Lost May Not Abandon Flashback After All

Some interesting news on ABC's hit television Lost today. With the series ramping up to its third season finale (and really hitting its stride with some great, great episodes) TVGuide.com reported earlier this morning that Episode 19 would be "flashback free".

Lost is about to go somewhere it never has before: two steps forward, no steps back. Per AintItCoolNews.com, Episode 19 will be 100-percent flashback-free. The hour, says the website's mole, "focuses on one of Season 1's ‘mysteries’ — if that's the right word.”

This got the blogsphere buzzing with what Lost could possibly have up its sleeve. Well, as it turns out, the report may have gotten a bit ahead of itself. Because TVGuide.com is now reporting a slight alteration to their original story.

UPDATE: A source at ABC has since whispered to TVGuide.com, "Although the episode doesn't have a traditional flashback, the flashback device is still used." Hmmm....

So what does this mean? It could be an episode told entirely in flashback form, similar to Desmond's episode earlier in the year. And if it does focus on Season One mysteries, maybe it has to do with Dharma and not the castaways on the island? There has been speculation that one episode this season was going to be focused on the mysterious DeGroots who led the Dharma Initiative, perhaps this will be that episode, or maybe, as has speculated on SpoierFix.com, that episode may be tied to the Ben flashback scheduled for Episode 20, which Kristen, at E-Online has speculated about.

Another Other will get a flashback. And it just might be the best episode ever. So, will it be Ben? Michael Emerson coyly answered a question about such a prospect, saying, "I would look forward to a Ben flashback. I can't wait for such a thing to happen. I'm not sure when the audience is going to see that happen, but…When we do a Ben flashback, what would be the use of it if we didn't get to go back in time with Ben and see him? How exciting will that be? To see little Bens or different stages of Bens, maybe a whole mess of Bens! I can't wait for that." Neither can we fans!

As always, the Lost braintrust has their fans on the edges of their seats, not knowing what on earth is going on. And that's probably just how they like it.