Source: E!Online

Denny in Addison, Texas: Can you just do an entire spoiler chat on Lost please?
Check below the spoiler line for goodies! (All the Ghost Whisperer fans get mad if we only cover Lost,so we have to mix it up.) But to keep you busy for now, Ajira Airways has launched and has a special feature for passengers wanting to book a flight. For only $87, Destination: Destiny allows the airline to choose "an unknown fateful destination of your destiny." Reminds me of that runway the Others were building. Could the Island be one of the landing sites?

Andy in Austin, Texas: More Lost goodies please!
Darlton did say there would be flashbacks and that flash-forwards would not be as prominent this season, but in the first hour of the premiere, we see a past and present Desmond (and both of them are hot).

Meg in Hamburg, Germany: Kristin, what can you tell me about Jack in the season premiere of Lost? He's still my favorite!
I can tell you that Ben Linus is many things, but he is not a drug-addiction enabler, and with Ben's "help" Jack seems to be getting off the junk. Oh, and Ben seems to imply that if Jack goes back to the Island he'll never be able to return to the real world. Whaaat!

Carrie in Cleveland: Got any hot gossip on Lost? Or better yet, hot gossip on Lost's hot separated lovers Kate and Sawyer? January is too far away to wait! Thanks!
You know how Sawyer is always getting smacked in the face? Well, Sawyer finally gets to do a little bitch-slapping of his own in the premiere, and it's pretty hilarious.

Major Spoiler!!!


THE big secret of "Lost" is finally out.

After four years, the mystery of "Lost" is revealed in the first few minutes of this season's much-anticipated fifth season debut, Jan. 19.

If you think you already know too much about what's in store, stop reading now.

At bottom, "Lost" is about time travel. That is what rescued the show last season from two seasons of go-nowhere stories.

The stories began to flash forward - and the focus moved past the romantic triangle of Jack, Sawyer and Kate.

The upcoming revelation will lay to rest years of Internet wrangling and instantly settle about a million fevered questions between dedicated fans about what the heck has been going on this whole time.

Without revealing details, the remote island so integral to the lives of the castaways is home to what a very important scientist on the show calls "virtually unlimited power." And the "power" has been harnessed, quite haphazardly, for time travel.

"You have no idea how difficult it would be for me to explain this phenomenon to a quantum physicist," well-meaning super-scientist Daniel tells Sawyer, the island's loveable marooned scoundrel who has remained unhappily confused and shirtless since last season.

Time travel this season appears to have replaced flashbacks and flash-forwards.

Instead, while watching memories of the past or events in the future, chunks of the entire cast are sent skipping through time, like a needle on a vinyl record.

Of course, since this is "Lost," even with the big reveal out in the open, there are only a million other questions left unanswered. (After all, the show still has two years before its agreed-upon finale.)

For now, the story seems to have turned on itself. For at least part of the new season, the folks on the island don't know where or - more specifically, when - they are.

The action jumps between the handful of people who escaped the island last season, only to find themselves much worse off for leaving, and their friends who are still trapped on the time-warping island.

Like the classic 1937 Frank Capra film, "Lost Horizon," the cast of "Lost" finds itself struggling to get back and set things right.

Source: NY Post

After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets, including a mysterious smoke monster, polar bears, housing and hatches with electricity and hot & cold running water, a group of island residents known as "The Others," and a mysterious man named Jacob. The survivors have also found signs of those who came to the island before them, including a 19th century sailing ship called The Black Rock, a downed Beechcraft plane from a failed drug run, the remains of an ancient statue, as well as bunkers belonging to the Dharma Initiative -- a group of scientific researchers who inhabited the island in the recent past. They also encountered a freighter stationed off the island that some thought would lead to their rescue, but ultimately almost caused their extinction.

