TomClark posted... It was probably a better experience than it was a show.
All the hype, the discussion, the theories, and the WTF moments week-on-week was a genuinely unparalleled community experience at the time it was airing live.
The show was definitely flawed, with some pacing issues, multiple pointless plot threads and characters, and some ropey decisions. Those flaws stand out now, and will no doubt be pretty glaring to anyone binging the show outside of the overall experience of everyone waiting for the next episode together, but at the time they were more than forgivable.
Saying "you had to be there" never fails to make you sound like an absolute bellend, but... fuck... you had to be there.
As memed as it has become in the years since, I still don't think any TV moment has absolutely blindsided me more than "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!"
Best character was definitely Sawyer, worst was Paolo (he just beats Nikki by virtue of the latter having scenes with Billy Dee Williams)
This about sums it up. Like I have zero desire to ever rewatch the show and I'm not likely to recommend it to someone to watch now, but as it was happening it was something else. And I loved that.