It’s time to get ‘Lost’ again

[Spoiler warning: This article discusses what may or may not happen in the new season of "Lost." If you want to be surprised, stop reading now.]

Say it with me, "Lost" fans: What do we want? ANSWERS! When do we want them? NOW!

"Desperate Housewives" and "CSI" earn better ratings every single week. "The Apprentice" and "American Idol" probably get more press. But if actual viewer interest could somehow be dumped onto a scale and measured, no fall premiere is more anticipated than that of "Lost," which returns Sept. 21 on ABC.

"Lost" started off with a bang — a crash, really — and the show made it clear from the start that this was no ordinary plane crash. The pilot, who admitted he'd flown the plane well off course, was quickly chomped on by a mysterious island monster. An armed federal marshal turns out to have been escorting a dangerous prisoner, Kate, whose slight appearance belies her criminal past. Two island leaders developed: one, Jack, a doctor; another, Locke, a military type who hides a secret of his own — before the crash, he was paralyzed, now he's miraculously cured.

As the weeks go on, the secrets came flying, fast and furious. Chubby Hurley was an unlikely millionaire, with a lineup of seemingly cursed lottery numbers following him around. Pregnant Claire was planning to give her son up for adoption, despite a warning from a psychic that she has to raise him herself. Rocker Charlie was kicking a drug addiction. Stepsiblings Shannon and Boone have (uh, had) a most un-sibling-like relationship. Michael and Walt were just developing their father-son relationship. Former Iraqi soldier Sayid's army activities still tormented him. Sawyer's con-man past was not as simple as it seems. Korean married couple Jin and Sun hid secrets even from each other. In fact, it was tough to keep track of all the secrets without a chart.

It's no wonder, then, that viewers went into the season finale expecting at least a modicum of satisfaction, a generous hint or two as to the history of the island, the origins of its mysterious hatch, or the source of the supernatural powers possessed by more than a few island-dwellers. But instead, many viewers were disappointed by the lack of payoff.  "Lost" ended its season with only one tiny bit of satisfaction: The island's mysterious hatch had indeed been opened, but its mysteries weren't explored before the credits rolled. Viewers saw instead a seemingly endless tunnel with a tempting ladder, and you know that, for one, Locke is itching to climb it.

That darn hatch
Series creator Damon Lindelof told a meeting of TV critics some information about what won't be down in the hatch. As reported in the Orlando Sentinel, Lindelof said, "There aren't aliens in there. There isn't a time-travel portal. They aren't going to find a ship they blast off into space."

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That leaves only about a billion other possibilities, many of which have already been proposed by the show's fans online. Perhaps the island is some form of government experiment, and the people in charge are headquartered in the hatch, kind of like when the cast of "The Real World" finally break into their control room each year. (Unlikely.) Lindelof ruled out aliens, but not some bizarre group of humans. And he ruled out a spaceship, but what if the island itself is one massive building, disguised as a natural landmark?

Numerous articles have speculated that the supposed survivors were really all killed in the crash, and the island is some form of purgatory or limbo, heaven or hell. Not sure what the hatch would be in that case ... a passageway to the River Styx? St. Peter's Gate? Viewers who've seen "St. Elsewhere" or a few "Twilight Zone" episodes know that it would not be the first time that on-screen reality takes place only in one cast member's head. Could a comatose plane-crash survivor be dreaming the whole island? Could a dead plane-crash victim be doing the same?

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