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.

It's going to be a long, long time before we see new footage of Lost again. The two-hour finale has come and gone, and viewers were left with more than a few questions. Lost blogger DocArzt has offered fans a deleted scene from "The Economist" to hold them over for the rest of the year.

The scene follows Miles, Kate, and Sayid on their journey from the jungle to the Barracks. Miles shows off his supernatural powers when the group reaches the sonar fence. There have been a few hints about Miles' abilities in previous episodes, and I was happy to learn more about him. We already know that he communicates with the dead and can sense things about the living (Michael and Charlotte, for example), and now we can add sonar detection to his list of skills. The video is available after the jump.

(S04E10) The writers gave us a break after last week's action- and information-packed episode. While Jack struggled with appendicitis, we got another look at his future off the island. Three of the other members of the Oceanic Six turned up, and Jack learned that there's no escaping a love triangle. Back on the island, Claire had an unexpected visitor.

"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?

(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.

The video podcast for "Confirmed Dead" is up on ABC's Lost page. This week, costume designer Roland Sanchez discussed the costume choices for some of the new characters that appeared in Thursday's episode. This was another short behind the scenes video, but hopefully the rumored end to the strike will bring Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse back for some meatier podcasts. Here's a recap:

• The show's wardrobe department keeps at least a dozen versions of Jack's classic blue T-shirt. Sanchez chose that shade of blue because he didn't think that Jack would wear a "happy" color.

(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."

Straight from the mouth -- or blog -- of great TV guru Michael Ausiello, Ken Leung will be the next person to be stranded on a special desert island somewhere in the South Pacific.

For those of you who are Sopranos fans, you will recognize Leung as Uncle Junior's slightly-crazy protégé Carter Chong in the last season episode "Remember When."