With only 34 original hours left until the final episode airs in 2010, Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Claire's son, Aaron - otherwise known as the Oceanic 6 - have been rescued and continue to try and pick up the pieces of the lives they knew before the crash and to perpetuate the lie concocted to hide the truth of what really happened. But Jack and Ben must convince all of them to return to the island in order to save those left behind. This will prove quite a feat since Jack is still wrestling with his addictions, Kate won't speak to him, Hurley is in a mental institution, Sayid is an assassin and Sun blames Jack for Jin's death when the freighter exploded. Adding to their worries is the fact that they also have to take the body of Jeremy Bentham - aka Locke -- with them in order to make things right with the island. But locating the island may prove even more difficult since Ben moved it. It's not just a question of where it went, but when. Back on the island, the survivors who were left behind begin to play out the surprising events that inevitably lead to Locke's death.

In the first part of the season premiere, entitled "Because You Left," the remaining island survivors start to feel the effects of the aftermath of moving the island, and Jack and Ben begin their quest to reunite the Oceanic 6 in order to return to the island with Locke's body in an attempt to save their former fellow castaways. In the second part, entitled "The Lie," Hurley and Sayid are on the run from the cops after stumbling into trouble at the safehouse; the island survivors come under attack by unknown forces; and an old friend offers some shocking advice to Kate in order to ensure that "the lie" remain a secret.


"Lost" stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet and Terry O'Quinn as Locke.

Guest starring in "Because You Left" are L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, William Mapother as Ethan Rom, Francois Chau as Dr. Marvin Candle, Sonya Walger as Penelope "Penny" Widmore, Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, William Blanchett as Aaron, Sean Whalen as Neil Frogurt, Tom Irwin as Dan Norton, Michael Dempsey as foreman, Stephanie Smart as ticket agent, Leslie Ishii as woman, Cindy Paliracio as TV anchor, Brad Berryhill as anxious guy, Sven Lindstrom as crew member, Chantal Boomla as counter girl and Jeremy Colvin as security guard.

Guest starring in "The Lie" are Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia, L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Sonya Walger as Penelope "Penny" Widmore, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Lillian Hurst as Carmen Reyes, Cheech Marin as David Reyes, William Blanchett as Aaron, Sean Whalen as Neil Frogurt, Tom Connolly as Jones, Mary Mara as Jill, Dana Sorman as Darlene, James Jeremiah as police officer, Stephanie Conching as nurse, Matthew Allan as Cunningham and Todd Bryant as Mattingly.

"Because You Left" was written by Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse and directed by Stephen Williams.

"The Lie" was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Jack Bender.

"Lost" was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz serve as executive producers. "Lost," which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

"Lost" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish audio via SAP. This program carries a TV-14,L,V parental guideline.

This episode of "Lost" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.

Source: ABC

Looking back at season 4, what, for you, was the pivotal moment in that season, and why?

Damon: Hard to pick, but the one that immediately leaps to mind is the scene in the finale between Jack and Locke in the greenhouse. Obviously, the ramifications of Locke telling Jack (once again) that he's not supposed to leave the island, but if he does, he must lie about everything that happens is essentially what kicks off the entire story of the Oceanic Six. We think it's really cool that it was actually Locke's idea, even though Jack doesn't present it that way. And now that Jack is standing over Locke's coffin, the relationship between these two men becomes really central to the endgame of our story.

How did last winter's writers' strike impact the show? Watching season 4 on DVD, is there a noticeable difference between the pre-strike and the post-strike episodes?

Damon: Hopefully not. The fact of the matter is that we designed out -- at least roughly -- the entire 16-episode season, planting flags as to what would happen where in the grand scheme of things. In that original design, there were a couple of episodes focusing more on the Freighter Folks (Faraday, Miles and Charlotte) that got pushed into this season, but more importantly, things like Jack's appendicitis and Keamy arriving at New Otherton and killing Alex happened sooner than we had planned due to the collapsed schedule. I think if there's a sense of separation between the first eight episodes (endingwith "Meet Kevin Johnson") and the final six hours, it's that the story is really moving at a much higher rate of speed than we're traditionally accustomed to.

Did season 4's structure of flashbacks and flash-forwards embolden you to experiment even more in season 5?

Damon: Yes, the fact that the audience embraced switching gears on the show from "reverse" to "drive" emboldened us to get a little more loosewith how we drive (as long as we're never in neutral!) the story. The cool thing about season 5 is that it takes a little while for your brain to fully absorb how the story is unfolding... but hopefully, once it does, you'll realize we're trying something new yet again.

