James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway), Jin Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) and Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau), who were last seen bobbing in the ocean following an attack by the mysterious "Others," make their way back to the island and find themselves prisoners of survivors from the tail section, led by a tough-as-nails but out-of-control Ana-Lucia Cortez (Michelle Rodriguez).

Tragedy claims several castaways, including two who (by pure coincidence) were both played by actresses busted under drunk-driving statutes during filming. Hey, what are the odds of that? Other new castaways include Mr. Eko (the charismatic Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), the much-put-upon Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) and Rose's much-discussed missing husband Bernard (Sam Anderson), who turns out to be not quite what we pictured.

The season's most suspenseful, and politically resonant, subplot is the mystery involving one Henry Gale (Michael Emerson), who might be just another innocent castaway but who could be a representative of the threatening, mysterious "Others." Held prisoner by our heroes, whose methods of interrogating him do include torture, he is either the most put-upon innocent in the history of desert island jurisprudence or the scheming traitor his captors, especially Sayid (Naveen Andrews), believe him to be. The moral dilemma over his treatment brings the conflict between castaways to a boiling point and ultimately leads to a cliffhanger even more maddening than the show's first.

Beyond that, the season's biggest mystery is a four-toed foot. The biggest stunner is a shocking moment of betrayal. The most satisfactory moment? After one insult too many, somebody finally beats the crap out of Sawyer, and it's triply wonderful considering just who finally gets the honor. I mean, dude!

4, 18, 15, 16, 23, 42, hike

Some viewers felt that this season meandered a little, especially in the early going, but the high points were just as gripping as ever: the nightmarish month of the Tailies, the crisis of faith experienced by John Locke (Terry O'Quinn, who remains the most magnetic performer on the show) and the truly explosive climax all provided excellent mind-crack for those addicted to the mysteries of this oddly crowded little island.

The extras disc is both wonderful and irritating, for reasons having to do with the menu format: another grainy, scratched orientation film from the show's mysterious research project, the Dharma Initiative, sternly instructing home viewers to complete their studies by watching all the extras. This certainly provides a little fanboy glee on first exposure, but it may be a little monotonous for folks who don't watch the extras all in one sitting and therefore have to watch the same promo film multiple times. (Another extra, the otherwise fascinating "Lost Connections," features an even longer intro, annoying in that you might otherwise might to visit that feature several times.)

Among the extras: "The World According to Sawyer," a compilation featuring the abrasive Sawyer's habit of coining disdainful nicknames for his fellow castaways. (Evangeline Lilly, who plays Kate, takes visible delight in reporting that one of her character's Sawyerian nicknames, "Freckles," has stuck with her on-set.) "Secrets From the Hatch" offers a closer look at this season's oddest and most enigmatic set. The deleted scenes offer some moments that don't add much but one terribly sweet (and, in context, terribly sad) interlude from the doomed courtship of Hurley (Jorge Garcia) and Libby (Cynthia Watros). There are also several commentaries, and a goopy U.K. promo, directed by David Lachapelle, which is best described as the castaways doing a perfume commercial. You will also find the usual collection of mostly unfunny bloopers, which do provide rewards if you've always wanted to see Sayid wake Locke with a kiss on the lips.

The best of the extras is indeed "Lost Connections," an intricate navigable flow chart that allows obsessive viewers to surf the many hidden links between characters. This covers not only the leads but also the supporting players from their past lives. It is fiendishly addictive, and invaluable for fans who may have missed (for instance) Locke meeting Sayid's lost love back in civilization. The one drawback, aside from that too-lengthy intro: Until you learn how to work the feature, it's all too easy to lose your bearings among all the swooping pathways and find yourself following endless circles between (for instance) Jack and Ana-Lucia, Ana-Lucia and Jack, and Jack and Ana-Lucia again. Which is, come to think of it, oddly appropriate, as being stranded without a map is what the show is all about.