Dude. Chicks Love Lost.

Take any TV show with an obsessive cult following, and it will most likely fit into one of two categories: Nerd Show or Girl Show.  Nerd shows, best epitomized by Star Trek, inspire fans to amass knowledge about an alternate universe, ponder metaphysical questions, join fan groups, and argue vehemently about each episode, often on the internet, with the intent of winning said argument.  Girl shows, Sex and The City being the Grand Poobah, require fans to keep track of dramatically woven plot lines, analyze character relationships, gather around the TV with wine or show-themed beverages, and chat excitedly about each episode, face-to-face, with the intent of bonding.

Many cult shows have come close to bridging the Girl-Nerd gap.  X-Files fans, though mostly on the Nerd side, waited with baited breath in hopes of a Sully/Mulder make-out session.  Buffy, ever girlie, claimed its share of enthusiastic comic-book fan boys.  The Sopranos arguably had a foot in each category, with some fans geeking out on the mob history and some investing in the family life (though it was still basically a Girl Show for Men).  The fact remains that no cult show to date has united a bipartisan Girl/Nerd fan base as successfully as Lost.

It would be easy enough to assert that Lost appeals to both Nerd Show and Girl Show fans because it combines sci-fi elements with twisting soap opera subplots.  But plenty of shows have tried to offer “something for everyone.”  What separates Lost is a Nerd base agonizing over girlie plots (like whether Sun will reunite with Jin) and a Girl base analyzing nerdy plots (like The Numbers).  Losties don’t pick and choose what part of the story to connect with, because Losties understand it’s all connected.

And so, after all, are we. In our 21st century iCulture, our lives have become a mash-up of girlie socializing and nerdy tech addiction.  So why not our favorite TV show?   If the survivors could have checked Facebook the day of the crash (well, it was 2004, so technically it may have been Friendster or Myspace), they would have immediately discovered they were all in the same social network.  Nerd fans and Girl fans alike are ready to buy that concept.

Lost taps into our culture’s obsession with interconnectedness, whether scientific (like Faraday’s notebook) or personal (like Faraday’s mom) or both (like Mrs. Hawking’s reasons for manipulating her son).  Chat rooms and wiki aren’t just for grandma’s basement anymore.  The cute chick in the Jimmy Choos and the chubby dude in the stained graphic tee occupy the same WiFi hotspots.  Given the two of them in a Starbucks on their Blackberries, it’s an even bet which one is texting about Lost.

Tonight, rabid fans of all kinds will tune in to ABC for Lost’s final season premiere event, eager for answers to a mystery six years in the making.  Some will serve Tiki drinks at viewing parties.  Some will rush home from an awkward day at school seeking escape.  Some will discuss the show tomorrow at the office on IM.  Some will seek out answers on Lostpedia.  But no matter what their walk of life, Losties know one thing for certain: We’re all in this together.