Out of the blackness, the first thing Jack (Matthew Fox, Party of Five) senses is pain. Then burning sun. A Bamboo forest. Smoke. Screams. With a rush comes the horrible awareness that the plane he was on tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island. From there it's a blur, as his doctor's instinct kicks in: people need his help.

Stripped of everything, the 48 survivors scavenge what they can from the plane for their survival. Some panic. Some pin their hopes on rescue. A few find inner strength they never knew they had — like Kate (Evangeline Lilly), who, with no medical training, suddenly finds herself suturing the doctor's wounds. Hurley (Jorge Garcia) — a man with a warm sense of humor despite the desperate situation — does his best to keep his cool as he helps those around him to survive. Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) is a faded rock star who harbors a painful secret. Sayid (Naveen Andrews) is a Middle Eastern man who must wrestle with the racial profiling directed at him by some of his fellow survivors. Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun (Yunjin Kim) are a Korean couple whose traditions, values and language are foreign and thus causes much to get lost in the translation. Sawyer (Josh Holloway) has an air of danger surrounding him, and his intense sense of mistrust for everyone around him could prove to be fatal to his fellow castaways. Michael (Harold Perrineau) has just gained custody of his nine-year-old son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), after the death of his ex-wife — they are a father and son who don't even know each other. Locke (Terry O'Quinn) is a mysterious man who keeps to himself, and who harbors a deeper connection to the island than any of the others. And self-centered Shannon (Maggie Grace) — who actually gives herself a pedicure amid the chaos — and her estranged controlling brother, Boone (Ian Somerhalder) — constantly bicker and must learn to get along if they are to survive.

The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But the island holds many secrets, including the intense howls of the mysterious creatures stalking the jungle, which fill them all with fear. Fortunately, thanks to the calm leadership of quick-thinking Jack and level-headed Kate, they have hope. But even heroes have secrets, as the survivors will come to learn.