Going into Wednesday night's "Lost," the first of 16 new episodes of the ABC hit after a hiatus of 13 weeks, it's certain that many viewers expected and hoped for some long-sought-after answers.
Would Ben survive his surgery? Would the Others make good on their promise to give Jack his freedom? Would they kill Sawyer in the process? How would Kate and Sawyer escape their new island of horrors to return to their home island of horrors?
While the episode tried to resolve these and many other issues, of course, many things were left unanswered. This is what fans expect after two and a half seasons of the illusive Dharma Initiative, the Others and the flashbacks that reveal that characters are more connected than they thought.
Ultimately, any episode of "Lost" is a success because fans are desperate for even the tiniest morsel of information about the bizarre and wonderful island that is the foundation of the plot. With so much suspense and excitement, it's easy to forget that the storyline is moving at a snail's pace.
The newest episode of "Lost" focuses on our three protagonists, Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Jack (Matthew Fox) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), and their problems with the Others.
It picks up with Kate and Sawyer being used as bait, while Jack has agreed to perform surgery on Ben (Michael Emerson), the head of the Others.
In this week's episode, Jack's choice to hold Ben hostage medically has caused complications as Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) reveals that Kate and Sawyer cannot simply run from one island to another.
However, due to Ben's mysterious awakening during the operation, most of the Others willingly allow Kate and Sawyer to flee the island.
By this point, they have encountered Alex (Tania Raymonde), Rousseau's daughter, who has helped them evade gunfire in the jungle in exchange for help rescuing her boyfriend, Karl (Blake Bashoff).
The flashbacks reveal Juliet's past as a doctor in a biomedical research facility in Miami in which she helps her sister have a child through untested drug therapy. Meanwhile, her ex-husband and boss, Edmund (Zeljko Ivanek), seeks to use her medical discoveries to gain fame.
Intriguingly enough, Juliet and Edmund's last name is Burke. Edmund Burke was an 18th century philosopher and political theorist with conservative stances; this keeps with the show's theme of naming characters after renowned philosophers.
Juliet's husband appears to be conniving and power-hungry. When a gentleman approaches to offer her a spot at a new scientific research clinic in Portland, Juliet refuses, knowing Edmund would disapprove.
Fortunately, she does not have to worry about this for long.
The seventh episode is great because it contains all of the classic, enthralling aspects of the show.
A dangerous hail of gunfire, a character's death, a romance, tears and the wonderful, dramatic music will keep viewers on the edge of their seats for a solid hour.
It's even better when characters from the past, like Alex, reappear on the show after such a long hiatus.
While it would have been excellent to catch up with some of the numerous other main characters, scenes from next week's episode indicate that the creators will bring it all back to the beach and the hatch.
Who knows? Perhaps Desmond's powers will finally be revealed, or maybe viewers will catch another rare glimpse of father and son, Michael and Walt, reunited. "Lost" remains a sure-fire hit, despite the complexity of its plot.
