I went on a Lost: Season 3 marathon over the weekend (on DVD, as I wasn’t able to follow the show’s TV airing) and, man, has this show become even more mind-boggling. From the initial, first season question of "where are we?", which was on the minds of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, the series has morphed that curiosity into "what is going on on this island?"

After the final few minutes of Lost: Season 3 (S3), it still maintained its position as my favorite TV show of all time. Here are 10 reasons why.

The Others
One of the greatest mysteries that remained unanswered in the first two seasons of Lost was the identity of the pre-crash inhabitants of the island known as the Others. The first season gave us a glimpse of them in the person of Ethan (William Mapother), who had infiltrated the camp of the survivors. In season two, more of the Others are seen. At the end of the second season, it was revealed that Henry Gale turned out to be the leader of the said group. The third season did not only identify Gale as Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson), the only remnant of the Dharma Initiative, but also dug deep into the history of the Initiative and how Ben came to his position of leadership. I think S3 offered a lot of exposition on the Others – which was good – but at the same time left certain aspects unanswered to leave viewers wanting to know more.

Survivor secrets
S3 also shed a lot of light on some of the survivor’s lives before experiencing the crash and the island. As always, the flashbacks provided more insight into the existence of the castaways making room for more understanding of each one’s actions and motivations. I particularly enjoyed the explanation of how Locke (Terry O’Quinn) ended up in a wheel chair and why Jack (Matthew Fox) has that left shoulder tattoo. I also liked the back-story between Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), and how it made their pre-island history one of the series’ more colorful ones – figuratively and literally. I really got a sense of who these characters are now, and, with the escalation of events on the island and the revelation of their past struggles and conflicts, I got to care about them even more.

More mysteries
All 24 episodes of the third season threw in different theories and possible explanations to the ongoing mysteries behind the show: What is this island? Where is it located? What was the Dharma Initiative really up to? Are the survivors of the plane crash really survivors? Or are they all dead and suffering different degrees of eternal damnation? Many of the island’s mysteries have been answered, particularly in this season, but with every answer come another set of questions that bring the characters – and the viewers of the series – deeper into the secrets of this show. Whatever the answers may be, though, it will always remain a fact that the questions and unknowns in this show throws out will keep interest in the series alive. Why? Because people love mysteries; they love exploring the unknown in an attempt to place logic in the illogical. Such is the nature of man.

The love square
In the first two seasons, the existing romantic tension in the show existed between Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway). In S3, they changed that dynamic by putting Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) in the mix. Sure, Kate and Sawyer finally hooked up in the first six episodes, but Jack wasn’t exactly inactive himself. This aspect of the season definitely moved the three main characters’ story-lines forward.

Benjamin Linus / Michael Emerson
The character and the actor. Both were exceptional. Ben was wonderfully written; Emerson portrayed him masterfully. And, yes, he steals the show each time. Whenever I see Emerson on screen, I have no problem believing him as the leader of the Others — the actor really owns the role. He deserved his Emmy nod.

Pacing
I read many of the fans’ reactions to the first six episodes of S3, saying it was too slow, focused too much on the captivity of Jack, Sawyer and Kate at the camp of the Others. But for me it actually served the series well, as it thoroughly introduced the Others — particularly Ben and Juliet — for viewers to get a grasp of who these guys are. I also liked how they shifted gears after Episode 6 and brought back the usual pacing of previous seasons. The series gets moving from here on in after giving the viewers more understanding of the survivors, the Others and the island. The producers of the show did a great job starting with slow — but great — exposition, then picking up the pace at the middle part with mounting pressure and concluding with cliff-hanging tension. Loved it.

More characters
As with Season 2, S3 introduced many new characters and gave some more exposure, which made the story and the interactions even more interesting. Aside from my favorite Other, Benjamin Linus, I also liked the addition of Juliet and how she impacted Jack as a person and as a leader. I enjoyed the way the character of Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) was given more air time and how he became one of the central characters in this season. I even liked the duo of Nikki and Paulo (Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro, respectively) despite their short-lived roles in S3. Each of these new players/expanded roles added more variety and character dynamics to Lost.

Six degrees of separation
It is unbelievable how some of the characters in the show are closely interconnected to each other. For example, who knew the Jack and Claire (Emilie de Ravin) were half-siblings, or that Locke’s father was (partly) responsible for Sawyer’s becoming a conman. It’s just really amazing how the writers of Lost managed to play six degrees of separation between these characters. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in Season 4, producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse make Jack and Ben first cousins… or something. Hahaha. Far-fetched? You can never tell. Anything can happen in the Lost universe.

Charlie’s death
This, for me, is one of the series’ highlights. I don’t mean just the death itself, but the build up leading to it. Charlie Pace’s (Dominic Monaghan) storyline has always been dynamic — his victory against drug addiction, memories of his life as a rock star, his gradual transformation from heroin junkie to hero — and his death at the end of S3 was a fitting and noble way for the character to exit the series.

Twist ending
The last scene of S3 shows Jack’s life after the island (so they do get off the island. or at least Jack and Kate does based on that epilogue). That certainly puts an unexpected twist to the series. I loved how this ending raises a lot of questions about the flow and consistency of Lost. I personally am kind of shaken that there was an "out" from the island. However, we can never tell what the producers of the show will do in the next season. So, I’ll just keep my speculations, theories and head-scratchings to myself.

Regardless, Lost: Season 3 managed to keep viewers (me in particular) entertained, intrigued and mesmerized by the goings-on on the island. This is one of the most intense shows on television that – up to the last five minutes of its third season – maintained its air of mystery and tension. That’s an excellent preparation for the next chapter of the story.

I can’t wait to hear “previously on Lost” precede the pilot episode of Season 4.