SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Lost's series finale, promises executive producer Carlton Cuse, will not end with "20 seconds of blank tape."

The dig at the much-maligned Sopranos capper came as Cuse, co-creator Damon Lindelof and returning actor Harold Perrineau a.k.a. Michael addressed a Comic-Con crowd eager for clues. Highlights?

Perrineau returns as a series regular early in the fourth season, which begins in February.

The flash-forwards seen in May's finale (with Jack and Kate after they're off the island) will continue -- but so will the show's flashbacks.

Jack will learn this year he's Claire's half-brother.

Libby (Hurley's murdered girlfriend) and the island-happy French woman will both get their own flashback episodes -- eventually.

After acknowledging having to do some "tap-dancing" in their storytelling, both Lindelof and Cuse say they're energized by the fact Lost has a set end date three seasons (each comprised of 16 episodes) from now.