Four down, two to go - Lost marathon continues to Season 4!

It continues to get better.

I am also truly amazed that so many people stuck with it.

SPOILERS FOR LOST, SEASONS 2-4
WRECK LOST REVELATIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK

After three more seasons, with one fortunately (for my patience) truncated by the 2008 writer's strike, I'm still consistently impressed by how well the sneaky bastards have pulled this off. I mean, it really shouldn't work. In each episode, a tiny piece of the overall puzzle gets unpacked, and another tiny bit gets put away, and we're still no nearer knowing the answer to the BIG questions, mainly, what the hell is the island and what the heck is the smoke monster?

In these seasons we've gradually learned some important character histories. Things like, Kate Austin, the fugitive, blew up her step father because he was beating her mom, only for her mom to turn her in. Like, Locke, the craggy faced walking miracle, who lost use of his legs because of a scam from his evil father. Perhaps I was most amazed, though that they solved the 'why Scottish Desmond calls everyone he meets ''brother"?' question. Apparently, he used to be a monk. Er, OK, that'll do. Sadly, they haven't yet explained why if you're a blonde woman hanging out on the island, your days are probably numbered.

So a lot of questions have been answered. Not enough though. They got around answering any of the big ones in the 4th season thanks to judicious use of flash-forwards instead of flashbacks. Very sneaky. We know they get off the island, or at least some of them do. And that they have to go back! We eventually learnwhy, and that at least part of it is because Jack decided to grow a seriously scary beard.

Incredibly, Alan Dale - AKA Jim from Neighbours for all you UK readers - is here as a major villain. Or IS he? Mwahaha, etc. Mr Dale has carved out a comfortable niche on popular American TV shows, playing dodgy authority-driven men in positions of power. Here is no exception, and he's not that bad at it, either!

There are too many characters to dwell on in this rapid a review. All I can say is, I love the show to pieces, it shows up the flat imagination of a great amount of films (perhaps Christopher Nolan should have taken a shot directing an episode?) and manages to keep the story compulsive and, thrillingly, very watchable. Still can't bear to be spoiled for this. And I would never have lasted if this was consumed one tedious week at a time!

Four down, two to go. Does J J Abrams have access to the meaning of life? After all these hours on the island, I bloody hope so....!