'Lost': Grading the Season So Far

Week two of Lost's unintended and unwanted spring break. How are you dealing with the withdrawal? Have you got the shakes? Are you so desperate for a hit of cult-pop geekery that you're bingeing on old episodes of Twin Peaks? (You could do worse — but if you're looking for something more current, try Battlestar Galactica, whose new season begins April 4. Totally fraktacular.)

As for me, I feel like Lost has never left — mostly because I just got back from there. As some of you know from reading Adam B. Vary's nifty recap of ''Meet Kevin Johnson,'' I was recently in Hawaii visiting the set of Lost, and in the coming weeks I'll be sharing what I saw. For now, I'll tease you with a word:

Dharka.

That's right. Not a typo.

Dharka.

A Doc Jensen no prize if you can figure it out in advance of Lost's next episode, ''The Shape of Things To Come,'' airing April 24. In the meantime, I promise you weekly Doc Jensen columns from now until the end of the season, beginning with:

THE LOST MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
Grading the first eight episodes of Lost's fourth season.

4.01 ''The Beginning of the End''
Flash-forward Hurley! Ghost Charlie! Oceanic 6! Christian rocking in Jacob's hizzy!
Grade: A

4.02 ''Confirmed Dead''
The best introduction of new characters ever. Miles Straume's ghostbusting scene, the revelation of a Hydra polar bear in Tunisia, and the discovery of Oceanic 815 wreckage at the bottom of the ocean rank among Lost's greatest WTF?! Moments.
Grade: A

4.03 ''The Economist''
Sayid is born again — Jason Bourne'd, that is — as an off-Island assassin for Ben in the flash-forward future. Not since Martha Stewart got out of jail has there been more watercooler discussion about a bracelet.
Grade: A-

4.04 ''Eggtown''
The flash-forward Kate stuff was nifty and the Aaron reveal was buzzworthy. The Island stuff laid an egg for me, but the Miles/Ben/Locke triangle, culminating with the grenade-in-the-mouth bit, was explosive.
Grade: B

4.05 ''The Constant''
Lost lets its geek flag fly — and opens its heart — with Desmond's narratively trippy, deeply romantic time-travel episode. Best Lost episode ever? Debate.
Grade: A+

4.06 ''The Other Woman''
Juliet's third flashback episode. The only true dud of the season, although coming after ''The Constant'' did it no favors.
Grade: C-

4.07 ''Ji Yeon''
The Jin/Sun flashback/flash-forward was loved by some, resented by others for its twisty-or-gimmicky trickery. It worked for me.
Grade: B+

4.08 ''Meet Kevin Johnson''
I'm giving this one a solid, sturdy B. Since I didn't recap (again, big thanks to Doc Vary for his excellent scholarship; he served you well, folks), I owe you a more detailed explanation....

NEXT PAGE: Doc Jensen offers his take on the ''Meet Kevin Johnson'' episode