I am – Hercules!!

The screener begins with a warning: Don't give away the major plot twists of the first two hours of “Lost’s” fifth season (airing Jan. 21). This proves limiting.

A few notes:

* The season begins (again) with an awakening and a record-player. And twitchy scientist Daniel Faraday will very soon throw a little meta-illumination on why producers like to begin season openers with that device.

* This line is uttered in the first season-five teaser: “We went through six carbon drill-bits and the last one just fried.”

* The flashbacks and flashforwards are gone and, I’m guessing (and hoping), gone for good. The show now moves freely between players, back and forward in time, no longer tied to one particular character for the length of an episode.

* The first hour is a corker, aggressively advancing the story in all kinds of directions.

* By far the most intriguing developments in the first two hours occur on the island. The second hour feels like a bit of a time-killer, focused on creating an obstacle that will keep The Oceanic Six from getting back to the island too soon.

* The most interesting part of the second hour may be something Ben says as he directs Jack to pack his suitcase.

* If you’ve been wondering if showrunner Carlton Cuse was just teasing when he hinted that the island may have moved in time, highlight some invisotext for a definitive answer. The Island did indeed move through time, though Cuse was not telling us a key detail about that move.

* Faces from past episodes turn up at unexpected moments. (Hopefully the names of those playing these characters will be left out of the opening titles to preserve the surprises.)

* Characters we don’t see in the first two hours: Jacob, Christian, Charlie, Claire, Boone, Shannon, Michael, Walt and Smokezilla.

* A character referenced since season two but not actually introduced until his or her appearance in the mobisodes (the ones compiled on the new season-four DVD set) plays a memorable role in these two hours.

* The two clips we’ve seen featuring Jack, Ben, Kate and Aaron are from the first 15 minutes of the first episode:

* How does hour one end, spoiler-boy?
“Oxford,” Penny Widmore is told.

* How does hour two end, spoiler-boy?
“Then God help us all,” Ben Linus is told.

"I love love love DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG as much or more than just about anything I’ve seen this year." -- Harry Knowles

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