'Lost' (S4): Grading season 4 so far

Week two of Lost‘s unintended and unwanted spring break. How are you dealing with the withdrawal? Have you got the shakes? Are you so desperate for a hit of cult-pop geekery that you’re bingeing on old episodes of Twin Peaks? (You could do worse — but if you’re looking for something more current, try Battlestar Galactica, whose new season begins April 4. Totally fraktacular.)

As for me, I feel like Lost has never left — mostly because I just got back from there. As some of you know from reading Adam B. Vary’s nifty recap of ”Meet Kevin Johnson,” I was recently in Hawaii visiting the set of Lost, and in the coming weeks I’ll be sharing what I saw. For now, I’ll tease you with a word:

Dharka.

That’s right. Not a typo.

Dharka.

A Doc Jensen no prize if you can figure it out in advance of Lost‘s next episode, ”The Shape of Things To Come,” airing April 24. In the meantime, I promise you weekly Doc Jensen columns from now until the end of the season, beginning with:

THE LOST MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
Grading the first eight episodes of Lost‘s fourth season.

4.01 ”The Beginning of the End”
Flash-forward Hurley! Ghost Charlie! Oceanic 6! Christian rocking in Jacob’s hizzy!
Grade: A

4.02 ”Confirmed Dead”
The best introduction of new characters ever. Miles Straume’s ghostbusting scene, the revelation of a Hydra polar bear in Tunisia, and the discovery of Oceanic 815 wreckage at the bottom of the ocean rank among Lost‘s greatest WTF?! Moments.
Grade: A

4.03 ”The Economist”
Sayid is born again — Jason Bourne’d, that is — as an off-Island assassin for Ben in the flash-forward future. Not since Martha Stewart got out of jail has there been more watercooler discussion about a bracelet.
Grade: A-

4.04 ”Eggtown”
The flash-forward Kate stuff was nifty and the Aaron reveal was buzzworthy. The Island stuff laid an egg for me, but the Miles/Ben/Locke triangle, culminating with the grenade-in-the-mouth bit, was explosive.
Grade: B

4.05 ”The Constant”
Lost lets its geek flag fly — and opens its heart — with Desmond’s narratively trippy, deeply romantic time-travel episode. Best Lost episode ever? Debate.
Grade: A+

4.06 ”The Other Woman”
Juliet’s third flashback episode. The only true dud of the season, although coming after ”The Constant” did it no favors.
Grade: C-

4.07 ”Ji Yeon”
The Jin/Sun flashback/flash-forward was loved by some, resented by others for its twisty-or-gimmicky trickery. It worked for me.
Grade: B+

4.08 ”Meet Kevin Johnson”
I’m giving this one a solid, sturdy B. Since I didn’t recap (again, big thanks to Doc Vary for his excellent scholarship; he served you well, folks), I owe you a more detailed explanation….

NEXT PAGE: Doc Jensen offers his take on the ”Meet Kevin Johnson” episode