People often interpret LOST to be one big metaphor for life itself. I think the metaphor works better in regard to this journal. It lies dormant for months and months and has been pronounced dead more often than John Locke, but it always magically springs back to life.

I've always had a hard time collecting my thoughts with LOST season premieres, but last night's episode has taken this difficulty to a whole new level. I think it has something to do with how much information they pack into season finales and then the abruptness of the months of inactivity, that it's often hard to get back into the LOST frame of mind once the season begins again.

For me, I usually don't quite get back into it until two or three episodes into the season. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy the LOST premieres, but the LOST lust usually takes a few weeks to get going. I guess it's a bit like foreplay, I suppose.

The reason I think "LAX" works so well as a season premiere is that it packed so many delicious morsels into a two-hour block. But the reasons why there's a slight reluctance for to give this one an all out rave are because of the above explanation, but also because this one was such a dramatic continuation of last year's finale. There were no subtle retellings of past events from another perspective, such as the S3 opener with the Juliet bookclub plane crash or the season 2 hatch dwellings.

Gone are the days of tire-spinning. While there really weren't any "big questions" answered last night, the end game has begun and you can see how bits and pieces of the final end game had to be established.

Some things I noticed and other bits:

- The general feeling I got from the opening scene (and subsequent scenes at LAX) is that there was just enough "weirdness" for me to buy that the timeline reboot carried major repercussions for the fate of these castaways. I'm thinking mainly of the weird nick on Jack's neck that seemed to come out of nowhere, the completely surprising shot of Desmond on the plane, and the general feeling of deja vu that Jack had throughout the plane ride.

Many of the rebooted scenes reminded me of the Season 3 episode in which Desmond, after having blown up the hatch, finds himself on the floor of his apartment. From there, little things like the beeping of his microwave sounding like the hatch computer and seeing Charlie keep reminding him of his island bound fate. I now wonder whether that episode was basically one big foreshadowing of this very season.

And was it just me, or did Rose have almost a knowing look on her face as she spoke to Jack on the plane. There was something about the look in her face when Jack said that everything was going to be okay.

And with Desmond, I wonder if he's kind of bouncing through time. Like he's completely become unstuck from any one place or time.

- The digital effects shot of the submerged island were laughably bad...and very poorly framed. But I kind of liked the scene, nonetheless.

- The Ben and (smokey) Locke stuff continues to amaze. In fact, the little touch of (smokey) Locke telling Ben what was going through Locke's mind as Ben choked him may have been one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire series. Smokey continues to issue his own version of justice and retribution and it never ceases to amaze.

- I love how smokey/Man in Black thinks he has the upper hand on things, but that Jacob is also pulling strings of his own from beyond the grave. I continue to hold the belief that the MIB isn't a "bad guy" per se, but is just a guy (angel?) doing all that he can to get back "home." I also hold the belief that Jacob and the MIB are like the angels in Dogma. They're both just doing what they're made to do, or are being punished, and are doing all that they can to get "home." Only the MIB is a little more Old Testament about it.

- I really hope they kind of figure out the rebooted timeline situation and that we don't have to see the non-castaways figuring out how to become better people again. I'm a little nervous about this actually...I mean, it took these characters 5 seasons (actually, some people still haven't figured it out) how to fully come around to be better people.

That's all I have for now. More to come later...

Matthew