More glorious “Lost” fan-baiting

Yesterday, we talked about the series of Lost “Missing Pieces” web episodes. Today, I want to bring your attention to another manner in which Lost’s producers have been baiting (placating?) fans in the recent weeks leading up to the premiere of season four (which, in case you live in complete, desolate seclusion, is TOMORROW!!). I’m talking about “Find 815“, the second “alternate reality game” (or ARG) shedding light on and adding more questions to the ever-growing Lost mythology. These ARGs take place primarily online and consist of different videos, e-mails and other clues leading to fresh fodder for Lost-ophiles, the idea being that we’re observing and/or taking part in events that are corresponding with (and therefore part of) the story lines on the actual television show Lost.

The first Lost ARG, known as “The Lost Experience“, took place (in the most literal sense) in 2006 and centered around the story line of a young woman searching for answers about the mysterious Hanso Foundation. The current ARG focuses on the quest of a former Oceanic Airlines employee who wants to know what happened to Oceanic flight 815 — because his flight-attendant girlfriend was one of those on board. Apparently, the game is set to culminate in the hours before Lost’s season four premiere, leading one to assume that a semi-major revelation may be in store. [Here's a great website with continuous updates about "Find 815".]

As always, if you don’t care about Lost, you may feel that you just wasted several minutes of your incredibly precious time by reading the preceding text. But since you’ve made it this far, I’m assuming, dear reader, that either you’re just as big a Lost fan as I, or else you’re searching for some kind of path to cultural enlightenment, and you think I might just be able to cast some light on the trail. Either way, click on some of the preceding links to find out more.