Ah but that's the thing - they actually did have plenty to do with the arc, just not in ways everyone immediately understood or expected.Oh, I did, too. However, when the first half was originally airing, I just remember being a little frustrated by the fact that the episodes had so little to do with the main story arc.
Yes, I completely agree. When I first re-watched Season 4, I was amazed at how much substance there actually was and how it all would eventually relate to the final arc of the series.
I'm just saying...at the time, the first half of season 4, as it aired on the SciFi Channel, was frustrating.