Through the Looking Glass

*** WARNING: If you didn’t see this week’s episode of Lost, STOP READING NOW (and go watch it) ***

Oh, Lost. Now that was one hell of a season finale. After having several hours to think it over, I’ve got a pretty good theory on what happened and where the story will go from here.

Flash-forward – whaaaat?

We’re not seeing the “present” in Jack’s flashes. We’re seeing a possible future, the one that will occur if events on the island continue down their current path.

In the Lost universe, we know that life has a tendency to “course-correct” – the survivors are supposed to be on the island for whatever reason, and if they’re rescued, fate/destiny/whatever will cause their lives to fall apart. Jack becomes a suicidal drug addict. Kate and Sawyer become fugitives (or worse?). Sun loses her baby. Rose’s cancer comes back. Locke is paralyzed again. Someone even dies.

Who’s in the casket?

Locke. After getting off the island, he became paralyzed again. Depression set in, his life went to crap, and he either became suicidal or succumbed to the gunshot wound he sustained at the DHARMA grave. Jack became obsessed when he read the newspaper obituary, because Locke would have been the only other survivor who wanted to get back to the island.

However, I’ve seen it pointed out that the funeral parlor was in a black neighborhood. This certainly doesn’t prove that it isn’t Locke, but it gives us a clue that it could be Michael. He betrayed the survivors, and none of them would have any reason to attend his funeral. Then again, Walt would have been there, unless something happened to him. I’m going to stick to my Locke theory, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

Who really sent Naomi?

I’ve seen a lot of speculation about this, and I’m surprised because I thought it was one of the more obvious answers. Penelope’s father, Charles Widmore, sent Naomi’s search party. He’s the only person we’ve met so far who would have access to the picture of Desmond and Penny. Widmore Industries definitely has some kind of ties to DHARMA, as evidenced in the Lost alternate reality game last year, so Mr. Widmore would definitely have knowledge of the island and a possible motivation to search for it (aside from hating Desmond).

Is Jack’s father alive in the present/future?

No. Jack mentioned his father twice: The first was when he was drunk and/or stoned out of his mind, and the reference to his father got a very surprised look from the head of surgery. The other time was when Jack was trying to scam drugs at the pharmacy, and he quickly changed his mind when the pharmacist wanted to call his father’s office and verify the prescription.

Why didn’t Charlie step outside the control room door, or swim out the (big) porthole?

He figured he had to die to save Claire, Aaron, and everyone else.

So what happens next?

I believe that season four will begin precisely where we left off – Jack has just made the phone call, the rescuers are coming, and Desmond is down in the Looking Glass. I have a feeling that the flash-forwards will be a recurring theme next season (or at least in the first few episodes). We’ll see what happens to the survivors if they make it off the island, and it’s not going to be pretty.

Because of Desmond’s unique relationship with time-space, he’ll probably be the catalyst for changing events so the survivors don’t get rescued. Maybe he starts seeing flashes of terrible events to come. Just the fact that Penelope didn’t send the rescue party (maybe he’ll see a flash of himself murdered by one of the “rescuers”?) could be enough to cause him to try to change things.

Of course, events are already set into motion. The phone call has been made, and the rescue boat knows their position. Unless something happens to the rescuers, I’m not sure how this is going to be resolved. We know the remaining Others are going to “the temple”; maybe they’ll intervene somehow. And certainly Ben and Locke still have roles to play.

I think next season will show us the origins of DHARMA, the Others, and possibly Jacob. We’ll also find out more about the Widmore Corporation and how it ties into what’s happening.

Do we really have to wait until January to find out? I don't think I'm going to make it.