'Lost' A to Z
Whether you've been counting the minutes until 'Lost' returns or can't remember what happened in the season 3 finale, we'll get you back up to speed, fill you in on the island life and give you 26 reasons (from A to Z!) why you won't want to miss this season.
'Lost' A to Z
Anthony Cooper
The 'Lost'-ies were connected in all sorts of ways before the plane crash. Cooper is Locke's father, who swindled him out of a kidney and tried to kill him; he's also the man who conned Sawyer's mother, precipitating her murder by Sawyer's dad, who then committed suicide. Cooper is brought to the island by the Others; Sawyer kills him in his life-long quest for vengeance.
'Lost' A to Z
Big deaths
Beginning with the surprising (well, if you hadn't read the Internet spoilers) season 1 death of Boone, the show has been willing to kill off major characters in the name of good storytelling. R.I.P. Shannon, Ana Lucia, Libby, Mr. Eko, Ethan, Nikki, Paulo, Tom, Charlie et al. If you believe the buzz, season 4 will see at least two major deaths.
'Lost' A to Z
Coffin
As in, who was in the coffin at the funeral Jack attends in the season 3 finale flash-forward? One of the most prevalent fan theories: It's Michael. The evidence: Jack's holding a newspaper that suggests the dead guy is from New York (Michael's home); Kate's refusal to visit the coffin could be because of Michael's betrayal when he sailed away with Walt.
'Lost' A to Z
Dharma Initiative -- Hanso Foundation
Funded by the Hanso Foundation, the Dharma Initiative was a research project for which scientists lived on the island while testing theories on topics like meteorology, psychology and utopian societies. Unfortunately, their efforts were preempted by the Others, who killed the Dharma campers and took over their research stations.
'Lost' A to Z
Ethan Rom
Rom (whose name is an anagram of "Other Man") was one of the first big hints that the survivors' presence on the island was tied to the Others. Rom was an Other who posed as a crash survivor to get info on Jack and the gang. After kidnapping Charlie and Claire in season 1, Ethan (played by Tom Cruise's cousin William Mapother) was killed by Charlie.
'Lost' A to Z
Flash-forwards
Those trips back to the future in the season 3 finale confirmed that some of the 'Lost'-ies are rescued. There'll be lots more flash-forwards in season 4, including scoop on who makes it off the island, who Kate's coupled with in the future and the big lie that ties all the escapees together. Hint: It's about those they left behind.
'Lost' A to Z
Golf Course
After finding some golf clubs among the plane wreckage, Hurley builds a course to boost morale and establishes that he, and often Sawyer, are good for comic relief from the show's intense action. One of Sawyer's favorite pastimes is reading whatever books he can find in the luggage, including Judy Blume's 'Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.'
'Lost' A to Z
The Hatch
One of the Dharma Initiative's research stations, the hatch was discovered by the 'Lost'-ies at the end of season 1, and explored in the season 2 premiere. Once inside, they met Desmond, a shipwreck survivor whose failure to push the hatch's computer button caused an electromagnetic disturbance that resulted in the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
'Lost' A to Z
The Island
Where is it? Somewhere in the South Pacific (or so we think). What is it? We're still finding out, and star Matthew Fox has hinted that the island is a major season 4 topic. We do know it's filled with some scary, mysterious creatures (the polar bear and the smoke monster) and that the island seems to have healing powers, e.g. curing Locke's paralysis and Rose's cancer.
'Lost' A to Z
Jack
Dr. Jack Shephard, who was in Sydney to retrieve his dead father's body, has become the unofficial leader of the 'Lost'-ies, even though his character was originally set to die in the pilot. Jack, a rival with Sawyer for Kate's affections, often butts heads with Locke, who wants to remain on the island, while Jack desperately wants to return to civilization.
'Lost' A to Z
Kate
Murderer Kate -- she burned down her house with her abusive stepdad inside -- was on her way to jail when flight 815 crashed. On the island, her soap opera life continues, as she's torn between an affair with Sawyer and feelings for Jack. In season 4 we'll find out that Kate is one of the only 'Lost'-ies whose return to civilization is a happy one.
'Lost' A to Z
Locke
The wheelchair-bound Locke emerged from the 815 crash with the ability to walk again, which convinced him early on of the magical powers of the island. The "man of faith" to Jack's "man of science," Locke is convinced that the flight 815 survivors are meant to be on the island, which will pit Jack and him against each other again in season 4.
