TV Series: Lost

This week I've watched the fourth season of "Lost". I'm watching one season each year, so I should be finished by 2019.

In my opinion, the fourth season is the weakest so far. It seems to be treading water, stretching things out with very little development from one episode to the next. The flash-forwards are fascinating, but the action that takes place in the present moves so slowly. The season was shortened by the American writers' strike, so it only consists of 14 episodes instead of the usual 23 to 25. This is just as well. I feel that the story told in the 14 episodes could have been told in four episodes.

This is also apparent if we look at the timeframes covered by the seasons.

Lost Season 1: Days 1 to 44
Lost Season 2: Days 45 to 67
Lost Season 3: Days 68 to 91
Lost Season 4: Days 92 to 100

The fourth season shows the castaways running backwards and forwards across the island, but effectively the fourth season ends with the rescue happening that was promised at the end of the third season.

There's also a problem with the drama of the fourth season. There are scenes in which the castaways are in danger of their lives, whether it's being shot, an explosion or a helicopter crashing. There isn't much suspense in this because the flash-forwards in previous episodes have already shown that they'll survive.

I hope the fifth season will be better. Ask me what I think next year.