Look, it’s one thing for ABC’s marketing department to pique fan’s interest with an exciting teaser for next week’s episode, it’s another thing entirely to flat out lie. Which is why, whomever is responsible for the above promo for last night’s episode of LOST needs to put a stop to the blatant false advertising. Unless of course they’d like to fill us in with regards to just what questions were answered during last night’s episode. Because outside of shedding some light on why LOSTerminds Lindelof and Cuse cast Japanese action star Hiroyuki Sanada as the enigmatic Dogen which culminated in an epic Sayid vs. Dogen smack-down — we’re well, kinda lost.

Currently raging within the confines of the comment section of a recent post on theTVaddict.com is a debate over LIFE UNEXPECTED’s Bug. Turns out, much to our surprise and chagrin, many of you aren’t too fond of Lux’s ex-boyfriend. Begging the question: Did you not see Monday’s episode? While Bug may have started out as a one-dimensional teenaged hoodlum with a very unfortunate moniker, he pretty much single-handidly won us over following an episode that saw him break up with Lux in an effort to give her a fresh start. So much so that we’re counting down to his (Spoiler Alert!) inevitable return in the hopes that he’s given the opportunity to make something of himself and possibly win Lux back. Plus, we just recently discovered that his portrayer Rafi Gavron is (a) British, (b) Real-life best friends with Chuck Bass, we mean Ed Westwick and most importantly of all, (c) played a supporting role in one of our favorite movies of 2008, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

To those frustrated viewers (Yes, we’re talking to you CouchTater) who claim LOST doesn’t give any answers, we give you Carlton Cuse’s response (via twitter) to the biggest mystery from last night’s episode with regards to Claire’s not-so-quite-there-baby, “It’s called Squirrel Baby.” Happy now?

It’s official: ABC has all but forgotten about THE FORGOTTEN. How do we know this you ask? Simple. Seeing as though the Alphabet Network is notorious for running shows such as GREY’S ANATOMY, DANCING WITH THE STARS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES past 10PM in an effort to bump their lead-outs ratings, we — as all good TV Addict should — have gotten into the habit of recording the show after the show we actually want to watch to to ensure we don’t miss the ending. Where the news star Christian Slater could probably do without comes in is that over the past couple of weeks, THE FORGOTTEN has started at precisely 10PM. Which means, either ABC has actually started to listen to viewer complaints, or the more likely conclusion, that the network cares so little about the fate of the little-watched Jerry Bruckheimer procedural that they’re not even bothering to give it the LOST overrun bump. In a word, “Ouch.”

Photo Credit: Jack Rowand /©2009 The CW Network

As the LOST series finale inches closer and closer, one thing is becoming abundantly clear. We — unlike star Matthew Fox who has already taken the opportunity to swear off television — are not ready to get let go.

Which is probably why we keep coming up with these zany spin-off ideas (See: ACCORDING TO JIN). The latest of which was inspired by friend of theTVaddict.com @rural_juror, who casually mentioned following last night’s emotional (dare we say very EVERWOOD-esque) flash-sideways that had Jack reconnecting with his piano prodigy teenaged son — just how much he’d be up for a “Gilmore Guys” style spin-off. Who’s with us?

Hurley probably summed up my thoughts on LOST best when he said, “You and me, trekking through the jungle on the way to do something that we don’t quite understand… good times!”

Except, I’d leave off those last two words.

Because at this point, I find that LOST has become less a “good time” and more a chore I need to complete if for no other reason that I have major completion issues.

Last night’s episode was yet another example of a repetitive “plot” we’ve seen time and again on the show: several characters spend most of the episode traipsing around the island on a V.I.M. (Very Important Mission) that neither understands and which, without fail, proves almost as frustrating for them as it does for us. When Hurley and Jack arrived at the Lighthouse (and this wasn’t a major surprise, given that the episode was titled… “Lighthouse”), all I could think was, “I knew it! The final scene is going to reveal that some computer geek is playing an ultra-realistic version of the classic game Myst!”

Anyone who ever spent hours and hours trying to decipher the mysteries of Myst will remember that it was basically an island on which one solved puzzles and jumped to different worlds known as “ages.” (Hmm… ages… time travel…) Clues found while exploring helped reveal the backstory of the game’s characters.

Sound familiar?

Apparently, those who study each episode of LOST under a microscope made this connection a long time ago. As a much more casual viewer, it took me a while to catch up.

Years ago, I bought into the Myst craze and spent months wandering around that damned island, exploring a village built in trees and star fields projected upon the roof of a planetarium. Never exactly a master of computer games, I eventually grew frustrated, went to the local store and bought a cheater’s guide which allowed me to solve the puzzles and get to the end, which was ultimately both unsatisfying and predictable.  (There were, as it turned out, several ways in which the story could end, depending upon the choices a player made.)

These days, I find myself wishing I could go to a bookstore, find a novelization of LOST and flip to the final page. This journey is no longer fun. I’ve stuck with the show through smoke monsters and time warps, characters coming back from the dead and others being introduced (and killed) for no discernible reason. Questions are multiplying faster than tribbles, and it’s abundantly clear that there is absolutely no way on earth that the show will be able to satisfactorily answer the hundreds which have arisen over the years.

That said, I am, of course, in it for the long haul. I haven’t come this far only to turn back now. My only hope is that when the last episode airs, I don’t wind up looking like Jack did after his visit to the lighthouse, staring off into the distance blankly, thinking, “That’s it?”

