In this cornah: from Nigeria, a former drug-lord, current priest, and vision quester Eko! In this cornah: from the United States, currently crutched, and suffering a severe crisis of faith: Locke! Let's get ready to ruuummmbbblllleee! The two lynchpins of faith during the second season of Lost go in search of answers in the aftermath of Michael's bloodbath, and at least one of them finds what he is looking for.

Oh, Ana Lucia. We hardly knew ye. And most of us liked it that way. This is your Lost swan song, kiddo, and a lesson learned for all Lostaways: as soon as you achieve closure, be prepared to hit the road, Jack. Just don't hit the road after you've gone on a Christian Shephard-like bender: ABC tends to not like that very much.

So I've been plowing through the We Have to Go Back series, and we're rapidly approaching the end of Season 2. Please, please, hold back the tears, Lost denizens. But for now, I'm going to tack a little bit away from a compass direction of 325 and once again enlist your help on a little project.

Well, this ep really divides people. As many people love it (me) as hate it (ignorant, unwashed heathens). It's the calm before Hurricane Michael sweeps up everything in its path throughout the remainder of the season. So strap in, Lost fans, as we focus on two of the more beloved secondary characters on the show, Rose and Bernard.

The whole "is Lost real or just the figment of someone's imagination" question gets answered definitely in this episode. I personally never held that theory, thinking at the time everything hinged on a frozen elk wheel. (So damn close!) Hurley goes insane in the membrane, Sayid goes gun crazy, and Eko proves that he'd be a horrible designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Action-packed ep, y'all.

The blast door map in this episode got me thinking about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, specifically their hit song "Maps." After all, it's easy to think of Locke screaming, "Wait, they don't love you like I love you!" to Helen, isn't it? Or pleading, "Wait, why don't you love me like I love you?" to Anthony Cooper. This assumes, Lost fans, that you can imagine a musical episode of Lost. Which, while amusing in theory, is something I hope never occurs. I'm fine with frozen donkey wheels in my Lost cereal; I just don't want Rose and Bernard to go all Captain & Tennille on us.

Ah yes, the episode in which we learned Sun is a pathological liar, Jin is a romantic schmuck, and Henry Gale is one scary, scary dude. In fact, so many things are set in motion that it's hard to rectify episodes such as this with the general "nothing ever happened in Season 2" complaints that people (such as me) often lob at the show. I still say that momentum of Lost was at its slowest during this season, but I certainly was not bored watching this one again, I can assure you.

Strap in, kids: this is Lost at its best. It's Claire-centric, but it's so good I don't make one joke about the way that she says "baaaaybeeee" in my recap. It's a deft blend of character-based drama and delicious mythology. Oh, Lost mythology, if I could I'd drizzle you on my oatmeal on a daily basis. Now THAT'S a balanced breakfast, people. But enough about my morning routine: on with the recap!

There are a few seminal episodes in the history of Lost, those that stand above the rest and exist as turning points either in terms of narrative scope or sheer quality. This episode is an excellent example of both, with the introduction of a now legendary figure coupled with some excellent acting, sprinkled with a lovely dose of mythology. Such a combination quelled the bad taste that the last few episodes left in many a mouth in order to produce a five-star quality outing this time around.

This is Episode 1 B.L. (Before Linus). It's an episode long on character, short on mythology, and featuring a back story that really doesn't gain resonance for another season or so. But it's a crucial Lost episode, in that it exists to create the proper atmosphere of distrust and anger in which a future visitor can work his psychological mastery to perfection.  So all I can say it don't look back in anger at this episode: admire the darkness creeping on the edge of town.

Well, kids, here we are on the third and final installment of the "Subterfuge in the Swan" series here on the Lost blog. Have you been keeping up? Writing down clues? If you guessed Colonel Mustard in the Arrow with the poison gas, well, you're wrong. So read on and see if you can't solve the mystery after reading about the third element in the Swan that reeks of disinformation: the blast door map.

So yesterday, we looked at the Swan Orientation film as evidence of general shenanigans going on in that particular hatch throughout the brief but troubled time in which it existed on the Island. But it's not the only evidence, no sirree. In fact, that hatch (and indeed, many of the Dharma Initiative's stations) seem built on a great deal of funny facts. Misdirections, if you will. Out and out lies, if you must, dear Lost readers. And today, we're going to look at another conduit for such untruths: the Swan computer.

