Lost.Season.4.25

4 Episodes In = The Mid-Season of the 8 filmed episodes. After those 8, there will be a short break and then 5 more episodes of the originally planned 16, now cut down to 13, due to the Writers' Strike.

Reviews:
401 - Season Premiere: 8.0/10
402 - 4 New Characters: 8.6/10
403 - Sayid The Assassin: 9.0/10
404 - Kate In Kourt: 8.2/10

Impressions:
The flashfowards are superior to the flashbacks in two ways:
1) They advance the story. The flashbacks could never do this as they could only provide character background.
2) They add another layer of character development. The flashbacks can only shape the character up the the current version of that character on the island. The flashforwards can further define the characters after the crash again.

What happened to the remaining others who were going to some ruins? I have a feeling that the next or final season of LOST will be about the remaining LOSTies + the returning LOSTies (from the mainland) vs the OTHERs vs the people the RESCUERs are working for. And this will all take place in a showdown at some kind of ruins on the LOST island where the secret will finally, or not finally be revealed.

The next episode looks like it will be good, as Desmond and Sayid are about the only characters who have consistently had their head in the game and not side-tracked by emotional subplots.