Will there still be flashbacks and flash-forwards in season 5?

Carlton: Yes, there will still be flashbacks and flash-forwards, but we are not limiting ourselves to those ways of transitioning between stories. We still love doing them and will when appropriate. There are still some cool flashbacks left to tell for our characters.

We saw a lot of Christian Shephard in season 4. Does his re-appearance tie into the empty coffin Jack discovered back in season 1?

Damon: Indeed it does... and I think its safe to say you'll be seeing Christian again in season 5. And what's up with those white tennis shoes he was wearing back in season 1?

You've previously confirmed that Michael is dead and it would appear that Claire has also taken a dirt nap. But we're still left hanging on Jin's fate. Will the latter two characters' fates be resolved in season 5?

Damon: I would beg to differ on Claire's alleged "dirt nap" (unless you mean taking a nap on dirt) -- didn't we see her last sitting in a cabinwith the mysterious Christian Shephard? As for Jin, we'll definitely be seeing more of him in season 5. But as we're moving through past, present and future, who knows when we'll see him.

There is a lot of concern amongst many fans over how the show will work without the chemistry of the full ensemble. Is that separation something you will address in season 5?

Damon: We're concerned, too! I think everyone, writers and fans alike, feels the show is at its best when our characters are together, but the fact of the matter is that the story is constantly twisting and turning to keep them apart. Let's face it: absence makes the heart grow fonder, but there's nothing sweeter than a reunion. All we're willing to say at this point is that if we were to spend the entire duration of Season 5 with the Oceanic Six trying to get back to the island, we are fully aware that the audience would strangle us.

Speaking of sweet reunions... Desmond's reunion with Penny at the end of Season 4 was one of the greatest moments of the series so far. Nothing's going to happen in the new season to jeopardize their happiness, right? Right?

Damon: I'm sorry. Wrong. Wrong.

Are we ever going to see backstories for Rousseau, Libby and/or Walt, or will they fall by the wayside now that there are only 34 episodes left?

Carlton: Let's just say you will get more information about Rousseau and Walt at least. We can't comment about who will or won't get full-on flashbacks. Obviously as the story moves forward we'll be answering questions at a faster rate. But some stories -- like Libby's -- we feel are pretty much finished.

Will we ever get an answer to lingering questions like what's up with the four-toed statue from the season 2 finale?

Carlton: Yes, more on the four-toed statue to come! In fact, (spoiler) the four-toed statue might come to life in the Zombie Season. As we roll into the end of season 5 and certainly in season 6, the show will definitely be much more in answer mode. [Note: The never-to-exist Zombie Season 7 is a running joke on the official Lost podcast.]

How has having a fixed end date for the show impacted you as writers?

Carlton: Our approach to the storytelling changed drastically once we were able to negotiate an end date to the show. Before that, we didn't know if the mythology had to last two seasons or seven seasons. Once we knew there were only going to be 48 episodes of the show left, we were able to start charting out the remaining journey. We approach it on three levels: First we have discussions about the uber-mythology and plant the big landmark events in rough locations. Then at the end of each season, we have a writer's mini-camp where we discuss the arc of the upcoming season in great detail. Then we break each individual episode and see where we end up at the end of each break. We give ourselves a fair bit of latitude to listen to the show and react -- writing more or less for various characters or situations depending on how they play.

The storyline has really progressed to the point where the science-fiction/fantasy elements can't really stay in the subtext anymore. Is that liberating for you as writers, or did you prefer the science vs. faith ambiguity of the earlier seasons?

Damon: It actually is liberating... but at the same time, the show constantly forces us to evolve. We can't go back to the ambiguity of Season 1 because our characters have experienced so much since then. Carlton and I often talk about [Stephen King's] The Stand: the story starts with something scientific, an epidemic that kills off 99 percent of the world's population, but slowly and steadily transforms into a mystical tale where people are having prophetic dreams and, finally, literally ends with the hand of God coming out of the sky and setting off a nuclear device. Our story has always been about a journey, but just because we're embracing some of the more fantastical aspects of the island doesn't mean we're completely abandoning the science vs. faith of it all.

