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.

Comments

"Who will be BTRWRTHD?" will be the best segment ever.

First comment is mine I'm gonna scream Walt out of pure hapiness. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!

sin laden | Apr 21, 2008 5:18:13 AM | #

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My theory on Ben's secret door is it'll allow Locke, Ben et al to escape through the "subterranian conduit" mentioned on the DHARMA cabling map (http://lostpedia.com/wiki/DHARMA_cabling_map).

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 6:35:28 AM | #

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Another possibility is it could be a panic room of some kind. I prefer the escape conduit idea, though.

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 6:43:04 AM | #

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I'm sensing a new Top Ten list: "Places To Which That Freaky Door Leads".

Ryan | Apr 21, 2008 7:02:05 AM | #

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Sounds like my kind of list! So, Ryan, you think you see hieroglyphics on that door, eh? The preview I saw was too compressed to make anything out.

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 7:11:26 AM | #

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I saw a commercial on ABC in high-def, it looked ancient and covered in hieroglyphics. But then again, so do some doors in the Museum of Natural History, so I don't want to state with 100% certainty it was made by those that constructed the statue. But, like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.

Ryan | Apr 21, 2008 7:24:06 AM | #

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am just sooooooooo very happy its back. it could be an hour of Desmond and Sayid bouncing a rubber ball off the walls of their cabin on the Freighter and i'd be happy.

'kay, i'll be honest, i'd be happier if they did that shirtless...

:-)

mri | Apr 21, 2008 7:26:49 AM | #

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Ooh! That's exciting. I wonder if it's another DHARMA shout-out to the Island's history, like the hieroglyphics in the Swan. Either that, or DHARMA built the baracks on the ruins of a temple.

mri, I'm stupidly giddy about this week! From all accounts just this episode alone will be ridiculously awesome :D

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 7:31:20 AM | #

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Door? I didn't see a door with anything interesting on it in the preview. Or is there more than one promo?

Anyone have a link, or better, a screenshot?

milo | Apr 21, 2008 7:40:48 AM | #

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(thump thump thump thump) <=== that is the sound of me doing the Snoopy Happy Dance around my house at the thought of an awesome new ep of Lost in four days.

I'm with Ryan, I think Keamy will ultimately be btrwrthd. I am also suspicious that Claire may also be in the stack o' pancakes heading for syrupdom. I am hoping Sawyer will survive, at least for a while, so we can watch him fight it out against the forces that remain after the O6 leave the Island. I am also rooting for Danielle to overcome the stickiness of btrwrth and rise from the gunshot wound to assist in the decimation of Keamy. (Plus, I wanna see her backstory!) Maybe she is one that the Island will keep alive like others because she has more work to do.

djc | Apr 21, 2008 7:48:42 AM | #

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Milo: I don't have a screenshot, in that I am terrified to patrol spoiler sites. But the link i provided above has the trailer with the door. Look around 0:16 for Ben pushing it.

Ryan | Apr 21, 2008 7:55:03 AM | #

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Oh, yeah, the trailer on the ABC site is much higher res than the one I saw. Innnnnteresting!

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 8:09:55 AM | #

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So is "btrwrthd" just "butterworthed"? As in smashed like a pancake by the monster? It wasn't clear from the linked thread.

milo | Apr 21, 2008 8:30:51 AM | #

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Ah, there's the door! It does look like hieroglyphics or something similar. Very intriguing.

milo | Apr 21, 2008 8:39:49 AM | #

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If my Husband thinks he's watching any Stanley Cup playoffs on Thurday night on our big screen HDTV, He's very sadly mistaken. He won't, he knows my obsession with LOST will win over sports any day of the week.
This should be very action-packed and chock full of information. I can't wait!!!!

Chris | Apr 21, 2008 8:59:25 AM | #

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Who will die, in no particular order (just my speculation; no spoilers):

Most or all of the freighter mercs. They won't like Smokey when he's angry.

Bernhard, but not Rose, or Rose, but not Bernhard. There are no happy couples on Lost. Forget about it.

Several bit characters that we really never saw or cared about.

Who will live:

Jin, just to give a big, fat middle finger to that "no happy couples" theory. I think it might take them until season 6 to be reunited, though.

Claire. She has to raise her baby to prevent him from becoming the next Hitler or something. So, I think she'll live to raise the child. If not, then we can all get out our jackboots and start learning to goosestep and cook in really big ovens. (In an alternate theory, I suspect Claire dies and Aaron lives to actually be the one to carry out the Valenzetti Equation.)

The Oceanic 6. However, if there's a big "return to the island" reunion scheduled for a later season, I expect one or two of them will get btrwrthd, too. My money's on Hurley going out in an act of Dharma Van Glory and Sayid getting blasted in a hail of fiery gunshots after he destroys a small army of Widmore goons, a la Chuck Norris in Missing in Action.

We now return you to your regulkarly scheduled WAAAAAALLT-ing.