You have spoken, readers, and today, as promised, I will answer. A little while ago I offered up four possible options for analysis, and you chose your favorites. I sent the results to the accounting offices of McCormick, Smith, and My Wife, and what came back was pretty clear. Seems there's one Lost topic clearly on your mind these days: the subterfuge in the Swan.

When I said I get a lot of inspiration from you loyal Lost blog readers, I meant it. It wasn't one of those politician-like moves. This is blogging you can believe in, people. And in the midst of the last entry, the topic slowly evolved into a situation that produced today's entry. Synergy: it's what's for dinner!

Oh Charlie Pace. You know I dig you, right? I mean, in general, you're an alright guy, and your presence on the show is keenly felt. But dear Dharma did Lost deliver a stinker of an episode in this, an hour about you, your piano, and losing your religion. (In more ways than one, really.) This episode makes "The Hunting Party" seem like "Orientation." Translation: break out the adult beverages, people. You're gonna need 'em. Assuming you're an adult, after all. If you're not, break out the Sunny D.

I'd planned on dropping some reader-based requests on you tonight, but I want to hold out a bit more in hopes of getting more feedback. As such, Lost fans, I'm going to offer a two-for-one: two topics in one entry. And you don't even have to pay extra. Wait, this site's already free? Man, you guys get a good deal. I'm gonna start charging Dharma dollars before year end.

Strap yourselves in, Lost fans. This is a bit of a rough one. But at least it features the first major dialogue scene with the Others since the end of Season 1, a scene that crackles with excitement and danger to this day. Gotta love those theatrically-minded Others, people. As a former techie myself, I appreciate the subterfuge inherent in their performance.

Has a flashback ever done so great a job at explaining an entire character so succinctly as the one in this episode? I think we've seen approximately seventy-four Jack Shephard flashbacks at this point, and we know less about him than we do about Eko after this one. Course, they did such a good job that the actor who played him forced the show to eventually fire him, but hey, Lost fans, we're not here to bury Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, but praise Eko, and this fantastic episode.

So, we're about a third of the way through Season 2 in our We Have to Go Back series. For those of you who are new to the scene here and wondering if you've stepped into a time warp, a little info for you: we've taken Jack Shephard's plan to heart and gone back. Back to the beginning of the series, that is, flush with all the knowledge that a fan of the show has accumulated through the first few seasons of Lost.

If you're like me and dreading this one, trust me: it's much better than you remember. Just make it through the back story and you're golden, as the on-Island stuff is top-notch for Lost fanatics. There's a little something for everyone: mythology, romance, horsies: you name it, this episode's got it. Except for "compelling flashback," naturally. Oh well, you can't have it all. Unless you're "Walkabout" or "The Constant."

They are the three scariest words in the English language: Ana Lucia flashback! OK, maybe not, but Ana Lucia's clearly up there with the Blunder Twins of Season 3 as the most controversial (read: loathed) characters in Lost history. Me, myself and I? I'd put Nikki and Paolo way higher on my personal list of most hated characters, but it's not as if I used to give an Aresnio Hall-esque Dawg Pound salute every time A.L. popped up onscreen.

OK, it's been a few rough episodes, Lost fans. I spent the first few episodes of this season seriously reconsidering my own semi-low opinions of this season, only to be brought back down to earth by the post-"Orientation" episodes.

Ready for a shocking death that will change everything you know about the Lost universe? Me too! Unfortunately, it doesn't happen in this episode. I know, bummer. What we get instead is the ignominious death of a character no one ever really liked, a victim not only of her own shortcomings as a character but a vicious attack on her screen time by those selfish Tailies.

You know how we all look forward to those Darlton-written episodes of Lost? Well, this is one of them, although you wouldn't know it. It features a few signature moments in the Lost universe, but doesn't hold up nearly as well to scrutiny as some of their others. But hey, not every episode can be a heart-wrenching, mind-blowing, brain-expanding extravaganza. Sure, I might make it seem easy here on the blog, but trust me, it's hard work.

Well, the summer months are drawing to a close. I know, tragic. Many of you will be heading back to school soon. Football season draws nigh. And, more important, we might actually see some action on the latest and meh-est Lost alternative reality game (ARG) yet! Richard III once talked about the winter of our discontent; Lost fans have been complaining about their summer of our prolonged frustration. Dharma claims to want us, but we're not so sure.