TVSquad

We've already discussed some of this season's letdowns, and now it's time for the good stuff. Even the pickiest Lost fan must acknowledge that season four was phenomenal. A lot of things could have gone wrong this season. The writers had to incorporate an entirely new timeline into the show, deal with strike-related delays, and ease another group of characters into a huge ensemble cast.

Instead of falling short of expectations, this season surpassed them. I probably could have devoted separate posts to each of the following highlights. As usual, please share your own praise for this season of Lost in the comments section. I didn't come close to covering everything that made this season incredible.

"Welcome to the war." Ben Linus utters those words to John Locke in one of ABC's Lost promos, gun in hand. Since day one, Ben claimed that the freighter folks were going to kill everyone on the island. The show's three-hour finale is only a few weeks away. What do these last episodes of the season hold for the island residents? Can they hold their own against Widmore's team of scientists and thugs? Spoiler Warning: Some details from promos, interviews, and podcasts are mentioned.

(S04E08) We're going into a five-week Lost hiatus, and I'm extremely thankful that this wasn't the season finale. "Meet Kevin Johnson" wasn't a bad episode, but I couldn't have waited until 2009 for a follow-up. This episode did have its moments. We learned more about the island's connection to its inhabitants, Michael's time on the mainland, and there was (at least) one death. That should keep us busy for the next month or so, right?

(S04E07) Well, that episode was a real tearjerker. This week on Lost, we met a few more members of the freighter crew, Sun had second thoughts about joining Team Jack, and Bernard got a little screen time. We finally got a look at Ben's inside man on the freighter, too. Things are starting to get weird on the freighter, and I'm beginning to wonder if Sayid and Desmond were safer back on the island.

Most Lost fans have a favorite character, or even a few favorites. Now all of the Locke fans, Kate admirers, and Ben disciples can settle their differences--March Madness-style. Since March 7th, the Washington Post has been hosting Lost Madness, a bracket-like poll to determine the best all-time Lost character.

Instead of regions, the tournament sorts everyone by character type: 815ers, Others/DHARMA, rescuers and dead survivors, and other crucial players (the Smoke Monster, Danielle, etc.). The first two rounds are already finished, but you still have time to vote in the Sweet Sixteen round. New winners are revealed every couple of days and the winner will be announced on March 25th.

No one, not even the most hardcore Lost fan, can have more questions about the show's characters than the actors who portray them. Recently, Several Lost cast members got a chance to ask these questions in a TV Guide interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the show's executive producers. This was a great idea on TV Guide's part, and the answers didn't disappoint. What could be more fun than letting actors like Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews, and Josh Holloway grill their bosses about issues that have been on fans' minds for months?

Cuse and Lindelof's answers contain a lot of spoilers about what we will learn during Season Four (and when), so stop reading if you want to be surprised. The juiciest responses and some speculation about what these new details could mean are included after the jump. My remarks also take rumors into account, so consider yourself warned.

(S04E05) I love Desmond-centric episodes. I never fully understand them, but I love them. Confusing as they are, I believe that they are the key to understanding the island and its unique properties. This was the one of the few Lost episodes this season that didn't flash forward to the future of the Oceanic Six. We didn't get a shocking twist at the end, but we got a lot of new information to consider. It's a relief to know that this season's storytelling won't follow a strict formula. There are so many mysteries, relationships, and settings to explore now; variety is most welcome.

(S04E04) "Eggtown" gave us more answers and another shocking ending; I could really get used to this. This week, we got a closer look at Team Locke's life at the Barracks, caught a glimpse of Kate's future off the island, and got to catch up with the survivors on the beach--remember them? Not many shows could mix topics like blackmail, grenades, and motherhood into one episode, but Lost pulled it off.

(S04E03) Three great episodes in a row! Between "The Economist" and Carlton Cuse's promise to deliver five more episodes, Lost is having a great week. The identity of another member of the Oceanic Six was revealed, and that person is keeping strange company in the off-island future. As usual, each big revelation introduced about a dozen more questions, but that's part of the show's charm.

(S04E02) Watching "Confirmed Dead" was like watching my dream episode of Lost. People asked direct questions for once, some of which were answered within the hour! This episode was all about the Freighties--their lives back on the mainland, their connections to Oceanic 815, and, to borrow a phrase, their "primary objective."

(S04E01) In honor of the Lost season premiere, we're doing a live chat during the 9pm ET airing of the episode. Watch the show and share your thoughts with Lost fans in real time! The full review follows after the jump. In "The Beginning of the End," the 815 survivors' feelings about being rescued were influenced by Charlie's message.

You can still join the chat by following this link. You can also check out AOL TV's coverage of Lost .

Even if the Dead Like Me straight-to-DVD movie will only be released next summer, the first trailer already made its way to the world wide web. The quality of the trailer is not the great but it does give a good glimpse at what's in store for the reapers and introduces Sarah Wynter as Daisie and Henry Ian Cusick as Cameron Kane, the new head reaper.

Even if you haven't read the movie spoilers and news released over the summer, you will still grasp most of what is shown in the trailer even if George's narration doesn't give a lot hints.

Over the summer, I kept you in the loop as to the latest spoilers and info about the direct-to-DVD Dead Like Me movie. Since I last gave you news about the movie about three months ago and because the DLM posts here at TV Squad still get a good number hits, I thought it was time I check up on the movie status and see if I could get more dish. Thanks to the movie's IMDb page (it's been up for a while now but I had given up on it since usually IMDb creates pages before or during shooting and it hadn't done that for the DLM movie) I can bring you some news.

Thanks to Multichannel blogger Mary McNamara, we now have fresh casting news about the Dead Like Me movie. The blogger, who attended the MGM panel at Comic-Con, reports that MGM's Senior Executive Vice President Finance and Corporate Development Charlie Cohen confirmed that everyone, except Mandy Patinkin and Laura Harris, was back for the direct-to-DVD movie. That is old news for TV Squad readers. But what is new is that Cohen gave the names of the actors set to replace both actors.

(S03E22) In honor of the Lost season finale, tonight we're doing something special. There's going to be a live chat during the show so you can post your comments in real-time! The full review is now posted will be posted in this space later this evening.

What will happen to Locke and Charlie? Will Jack's dynamite plan work, or will Ben and the Others outsmart the 815ers? Will Sawyer take his shirt off?

Click here to join the chat.