What a depressing read. Im really disappointed they've decided to do it this way. This article has probably already been posted, but here ya go: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-carlton-cuse-says-season-16558.aspx

How can we as fans appeal to Cuse et. al. and ask they they don't truncate the season/story? A petition, perhaps?

Welcome to the Fuselage.

I dunno, man. I doubt it's possible. I just wish they'd film all sixteen and play the remaining few in the fall or something. I dont like the idea of them dropping whatever cool story-arcs they intended just to fit it all in by the end of the TV season.

As you have seen during the strike, "we" have no power what-so-ever to do anything. They have a union contract that tells them when they can work and when they can't, Lost is part of that contract. There is a huge possibility that there will be another strike before the end of the season as well. The writers got their deal, now the actors contract is up sometime this summer. Look for more delays.

I think we should all wait before we react to this. There have been several contadictory articles about how many episodes there will be. If you look at the main thread about the strike, you can view many of them. Carlton and Damon are supposed to meet with ABC today to make a decision.

The only bit of redeeming info I've read is that least they will be taking the lost episodes onto another season, that S4 will still end as planned (minus some story-arcs) and that we would still get 48 episodes in total (S4-S6).

But I guess we'll wait and see...I'm still hoping they manage to film all eight in the coming months.

This is horrible news.

I'm fine with a little reworking of the story, but only if the stuff they take out can be reworked into next season somehow, giving season 5 19 episodes.

This would also mean we are losing 3 flashback/flashforward stories, which have become increasingly important now.

I'd be find with a hiatus after episode 8 if they would do all 16 and air the second half of the season in the fall, then have season 5 start in the spring.

So far I am not too happy, but I'll wait for more news...

Yeah I would rather have a hiatus to go through after the eight if it meant giving them time to make all eight episodes. As we know towards the end of LOST seasons the action gets tense and every single thing that happens is monumentally crucial to the storyline and the development of it. If it is going to be condensed, they have to make sure they make it worth our loss. As in if they are going to end the season the way it was originally planned as Cuse claims, they might need to tweak it a little and throw in a HUGE reveal that maybe they were saying for next season or even S6, not something that SHOULD be saved until the end, but something big enough to satisfy us through another long hiatus. Although this could have already been in the plan top begin with who knows. At least we are getting 13 instead of 8 though, that is good news.

Yeah, I'd gladly sign up for a haitus through the summer if we could have the remained 8 (or the remaining 3) then...