Lost Season 4 – Episode List & Guide

Click on the links below to read the Full Reviews:

4.01 – The Beginning of the End: B+

It has been a long time coming, but “The Beginning of the End” signals a clear shift in approach for Lost as a series. Whether or not that approach manages to achieve the lofty success that the series earned early in its run remains to be seen – but there is a kind of freshness to the newer approach that will likely lend itself a grace period as the show and the audience adjust to the new realities that are rapidly unveiled. I’ll give the show credit for taking some risks here, and I’m eager to see if there’s a payoff – but the possible detriments are just as great.

4.02 – Confirmed Dead: C

“Confirmed Dead” continues the breakneck pace of the advancing narrative from Lost. The episode manages to avoid the potential pitfalls of the “Survivor” comparisons and it provides a singularly unique approach to the episode – for the series, at least. There certainly is enough happening in this episode to make it a must-see. But in terms of craft and depth, it’s more akin to throwing as much at the viewer as possible – to see if anything will stick – rather than focusing on one coherent, in depth story.

4.03 – The Economist: C-

“The Economist” is an episode that demonstrates the pitfalls of Lost’s new direction in storytelling and approach: The Curse of Melodrama ™. The fact is, there’s quite a bit about this episode that is intriguing and compelling, like seeing the first shadow of land on the horizon. But it gets dashed onto the rocks in a shipwreck of plot twists. Unfortunately, while this course of action for the series presents an entire new world of possibilities, it’s unable to navigate the dangers and make a safe landing.

4.04 – Eggtown: C

“Eggtown” is a marginally entertaining episode. It isn’t quite as melodramatic as its immediate predecessor. But at the same time, it is unable to generate a whole lot of momentum, either. Indeed, the story’s pace is slow and plodding. And while this feels like a more cohesive character piece than what we’re used to, there is something missing from the craft. And, too, we’re treated to the now obligatory episode-ending twist.

4.05 – The Constant: B+

“The Constant” is the most overtly sci-fi episode to date in the entire run of Lost. And it shows. Lost isn’t used to handling sci-fi on a surface level – most of it is relegated to implications and so forth. It’s not like this was a bad sci-fi story, but here, with the sci-fi front and center, the overall story stumbles a little in its execution. The result is an episode that has a wonderful theme, huge payoff, and a big ol’ bumpy ride in between.

4.06 – The Other Woman: C-

“The Other Woman” is a marginal episode in terms of execution. Lost seems to have hit a plateau in terms of its ability to construct a compelling episode from start to finish. That doesn’t mean that the story isn’t interesting – it certainly is – but at the end of the day, this feels a bit like moving around the pieces on the chessboard without much of a plan of attack (or defense). And the muddling of loyalties and motivations only dilute the impact of the real heart of the series: its characters.

4.07 – Ji Yeon: C-

At its heart, “Ji Yeon” has a touching story to tell. It’s unfortunate, then, that it gets sidetracked by narrative gimmicks. It’s indicative of where the series is headed, though. Unable to fully rely on the strength of its stories and characters, it’s had to increasingly turn to shock-value twists simply to generate the kind of very natural and plausible drama it once so effortlessly created. Such is the case with this installment.

4.08 – Meet Kevin Johnson: D+

“Meet Kevin Johnson” is an episode whose story is told almost entirely by way of a flashback. And even so, it manages to expand the mystery surrounding the Island and the seemingly perpetual interconnectedness of everyone associated with it. On those levels, as well as the deep internal conflict of the episode’s main character, the episode succeeds in telling a dramatic story. But once again, the series has to rely on the worst aspects of its characters in order to construct the plot, and to move it forward.

4.09 – The Shape of Things to Come: B

Fascinating.

That’s likely how Spock would have chosen to describe “The Shape of Things To Come.” And I cannot help but share his emotional detachment – at least as far as this episode. There certainly is quite a bit about this episode into which we can sink our collective teeth, enough to generate discussion or intrigue. But it’s simply unable to capture any sort of emotional center – even with a singularly shocking, and tragic, moment. The result is an episode which, while certainly competent on a technical level, just doesn’t manage to be anything special.

4.10 – Something Nice Back Home: D

“Something Nice Back Home” is an episode that is about as close to a soap opera as you can possibly get. It’s all about love triangles, tangled relationships, emergency room drama, and on and on and on. How sad. Lost used to be about something. It used to transcend average entertainment. And suddenly (well, maybe not so suddenly) it’s below average, copping the same approach as daytime television. The result is an episode that the Lost faithful will likely enjoy, but is otherwise substandard.

4.11 – Cabin Fever: B-

“Cabin Fever” is the penultimate episode to the fourth season of Lost. As such, it has quite a bit to do to set up the season finale. And while the episode is successful in setting the stage, it simply isn’t as good as, say, the setup episode for Season Three, “Greatest Hits.” There aren’t too many issues with this episode on a technical level, however, it simply doesn’t do enough to elevate its quality.

4.12 – There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1: B

“There’s No Place Like Home, Part 1” sets in motion the epic finale to season four of Lost. As such, there’s still quite a bit of setup being done, even as some storylines advance forward (and in some cases, really far forward). The result is an episode that looks and feels like an event, but doesn’t quite yet reach a very high level.

4.13 – There’s No Place Like Home, Part 2 & 3: A-

“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3” are absolutely thrilling to watch. That isn’t to say that they’re perfect, or that I don’t have deep reservations about the direction the story (and series) is headed. But there’s no question that the finale to Season Four of Lost is epic, powerful, and shocking. For fans of Lost, there’s quite a bit here to both provide answers and generate new mysteries and questions. The sci-fi angle is, once again, ratcheted up a notch – as is the melodrama. But in an event episode like this one, both elements work quite well.