"Lost" Returns, But Is It Too Late?

Some funny things happened while “Lost” was away these past four months:

*“Lost” didn’t make several critics’ end-of-the-year top ten lists—lists it had topped the year before.

*A new serial drama, “Heroes,” stepped to the forefront, moving at a frenetic pace and managing to answer some questions along the way.

*Several other serial dramas, including “Kidnapped,” “Vanished” and even the show that replaced “Lost,” “Day Break,” were cancelled.

*The displeasure with the six episodes that aired continued to build as fans got tired of not getting any answers.

So do these things mean “Lost” is in trouble? It could be if it doesn’t fix them. But the one thing that has always been true about the show is that the people behind it listen to the fans and I believe they are listening this time.

How do I know? At the Winter Press Tour, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, the show’s Executive Producers, announced that they were working with ABC on an end date for the series. Why is that important? Because it sent a message to the fans that the show is not just playing around. There are answers and eventually we will get them. And I think it’s safe to say, they’re a little stung by the criticism since Cuse suggested that the “save the cheerleader” resolution on “Heroes” didn’t live up to the hype…

Hey pal. At least they tried…

But it looks like “Lost” will be trying as well. In tomorrow night’s episode, we get a Juliet flashback that should give us some insight as to whether she’s good or bad. Next week, we’ll find out what happened to Desmond after the hatch blew up. And by the end of the season, we’ll know the meaning of Jack’s tattoos and why Locke was in a wheelchair. Plus, we’ll get the return of Desmond’s girlfriend, Penny.

See what I mean about listening?

The problem for “Lost” this season was actually created by trying to do something for the fans—eliminate repeats. But ABC wanted to use “Lost” as a lead-in for “The Nine,” so instead of running all 22 episodes uninterrupted (a la “24”), they broke the season up. Therefore the fans were expecting everything they loved about the show in those six episodes. But because they were never meant to stand alone, that didn’t happen. And the fans and critics were disappointed.

So is it too late? Has time passed “Lost” by? Of course not. But if fans don’t start getting some answers quick, that end date could come sooner than expected.

“Lost” returns Wednesday, February 7th at 10 p.m. on ABC…