By having shorter seasons now, do you feel the storytelling has become much easier -- or do you sometimes wish you could have three more episodes?

Damon: The storytelling has never been easy, but we've always felt that less is more. The complaint that we got most often in the first couple seasons of the show is that we were not moving the story forward fast enough -- "stalling" -- which, unfortunately, is a necessary tactic when you're doing 25 episodes a year. The truth is that we actually liked those episodes low on incident ("Claire sends a message on a bird," anyone?), but the show is much more fun to write when we can just power through and give you guys a hearty meal as opposed to a zillion little courses that never quite get you full.

Growing up, was there a show that you watched that particularly influenced your career in television or your writing style?

Damon: I was a TV junkie growing up. Other than watching endless hours of cartoons (Thundercats, Voltron and yes, Smurfs), I loved watching "grown-up shows" with my folks... like Dallas. Perhaps that's where I got my love for melodrama! The show that really affected me, however, was Twin Peaks, which I'd watch every week with my dad. He'd tape the show on his VCR (remember those?) and we'd watch the episode again right after it aired in our quest to pull every last clue out of the show. The idea of a TV show being a mystery and a game that spawned hundreds of theories obviously was a major precedent (that's a fancy way of saying we ripped it off) for Lost.

It's common knowledge that the character of Ben was originally intended to be a more minor character, but he clicked with audiences so much that his role was extended. Which other characters or actors suprised you in terms of how much audiences did or did not take to them?

Carlton: Good question. And you're right about Michael Emerson. He's the biggest example of a character that we just fell in love with beyond our expectations. I would say Desmond would also be in that category. The audience really fell in love with him right from the get-go and he quickly moved right into the mainstream of our cast. Nikki and Paulo were less successful. We tried to introduce them out of the show's chorus as it were and the audience cried foul. We listened and killed them off.

In light of that, where do you draw the line between making the audience happy and telling the story you set out to tell?

Carlton: It's now kind of a moot point. Moving forward it will be virtually impossible for us to adjust in-season to audience feedback. By the time the show premieres on Jan 21, we will have written 14 of the 17 hours and probably will be deep into the specific scene plotting for the finale. This season we're going to be completely relying on our on instincts and judgments -- combinedwith the feedback of our collaborators here on the show and at the studio and network.

With the end of the series in 2010 looming, is there a possibility of a Lost feature film after the show is over?

Damon: The answer is no. At least not by us. We've always felt that the show should definitively end the same place it started... on television. To bring our characters to some sort of cliffhanger where the audience gets none of the answers that they really care about and then say, "Now give us ten bucks, buy some popcorn and we'll give you the rest!" would pretty much be the worst thing ever.

How does it feel to know that you're in the home stretch of the series? Has it brought our any personal reflections or feelings that you didn't expect about the process or the story?

Carlton: I think all of us who work on the show know what a special experience it is. Our ability to negotiate an end date to the show so far in advance was, I believe, unprecedented in network TV. It has given us a real sense of what the journey is going to be. Normally when you work on a TV show you never know when it is going to end; you're just trying to survive season to season until the proverbial horse drops out from underneath you. We're not quite far enough along yet to start to wax nostalgic, but I think we all recognize that we've had a chance to do something really extraordinary. I was watching all the bonus features [on the season 4 DVD] and thinking about the special alchemy of Lost. You can do your best as a storyteller but on TV you also need a great cast, crew, directors, composer, etc. You really see on those features what a collaborative art form it is. We are truly blessed that this assembly of talent came together for this project. The journey of making a show over six years and the hours it takes really makes you a family -- and we're about as happy and as functional a TV family as I've ever seen or workedwith.

Source: televisionwithoutpity.com

Hurley and Sayid are on the run from the cops after stumbling into trouble at the safehouse; the island survivors come under attack by unknown forces; and an old friend offers some shocking advice to Kate in order to ensure that "the lie" remain a secret.

The remaining island survivors start to feel the effects of the aftermath of moving the island, and Jack and Ben begin their quest to reunite the Oceanic 6 in order to return to the island with Locke's body in an attempt to save their former fellow castaways.

