that the Others' little community was actually ON the island was a very dramatic little piece. I seem to remember the music that accompanied Jack's breakdown at the end of the episode was very nice, as well, though I haven't watched this one in a while.

The Cost of Living
Some of my favourite music from the season. The build up to Eko's final confrontation with his brother (when he stumbles from outside the Pearl up to that field of red flowers) has some very, very creepy underscore. Shortly after this, we get the stunningly beautiful reprise of Eko's theme that plays from when John arrives at his side to the end of the episode. It would be a crime if this didn't appear on the soundtrack - Eko's theme, for me, is probably the pinnacle of Giacchino's work on this series. The Cost of Living is one of my favourite episodes of the entire series, and I think that the last few minutes of the episode, from Eko's confession up to his death, perfectly encapsulate the ideas about free-will and redemption that lie at the heart of the show.

I Do
The most impressive music in this episode is the very long cue that plays over most of the episode's final act. It's an extremely varied piece: initially, it starts out as a very rhythmic, dramatic cue as Jack and Juliet begin the surgery and Pickett makes his way to the cages. When Sawyer finally submits and kneels down to confront his death with Kate looking on, though, the tone changes completely and the piece shifts into a powerful reworking of the 'Life And Death' theme from Season 1, complete with pounding timpani at the end. This has gotta make it onto the soundtrack!

Stranger in a Strange Land
I actually liked this episode a lot. Seems I'm in the minority, though. ;) Regardless of the episode's overall quality, the final silent scenes were rendered all the more powerful by the big, sweeping rendition of Juliet's theme, which I don't think we'd encountered before this point. This seems like another safe bet for the soundtrack.

Tricia Tanaka is Dead
Another episode that doesn't seem to get the love I think it deserves. The opening five minutes were incredibly moving, with Hugo's abandonment as a boy and his conversation with Libby at her grave, and the resurgence of Hurley's two themes worked incredibly well here. Even though these variations aren't too different to what we heard on the Season 2 soundtrack, I really hope they show up again on the next CD too. The montage that ended the episode was very interesting - Giacchino takes the string backing to 'The Road to Shambhala' and produces his own orchestral variation on it. Another very nice cue, although there might be some copyright issues with getting this on the soundtrack...

Par Avion
Once again, the episode's end has a lovely piece of string music that accompanied the scenes of Claire and Charlie releasing the tagged bird; this then segues very smoothly into somethign much more menacing, as Kate's party get their first glimpse of Jack in Otherville, and the Others' theme from the end of Season 2 makes a reappearance. The scene where Kate and company are chopping down a tree to get over the sonic fence also had a good bit of scoring, if I rememember rightly.

The Man Behind the Curtain
Our first introduction to Ben's theme - Giacchino's best new cue from this season, in my opinion. It recurs a number of times throughout the episode, but I think the most powerful example of it comes when Ben returns to the barracks after his act of patricide to find the Dharma Initiative purged. The cue goes from a thick swathe of strings to a solitary piano, and perfectly captures the tragic quality of Ben's existence.

Greatest Hits
Charlie's final flashback (meeting Claire the night of the crash) has a simple and beautiful rendition of Claire's theme, which segues very nicely into another touching sequence as Charlie weighs his options in the boat then eventually dives off to meet his fate.

Through the Looking Glass
The highlight of these two hours was definitely Charlie's elegy, a cue that merged 'Life And Death' with Charlie's theme from the first season. It was tragic and utterly beautiful. A lot of the score for the finale consisted of variations on 'Hollywood And Vines' from the Pilot (one of Giacchino's most underused themes from the show), and I'm sure some of this will make it onto the soundtrack. The music that accompanied the final revelatory flashback was also very nice.

Now, give me your ideas. What awesome cues have I forgotten about? :confused:

i think the music on Lost is the most neglected! And it definately shouldn't be.

I really liked the cue in D.O.C. when the crew discover Naomi has a punctured lung. That scene and the chase with Mikhail is done really well with the music. I also think it showed up when Mikhail showed up in the Looking Glass. It must be "Mikhail's Theme"

All the ones you mentioned I've had in mind. I would also like a full version of Desmond's theme which wasn't really included in the S2 soundtrack. Some more variations of Lockes theme would be good too, like the one when he first gets into his wheel chair. And yes I hope the music in the flashforward with Jack talking to Kate. I keep rewatching that scene.

Yes, after hearing the theme again when Charlie was talking to Penny I've grown to like the Desmond theme song as well. One beef I have with this show is that there are no-where near as many instantle memorable theme songs like there were in season one.

When Juliet and Jack are on the other's boat heading back to the main island...that was a great bit of scoring.

Funnily enough, as brilliant as I think the scoring is, I always get bored of it quickly when listening to more than 10 minutes of it in isolation away from the picture - and this isn't confined to just Lost. Its the same when I listen to a cue or two of John Williams or whoever. Its inseperable from the picture for me unless its a medley type of overture at the end. Its not like listening to a symphony or something where you can hear themes develop emotionally and intellectually within a tight structure.