10 moments that kept us ‘Lost’

“Lost” is a show built on little moments of revelation.  Amid plenty of ho-hum exposition this season, its producers included some doozies.

There were a thousand little clues and inside jokes we loved — the prehistoric bird crying Hurley's name; Kelvin being the same spy (or his twin brother) who induced Sayid's torturous ways; the Oceanic jet flying overhead in Locke's flashback — but a few moments will stick with us through the summer, little reminders to tune in again come September.

Hence, a wholly subjective list of “Lost's” 10 unforgettable moments this season:

10) Eko and the smoke monster: Never explained, never put in context, this moment of CGI magic remains a huge mystery. But the takeaway message wasn't too hard to deduce: Eko is one serious badass, enough to make Smokey stop in its, um ... tracks? Those swirling patterns and hidden images within made for great TiVo, even if it utterly lacked context.  The only problem is that Smokey seemed to vanish after its run-in with Eko.  Did the Man with the Big Stick scare him off?

9) So tubular: You'd have to look hard to find a better visual cue to Dharma's mind games than the massive pile of pneumatic tubes that the hunting party discovered en route to find the Others in the finale. The conceit of the Pearl station was that it was the real deal, and the hatch just a big psychological experiment. The tape it contained, and the tubes filled with observation notebooks, were enough to destroy Locke's faith in the 108-minute routine. But Desmond hinted that perhaps it was the other way around — with the real experiment occurring in the Swan. And the discarded notebooks were the perfect reminder that nothing with Dharma should be taken at face value.

8) Ana Lucia vs. Goodwin:  It would've been enough simply to see the eerie parallels between the original castaways and the tailies, and though Rousseau seemed like a troubling presence (she did torture Sayid, after all) it was Ana Lucia, Eko and the bunch who got closer to the Others than comfort would dictate. Remember Goodwin?  Remember Ana Lucia's pit? In a single episode, Lostaway Island became way more unsettling.

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7) The Others at tribal council: After furtive hints and glimpses, it was sweet gratification to watch Sea Captain Zeke confront Jack & Co. in the dark, light up the night with torches and then threaten them to stay on their side of the island. Then they offered up a gagged Kate as a bargaining chip. Perhaps it was the Others blowing smoke ... er, fire — but after so many oblique hints about their identity, this was a chance to see them in the open. It was even better than Zeke (Tom, actually) yanking his beard off in the season finale, a win for M.C. Gainey fans everywhere.

6) Sayid and Henry: Every menacing moment Sayid spent with Fake Henry was another reminder why it's so frustrating to endure an episode without seeing the Iraqi ex-soldier. Maybe you could quibble with Sayid's singleminded determination to prove Henry was lying, but it's hard to argue with someone who's right. His work at the balloon site — finding the real Henry Gale's body, and that telling $20 bill — was worthy of Sherlock Holmes. By comparison, Sayid's rage at Ana Lucia for killing Shannon was a bore. Plus it's hard to find a better line than: “My name is Sayid Jarrah, and I am a torturer.”

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