When the hatch imploded (episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone) the island didn't move like it did during the season 4 finale.

"Dead" is a relative term. Jin and Locke will be seen in some form in season 5.

We will get Rousseau's story, though it won't necessarily come from a flashback or flash forward.

The show will still have flashbacks and flash forwards, but will move in a new direction with the narrative.

The other writers don't know all, but know most of what Damon and Carlton know of what is coming up for the next two season.

Vincent is okay and will appear in season 5 and will most likely make it to the end of the series.

An Arabic speaking father in his 40s. He's domineering and quick-tempered and trying to bring his boys up properly. He feels he has to teach his son a lesson about how to be a real man.

An Arabic speaking boy of about 12. He is sensitive and kind-hearted, but scared of his domineering father and knows he's a sad disappointment.

Matthew Abaddon was seen in a hospital with Widmore. (The Transmission)

Now we are finding out that there is only one off-island Dharma station and that Rose and Bernard have been there before. Remember when Bernard took Rose to see the healer in Australia?

Desmond's all knowing pawn shop owner and adivsor, Ms. Hawking, returns for season 5 to reveal an interesting connection between herself and another character. That's all I'm giving away at this point (mostly because it's all I know).

The return of Neil Frogurt! Frogurt was mentioned by Hurley in an early episode as the man who used to sell frozen yogurt. He was then featured in a mobisode with Hurley, making it clear that he was interested in Libby. Mr. Frogurt makes his grand return in season 5.

Kristen at E Online! tells us that Jack, Kate, Sayid, Sun, and Hurley all need to go back to the island because they need to fan out to a group of Dharma stations. I've also heard rumors that Desmond will be among these six (six including baby Aaron).

A building in Hawaii has been transformed into Simon's Butcher Shop. Simon is the name of the Charlie's dad, who was a butcher, so we may be getting some Charlie flashbacks early on in season 5.
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Sayid will probably be the one who will get a new love interest this season.

Sawyer and Juliet are fine. Faraday comes ashore, but he might be insane. Charlotte and Miles are fine too. These five are together until the attack.

Desmond’s creepy, all-knowing friend played by Fionnula Flannigan will be back, and she has a surprising connection.

Richard Alpert will figure prominently in Season 5. The whole notion of "flashbacks" and "flash-forwards" will be reinvented, suggesting that upcoming episodes will span multiple time periods and perspectives.

Casting call info: Amy is a smart, attractive, charismatic Caucasian woman in her late 30s. She’s outdoorsy and adventurous and successful at her career. Her love life is complicated because many men find her attractive and she likes the qualities of each of her suitors, but she’s looking for the whole package. Amy will be in at least four episodes.

Casting call info: Hal is a Caucasion male in his 70s who is successful, handsome, charming. Mike is a Czech scientist in his 30s or 40s. He’s very intelligent, and his latest discovery might be something big. Vicki is a very attractive woman in her 30s or 40s. She is charming and coy and can read a guy better than he knows himself. Rupa is an Indian woman in her 20s. she’s very sweet, but she can be tougher than she appears. Finally, there is Nandi, who is also Indian. He’s smart and professional, and has a firm demeanor because he is used to working with difficult people.

Parts of this episode will take place at a cemetery. Matthew Abbadon brings a wheelchair-bound John Lock to a gravesite. When they leave the cemetery, Abbadon puts the wheelchair in the trunk of the car with Locke seated in the backseat. Shots ring out and Abbadon is hit.

Casting call info: Hajer is a Middle Eastern male, a local doctor who doesn’t have a traditional medical degree but lots of experience. He has tough bed-side manner, but he gets the job done.

Ryan Ozawa (Hawaii resident, spoiler source): A wheelchair-bound Locke and Abaddon visited a gravesite and Abaddon was shot. Locke, Ben, Abaddon, and possibly Walt were spotted at a school.
Ryan Ozawa (Hawaii resident, spoiler source): Abaddon and Widmore filmed a hospital scene. Jin was scene with a younger Rousseau.
Michael Ausiello (Entertainment Weekly columnist): Matthew Abaddon is in this episode.