In this article: Slight spoiler alert The cast Q&A with Matthew Fox

"Lost" in the moment
"E!'s" TV expert goes beyond plotlines to find the secrets to this small-screen megahit. Plus, the show's creators reveal what's next.
By Kristin Veitch

It's fandemonium at its finest, with the cast a cult-TV version of the Beatles.

What is that monster on the island? What if they're really all dead? And why is that bald guy so creepy?

If you've been anywhere near a water cooler or, say, another human being lately, you know these are the questions consuming America this TV season, thanks to the astounding popularity of ABC's "Lost" (Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET).
" We don't just watch this show: We obsess over it, canceling Wednesday-night plans, joining online forums, and discussing plot points and character flirtations ad nauseam.

It's fandemonium at its finest, with the cast a cult-TV version of the Beatles. "We were mobbed at the airport," Daniel Dae Kim (who plays Jin) says of a recent flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles with his co-stars. "We signed autographs for an hour and a half."

"I just stood there with my jaw open," says Jorge Garcia (Hurley). "I was calling my mom and going, 'Did you ever think it would come to this?' " Truth is, no one did. When Damon Lindelof joined forces with "Alias" mastermind J.J. Abrams to create a show for ABC about plane-crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island, success wasn't guaranteed. And yet, despite a pitch that was created in just four days, "Lost" has become a bona fide hit, with more than 16 million viewers tuning in to watch these castaways face the perils of the island -- and one another.

So, as the first season concludes, we ask: How did this show gain such a rabid following? Critics will credit the stunning writing, acting, cinematography and special effects. Fans will tell you it's the devastatingly likable cast and the twists that keep everyone guessing. My take: It's smart TV anyone can enjoy. The show appeals to both sci-fi-minded high thinkers and the average American Joe who wants to plop on the couch and be entertained. Sure, there are secret codes and interlocking character arcs, but there's also simple stuff: running, fighting, fishing, kissing ...

There's a bit of magic, too. "Lost" appeases both skeptics and believers with elements of the fantastic (a dead father reappears; a paralyzed man walks) that are grounded in reality by very human characters. "Those are my favorite stories," Abrams says. "The situations are larger than life, but those responding to them are relatable."

"X-Files" creator Chris Carter, who knows how to satisfy both the Mulders and the Scullys of the world, attributes the show's success to just that. "When ["Lost"] first came on, people said, 'They've gone supernatural too early. They'll have trouble sustaining that,' " he says. "But once they hooked the audience with the mythology, the even bigger hook was that everything is personal to the characters, and that is the perfect recipe."

True, isn't it? We feel we know these guys -- thanks to flashbacks that reveal their lives before the crash -- even better than they know one another. And with a massive, diverse cast, we feel we are them. After all, they aren't super-spies or CSIs -- just people who boarded a plane.

Of course, what gnaws at fans are the unanswered questions: What does it mean? What comes next? "Lost" is driven by unsolved mysteries that keep us waiting anxiously for another piece of the puzzle. That frenzy has led to manic online chatter.

"It's amazing," Abrams says. "The Internet has really changed the way we watch TV. Instantaneously, thousands of people are interacting and reaching a consensus on what they like and don't like. The scrutiny is mind-blowing, and you'd be moronic not to listen to the fans."

Especially ones this crafty. "We put out these hidden 'Easter eggs,' and we think we're so clever," Lindelof says. "But five minutes after the show airs, it's out on the Internet." Those "eggs" are obscure, lightning-quick character connections, such as Hurley showing up on a TV in Jin's flashback episode. Given this online fervor, the producers must guard their scripts to prevent spoilers from leaking. Even so, Lindelof and Abrams were willing to share exclusive dish on what's next.

(SPOILER ALERT: Read on only if you want to know!)
So far, the focus has been on only 14 of the 48 crash survivors, but that'll soon change. "The population of the island will be shaken up," Abrams says, revealing he's now casting new second-season regulars. "Not everyone will be coming back, and other people will be stepping up. Also, the survivors have explored almost none of the island, so next year becomes more mission-driven. And the inevitable fractious aspects of society-building begin to arise." As for the current season ender, a two-hour finale airing May 25, brace yourself: "We've managed to pull off a cliffhanger that is emotionally satisfying but that demands that people talk about it all summer," Lindelof says. "It's a 'Who shot J.R.?' moment."

"The end of the season is unabashedly, mind-bendingly shocking," Abrams adds. Hear that? It's the sound of Lost fans running to a water cooler near you.

Writer Kristin Veitch is E! Entertainment's TV expert. Catch her on E! News every Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m., or read Watch With Kristin at eonline.com.

The castaways: This season "Lost" has focused on 14 of the 48 survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Standing: con man Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Iraqi soldier Sayid (Naveen Andrews), fugitive Kate (Evangeline Lilly), surgeon Jack (Matthew Fox), washed-up rocker Charlie (Dominic Monaghan), the recently offed Boone (Ian Somerhalder), lottery winner Hurley (Jorge Garcia), rich socialite -- and sister to Boone -- Shannon (Maggie Grace), and mystery man Locke (Terry O'Quinn).
Sitting: Squabbling Korean spouses Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun (Yunjin Kim), recently reunited father and son Michael (Harold Perrineau) and Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), and new mom Claire (Emilie de Ravin).

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Matthew's moral center
As crash survivor and resident doctor Jack Shephard, Matthew Fox, 38, is "Lost's" anchor, the guy other survivors turn to for leadership. It's a role in which Fox, best known for playing eldest brother Charlie on "Party of Five," thrives. He chatted with us recently from Hawaii.

What are some of "Lost's" deeper themes?
The show makes a comment on technology. People are spending so many hours in front of computers and on cellphones, we don't pay attention to the people around us. "Lost" strips away not just the rules of society, but also the way we live our lives today.

Jack is the show's moral compass. Will his values survive in this new society where there are no rules?
These characters are not always going to act the way you expect. The good doctor is not always going to be good. He is going to be tested to go into very deep-gray areas. And that is very realistic and fascinating.

He does have a lot of angst. What about the other survivors? How will the island affect them?
It is not an accident that these people are on the island. I am sure they are each there for a reason -- to find themselves personally, spiritually, philosophically through some epic struggle.

When have you felt most lost?
Just before both [my] children came into the world. If you don't feel lost before that happens, you're probably not approaching parenthood with enough respect. We need moments like that to figure out who we are and where we want to go.

-- Michele Hatty