The Writer’s Strike is ending and it appears that Season 4 will be a total of 13 episodes, rather than the planned 16.
From the Hollywood Reporter:
Cuse said he’s happy with the outcome of the strike and can’t wait to go back to his day job on “Lost.”
“We’re going to have to hit the ground running, go from zero to 100 mph in a matter of days to make as many episodes as possible,” he said.
The goal for Cuse and co-showrunner Damon Lindelof is to produce five more episodes this season, a tall order given the time constraints and the scope of storytelling and production on “Lost.” Even with five additional hours, Cuse and Lindelof will be three episodes short of the premapped fourth season.
“We will have to condense some stories,” Cuse said.
(Thanks to Andy)