Lost
Wednesdays, 10 p.m.
WRTV (Channel 6)

Quit complaining about Lost already, would ya?

You know what I mean. “They’ve spent too much time with the Others.” “ABC never should have broken up the season.” “The new characters stink.” “I’m tired of waiting for answers to the mysteries.”

Yeah, yeah. Even if any of that were valid — and I’m not willing to concede it is — Lost is still by far the best, richest mystery on television. I’m counseling patience. The people who make this show clearly know what they’re doing and maybe even where they’re going. Even if we don’t.

Tonight, for example, they take a break from the grim storylines and throw us a complete curveball: an episode with several laughs and even more smiles.

Without giving away much, let’s just say it’s a Hurley-centered episode, and any time Jorge Garcia gets major face time, Lost benefits. Garcia, with the manner of a surfer dude and the body of a baby bear, is Lost’s comic relief. So even as we learn more about his grim backstory — never has a nine-figure lottery winner suffered more bad luck — the character’s hope shines through.

What else? There’s a car, beer, astoundingly good use of the Three Dog Night song “Shambala,” an untimely explosion and an English lesson that probably will rank among this series’ funniest moments ever. And all this takes place in an installment called “Tricia Tanaka is Dead.”

One of the great features of Lost is the element of surprise. There’s some of that tonight, too, especially at the end when a long-forgotten peripheral character reemerges.

But enough of my yakking. See for yourself. There’s a lot to like, and not an Other to be seen.