LOST: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON (2009)

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Season 5 of this series feels more like season 4.5 than anything else . . .

It may be because this season ? like the previous one that was cut short by the writers? strike - has far fewer episodes than before. Seasons one, two and three clocked in respectively at 24, 23 and 22 episodes each. Season four only had 13 episodes. This season only has 16 episodes. (Season 6 is to be the show's last season in which all will be revealed, but no word yet on how many episodes it will consist of.)

But feels more like season 4.5 because many of the previous season's plot ideas, characters and settings are ported over to this one. Time travel play an even more important role than before and if you thought that keeping track of all those flashbacks and flash forwards were tricky, then wait till you have to keep a mental note of the various time travel plot strands that tap into the show's considerable mythology and back story established over 82 plus one-hour episodes thus far not to mention the large cast.

The cliff-hanging finale however hints at new directions for the show to take and this is exactly Lost's strength: how it constantly reinvents itself and brings in new characters and adds yet another story layer on top of things - even it is at the risk of confusing viewers who might inadvertently skip an episode or two. Just as soon as you think the show is about getting the survivors of a doomed intercontinental flight off a mysterious island plagued by supernatural happenings and hostile locals, then the characters do get off - and suddenly the show is about getting them back on that damned island again!

Its serialised format and convoluted, complex storylines make Lost much more suited to DVD viewing than catching weekly episodes on broadcast television. One day when the pop cultural historians write the history on the advent of serialised (as opposed to standalone) TV in the 2000s they will be sure to note how DVD box sets played a huge role in popularizing those shows. (You weren't planning on watching Lost: The Complete Fifth Season without ever having seen any of the previous seasons, now were you?)

THE DISCS: All 16 episodes of this season are to be found on five discs. The first disc contains a handy brief recap on what has happened in previous seasons, which is both fantastically funny as well as useful in refreshing one's memory. It is recommended that you check it out before diving in with episode 1. (This recap used to be on the last disc of previous box sets. It is great that it is now on the first disc - where it belongs.)

As with previous Lost DVD releases, the bonus features on this box set are well worth checking out. We especially like Lost on Location ? an informative look at the nitty gritty of film making. Just how do you impale an actor on a flaming arrow? Stage a multiple car crash? Film actors on a canoe in a storm on the ocean? (Hint: you actually film it in a swimming pool with the bottom blackened out!)

In Building 23 & Beyond actor Michael Emerson (Ben) takes a camera crew to basically meet the writing team behind Lost. It's a fluff piece, but it once again makes one appreciate how shows such as Lost are actually art by committee and it is amazing that the series actually turned out so well.

In An Epic Day With Richard Alpert a small camera crew follows actor Nestor Carbonell around on the season's last day of filming. The actor's day begins early in the morning and drags on through until the early hours of the next morning. It once again gives one an idea of how much work and effort goes into producing the show. The actor also ends Internet speculation on whether he wears eyeliner in his scenes. (No, he does not. In fact the make-up artists try to lighten his eye lashes!)

Making Up For Lost Time is a humorous look at how the writers, actors and cast cope with this season's time travel plotlines. Have pity on the production designers who have to make a building look new for one scene, then old for another and then new again for yet another.

There is a faux ABC TV documentary dealing with the Dharma Initiative. The segment may overdo the ?ageing? on the segment thing, but it does drop some hints on potential characters for the next season. After all, have you ever wondered who is bankrolling them?

Finally there are the bloopers and deleted scenes. The deleted and extended scenes don't add much, but the bloopers are fun to watch even if you don't normally like this sort of thing.

WORTH IT? Yes.

RECOMMENDATION: Lost keeps on rewarding long-time viewers. If you have given up on this show then you have given up on what the DVD box blurb accurately describes as "television's most addictive and creative series." DVD dust jackets usually tell filthy lies . . . but not in this case.