Pre-hiatus? I must be confused with the air dates then. We have next weeks episodes, and then when does the next batch begin airing?

The show is doing really badly in the ratings here in Australia. Virtually no one is watching the show (on TV) and ratings have dropped almost 80% from three years ago(when it was the no. 1 show on TV). It was not even in the top 20 shows ON THE DAY that it aired last week!

Disco, I believe the last 5 episodes of season 4 begin airing at the end of april.

Of course the numbers will drop after a bad episode. Stinkers like "Eggtown" and "The Other Woman" will certainly turn away more casual viewers. I'm a big fan and those episodes nearly ended my LOST lovefest. A more consistent LOST experience will bring a more loyal audience.

It saddens me to see LOST going in this direction. I am no longer a fan. I wish I were. The show is the same thing over and over: new people come to the island, someone gets killed, few questions are answered and many more are introduced. I thought the introduction of Miles was a bad choice. He can talk to dead people off the island. I thought that tangible "special" abilities were primarily supposed to be found on the Island. The island lost its significance in my mind. The biggest reason, however, I stopped watching LOST is the flash forwards. I think that decision might ruin LOST. I wish I were still a fan. I want to like and love it like I did in season 1, 2 and most of 3. I guess I am writing this note to officially break up with LOST.

One more thing that bothers me about LOST is what seems to be the writers' underlying principle of "what would 29 It really seems that if they would stop thinking about "what is the last thing the audience would expect" - they would make the story flow better and be more rewarding to the fan base. I hope they turn it around. I will come back if they do. I don't watch anymore as of 3 weeks, but my wife tells me about it. Best of luck LOST.

that garbled line is supposed to say - "what would the audience last expect" in every situation possible.

Ratings keep dropping because the show SUCKS now! I'm getting so tired of watching episodes where nothing happens at all. It's been that way since last season. They just bring up some new issue and then never talk about it again. It's like listening to a 3 year old tell a story. "And then this happenend, and this he said this, and did this, then this happenened, then I did this." The writers are ruining a show that after 2 seasons showed so much promise.

I have said this would happen all along. Everyone stopped watching last season because it was virtually the same thing all the time. Kate and Sawyer were in a cage and and Sawyer woul dget beat up and then Jack and Juliet would talk. This season every episode the freighter people act akward. Jack demands to know what is going on and it continues in an endless cycle. Another thing is, most peoples favorite characters like Sawyer, Hurley, and Locke have barely been in the show. The stuff with dharma and Jacob was interesting last season but after one episode they have ignored it the entire season. all we have gotten this season is 6 people get off the osland. nothing has happened. Luckily the last 5 episodes sound good.

What's all this about nothing happening? We've learned who all but one of the Oceanic 6 are. Hurley is back in the psych ward and there is a cover-up of the real 815. We know Ben gets off the island and hires (controls) Sayid as a contract killer. We know Kate takes possession of Aaron (and she is acquitted of murder charges). Sun gives birth to a healthy baby girl. We now know that Widmore has been searching for Ben. There's time travel in some fashion going on.

We still have yet to find out who the coffin person was or who the final O6 person is.

Do these Neilsen numbers reflect DVR and other such figures?

Who cares about the Oceanic 6?! We've known since last season that people make it off the island but so far have no idea how or why or why we should care. There are so many lingering questions that they've just refused to talk about anymore that this whole thing with the Oceanic 6 just seems like another one of those things that they'll never completely answer and then move on from. Why did season 2 end with those 2 guys in the bunker and then we havent seen anything about them since? Whats the deal with DARMA? What's the deal with the smoke monster, and the list goes on. Fact is they just keep putting out far more details than answers and while at first this added intrigue to the show, now it's just plain annoying and uninteresting. I'm tired of new characters and plot twists that never go anywhere.

Marc- you're right. instead of keeping the show going, they should just give us all of the answers in 1 or 2 episodes and then end it. that's the way to go...

If you hate Lost so much why are you spending time on this site?

Jupitersunrise... Despite the fact that you have a corny name, you are right. To all the brainless morons who keep complaining about unresolved storylines, Marcy-boy I'm looking at you champ, let me make it plain. Lost is a television programme... Not a film. It's purpose is to tell a story over a lengthened period of time, not in five seconds, you retarded bunch of simpletons. Do your brains work at all? It appears not. I will say, however, that it is rather annoying we will have to wait two more years to see the conclusion of Lost, and that, if nothing else, is the fault of annoying network executives holding shows back so they can score in the ratings. Personally, I could care less if it gets smashed in the ratings, it's still a good show reagrdless. My advice, wait for the DVD, who needs idiotic commercials interupting your favourite TV show anyway, whatever it may be. Here's for rallying for a Fall return of season 5, rather than next January. After a short-ass season 4, I think it's only fair.

