Many people laugh at the amount of time I spend watching and writing about Lost, but I prefer to think of it as a hobby. It is not an obsession; it is a television show that appeals to my detail-oriented nature and inner conspiracy theorist.

There are many levels of fanaticism, and I exist in the lower echelons of the extremely passionate fanbase. Trust me, I read other Lost blogs after I post mine each week. There are some VERY dedicated fans who either analyze the show for a living or don’t sleep at night. I do not frequent or comment on message boards, and my site is not solely focused on just Lost. I’ve never referred to myself as a Jater (Team Jack + Kate) or Skater (Team Sawyer + Kate).

Am I justifying my interest? No. Would I attend a Lost convention? Yes. But I wouldn’t wear a costume.

I love that DriveShaft only had one hit song, and yet the title of this episode was “Greatest Hits.”

It was fascinating to see Alex kill her father’s beloved white bunny for dinner…I kept hearing Elmer Fudd’s “Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit” in my head.

This is the first time we hear Alex question whether Ben is really her father. Has she always had that suspicion? Why now?

Why would Sayid, who is the communications officer, send Jack to lead their people to a radio tower? It would make more sense that Sayid went there to try to unjam the signal…

Yet another pre-crash connection: Charlie saves Sayid’s girl Nadia in the alley in London. Remember that Locke met her in a Season 1 flashback; he was inspecting a house she was buying.

Was Ben lying when he said that Jacob wanted him to go to the beach a day early? Did he go see him after shooting Locke, or was he summoned? I think it was because Ben figured out that the Losties have his tape recorder and found out about his plans.

The fake deaths of Flight 815 passengers were elaborate; who would go to that length to make the world believe that those folks are dead, and why?

Let me get this straight, in the three months since the crash, there has been enough time in the outside world to compile, release and market a Greatest Hits album?

Does anyone actually know what happens when the yellow flashing light gets pushed? Are we assuming that it activates a rescue helicopter?

If Naomi’s helicopter crashed, how is it that a rescue copter will reach the Losties? How does it break through the invisible bubble that is seemingly surrounding the island?

Back in Desmond’s first flashback earlier this season, he ran into Charlie playing guitar on the streets of London. In last night’s episode, Charlie was playing the exact same song (“Wonderwall” by Oasis). On both occasions, it suddenly started pouring rain, which is VERY Lost.

Nice little wink-wink, nudge-nudge at Dominic Monaghan’s former life as a hobbit…the ring.
Who was lying about the Looking Glass hatch being abandoned and flooded? Did Ben lie to Juliet or is she lying to the Losties?

Is Ben aware that the Looking Glass is occupied? Perhaps those women live down there because they know about Ben and his ovary-obsessed crew.

Just who are the women down in the Looking Glass? Leftover Dharma folks who avoided Ben’s teargas purge? Original Hostiles who refused to join Ben’s freaky team?

Or did the women in the Looking Glass have responsibilities like Kelvin and Desmond did? Were they there to simply keep the signal jammed, or another menial task?

I have a feeling that the blonde woman who first pointed her gun at Charlie in the Looking Glass was none other than…Annie, Ben’s childhood girlfriend.

In the first season, Charlie specifically said that he couldn’t swim. In one of Desmond’s flashes, he saw Charlie drown trying to save Claire. What’s with the discrepancies?

Did Desmond really have one of his flash forwards? Was his plan to take Charlie’s place all along? Has he known about the Looking Glass hatch?

Karl took a boat to notify the Losties that the Others are coming – was he on the other side of the island or were the Others camping on the smaller island near the Hydra Hatch? That might explain why they didn’t hear the explosion that Jack and Danielle set off…

Ben’s theory that he healed because of Locke obviously holds no merit. He left Locke for dead and is walking on his own.

Where is the other end of the cord? We now know that it leads to the Looking Glass hatch, but where does it start? Is it providing electricity or just anchoring the hatch to the island?

Where is Tom (Ben’s right hand Other)?

Will Desmond’s flashes continue after being knocked out? Will they continue if Charlie does die?

So Bernard the Dentist is an excellent marksman. Interesting.  

LINGERING QUESTION

What the hell did Ben tell Kate during their breakfast on the beach at the beginning of this season? Does it have something to do with her strange behavior toward Jack and Juliet lately? Is she secretly working with the Others? Was she blackmailed like Michael was, and if so, will she have to shoot one of her own to save her own life or someone else’s? Would she choose Sawyer over Jack?

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Next week’s episode is called “Through the Looking Glass,” obviously referring to the underwater hatch. The title of the episode is also the name of the sequel to Alice in Wonderland. The allegory continues!

The book Through the Looking Glass is about mirror themes; time running backward, opposites, etc. Which is also VERY Lost.

Charlie fell (swam) down the rabbit hole (underwater hatch).

The Dharma symbol on the Looking Glass hatch is a white rabbit.

Ben had a lifelong obsession with a white rabbit.

I’m sure we’ll see more literary references next week.

Below are brief descriptions about additional new shows (since my last post on Monday), as well as links to watch previews of all (The CW and FOX previews are not available online yet).

ABC http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/schedule
CBS http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2007/
NBC http://www.nbc.com/Fall_Preview/

The Big Bang Theory
CBS
Hot girl bonds with nerdy neighbors (geeks are VERY popular next season). With Kaley Cuoco (8 Simple Rules…) and Johnny Galecki (Roseanne). Written by Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men).

Carpoolers
ABC
Guys from the same neighborhood carpool to work together and discuss life. Desperate Housewives in a car? With Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan). Written by The Kids in the Hall alum Bruce McCulloch.

Cavemen
ABC
Cavemen living in contemporary Atlanta battle stereotypes…about cavemen. Seriously. Directed by Josh Gordon & Will Speck (Blades of Glory).

Gossip Girl
CW
Good looking private school kids in NYC. I’m sure it will be referred to as ‘The OC East.’ Written by The OC’s Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Narrated by Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell.

Moonlight (a.ka. Twilight)
CBS
Vampire works as a private investigator. Again I ask…seriously? The trailer did nothing for me, but the lead (Alex O’Loughlin) sounds exactly like Drama from Entourage (Kevin Dillon). With Amber Valletta (Hitch).

Reaper
CW
Slacker works as bounty hunter for the devil. With Rick Gonzalez (a.k.a. that guy with the hair you recognize from The Rookie and Coach Carter). On the plus side – the pilot was directed by the infamous Kevin Smith and the show’s executive producer is Grey’s Anatomy’s Mark Gordon. Co-written by Tara Butters (Law &Order: Special Victims Unit).

The Return of Jezebel James
FOX
I will watch anything with Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose (Claire from Six Feet Under). From the mind of Amy Sherman-Palladino, the executive producer of Gilmore Girls.

Wild at Heart
CW
Yet another British adaptation. Vet moves his family to South Africa. Apparently it’s a comedy. Starring Rutger Hauer! Also with Brett Cullen, a.k.a. Goodwin the Other from Lost. Written by Michael Rauch (Love Monkey).

Women’s Murder Club
ABC
Female detective, reporter, Assistant DA and medical examiner work as a team to solve crimes.  Based on James Patterson book. With Angie Harmon (Law & Order) and Laura Harris (Dead Like Me). Written by Angel scribes Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.

RENEWED

24 (FOX)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Notes from the Underbelly (ABC)
Numb3rs (CBS)
October Road (ABC)
One Tree Hill (CW)
Smallville (CW)
Supernatural (CW)

CANCELED

According to Jim (CBS)
The Class (CBS)
Close to Home (CBS)
George Lopez (ABC)
Jericho (CBS)
What About Brian (ABC)