Good News: Following last week’s disappointing Kate-centric episode, LOST got back on track by delivering what was easily the most interesting instalment of the season to date. Bad News: Questions, questions and more questions! Which is we’re dedicating Today’s TV Addict Top 5 to our most pressing.

Why was Kate left off Jacob’s List?
Since Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse set an end date for the series, we’d like to believe that everything on LOST is done by design. Which is why, as fake Locke (heretofore to be known as “Flocke”) waxed poetically about Jacob’s list of candidates (more on that later), taking the time to highlight (John) Locke, (Hugo) Reyes, (James “Sawyer”) Ford, (Sayid) Jarrah, (Jack or Christian) Shepherd and (Jin or Sun) Kwon, we found it somewhat peculiar that one fairly integral name was left off said list: That of (Kate) Austen. Coincidence, we think not.

The Curious Case of Flash-Sideways Locke.
Putting aside for a moment the massive fail that was John Locke’s so-called business trip to Australia (Seriously people — for future reference — faking a business trip 101 kind of involves checking in at the conference and snapping a few obligatory photos to share with the boss upon your return!), the most curious aspect about last night’s sideways Locke storyline was his relationship with his father. The above photo featuring a smiling father and son from Locke’s cubicle combined with fiance Helen’s mention that, “we just get my parents and your dad and do it [the wedding] shotgun style in Vegas,” would indicate that in sideways land, Locke’s father did not cause his paralysis by tossing him out of an eight story window. Well that, or John Lock is the most forgiving man on the planet. A plot development which naturally begs the question: Why is Locke in a wheelchair?

That Lost Boy.
Since it wouldn’t be an episode of LOST without some sort of mysterious figuring running through the jungle, we have to ask: Who was the creepy blond kid: Jacob reincarnate? Aaron all grown up? Discuss.

Candidate for what exactly?
According to Flocke, John was a candidate, and now James has been nominated. Just what does being a ‘candidate’ entail? Why (and from whom) does the island need protecting? And who (or what) put Jacob in charge of the nominating committee?

Whose side are you on?
Despite Richard Alpert being crazy-scared of Flocke, we’re not gonna lie. There is something to be said — particularly after five plus seasons of questions after questions after… well you get the idea — in choosing to follow someone, heck, anyone with an answer, or ten! Thus, while there is a very good possibility that Flocke (who it seems will do anything to escape the rock) may in fact be the devil reincarnate, we’re kinda leaning towards joining Sawyer in choosing his side over Jacob. How about you?

Photo Credit: Mario Perez/ABC

As tends to be tradition with the wonderful world of LOST, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse followed up their usual ‘game-changing’ season premiere with an underwhelming episode that featured a helluva lot of wandering through the jungle.

With a finite number of episodes remaining, the surprising return of Ethan (Dr. Goodspeed) as the creepiest OBGYN to hit the small screen since that crazy woman tried to steal Violet’s baby on PRIVATE PRACTICE does not make up for the disappointing absence of Ben, Locke, Richard and everybody’s favorite friendly neighborhood smoke monster. 

The annoyance factor on these other Others is multiplied ten-fold thanks to their inability to answer some fairly straightforward and direct question from Jack.

As hesitant as we are to make this comparison, we can’t help but feel that mysterious pools of water with magical healing powers is to LOST what Claire Bennet was to HEROES. ‘Claimed’ Sayid or not, it kinda takes some of the suspense out of things like major character deaths when nobody really ever seems to die on this show anymore.

Which brings us to Claire. Who after a mysterious one year absence, showed up with just enough time remaining in the episode…. to keep us waiting yet another week to reveal as to what on earth she’s been up to and why she seems to have picked up the torch left by the dearly departed Rosseau.

*Note: And by ‘Kinda Sucked,’ we still mean better than 95% of what’s currently on television!

Photo Credit: Mario Perez/ABC

With pilot season kicking into high gear perfectly coinciding with LOST coming to an end, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the show, well, aside from the whole ‘deal’ with the island and all, involves the question as to what’s next for the ridiculously talented ABC ensemble. After-all, just because Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly >pre-emptively put the kibosh on the obvious JACK AND KATE PLUS EIGHT spin-off that fans (okay, we) were so desperately clamouring for, doesn’t mean there still isn’t hope for the rest of the cast.

Which is why, before the ink dries on Daniel Dae Kim’s contract to headline the upcoming HAWAII FIVE-0 reboot by CBS, theTVaddict.com wanted to take the opportunity to pitch an alternative, inspired by our favorite Toronto TV critic Bill Harris.

LOST is back. And to borrow a line from @EWAusielloFiles, “I’ve never been more LOST in my life.” Which is why, we’re gonna leave the heavy-lifting to the experts like — Jeff Jensen, James Poniewozik, Maureen Ryan, Alan Sepinwall, and Nikki Stafford — and ask one very simple question. Who or what is inhabiting Sayid? Why was Richard in chains? What was Desmond doing on Oceanic 815? How did Stewardess Cindy end up in the Temple? Where was Shannon?Is John Locke and the mysterious Man in Black one in the same? Who are these new Others? How does Julie know ‘it worked’? What worked? Why did LOSTerminds Lindelof and Cuse bring back Juliet only to have her die all over again? Where are Walt and Michael? Why is Charlie so intent on offing himself? Why was Jack bleeding on the plane? And what exactly is does the aforementioned MIB mean when he says he wants to get home? After eight months off the air, did LOST live up the hype?