LOST - The puzzle is taking shape!

The last episode of LOST - '316' gets us to the point where the Oceanic 6 arrive back on the island. Season 5 of LOST has been one of the best seasons since Season 1 in my opinion. We are starting to not only get answers to questions that were asked as long ago as the Pilot episode, but the pieces of the LOST jigsaw puzzle are starting to fall into place. I have had my own ideas about what is going on in LOST and how it is going to end, and I am sure others have had the same if not similar ideas.

I thought it was a good time to lay out a few things that we now know, and how with a few assumptions and a little speculation, we may be able to figure out even more than we have been told directly.

First, let's start off with the Pilot episode and the crash of Flight 815. The show opens with a shot of Jack lying on his back in the jungle. We see a white tennis shoe hanging from a tree. Jack gets up and has to run a fair way to get to the beach and the crash site. That bothered me from the start. In my gut, I felt like Jack had not originated from the crash, but 'appeared' from somewhere (or sometime) else.

We now know a few important things:

1. That Jack put white tennis shoes on Christian when he brought his body on the plane.
2. That when Jack returns to the island on Ajira Airways flight 316, he appears in the jungle in virtually the identical way he appeared on Flight 815.
3. We know that Jack is back in the 1970's, we assume that being the time period the island is now 'fixed' in when Locke fixed the wheel.

My assumptions based on this are that in the final episode of LOST, we will see Jack wake up in the jungle and run to the Flight 815 crash - a repeat of the beginning moments of the Pilot episode. I have really always believed that this is how LOST will end (don't ask me why), and now am more convinced. The cool part about that (well - not everyone is going to think it is cool), is that it means that LOST never really ends - it is just one big circle. (Kind of like an Ouroboros.)

So what does that mean about what is going on in LOST?

Well another part of LOST that always really bothered me was Ben. I have always loved the Ben character, and still do. He was supposedly not supposed to be a major character, but TPTB have lied to us as much as Ben, so I would not really trust what they say. The thing that did not make sense to me is why did Ben go to near the Swan and get captured, tortured and then get Michael to let him go? The whole thing really did not make much sense. There are a lot of other ways Ben could have got Jack to operate on him. Ben could have played nice guy and negotiated with Jack to save him in exchange for freedom. Ben could have played evil Ben and sent his thugs to get Jack. But he didn't. Until recently I never really knew why. But now - I think I do.

What if Ben is the wild card? Remember what Eloise Hawking told Desmond about the universe - the dangers of changing things and how everything and everyone could be destroyed?

What if Ben is the one who has screwed up what was supposed to be from the start?

Ben was the main reason the Others were able to complete the purge. Ben was the reason that Locke doubted pushing the button which ended up destroying the Swan and letting the freighter find the island. Ben let the Oceanic 6 leave. Ben destroyed the Orchid's chamber and put the island into the time slips.

Ben is the one who is making changes that are not supposed to happen. We are being led to believe he is 'one of the good guys', but what if he is still giving us the 'Long Con'?

That explains a little better why he might have done what he did at the Swan.

So what has to happen to fix things?

The Oceanic 6 have to return to the island. They will join the Dharma Initiative and work on putting the universe back to it's proper course. As they live through the 1970's they will realize that they cannot be around in September 2004 when 815 will crash. LOST will be about them giving their lives in the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe and everyone in it. They were always Dharma. They were always the Others, they will realize that they are the key to restoring the order of the universe. Ultimately, Jack and Kate will die together and they will be Adam and Eve - likely in a Romeo & Juliet way, knowing that they must die. The other Oceanic 6 members will likely die saving others and working to make things right.

As for Ben - he may well become Jacob - and entrapped in his cabin by Locke so he cannot escape and cause any other changes.

Now - I could be wrong, but it does make a great story!

OK - let's get to some teasers we have been given.

1. Charlotte. We now know that she grew up on the island - likely as a contemporary of Ben in the 1970's. We know her mother was english and father was american. We know her mother left the island with Charlotte and the father stayed behind. We could guess that her mother may be Eloise Hawking as we know she is English and left the island. We can guess that Charlotte was not conceived on the island, or Eloise would have died while pregnant. That could lead us to believe that her father is an american who was off the island when Charlotte was conceived and stayed on the island later. Who is eligible for that? Richard Alpert? Actually the number of people is increased now due to the fact that the Oceanic 6 are in the 1970's. Technically it could be Locke, Sawyer or even Ben. (2004 Ben - not 1970's Ben :))

2. Babies on the island. Miles may be Candle's baby. What if Kate got pregnant by Jack just prior to leaving on Flight 316. Their baby could be born on the island and live like Aaron did. He or she would be born in the 1970's. Who could he or she be? Again the possibilities are many. Could he or she end up being some Dharma person or Other that we have seen? The fact that the O6 ended up in the 1970's opens up some really interesting ways to get new LOST connections. Watch for them.

3. Daniel. Daniel is interesting. If his mother is Eloise, then Charlotte could well be his sister or half-sister. Daniel taught at Oxford, yet he does not sound English. What is up with that? Did he spend more time on the island? Where did he grow up? Who is his father? Could his father be one of the Oceanic 6?

4. Christian. Is Christian Jacob? Was he from the island originally? Is he a big key to LOST. His name - Christian Shephard would make it look that way. The parallel to Christianity is obvious. He was 'resurrected' from the dead. His name is Christian Shephard. He is taking the role of the leader.

5. Locke. Locke has always been important to LOST. He is the main person who believed in the island and faith. Will he end up becoming Jacob?

There are a lot of ideas spinning in my head now, so I think I will stop for now, and post more later...

I'd love to hear some of your ideas about what you think is going on.