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.

This season of Lost was my second favorite season ever, so it was difficult to come up with criticisms. A shortened season meant that there wasn't room for a weak episode. Nikki, Paulo, and Bai Ling stayed away. A few things are bothering me now that this chapter is finished, though. Some characters got a raw deal, and some twists failed to shock. It wasn't all time travel and brilliant action scenes.

Jack's appendicitis - Apart from bringing Jack and Kate closer together, I don't understand why this storyline was necessary. The flash-forwards ensured that Jack would survive his low-tech surgery, so there wasn't any tension there. It seemed like the only point of Jack's illness was to completely kill the Juliet-Jack relationship. Jack and Juliet's chemistry never worked for me. They shared two forgettable kisses, and then Jack basically blew her off after she saved his life. Still, Juliet deserved a better break-up, from both Jack and the writers.

(S04E11) One of the few flashbacks of the season showed us John Locke's predestined connection to the island. Locke encountered some familiar faces before the crash, and each meeting guided him to his current situation. While Jack's mind is set on rescuing everyone on the island, Locke's focus in on saving the island itself. This episode put everyone, including the freighter folk, in place to carry out their plans. I'm already stoked for the finale.

(S04E09) What a brilliant episode! At this point, I think all future Lost episodes should be either Ben-, Sayid-, or Desmond-centric. This episode had it all: tons of action, several big revelations, and more questions to ponder. Michael Emerson gave yet another award-worthy performance this week and showed off his action hero side.

Follow this link to join the chat. The full review is after the jump.

After a five-week hiatus, Lost returns tonight with the season's final five episodes. TV Squad is hosting a a live chat during the 10pm ET airing of "The Shape of Things to Come." Share your thoughts on the show's first post-strike episode, and read other fans' opinions.

The chat will start 15 minutes before the episode airs. Check TV Squad's front page later tonight for the recap post; the chat link will be posted there. From the looks of ABC's promos, "The Shape of Things to Come" is going to be action-packed. A lot of ground needs to be covered by the season's end. The first eight episodes introduced a lot of questions about the fate of the 815ers.

In honor of Lost's return, ABC launched Lostscape, an online game, late last week. The game, which doubles as a contest, allows users to explore the island and view clips from past episodes of the show. Fans also have the opportunity to view a scene from an upcoming episode. The goal of the game is to collect significant items, like Locke's knives and Charlie's guitar.

Once you've found seven of the thirty-four items (along with a special item), you can enter the contest. The prize is a trip for two to Comic-Con in San Diego, which includes airfare, hotel accommodations, preferred seating at the Lost panel, and a meet-and-greet with the show's cast and executives. The contest's deadline is June 30.

"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.

Earlier today, Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse held a teleconference with reporters and bloggers in anticipation of the show's return. They revealed, or at least hinted at, what we can expect in the season's final five episodes, elements of the season finale, and what they hope accomplish in upcoming seasons. Here's a recap:

• The title of the season finale is "There's No Place Like Home."
• When Lost returns, the show will follow Grey's Anatomy. Lindelof and Cuse aren't sure that the two dramas share an audience, but they are happy to share Thursdays with another successful show.

Danielle Rousseau has always been one of the most mysterious characters on Lost, and that's saying something. The final minutes of "Meet Kevin Johnson" left me with even more questions about the French woman. She's never had a flashback, and is completely on her own on the island. There is also no way to confirm her stories about reaching the island, her child getting abducted, or the deaths of her team members.

Spoiler Warning: Anyone not caught up with season four should stop reading now.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the return of Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty to the Thursday night lineup does make scheduling this additional hour a bit tricky. The original plan was for the two-part Lost finale to air over two nights, and have all three shows end on May 22. TV Guide's Michael Ausiello is reporting that the Lost finale has been rescheduled, making room for a two-hour Grey's Anatomy season finale.

There could be an upside to the Lost hiatus after all. On Wednesday afternoon, TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reported that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are in "advanced talks" with ABC about adding another hour-long chapter to Lost Season Four. The arrangement is by no means set in stone, but it is encouraging news.

No word yet on how this extra hour might be added to the season's remaining five episodes. We could get another episode, or the finale could be an additional hour. Would a three-hour season finale be too much, even for Lost viewers? How will this affect the scheduling of the two-hour season finale? Currently, the season's last episode is split into two installments that will air one week apart. Will there be room for this bonus episode now that Lost is sharing Thursday nights with Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty?

ABC posted another Lost audio podcast for the most recent episode, "Meet Kevin Johnson." Damon Lindelof rehashed last week's episode, confirmed the identities of the Oceanic Six, and discussed the remainder of Lost's fourth season. Here's a recap:

• The title of the season's ninth episode is "The Shape of Things to Come."
• We will learn more about the Black Rock and the four-toed statue, but not necessarily in a flashback.
• The name Lapidus has appeared twice on Lost. Rick Lapidus' name was on the script in "Exposé," and Frank Lapidus is the name of the helicopter pilot this season. Writer Eddie Kitsis (who wrote "Exposé") loves the name, and wanted to use it on the show.

(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.

(S04E06) I didn't think it was possible, but the Lost writers actually found a way to make Ben creepier. All they had to do was add a "lovesick stalker" dimension to his personality. For a Juliet-centric episode, it seemed like we learned a lot more about Ben than the intriguing Dr. Burke. We also got some significant answers about who's behind the freighter mission--from Ben, of course. Perhaps the only thing Ben doesn't know is how to have a healthy romantic relationship.