'Lost' A to Z
Minkowski
He's the voice Jack spoke with on the satellite phone in the season 3 finale, the one who sparked hopes of a rescue. Minkowski will be played by Fisher Stevens, and the character is believed to be a shout-out to Hermann Minkowski, the mathematician whose concept of a four-dimensional space-time figured into Einstein's theory of relativity.
'Lost' A to Z
The numbers
They are: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, and they pop up throughout the series -- as Hurley's winning lottery numbers, on medicine bottles, on the hatch, etc. It's revealed in the game 'Lost Experience' that the numbers represent the equation that predicts when the human race will destroy itself, which many fans take as a hint to the series' eventual end.
'Lost' A to Z
The Others
Aka "the Hostiles," as they were known by the Dharma Initiative. They've proven very hostile to the 'Lost'-ies, with kidnappings, science experiments and even murder. Henry Gale/Ben Linus and the mysterious Jacob are their leaders, and though they once had contact with the outside world, that may no longer be the case since Locke blew up their submarine.
'Lost' A to Z
Pregnancy
Pregnancy on the island leads to doom, according to Juliet. She says any woman who becomes pregnant while on the island will die before the child is born (Claire was pregnant with Aaron before the crash). But rumor has it Sun, who became pregnant by husband Jin on the island, has a baby girl and is one of the six to make it off the island, so . . .
'Lost' A to Z
The quarry
Kate and Sawyer are taken to the quarry after being kidnapped by the Others. Danny Pickett puts them to work, Kate smashing rocks and Sawyer carting them away, which, according to Kate, is part of the Others' plan to build something big. The quarry is also the site of Kate and Sawyer's sex-in-a-cage romp, which Jack was forced to witness.
'Lost' A to Z
Rescue
The season 3 finale confirmed that some of the island dwellers make it home, and rumor has it there will be six of them. We know Kate, Jack and Hurley are among the escapees, though whether or not that season 3 finale freighter crew is really interested in rescuing -- or harming -- Jack and company will make up much of season 4's early action.
'Lost' A to Z
Sydney
Where Oceanic Flight 815 originated, leaving from gate 23 and crashing on the island at 4:16 p.m. (again, the numbers). The city is prevalent in the 'Lost'-ies' flashbacks, as fugitive Kate was busted in Sydney, Michael was there to pick up Walt, Boone was there to rescue Shannon and Hurley was in Australia to find out the significance of the numbers.
'Lost' A to Z
Time travel
Matthew Fox confirms it will be a main theme of season 4, especially as it connects to the island. That means it's most likely tied to Desmond's storyline, since he suddenly discovered he had the ability to time travel and see the future after being exposed to the island's electromagnetic field.
'Lost' A to Z
Unknown
Are they the Other Others? Could be, as we're introduced to the crew (Jeremy Davies, Rebecca Mader, Ken Leung and Jeff Fahey) from Naomi's freighter. They claim to be rescuers, something Charlie warned was not true before he died. The Feb. 7 episode reportedly reveals their agenda, but not until they cause a major rift on the beach.
'Lost' A to Z
The vehicles
Locke may be on to something with that destiny business, because despite all the vehicles on the island -- the rafts, the Others' boat, the crashed Black Rock, Desmond's boat, the Dharma VW van, Alex's boat, the Others' submarine, Ben's hot air balloon -- no one seems to be able to put together escape transportation, save Michael and Walt.
'Lost' A to Z
Where's Walt
Michael's son, who had some some sort of mystical ability before the crash, escaped with Michael at the end of season 2 (after Michael betrayed his friends to save Walt). He popped up in the season 3 finale when he saved a suicidal Locke from pulling the trigger, but buzz is that teen Walt may return in season 4, alongside papa Michael.
'Lost' A to Z
Xtras
'Lost' -- it's not just for TV. There are also extras-packed DVD box sets, the 'Lost Experience' alternate-reality game, action figures, a soundtrack CD, an official show magazine and UbiSoft's upcoming 'Lost: Via Domus' videogame, which hits stores for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and the PC on Feb. 26 and allows gamers to play as Elliott, an unseen 815 survivor.
'Lost' A to Z
Yemi
A priest and Mr. Eko's brother, Yemi is another example of how the island possesses magical abilities for those who believe in them. Eko's gangster activities led to his brother's death, and once on the island, Eko could see and speak to Yemi. Eko finally found his brother's body, in the abandoned airplane Boone had discovered in season 1.
'Lost' A to Z
Zack
Is Zack the future face of the Others? He's the little boy with the teddy bear who survived the Oceanic 815 crash, only to be kidnapped by the Others. He and his sister Emma were last seen trekking across the island with the Others in season 3, after Locke failed to go through with the vengeance killing of his father.
