by Daniel Barry

Created on: February 01, 2008

"We have to go back, Kate! We have to go baaaaaack!"

It's been eight long months since a drunk and despondent Jack screamed those words at the end of the flash-forward Season III finale. But, what has happened to our favorite spinal surgeon/castaway? Why is he popping pain pills like candy and thinking about suicide? Why does he so desperately want to get back to the island that he tried so hard to escape from?

In the next 8 weeks we're about to find out. And if last season's finale was any indication of things to come, you better buckle up because it's going to be a wild ride.

If you like you're Lost spoiler free stop reading here.

Last night's much anticipated episode treated us to another look into a Lostie's bleak future. This time it was the good-natured Hurley who has seemed to go off the deep end. It seems that since the rescue, Hurley has been seeing the ghost of Charlie who implores Hurley to go back and get "them". A fact that has driven Hurley back into the mental institution in which he stayed before the crash. Not that that's a bad thing. On the contrary, Hurley seems to relish being in the safe confines of the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. But, who is "them" and why didn't they make it off the island? After a brief OJ-like car chase through LA, Hurley tells police officers that he is one of the Oceanic Six. We know Jack and Kate also made if off the island, but who are the other three? Why didn't the others make it?

Back on the island things aren't going much better. Desmond has returned from his fateful trip to the bottom of the sea and has told his comrades that poor Charlie drowned trying to save them. He has also told them that the rescue team coming to pick them up are not what they seem.

Jack and Locke are once again butting heads. This time they're sparring over whether or not they should leave the island with the people on the boat. Desmond, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid, Claire and Ben agree with Locke and decide to go with him back to the barracks to avoid the coming catastrophe. Meanwhile Kate, Juliet, Sun and Jin rally behind Jack and wait for rescue.

Will the rescuers turn out to be something more sinister? Will Jack and Locke's two groups go all Lord of the Flies on us until there is only one group left standing? Tune in next week to find out.

Learn more about this author, Daniel Barry.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.