4. The long wait between the end of "Lost" season three and the beginning of season four is a sacrifice the Island demanded, but we faithful Losties are just a few days from our prayers being answered. Be sure to tune in to ABC Wednesday night 9-11 pm EST to see the two-part season three finale, and then there is a two-hour special "Lost" night planned for Thursday, January 31. 8 pm EST will be a summary of the show until now, and at 9 pm the season premiere will begin. Cue the exhilarated screams of fans everywhere. I humbly offer my own preview of this brilliant and innovative television show that inspired a cultish fandom like no other. Beware, spoilers below!

8. Last season marked some the most dangerous and tense moments in "Lost" history, and it revolved a great deal around the mysterious, nefarious Others. Let me see if I can just remind you of a few of them: Locke's father is the real Sawyer, and our Sawyer brutally strangled him. Locke blew up the submarine, which was the only way the Others could get off the Island. We saw 'Jacob' in a scene both terrifying and completely perplexing. Kate and Sawyer started a romantic relationship, which borderlines booty calls, but she showed jealousy toward Jack's closeness with the Other Juliet.


15. Eko was murdered by the Smoke Monster. We learned how the Dharma were exterminated by the Others, and Ben's specific part in it. We met Nikki and Paolo, characters more universally despised than even Ana Lucia, and subsequently watched them get killed off in a darkly comic way. Desmond started having 'flashes' of the future, and revealed to Charlie that he is going to die. A woman landed on the Island claiming to be from Desmond's love Penny and had a rescue ship just off shore. The Others attacked, kidnapped Jin, Bernard, and Sayid, and were subsequently killed by Sawyer, Hurley and Juliet. Danielle was finally, heartbreakingly, reunited with her daughter Alex.

16.The former heroin addict we know and love went out in a heroic fashion in the season finale, but not before telling Desmond that the ship they thought was coming to rescue them is 'not Penny's boat.' Locke killed Naomi, and Ben was captured by the Losties, begging them not to tell the ship where they are. We found out that the flashback of Jack as a depressed, suicidal druggie is in fact … the future! We ended the season with him screaming desperately to Kate as she drives away, "We have to go back, we have to go back!"

23. That's season three in a nutshell, people. Season four begins on Thursday night, and there are a few rumors going around about what we can expect. Desmond brings back the news of Charlie's fate, which is certain to affect Hurley and Claire. The ship off shore is coming, and whether they are evil or good, the preview tells us that they are not there to rescue anyone. Could Ben be right and every living person on the Island is now in danger? Who is the 'Oceanic 6'? How do Jack and Kate get off the Island, and who else goes with them? Will we learn more about Jacob?

42. I guess we'll just have to hold our breaths and dive right back in to the best show on television. Only eight episodes were finished before the strike, and that will be all we get, so treasure each moment. Remember, everyone, "God loves you as He loved Jacob."

Story by Chelsea 'Dee' Doyle
Starpulse contributing writer