AdSlinger | Apr 21, 2008 9:56:58 AM | #

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I kid you not, last night and a bit of this morning I had a long, freaky sequence of dreams that involved a gigantic war that involved elements of Lost, BSG, the Simpsons and even a touch of Dr. Seuss.

And when I say war, I mean it. I'm talking B-52 bombers, rocket launchers, rifles, tanks, jeeps, starships shaped like eagles that come to life and devour warp engines, Ben Linus transmogrifying into a panther, Kara Thrace coming to his defense....it was totally, unbelievably bizzare.

Never drink on a Sunday night before bed. Lesson learned.

Other Sean | Apr 21, 2008 10:02:27 AM | #

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Therapy much, OS?

AdSlinger | Apr 21, 2008 10:17:17 AM | #

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hehehe

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 11:13:43 AM | #

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"If my Husband thinks he's watching any Stanley Cup playoffs on Thurday night on our big screen HDTV, He's very sadly mistaken."

This is precisely why the dual-tuner HD-DVR was invented :-)

DVRdude | Apr 21, 2008 11:30:53 AM | #

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Well, until they invent new ways for me to make more money, I'm stuck with our cable company's rented DVR. We can record the game for him since he'll be watching LOST with me anyway. Only problem with that is, I have to take the time to explain a lot of what is going on to him because he doesn't read or chat or blog or anything like that, he only watches once a week with me and then forgets about it like any other TV show until the following week. He know how obsessed I am so, he constantly asks me questions during the show and I have to shush him until the commercials which drives him nuts. Hee Hee

Chris | Apr 21, 2008 12:07:44 PM | #

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Chris, I feel your pain. My wife follows the story just fine, but if she asks me what I think about something, she's never prepared for my ultra serious ultra in-depth analysis.

Jeff | Apr 21, 2008 12:12:44 PM | #

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Jeff, Maybe we should give them LOST homework every week. Like reading Ryan's blogs...LOLOLOL!!!!!

Chris | Apr 21, 2008 12:47:07 PM | #

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maybe we should form some sort of spousal support group:

"Hi, my name is ____ and my husband/wife/partner is addicted to Lost."

they could meet on thurs. nights around 10 and therefore be out of our hair while we try and watch without having to answer questions every third minute.

mri | Apr 21, 2008 1:16:01 PM | #

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I hit this blog because my husband gives me a blank stare when I turn to him after each episode, excited to discuss and analyze major revelations, "ah ha" moments, etc. Sigh. He doesn't get it. And he so totally wouldn't understand getting btrwrthd, brutha!

I totally love the idea of discussing where does that tantalizing door lead...?

Things I'm looking forward to in the remaining episodes/future seasons -- seeing the Temple/Richard and what they've been up to; hopefully watching Miles interact with the Island, Jacob, Smokey; finding out who is in that Waaaaaalting coffin; do any of the Freighters (on and off Island) survive; does anyone ever figures out just how interconnected they all are...?

djc | Apr 21, 2008 1:23:15 PM | #

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LOL sounds like we already have our own support group right here. We all seem to have the same issue with our spouses/sig. others. Do we need 12 steps?

1. Admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that LOST has become an obsession.

2. Admitted to our spouse, to ourselves and to Ryan MCGee the exact nature of Waaaalting and btrwrthd.

Feel free to add steps 3-12.

Chris | Apr 21, 2008 1:49:49 PM | #

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3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the producers and not endlessly dissect non-canon material.

4.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of the Lost characters through flashbacks, flash forwards, and little teeny movements that can only be seen via individual screen shots.

Moonbeam | Apr 21, 2008 4:42:20 PM | #

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Excellent, Moonbeam!!!! LOLOL

Chris | Apr 21, 2008 6:15:49 PM | #

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Ah, compatibility. My spouse may not read and comment on this blog but otherwise he is pretty obssessed with "Lost" as well and willing to theorize/speculate over it.

Happiness. New eqpisodes. More happiness.

And just for completeness' sake--Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalt!

meggins | Apr 22, 2008 7:15:28 PM | #

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Anyone else miss The Best Bets portion on zap2it.com for each night of television? Anyone know what happened to it? I love that LOST is almost always a BEST BET! It was a section I read everyday!!

Jason | Apr 22, 2008 10:44:44 PM | #

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Man, this LOST blog really, really, really needs a new author. Clunky writing, lame attempts at humor and precious in-jokes (BTRWTR...whatever) do not belong in a public re-cap of a show as intelligent as LOST. Ryan McGee, I'm sure you're a cool cat but this reader is moving on.

Ron H. | Apr 22, 2008 11:37:14 PM | #

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I want a succinct, funny joke in the season finale (they've got 3 hours to fit it in) about Nikki & Paolo's lack of "survivability". Not to be mean, but just... just... Okay, maybe a little mean. And if any writers on TV can come up with a good one, it's Cuse and Lindelof.

Eric | Apr 23, 2008 2:11:30 AM | #

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