RE: "I could care less if it gets smashed..."

Right, so you actually do care somewhat then? Because you COULD care less than you actually do?

Just use your brain, people. The phrase is "I couldN'T care less". As in, you care so little that you couldn't possibly care any less.

I know it's petty but it's annoying and I see it all too often. People seem to pick it up from each other without even considering what they are really saying.

Hehe. ;)

You didn't pick up on the incorrect spelling of regardless though did you. Actually, I take that back. I'm assuming you did, you just neglected to bring it up. Nobody's perfect my friend, including you.
Because you COULD care less than you actually do? ???? This is not a question. Better luck next time.

On average the episodes this season have been less satisfying than seasons past. One thing that began to bother me last season (when we were more formally introduced to the Others) and which is really supremely annoying this season is that none of the crash survivors are asking the right questions of the people they meet. I make my living asking people quesitons to help make sense of very confusing situations (I work with folks diagnosed with major mental illnesses) and the writers really have to do a better job of having the characters try to get to the root of the matter -- not that the answers should be forthcoming and fast, but the questions should at least hold the possiblity of allowing the audience to identify with the motivations of the characters. When characters ask questions that hold no promise of getting meaningful answers, it is a major turn off.

I too find that Lost is becoming more and more a very mediocre show. The first season, in my opinion, was one of the best shows to come on TV for a very long time, but as it continued into its second, third and fourth seasons it hasn't witheld the same kind of intrigue and mystery that keeps fans interested. The writers seem to have forgotten about the mysteries that we, as fans, are most interested in and instead, to keep the show running, bring in more and more questions that we really don't care about so much.

I don't think that it's the character driven episodes that are the problem, because Season one had them too, but what kept it interesting was the way they would refer to the burning questions at the very end of the episode. Do you remember how at the end of a completely character driven episode of Season one we would be given a quick look at how Boone and Locke were doing with uncovering the Hatch? It would just remind us that they haven't forgotten about it and, soon enough, we would revisit their story? I loved Lost back in those days!

Anyway I think we need to be reminded by the writers that they haven't forgotten about stuff like The Monster, Jacob and his cabin, The Other Dharma Hatches, and also the 'other', whispering Others, even if the way that we're reminded about them doesn't move any element of the story along, but instead just gives us a quick peek into that part of the mythology or shows us a different perspective of something we've seen before.

Plus, I agree with locke_look_alike, we need the characters to ask the same questions that we want the answers to, even if they don't get them answered (do you remember Locke asking Ben 'What is the Monster?' a few episodes back - there must be more losties than Locke who want to know about the island). Otherwise we're just going to stop empathising with characters because they only care about rescue.

Well, my 2p worth... I still love it, I still can't wait for the next one, if the wanted to run it as a soap for the next 20 years then so be it... bring it on... I like the mental challenge of seeing what way they are going to go and wondering what the hell Ben is going to do next?

Agreed. Marc too.

To those of you who are giving up on Lost, I guess the show is just too smart for you. If every question was answered by now the series would have no point in continuing. The thrill of trying to figure out what is going on by yourself is what keeps those intelligent enough to understand the show coming back for more every week without fail.

I didn't watch Thursday night.

Nope.

But it's not Lost's fault.

My local station pushed the show back for not one, but TWO basketball games, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

As a result, the show aired later than 1 AM (1 AM was what the station's website promised). I streamed it on ABC's website.

Wow, I'm surprised by some of the posts here. What I LOVE about this season is that we get so many answers each week. We're no longer stuck in neautral getting tidbits of the others...I have seen a steady march forward now that the writers have a 3 year plan.

Maybe what the problem is for some viewers is that the answers are not gift wrapped. you need to know the show and pay attention to get the good nuggets.

Probably a big reason for the drop is the weather. Let's face it most of us have cabin fever by now. We are looking for anything to do outside as it gets warmer. Hell, I'd rather rake leaves than sit inside right now. As we spend more time outside, the chores that have to be done inside, get done later and later. Therefore, there is a drop in the attendance.

Obviously, the people who do not "get" LOST, aren't capable of "getting" it. LOST is the only show on television that requires the activation of brain cells. What a relief!! This show is brilliant!