TVSquad

"Exposé" had a lot of layers, and, naturally, contained plenty of Easter eggs. The Numbers made their usual appearance, and Sawyer continued to read at an impressive pace (it seems like he has a new book every time we see him). Here's what else the Lost fan community has found (spoiler warning for those who have not seen the episode):

The Numbers: There were quite a few uses of the Numbers in this week's episode. Exposé was in its fourth season, and fans are wondering if the fictional show's events hint at events to come in Lost's fourth season. Will the identity of Jacob be revealed, just as the Cobra was unmasked, in Season Four? Also, Howard's diamonds were worth eight million dollars, and the spider's poison lasts for eight hours.

ABC just released the newest Lost audio podcast, which was once again hosted by executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The podcast features a short interview with Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), details about "Flashes Before Your Eyes," and information about "Stranger in a Strange Land," which airs Wednesday night. Here's what we learned:

• Henry Ian Cusick considers Desmond to be a quieter, less conventional hero. He also prefers to be called Ian.
• Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse admit that Desmond's episode was not a "flashback" in the traditional sense. Desmond was allowed to make choices within his own past, but was course-corrected by Fionnula Flanagan's character (the woman in the jewelry store).

There is probably a fansite that keeps track of these things, but I am willing to bet that 'Flashes Before Your Eyes' had the greatest number of Easter eggs than any previous Lost episode. For my part, I have never had to pause-rewind-pause so many times in my life. The entire episode seemed like one giant clue for viewers, and there are more than enough fan theories about what the primary message was.

I have no doubt that this list will be incomplete, but here is a list of the major Easter eggs that have been discovered so far:

The Numbers: Numbers played a huge role in Desmond's understanding of his abilities. During his revisit to the pre-island past, Desmond glanced at his bedroom clock, which read 1:08. These numbers connect back to the hatch, of course (Desmond entered the numbers every 108 minutes). Later, at the Widmore reception area, Desmond saw a deliveryman arrive with a package for 815 (the doomed Oceanic flight, as well as the numbers 8 and 15).

If the ratings are any indication, Lost's move to the 10pm time slot may have done more harm than good. For the last two weeks Lost's ratings have hit record lows, with 14.5 million viewers for its winter premiere and 12.8 million viewers for its most recent episode. The show may be out of danger from threats like American Idol and Criminal Minds, but has it left its early-to-bed viewers behind in the process?

Optimists have pointed out that Lost is doing relatively better in its new time slot, bringing ABC more viewers than the time slot's previous occupant, Invasion. The show is also #1 with the 18-49 age group when compared with its 10pm competition.

While this significant decrease in ratings is a major blow, there are many factors that could have contributed to the decline. 'Not in Portland' aired after a brutally long hiatus, and 'Flashes Before Your Eyes' aired on Valentine's Day, which is not a typically good night for television ratings. Fans can hope that the quality of recent episodes and the subsequent positive buzz will bring Lost back to its former glory.

Unfortunately for death pool participants, nobody died during the "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode of Lost. There may have been some good news for entrants who marked Charlie for death, however. Will Charlie's supposedly inevitable death come soon, or will the writers drag out the suspense into next season? Either way, below are some possible points scenarios for those who did (and did not) pick Charlie.

(S03E08) I cannot remember the last time two equally awesome episodes of Lost aired back to back, but here we are. "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was almost better than "Not in Portland." At the very least, it was more complex, and left me with even more questions than last week. I would even hesitate to call this a Desmond flashback episode. At first I thought I was watching a flashback within a flashback, but the writers of Lost had something far more mindbending in store for poor, tragic Desmond.