'Lost' secrets unlocked by author

London-raised cult TV expert Nikki Stafford is finding herself totally
and happily Lost these days.

Stafford's new book, Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide (ECW Press) was
launched yesterday in Toronto and she has been feted with Lost
questions by CTV's eTalk entertainment newsmagazine.

Finding Lost is on the shelves just as its subject Lost, the ABC hit
which airs on CTV in Canada, returns tonight at 9 p.m.

Stafford has been interviewed more than a dozen times in recent days by
media outlets feeding on the Lost frenzy.

Stafford is the cult TV expert identity of a London writer and editor
who now lives in Toronto. She is the author of other books on cult
television shows, including Bite Me! An Unofficial Guide to the World
of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The London region launch for Finding Lost is at the Central Library,
251 Dundas St., Nov. 4 at 11 a.m., when Stafford will be on hand. (Call
519-661-4600).

Never at a loss when it comes to her hometown, Stafford shared her
hopes and predictions for the third season of Lost with The Free Press.

Tony Calguire...

Lemme get this straight... a woman who watches the show has written down
what she thinks might happen in future episodes... how is that different
from what we are all doing right here?

EGK...

She's smarter because she found a way to make money off the rest of us. Just
like the writers and producers of Lost. :)

Q: What will the Others do with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline
Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway)? What would you like them to do?

A: I haven't read a lot of spoilers on Season 3 (and unlike Buffy,
there aren't a lot out there), so I don't know for sure what they're
going to do. As for what I'd like them to do . . . I'd like to see Jack
strapped to a chair in front of a television a la Clockwork Orange
being forced to watch videos that break down his God complex. I'd like
to see Kate finally be respected by someone for who she is and maybe
she could be the link to how the Losties could form an amicable
partnership with the Others. And whatever they decide to do with
Sawyer, I hope it involves him having to take his shirt off.

The producers have promised (ha, a promise in Lostland, sure) to
resolve the Jack-Kate-Sawyer triangle. How can they do that without
hitting Clicheville?

It will all depend on what happens when the trio gets to the Others'
camp. If the Others decide to separate them in some way, Kate will
naturally gravitate to the person she's nearest to. So if they remove
Jack from the equation and have him in their compound doing one thing
and have Kate and Sawyer doing something else, she'll align herself
with Sawyer and become closer to him and turn on Jack. And the same
could be said the other way. In nature and temperament, Kate is closer
to Sawyer: both appear to be bad people, but they're misunderstood and
have a genuine goodness to them. But Jack is the guy with the dark past
that he has yet to uncover and Kate might end up being drawn to that.

Which character will be the first to go this year?

I hope no one. What makes Lost such a great show is the fantastic
ensemble cast, and you remove one piece of that ensemble and a large
gap remains. I could see something happening to Sayid, because he's not
attached to any other characters. (My heart would break if he left,
though).

Who is going to be the surprise hero? The surprise villain?

Again, I don't know any spoilers for the third season, but Charlie
became a bit of a villain (last) year and he has the potential to
become an even bigger villain or the real hero. If the latter happened,
it would be lovely and would be the true redemption of his character.

What is the big temptation for the producers to avoid?

The fans are begging for answers to the big mysteries, but the
producers have to be careful not to answer them quickly or where will
that leave the show? If in the first six episodes we found out why
Locke was in the wheelchair, what Hurley's numbers mean and why they're
all on the island, would you turn in to the rest of the season?

Three new cast members are being added -- Elizabeth Mitchell (ER),
Kiele Sanchez (Related) and Rodrigo Santor ("the Brazilian Tom
Cruise,"). Are any of them -- not likely, given such skimpy credentials