Island Dreams: Surviving a Lost-Less Tuesday

Well, I made it through the wilderness: I survived a Tuesday night without a new episode of Lost with only a modicum of shaking and withdrawal pains.

Sure, I should be looking at this as a set-run for what will likely be the rest of my life without Lost, but it didn't remove any of the sting or pain of not having a new episode to think about (and write about) today. (That said, I probably slept better last night than I have in weeks, without Lost keeping me awake for fitful sleep of island-related dreams, bizarre theories, and an appearance or three of the Smoke Monster himself.)

It wasn't easy. My Tuesday evenings have a strict schedule that's usually built around watching Lost at 9 pm: dinner is eaten way in advance, dishes washed, tea made, and the phones shut off altogether. I like my Lost silent and I watch it live so that I can discuss the previous act with my wife during the commercial breaks.

Last night threw off that routine, so I took the opportunity to catch up on some screeners, including FX's fantastic Justified ("Blind Side"), which featured the first on-screen appearance of Bo Crowder, the imprisoned father of Walton Goggins' Boyd, who was played by none other than Lost's M.C. Gainey (a.k.a. Mr. Friendly himself, Tom).

Which sort of through my whole universe back out of whack again. I didn't expect to see Gainey turn up here, much less as an incarcerated felon whose anger is the stuff of legend and who might be the key to unlocking Justified's serialized story arc this season.

It was another reminder that Lost is ending and that we should get used to seeing many of the series' familiar faces begin turning up in other series and in other roles. I've been in a little bit of denial that we have less than a handful of episodes of Lost remaining until it goes to that island in the sky.

Its legacy is undeniable but the end of Lost also arrives at a time when serialized dramas are increasingly a dying breed at the networks, with the departure of both Lost and 24 signaling an end of an era at the broadcasters, which have seen increased competition in the genre from cable, both basic and premium.

I'm going to miss Lost. I dare say that there hasn't ever been a series quite like it and there won't ever be one quite the same once it's gone. Last night was a glimpse through the looking glass into a world without Lost, and it was a far less interesting place indeed.

Next week on Lost ("The Candidate"), Jack's suspicions about Locke make his decision more difficult after he is asked to complete a difficult task.