Now that it’s 2008, we can finally say that new episodes of “Lost” are imminent. And by “imminent,” we mean the end of the month. If you’re a fan, you were likely shocked (in a good way) by the season finale (which aired in May, about an eon ago) and by the revelation that, in fact, nothing further would be revealed until February 2008. Now ABC tempts us with new trailers for season 4…and the tantalizing piece of information that we won’t have to wait until February! The first new episode airs in the waning moments of January, so at least we can say that “this month, we’ll see the first of the new episodes.”So to tide you over, here are a few things you can do to prepare, most of them from the comfort of your own chair-in-front-of-computer. Complete the whole list and you’ll be ready!1. Rent the DVDs of Season Three. Rumor has it there are some amazing commentaries by Benry and Locke, and seeing the tricky scenework and intricately woven details that might or might not be important this season will prime your brain to receive the messages from the Hanso Foundation. (Want a shortcut? I just rented disc 6 from Netflix, so I remember what happened in the last three episodes.)2. Witness the most brilliant Lost related site, which contains no spoilers, just one piece of vital information: Is Lost a Repeat?3. Arrange community debates on subjects vital to TV fandom. Like:* Which pair of characters was more useless: Nikki and Paolo on “Lost”, or the Mexican siblings on “Heroes”?* Which former cast member from “Buffy,” “Angel” or “Firefly” will show up on this season of “Lost”?* Is Charlie really dead? Or is he only “mostly dead”?* Which character represents blind faith? Which represents reason or logic?* Analyze character names like Jack Shepherd and John Locke.4. Enjoy this parody of “Lost” and this parody of “Heroes” — which one did MadTV do better?5. View this weird lost Dharma Initiative training film and talk with your friends about what it means.6. Watch this extended trailer for Season Four, and be surprised at how little it actually reveals.

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