Having returned from my travels to the middle of the country, Our Man in LA had a lot of catching up to do. Bills to pay, work to do, all the usuals. And, of course, TIVO'd shows to watch. And so, with a heavy heart, I watched Wednesday night's episode of the hit TV show annoyance LOST.

As you may remember, I have the same relationship with LOST that the functioning junkie has with SMACK. I know it's no good. I know I shouldn't watch. But I figure one more hit, and maybe that'll be it. Maybe I'll finally be able to kick the habit forever. I just need to get through this week, I figure, and then I'll get stronger.

I'm doomed. At least until I can find the TV equivalent of methadone.

In recent weeks, the LOST hits have gotten less and less satisfying. I find that the characters I once liked - like Charlie and Sayid - are on the Wieland crap list now. Charlie's addiction plotline is tired and stale (though I suppose that I should be learning some kind of lesson from it, given my relationship with the show). And I lost all interest and sympathy for Sayid last week when he tortured the guy who may or may not be one of the "Others".

Momentary digression here. Why did Sayid's torture bother me? A couple of reasons. First, he started whaling on the guy, really brutalizing him, because of his rage and sorrow over losing his girlfriend Claire. And yet, when he had the chance to face up to Michelle Rodriguez's character Ana Lucia, who actually did kill Claire, he gave her a quick and boring pass. Hell, by the beginning of this episode, they were basically pals. This bothers me. First because I don't think I'd be so forgiving about someone who hurt my loved ones.

Second, because watching Michelle Rodriguez act is like an act of torture to viewers everywhere. I mean, really. At first, I thought she was just written poorly, which she is. But it's really a whole package. She's terrible.

The second reason I can't roll with Sayid anymore is that I already have one TV hero who flaunts his skill at torture. In general, I'm pretty well against torture of any kind. I don't much care for the way our government uses it, even against potentially murderous terrorists. And I don't like it on TV much, either. Not to go all Bob Greene on y'all - you know, talking about how things used to be so much better than they are today - but remember when the only characters in movies, books, and TV who used torture were the VILLAINS? The Joker might torture someone, but Batman sure didn't.

But make no mistake. I'll abride my ideals on this subject for good entertainment. Just not all the time. So I can live with Jack Bauer torturing bad guys on 24. But Sayid will have to sit on the bench till Jack and the CTU force have had their turn. Tough luck, LOST cast and crew. Bauer and co. just got here first.

Anyway, this week's episode was fine. A little high for Our Man in LA, learning about where Claire was for a couple of months. The rest was so-so. During one flip through commercials via TIVO, I did an informal count of characters I still like or find interesting on the show. I think we're at seven: Jack, Sawyer, Michael and Walt (who haven't been seen since 2005), Jin and Sun, and Hurley. Maybe Kate. I fluctuate.

The last word on LOST as we close in on the home stretch of its second season? It's a bad habit, kids. Don't get started. But if you're going to, I'll be here next week, watching it again.

That is, unless someone's got a line on another show, to wean the addiction.