I've watched every episode since the beginning. I have been thoroughly hooked and have been impressed by how consistently the writers/creators/producers have been able to keep surprising me season after season.
I loved how the episode last night wrapped so much up in a pretty little bow, from explaining who "Adam and Eve" were from the first season episode (right down to explaining the black and white game pieces that were found with their skeletons) to showing how the smoke monster (currently inhabiting the likeness of Locke) came to be and what Jacob's origin is. Yes, the origin story still relied on a McGuffin-like device (the light in the cave) but at least it makes some sense of the whole thing.
We now know why Jacob was protecting the island, why he drew the castaways to the island as he had been observing them in real life from far away then appearing in their lives to guide them into ending up on that plane ... because they were all hand selected candidates to replace him. We now know why the smoke monster/Locke must not be allowed to leave the island.
We now know the remaining possible candidates to replace Jacob look to be down to Hurley and Jack, with Jack looking most likely due to his declaration that he thinks he SHOULD stay with the island. Knowing the producers of the show, that probably means that one of their last surprises will be to make Hurley the candidate and the unwitting hero of the piece in the end. (While all the other roles went through a rigorous auditioning process, the creators had only one actor in mind for the role of Hurley from the beginning.)
Then there's the matter of the parallel time-line they've introduced this season after the hydrogen bomb was detonated at the end of last season. I don't quite know what to make of it yet, but the fact that some of the characters in that time-line are seeming to develop an awareness of events in the island time-line, it makes me wonder if there isn't a chance everyone will end up alive after all in the end. Who knows?
We have two more episodes left ... next weeks and then the 2.5 hour (
the producers recently announced they've added an extra half hour to the airtime to accommodate some additional footage) finale to air on Sunday, May 23. The episode will run from 9 p.m.-11:30 p.m EST. The overrun will push back local news, with the previously announced "Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost" post-finale special now airing at 12:05 a.m.
If you were expecting a simpler explanation, this isn't the right show for that. If you were looking for more, there are way too may forums and websites dedicated to that.
Wikipedia has a decent overview.
Lots of Lost discussion at
TV.com.
And
The Tail Section has consistently been one of the best fan sites throughout the shows run.
I really don't spend any time at those sites ... as I said, I've seen every episodes and while pondering them is fun, one hour a week for chunks of six years is enough time to invest in it for me. Although lately, after watching the current weeks episode I will tune into the #lost twitter feed to briefly "check the pulse" of the fans.