Flash-forward

Every disc of Lost Season Three had four episodes burned onto it. All but the sixth and last disc. That one had only three. I didn't realize that till last night when I cranked up my DVD player, expecting to watch the final episode of Season Three. Imagine my surprise to find out the episode in which Charlie dies IS the final episode.

No sweat though. I've been DVRing the new season so we forged ahead and watched the first episode of Season Four. Interestingly enough, the last couple of shows in Season Three depicted Jack in flash-forward vignettes. He's back from the island but clearly suffering. He's grown a big, bushy beard and pops pills to ease some underlying anxiety he feels. He's adopted all the symptoms of an addict and even tries to commit suicide, an attempt that fails when a passing motorist sees him and then crashes into his parked car.

The opening episode of Season Four continues these flash-forwards. But they're coming to us now out-of-sequence. For instance, Jack visits Hurley in the loony-bin. He chuckles that he's thinking of growing a beard. Before he leaves, Hurley apologizes for joining John on the island and adds that maybe they should never have left and that the island is calling them back.

I'm still not sure what any of this means yet. The show is developing some strong metaphysical story lines that will likely continue to spawn more questions then answers. That's not bad necessarily, just imaginative. My suspicion is that the cast is stuck in some form of purgatory, and the forces that assail them on either side could be those of heaven and hell. Which would make the island neither of those things, but some neutral territory for good and evil to fight it out.

Regardless, I'm excited to see more of this show, even if it's only a paltry eight episodes. I hope the writers got a good contract negotiated because they sure have been a pain-in-the-ass.