chud.com/nextraimages/newthud1.jpgAAARGH! The one place that the strike is really hitting me, as an entertainment consumer, is in how Lost's fourth season* - already a shortened 16 episodes - has been truncated down to just eight hours. And it's not like the eight hours were planned as a stand alone half or anything; the show's plan was to return with 16 straight weeks of episodes. Apparently episode 8 ends on a major, major cliffhanger.

But I am in solidarity with the writers, so I am going to just enjoy the eight episodes I do get, started January 31st. And I'll tell you, the new trailer for season four makes it seem like enjoying these episodes will be damn easy. Lost has had its rough patches in the past, and I am sure will hit them again in the future, but the show has come to a place where it's just so exciting and where it's obvious that anything can go - even the basic conceit of the show can be changed at this point.

Click here to see the promo, which has gotten me very, very jazzed indeed. I love this show!

*Also Battlestar Galactica's fourth season, which I really don't like thinking about. I believe that Lost will be okay no matter what happens with the strike - ABC will not be canceling that show anytime soon. But is Galactica as safe? Could the plug be pulled halfway through the final season simply because being in limbo is too expensive for a show that is amazing but doesn't have the numbers Lost sports? I get agitated when I think about this.