Lost - Season 4: The Beginning Of The End

Welcome back, Lost; it's been too long. And sadly, it will also be too short, as there will only be 8 episodes total this season due to the writer's strike.

But in any case, great stuff. Hurley just confirmed yet again why he is the most likable character in this series. Quick thoughts from me and a link to Sean's after the jump.

1) Oceanic Six - cool! Any guesses who they are? Obviously Jack, Kate and Hurley. I'm gonna say Michael, Walt and (drumroll please), Christian Shepard (Jack's dad). Isn't he dead you say? Well I just remember how in the season 3 finale, Jack referred to him in the present tense, it sure looked like him in Jacob's cabin when Hurley peeked in, and they never found his body after the crash - the coffin was empty. Could the island have resurrected him?

2) The look on Locke's face after he thought for sure Jack would never shoot him, but did anyway (not knowing the gun wasn't loaded) was priceless.

3) Loved Sawyer's "Surviving" line to Kate.

4) Anybody else thought for sure Hurley was going to start a forest fire after he dropped the torch and ran from Jacob's cabin?

5) Can't wait to see what prompted Jack's descent from the guy who visited Hurley at the loony bin to the season 3 finale mess we saw him as.

6) Ben still had some of the best lines (and delivery) of the night. "Jack, with your permission, I'd like to go with Locke" and when he told Jack about Kate stealing the satellite phone - "I was going to tell you but you were just going to beat me up" - were classic.

7) Only 7 episodes left. Sigh.

Sean's thoughts here.