It’s finally happened. “Lost” is back, but with it has come perhaps the greatest dilemma I’ve faced in my television-watching career. Should I watch?

“But, Patrick,” you say, “Of course you watch it! You love ‘Lost’! You’ve been waiting for this for nine months. How could you not watch it?”

That’s an excellent question, hypothetical reader. I’m glad you asked.

At the end of last year, the producers of the greatest show on television pressured the executives at ABC to give them an end date for their show. They needed to know how many more episodes they would be making so they could decide how to reveal the mysteries of the island. The network decided there would be 48 more episodes, but that rather than deliver those in two standard 24 episode seasons, they would drag out the torment for the “Lost” faithful by stretching it into three 16-episode seasons. At the time, it seemed okay; it was longer than I wanted to wait, but I could cope.

Enter the WGA strike.

The writers went on strike midway through production of the current season, so eight of the intended 16 episodes were written. And since “Lost” executive producer and head scribe Damon Lindelof is one of the lead spokesmen for the WGA and its cause, there seems little chance that the “Lost” writers will be crossing picket lines to finish the season.

But wait, it gets worst.

Last year, many “Lost” fans complained that the show didn’t answer enough questions. It seemed that every episode only raised new questions, with no resolution. In response, Lindelof and producer Carlton Cuse have said that season four will definitely have more answers. The first eight episodes will set up questions for the season, and the second eight will answer them.

“But, Patrick, you said they only finished eight episodes before the strike. Does that mean there won’t be any answers at all this season?” That’s exactly what it means, hypothetical reader. That’s it exactly.

So you see the dilemma. But this is indicative of a larger problem I’ve had throughout this strike. There are handfuls of new episodes out there, but each one only makes me miss the show more.

This week, “House” aired its first new episode in months. They’ve promised at least one more next Tuesday and one is airing right after the Super Bowl. “Chuck” surprised fans by showing two fresh episodes last Friday, with an episode of “Celebrity Apprentice” sandwiched in between.

All of these episodes are sitting unwatched in my TiVo. I can’t bring myself to watch them. It is as though I’ve been trudging across a desert of reruns and someone has refilled my canteen with just enough new material to remind me of what I was missing. I’m going to hold out as long as I can. I may ration these new episodes all the way until graduation, but odds are I won’t find myself with that kind of will power. But with the window rapidly closing on there being any new shows this season, and with the fall looking doubtful, I’m going to have to make this last.

My only saving grace these days is college basketball. There are enough decent sporting events on TV until the end of March Madness that I can convince myself I don’t need to dip into my new episode canteen until then. After that, TiVo and I are going to have a very long conversation (yes, I talk to my TiVo). And then I either break my fast, or start reading. And who needs to read?

Pat Thompson is a senior in the College. He can be reached at thompson@thehoya.com. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes runs every other Friday in The Guide.