'Lost': Just the ten of us

Well, it's either been an extremely long or extremely short amount of time between new episodes of Lost, depending on your perspective. Around here? It's felt fairly short, actually. For one thing, the wait between Episodes 8 and 9 of Season 4 has paled in comparison with that between the end of Season 3 and Season 4. And secondly, we've kept ourselves busy around here with week-long looks into some of the most dense mysteries the show's presented to date.

In case you missed those topics, here are the initial entries in each week-long look discussed in this unfortunate interim period.

1. The Island
2. The Others
3. Those Left Behind

That's all well and good, but it's all in the past as well. And I'm fine reliving the recent glory days and all, but folks, we have new Lost this week. New Lost! That's better than Christmas, Channukah, and Arbor Day combined. So by all means, reread any and all topics above that interest you. But let's also look ahead. Just to help you along, I'll list a Top Ten list of things that should have you excited to have Lost airing new episodes again. (Warning: super mild spoilers ahead, based on the aired promo for the episode only.)

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10) Huge changes are coming down the pike. Think "flash forward" big. Think "we never have to see Paolo go to the bathroom again" big.

9) The smoke monster makes its triumphant return this week. Will it take more flash "photographs" of new denizens of the Island, will it whup some Eko-like butt, or will it bust out into a karaoke version of "Make Your Own Kind of Music?"

8) Speaking of new denizens, looks like our G.I. Freighters make it to New Otherton this week. (So much for my "The Others killed Karl and maybe Danielle" theory.)  Bungalows go boom. The book club might need to find a new gathering spot.

7) The start of a new weekly poll here on the blog: "Who will be BTRWRTHD?" This is your chance to speculate on the person most likely to get killed/beaten to a pulp/generally owned in the upcoming week's episode. (See the comments here for further explanation of the word "BTRWRTHD.") My initial entry? Keamy. You just don't mess with Ben's daughter, man. So not a good idea.

6) Looks like we're going to get further insight into the derivation of the hieroglyphic symbols contained in the Swan station, if the door shown in the preview for this week's episode shows what I think it does. The door also suggests that the use of the name Charlotte Lewis may have been more direct than previously suggested. I for one can't wait to see that door in full, high-definition glory so I can send an image to my decorator for replication. That door needs to live in my media room, y'all.

5) Now that Michael's back on the show, there's roughly an 812% better chance that we'll hear somebody say "WAAAAAAAAAAAAALT" in each episode to come.

4) Given that the producers needed to fit eight episodes into six, there's a good chance we're already past the meandering episodes and are moving right into the episodes where, you know, stuff actually happens. And not just in the teaser and last five minutes. I'm talking full episodes of forward progression. I know! Way sexy.

3) We're going to learn just how the Oceanic 6 got off the Island by the end of the season. On the down side, we still won't know exactly who let the dogs out.

2) A lot of people are going to die in the next few weeks. At least one of these deaths will make you giddy. So, take heart in that, you cold-blooded monsters.

1) There's a new Lost episode airing this week. Really, people, that's pretty much all the information you need to be totally stoked for this Thursday.

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If I missed any reasons, drop them below!

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.