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Hurley

Jorge Garcia

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''Lost'': What you need to know about Hurley | 122853__hurley_l

Jorge Garcia: Art Streiber

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Jorge Garcia

By Adam B. Vary

BACKSTORY After surviving a deck collapse that killed two people, Hurley — blaming the accident on his considerable girth — landed in a mental hospital. Known to most as Hurley, though his real first name is Hugo, he met Leonard (Ron Bottitta), a fellow patient who constantly repeated a sequence of numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42); once out of the hospital, Hurley played them in the lotto on a whim — and won. While his worth soared to $156 million, calamity immediately seemed to befall everyone around Hurley — e.g., his grandfather died; his mom's new house caught fire — convincing him that the numbers were cursed. He traced their origin to the Australian home of Sam Toomey, a friend of Leonard's so tormented by the numbers that he took his own life.

ISLAND LIFE SO FAR Hurley's quick wit and frank nature belie the fact that he's revealed only to Jack that he was in a mental institution; what's more, those he's told of his fortune either didn't believe him (Charlie) or didn't care (Jack). Hurley's built a two-hole golf course, taken a census of the survivors, benevolently distributed the bounty of food in the hatch, and generally been privy to almost every major development on the island. He finally found a confidante (and love interest) in equally mysterious crash survivor Libby, only to watch her die after Michael shot her and Ana Lucia in order to free captured Other Henry Gale. Michael then lured Hurley, Kate, Sawyer, and Jack into a trap set by the Others, who turned Hurley loose and commanded him to tell the remaining survivors never to come to the Others' side of the island again.

BURNING QUESTION FOR SEASON 3 ''What are the personal consequences for Hurley returning to base camp without Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Michael?'' asks Cuse.

WE PREDICT Producers hint at big things for Hurley this fall, so we're thinking he's due for a major tussle with the strange bird that seemed to screech his name in the season 2 finale.