Tonight marks the premiere of the final season of Lost, ABC's time-bending, mind-warping sci-fi drama. Since its debut in 2004, Lost has woven dozens of mysteries into an ambitious narrative, and the show's loyal followers hope to get closure on at least some of them this year. The previous season ended with such a cliffhanger that it's nearly impossible to predict what comes next, so anticipation is high. Fans are even eschewing a pirated version of tonight's episode to avoid ruining the real thing.

• The Waiting Is the Hardest Part At The Huffington Post, Annie Stamell's take is fairly representative of critics and fans alike: she wants to see tonight's episode so badly it hurts. "I'm suffering the symptoms -- the anxiety, the stress, the heartburn, the stomach rumblings... I am rip-roaring ready to go."

• To the Bitter End Slate's Jack Shafer speaks for those viewers who have grown less infatuated with the show as it became more explicitly sci-fi, but are determined to see it through. "I stopped caring about Lost, but since I'd already invested so much time into it, I kept watching and comparing notes with other viewers. For me, Lost is like the tanking stock you won't sell because you can't admit you've taken a financial hit."

• Actually, Managing Expectations Is the Hardest Part Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen, famous for his sprawling, hyper-analytical Lost write-ups, is paring it down for the home stretch. "My season 6 ambition: to be a clear-eyed fan, counting on the best from Lost, capable of judging it fairly and graciously, committed to viewing without the defenses of cool cynicism, arrogant presumptuousness, or muted passion. More than anything, I want to see the story Lost wants to show me, not look for the story I want it to be or think it should be."

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