Lost, Season 4, Episode 3, "The Economist"

The opening golf course scene totally made up for the fact that, as I watched it, I was sitting at home alone on Valentine's Day. Who needs a date when you have Lost, the ultimate lonely nerd salve? In fact, the show has many of the traits of an actual significant other. Sometimes it’s funny, sexy and exciting; other times it’s cloyingly emotional, mean spirited and just plain incomprehensible. And like a real relationship, Lost can occasionally draw things out for far too long.

But not tonight’s episode.

Tonight’s episode was jaunty, lean and consistently surprising. Not only did the flash forward show us a Lostie not drowning in self pity, [until the end – ugh –eds] but it also gave said character a nice little story arc, full of turns and reversals. And just when I felt the whole thing edging toward over-sentimentality, the guns came out. I won’t give away the subject of the flash forward, or what happens during it, because the surprise is half the fun. Let’s just say the first scene exudes the kind of menace I want to see from this show more often.

So, in the spirit of the holiday, I’m writing a love letter to my new favorite episode of Lost. Season 4, Episode 3, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. New mysteries to set the Internet abuzz. Who is the R.G. from the inscription on Naomi’s bracelet? What was the name of the ill-fated golfer? (I’ve rewound it four times and I still can’t make it out.) [Lostpedia says it’s “Mr. Avellino.” Also, didn’t it look like Elsa was wearing Naomi’s bracelet? –eds]

2. The love triangle scenes were...mercifully brief.

3. Miles! (Do I smell a new fan-favorite character?)

4. “Everyone has bosses.” And yours is a doozy.

5. Thirty-one minute delay! Wait, is that one of the magic numbers? No?! Man, they really dropped the ball on that one.

6. Nice Hurley mislead.

7. Now that’s what I call a cliff hanger.

All of this wrapped in some of the best dialogue and snappy one-liners all season. I looked it up. The episode is credited to the same team that wrote my personal all-time favorite episode, “Exposé.” See? Writers do matter.

In the end, it really was an appropriate episode for Valentine’s Day. And we all learned an important lesson.

When it comes time to break up, don’t shoot to wound. Shoot to kill.