13 Reasons Why I Love "Lost"

"Lost" returns tonight! To celebrate, I'm repeating a previous "Thursday Thirteen" in which I listed 13 reasons why I love the show:

1) It keeps you guessing.--If you saw this season's finale, you know what I mean. What could POSSIBLY be going on? (I guess I'll find out--at least partially!--tonight!)

2) Those jaw-dropping moments. --Remember when you first saw John Locke's circumstances before crashing on the island? Remember the first time we "saw" Jacob? Remember, again, the very end of this season's finale? Those "whoaaa" moments remind you of what a terrific show this really is.

3) Matthew Fox as Jack--I personally believe Fox should have been nominated in the best actor in a drama category (in last year's Emmys). There were so many instances this season of great acting on the part of Fox. Remember the look on his face when he saw Kate and Sawyer through the video monitor? That moment alone was worth an Emmy nomination.

4) Michael Emerson as Ben--Yeah, we can't stand Ben, but don't we love to hate him? Emerson has to be one of the best actors on television. His Emmy nomination was well-deserved.

5) Josh Holloway as Sawyer--How many times have you gotten a good chuckle out of Sawyer's nicknames and pop culture references?

6) Terry O'Quinn as John Locke--Yes, John Locke is often strange and his actions inexplicable--take his behavior in the finale. What's up with that? Still, he's one of my favorite characters...and I also believe his (2007) Emmy award is well-deserved.

7) Naveen Andrews as Sayid--The character of Sayid has probably done more good for Iraqi PR than anything the UN could come up with. Face it, there are many, many wonderful Iraqi people, and the character of Sayid is very appealing.

8) Dominic Monaghan as Charlie--I am so, so sorry that the character of Charlie is dead. Some people would like to believe that's not true, but I have a hard time seeing him survive his fate in the season finale. Even though he started out as a drugged-out loser, Charlie was sweet and appealing.

9) Evangeline Lilly as Kate--She annoys a lot of my friends and family, but I do still like the character of Kate, and I think she's central to the show.

10) Jorge Garcia as Hurley--Hurley is absolutely vital to the show. For a while, I was watching "24" fairly regularly, and it's excellent--but there is almost no comic relief, if any. The intensity blasts you nonstop. But the great thing about "Lost" is that just when everything gets a little too spooky, scary or strange, there's Hurley saying, "Dude..." and bringing everything back down to earth. I totally love Hurley.

11) Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond.--Desmond has been a great addition to the show. I think we've yet to find out just how essential his story is. And as I've mentioned before, I could listen to that Scottish accent all day.

12) The soundtrack.-- Composer Michael Giacchino does a beautiful job scoring the show. Listen to his haunting "Life and Death" in the video below.

13) The characters and the writing.-- I've mentioned some of them already, but the characters are what keeping bringing me back, even when the show sometimes strains credulity. And the writing--the storytelling, the dialogue, the plotting--is just terrific.

Bottom line, "Lost" is my favorite TV show, and one of the only TV shows I ever watch.

If you haven't watched it, I suggest you start with the first season DVD set and then go on to the second and third. If you can watch the first two or three episodes without getting hooked, I'll be extremely surprised.

And now, the video: