But then, because I was in max ADD mode and needed something on in the background while I got some work done, I watched the first episode of Season one.  Then I watched the second episode, and the third.  Before the day was out, I was four episodes in.  As of now, I’ve finished Season 3, and fully intend to finish Season 4 before the last and final season starts live.  I love the show the same way I love peanut M & Ms.  They aren’t really nutritious, and it’s not exactly high-quality chocolate, but the combination can be perfect in the moment.

Broadly, though, my opinion hasn’t changed that much.  I still think:

• The sci-fi in Lost sucks.  There’s no consistent underlying set of rules, just a sort of random interplay between odd tech and pure fantasy
• The constant themes of fate and religion have been done better elsewhere.  The excess string of coincidence is constantly interpreted as having “meaning”.  But the meaning is always obscure.  “We were meant to be here.”  Sure, you were meant to be standing over there, and you, yes you, were meant to be naked.  (Kate, for instance, is constantly struggling with her clothes)
• It’s no BSG.  But then, it really isn’t trying to be BSG.  One is a tightly woven story with gritty, real science fiction elements, the other is a bag of M & Ms.  Peanut.  It doesn’t make the M & Ms less tasty

What drives Lost is character.  The island is obviously the screen-writer’s vision of purgatory, whatever else they call it.  And purgatory is, by definition, filled with tortured souls who are on the edge between redemption and damnation.  Throw a bunch of these characters together, add some solid chemistry, and you get great drama.  Almost every character who gets introduced eventually becomes fascinating.  I love Bernie and Rose as much as I do Sawyer.  Of course Jack is just insufferable, but you always almost like him.