The 10 Most Emotional Moments on LOST

10. Dear Mister Sawyer (The Brig)

From the moment we were introduced to Sawyer, we knew he was hiding an obscure past that shaped his future. Always quick to offend others and make himself out to be a heartless man who can fend for himself, he makes quite a few enemies on the island within a matter of days.

But we soon come to realize that Sawyer’s tough exterior is just a sham. It’s his way of dealing with the grief and loneliness that threatens to weigh him down should he allow his hard-shelled façade to crumble. His life’s purpose thus far has consisted of a search for vengeance, fueled by hatred for the man who was responsible for his parents’ murder-suicide: a con artist he only knows as Tom Sawyer aka Anthony Cooper.

Following his parents’ funeral, he penned a letter to Tom Sawyer. He has been carrying this letter around for years, symbolizing his inability to move on into responsible, healthy adulthood. Instead, he remains trapped in the enraged mourning period he experienced as a child.

When Locke finally presents him with the opportunity to find closure over his parents’ death, Sawyer realizes that revenge isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Though he strangles and kills Cooper, he does not find peace.

This is a painful scene that saddens and angers the viewer equally: Sawyer’s heartache and vulnerability is difficult to watch whereas Cooper’s malicious, disinterested attitude further spurs on our fury, leaving us rooting for his death.