I am giving the show the benenfit of the doubt because they have a lot of work to do bringing the plotlines together and making them go whereever it is that they originally planned for them to go.

But....

The show is getting emptier. The characters are in personality limbo. There's a lot of running around without necessarily getting anywhere. People are kidnapping others, killing them, trading them, convincing each other to run over here, refusing and staying over there, double-crossing, questioning, relaying expository info, and otherwise DOING STUFF but not enriching the story or experience much.

The show does have some intrigues and developments that keep it going. But it's as frustrating as it's ever been. You wait for a meal and you keep getting small bites passed under your nose and then put back on the plate.

I kinda, sorta disagree.

Most of the folks I know who are fans of the show are happy with the changes: things are happening!

Most of the folks I know were tired of the flashbacks: "Hunh? wha!?!? Sawyer's a con man? You don't say! I didn't see that coming. No wait. I did. Twice now."

Most of the folks I know love the flash forwards. They make us wonder about how the show's gonna get where it's going. Before it was just treading water.

And it seems viewers agree in general. Ratings are up.

For some fun reading on Lost check out Doc Jensen on EW.com.

For those who are not impressed with this season of LOST, there is another level on which to appreciate show which will illuminate this season in a new way. Jensen's columns at EW.com are nice, but there is a writer who blogs at powells.com (yes, the book website), who is truly amazing. His name is J. Wood. He untangles and reconnects the many, many cultural and literary references that LOST is working from, and he goes a long way to connect all that to the crazy science-type wierdness that is happening too.

You should really check him out if you are feeling a bit disappointed with LOST this season: www.powells.com/blog/?author=104

I agree with Heather here - Lost has been lacking the last few episodes. But, I also think there have been a couple of great episodes this season - Desmond's episode was incredible.

I do wonder if watching it as the episodes release on TV has an impact, though. Previously, I only watched the DVDs - so I could obsessively watch 4 in a row. That probably helps hide some of the lesser episodes. Also, the writers strike has forced the writers to put a bit more in to every episode, which was fun for the first couple Oceanix Six eps, but has made the last few cluttered, and like Heather pointed out, like an action movie.