But it seems that over the past few episodes, Lost finds itself returning back to its roots: good storytelling surrounded by legitimate, three-dimensional characters with the occasional surprise thrown in. With the return of the spring season, it seems as if Lost is finally discovering that fans fell for the show in the first place because it presented us with people with likeable, or understandable, flaws. It spent significant time on back stories to help us understand who they were and it was only when it seemed to forget this that the show lost me.

I started to personally lose interest in season two, when endless new characters were showcased and people started to die just to die. It seemed like the show's creators just wanted to make us wonder who would die and how, rather than allowing the story to naturally flow. Ultimately, it felt like the show reached for a gimmick factor it could hardly keep up with. After all, how many people can you continue to kill off until you ruin the characters we fell for in the first place.

But hope is on the way. Literally. Consider the recent episode featuring Hurley's back story. It's the ability to get the auto started again that brings hope - literally with Hurley bringing Charlie alongside of him and including him in his quest for redemption. It's when the characters have been properly introduced that we can cheer alongside of them as they seek to not only find a way off the island, but a simple help to their predicament or mood, a cure for their loneliness.

Some people simply want answers to the questions that the show has produced. Others want to dive more into Hanso, the Dharma Initiative and the endless numbers of hatches. But for me, I fell in love with the show because I was made to care about Sayid and Shannon, Kate and Sawyer, Jack and Claire. I wanted to watch because for me it was connecting to characters who are searching, and I am searching, too. Locke's journey toward faith was riveting, Eko was enjoyable for the same reason and even Charlie is forced to learn to grow up from a drug-ridden, rock and roll lifestyle.

Lost is finally making me care again... by giving me someone to care about.