lost season four

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.

ABC recently posted another Lost audio podcast for this week's episode, "The Constant." Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse reviewed the newest Lost episode as well as last week's "Eggtown," answered fan questions, and previewed "The Other Woman." Since they skipped a podcast last week, Lindelof and Cuse revealed much more information and dealt with more questions than an average podcast. Here's a recap:

• Due to the writers' strike, Lost's sixteen-episode season was cut to thirteen episodes. The storylines for the eight episodes intended for the second half of the season will be "compressed" into five episodes. The remaining three episodes will be added to the final two seasons of the show.

Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse recently sat down with EW's Jeff Jensen to answer questions, address rumors, and provide some mild spoilers about the show. The interview shed light on some of the questions that viewers had after watching last week's episode, "The Economist." Lindelof and Cuse also hinted at which questions will be explored and answered during Season Four.

They also discuss some spoilers concerning this season, so if you aren't caught up with the show or don't want to be spoiled, stop reading. Here are the highlights of Jensen's interview:

After a long absence, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are back with their first Lost podcast of Season Four. The show's executive producers rehashed "The Economist," answered fan questions, and previewed "Eggtown." Cuse and Lindelof will try to do a regular weekly podcast, but said that there may be fewer podcasts once production on the final five episodes gets busier. Here's a recap:

• Although there is a theory going around that Kate is living under an assumed name and isn't one of the Oceanic Six, Lindelof and Cuse confirmed that she is, in fact, one of the Six.
• We will learn the identity of the other two members of the Oceanic Six relatively soon, well before the season finale.

(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.

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With the TV season getting back to business as usual, a few Lost stars have been making the rounds in the media this week. Earlier, E!'s Kristin Dos Santos interviewed Jeff Fahey, who plays pilot Frank Lapidus on the show. Frank is my favorite new Lost character, and Fahey is very intriguing and well-spoken in person. The actor discusses his reasons for joining the show and admits that he had never watched Lost before joining the cast.

Evangeline Lilly was a guest on Tuesday night's episode of the Late Show with David Letterman. The actress tells Dave about how a planned trip to China became an impromptu trip to Japan (no visitor's visa). She also talks about the writers' strike and how she deals with island fever during filming in Hawaii.

Both videos are available after the jump. Enjoy!

When Lost's post-strike episodes come out later this spring, they will air after Grey's Anatomy on Thursday nights. TV Guide's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC's new Thursday schedule will feature Grey's in its previous time slot of 9pm ET (in which Lost currently airs), with Lost in the 10pm time slot. These changes will take effect in late April, once both shows have completed new, post-strike episodes.

This announcement does impact Lost's current run, however. Instead of airing all eight pre-strike episodes in a row, the plan is for the show to take a month-long break after Episode Seven. Apparently the producers felt that this was a better way to separate each block of episodes. The first installment of the season will end in mid-March, and the show will return with new episodes in late April. If the new schedule is successful, we could end up with a permanent Ugly Betty-Grey's-Lost lineup on Thursdays. How does that sound?

The strike resolution has come at an ideal time for Lost fans. Executive producer Carlton Cuse told the Hollywood Reporter that he and Damon Lindelof hope to produce up to five more episodes for the current season of Lost. This brings the Season Four episode total to thirteen, only three episodes short of the sixteen-episode season that was initially planned.

The five episode goal isn't set in stone just yet, but fans can count on getting a complete season. According to USA Today, Cuse said that, despite having to "accelerate" some of the storylines, Season Four will reach its intended conclusion. The remaining three episodes will be carried over into Season Five. This could be the best news I've heard all day!

[via BuddyTV]

Several of our sister blogs have some fun Lost-related content available right now. If you've ever wanted to throw your own Lost party, copy Sawyer's bad boy look, or adopt the 815ers' eco-friendly lifestyle, these are the articles for you.

Styledash has a guide on how to dress like Jack, Ben, and the other island inhabitants. The article is a clever take on the characters' fashion choices and what they reveal about their personalities. Blogger Jonathon Morgan also gives practical tips, including where to buy a razor that can give you Jack's perfect stubble, Sayid's tank top, and Ben's courier bag.

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."

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(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 .

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The wait is over! The newest chapter in the Lost story begins tonight. To celebrate, we're hosting a live chat during the Lost season four premiere (9pm ET). It's a great opportunity to discuss the episode with fans and share your opinions with other TV Squad readers.

The chat will begin shortly before the show starts. A link to the chat will be provided in the recap post, so check the front page later tonight to join the conversation.

Take it from someone who has seen the premiere in advance--you don't want to miss this episode. It is just as exciting as the season three finale, and you'll want to talk about it with your fellow Lost fans in real time as the drama occurs. See you tonight!

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We've reached the "Beginning of the End," folks. In just a few days, Lost will return for an eight-episode run. In honor of the show's return, I've come up with six reasons why I'm eager to see what's in store for Jack, Kate, Hurley, and the whole 815 gang. Feel free to share your own reasons in the comments section below.

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SPOILERS FOLLOW!

Last week Isabelle showed you the trailer for the upcoming fourth season of Lost, which bows on January 31 (it's on Thursdays at 9 this season). Now ABC has released a longer look at the new season, and it has a lot of juicy clues and tidbits for fans (I'll say again, don't read on if you don't want to be spoiled!).