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'Lost' Cheat Sheet: Season 4, Episode 2

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[BOLD {SHADES FROM THE PAST}] Is Charlie haunting Hurley because he's his ''ghost'' from the Island?

READER MAIL!
Answering your questions, vetting your theories, airing your complaints — because service journalism is just the way I roll!

[The season premiere] episode was great, but it's painful knowing that all of the Oceanic 6 are probably miserable. It's great drama, but it's painful. Kudos to the writers for pulling our heartstrings — but get these characters happy again soon! —Marc S.

My gut tells me there's more to the story of the Oceanic 6 than mere misery. After the show IDs each of them and peeks in on their off-Island life, I predict we'll see them resolve to do something. Together.

I was completely underwhelmed by the Lost premiere. The reason had little to do with the episode itself — it was a combination of the long nine-month [hiatus], the strike and ABC's ill-advised decisions to air only eight of the planned sixteen episodes. That vision is more depressing that a painkiller-addicted, bearded Jack screaming ''We've got to go back!'' Furthermore, the episode itself was not as full of new material as I had wanted given the long, long layoff. What was really new? —Beamish

I can relate a smidge to Beamish. The first time I watched ''The Beginning of the End,'' I was so distracted by my own giddiness of actually watching Lost again that I don't think I appreciated it for what it was: an overture for the entire season. The job of most premieres is to remind us where we've been, wrap up a loose end or two, and tease where we're going. Mission accomplished, I say. As for strike anxiety, the good news is that a resolution seems to be at hand. Keep checking EW.com for the latest developments.

Doc, I think the Oceanic 6 who have found their way off the island are now haunted by their ''ghosts'' of the island. For Hurley it's Charlie because he wasn't there for his friend to help him and possibly avoid his death. Then if you go back to the Season 3 finale, Jack makes a few references as if his father is still alive in the flash-forward. Perhaps Christian Shepard's ghost is as real to Jack as Charlie was for Hurley. Does this even make sense? I feel that this show is so smart that it causes me to loose brain cells! —Meghan K.

Believe me, Meghan, I know the feeling. I also dig your theory. But I'm also intrigued by this one, too:

Many people think that Hurley just hallucinated Charlie. What do you think about Charlie time traveling, just like Desmond has already done? Charlie traveled forward in time in order to get that message to Hurley. He's dead in that timeline, like he said, but ''here'' at the same time. —Steve Pietrowicz

Steve: Bookmark your time-travel theory. I have a hunch you'll be updating and refining your scenarios very, very soon.

Just a thought on Mathew Abaddon [the mystery man who visited Hurley in the mental hospital and asked ''Are they still alive?'']. When Abaddon leaves the room, we only get a fleeting glimpse of a dark shadow flowing out of the door as the camera cuts to it. An almost smoke-like shadow. Before you dismiss the idea that Smokey can hop a flight to L.A. and materialize as an airline lawyer just to menace Hugo, please consider... —Josh Thompson

Josh isn't alone: The theory that Abaddon is Smokey has taken the Lost fan community by storm. I look forward to seeing if the frame-by-frame crowd will attempt a similar analysis of Abaddon's equally intriguing appearance in the season's second episode. But I also think that Abaddon's shadow was just a shadow, not Smokey's tail. I have an Abaddon theory, which I plan in sharing next week. But if you'd like a preview, let me give you two words: Maxwell's Demon.

Well, folks, time for me to change my shoes, zip up my jacket, and bid you adieu as I leave the land of make-believe for work. Wasn't King Friday a total hoot today? But we all learned a lesson, I think. Thank you for being my neighbor in this crazytown neighborhood of Lost. Would you feed the fish once more before you go?

Until next week!

—Doc Jensen

Send your missives to: JeffJensenEW@aol.com.