FINALE preview

Keep in mind that all three hours of the season four finale ("There's No Place Like Home") will air tonight beginning at 8 p.m. The previously-broadcast first hour will contain some additional footage, although official sources have said this is predominantly questions-and-answers taking place at the Oceanic Six press conference.

We can expect -- finally -- an explanation of how the Oceanic Six leave the island, why they are the only 815ers to leave, who else (if anyone) departs with them (Ben? Juliet? Frank Lapidus? Charlotte?), and, of course, who does the rescuing....and why.

We should also look for the seeds of Jack's eventual desire to return. (We saw his emotional distress in the S-3 finale. Was this simply because he was deeply depressed? Or, is there some other reason he wants and needs to return?)

As for the rescue...we're thinking that Richard Alpert may play some pivotal role in the O-6's departure. In any event, we can expect him to play a major role in the finale, Season Five or both. His reintroduction to the action, and specifically his haunting appearances in "Cabin Fever" as he tracked Locke's development, leads us to believe that his role on the island (and in the show) is greater than we expected it to be.

In the finale's first hour we saw some things that gave us pause. The first was the Coast Guard co-pilot, fussing with his rabbits foot and worrying about what was about to happen. We don't know why he felt the O-6 were "bad mojo," but perhaps we will find out tonight.

Similarly, we don't know why Oceanic Air is playing along with all of this subterfuge. If Hanso owns the airline, and Widmore was somehow involved in the funding of Dharma with Hanso, then this deception is all about protecting the island's existence. With that in mind, though, what is the point of letting six people return?

This is a pivotal question that should be answered tonight. The Six are clearly going along with the lies, and cooperating with the ruse that their friends back on the island are long dead. How and why they agree to do this is one of the things I'm looking forward to learning more about this evening.

We're also puzzled by the war between Ben and Charles Widmore. Charles has insisted the island is his, and he seems to be interested in both its unnatural resources and its history, and yet the mercenaries supposedly working for Charles say their mission is to take Ben and "torch" the island. Why??

The explosives we saw last week look like some considerable firepower. I'm not sure though, how one blows up an island. Doesn't it seem more likely that the explosives are there to destroy the boat, if need be? And that the device attached to Keamy's arm would activate it? (Well, maybe not. Just guessing here.)

Were looking forward to learning what the Orchid is capable of. Our guess is that the station is somehow geared to time travel, but how the writers will approach this, and what they will do with it, is another mystery. It will be interesting to see, though, if the island "moves" through time, how this will affect Dan Faraday and/or Lapidus and whoever is in the air, on his helicopter, when the shift occurs. (It is possible that the six will be on the copter at this point and this will be how/why they are rescued.)

Other dangling threads: the living-or-dead status of Jin, Claire and (perpetually) Christian.

I'm on vacation this week, but I will be blogging tonight and I invite you to post your comments, finds and other observations, before during and after the show..

Comments

[Brian is LOST]

also, the coffin reveal. Who's in it? Why is Jack upset about it? Does Sawyer "sneak" off the island? What happens to the non-815ers like Des, Juliet, Faraday, Miles, Charlotte??? What story could be concocted that would make the O-6 stick to the "story". Rich Alpert's involvement in this mystery?

Just a few of the exciting Q's I'm looking to get resolved. Can't wait.

[Jenny]

I too am puzzled why Keamy would be under orders to destroy the island that Widmore has been studying and coveting for many years ... which, along with killing Gault, makes me think Keamy also reports to a different master.

The coffin reveal is like a red herring for me - the name in the newspaper is someone we've yet to see or hear of on the show, so either it's a red shirt or its someone under a pseud, and the person that makes the most sense is Michael. Kate would definitely not respond as she did if it were Sawyer.

More important to me are the missing 3 - the other people who (supposedly) made it off the plane, but didn't survive. Who were they, and why does that have to be part of the story?

I'm beginning to the think also that the O6 is entirely accidental - it's whoever was caught in the helicopter/raft/freighter when Locke "moves the island." And the only reason they had to say Aaron is Kate's is that Sun is pregnant and there are no other women; revealing that he is the child of someone else on the plane complicates things considerably if family come forward asking questions.

But somehow they arrived - and I think very quickly - at the idea of using the fake plane as their cover. Did any of them know about it? Michael and the freighter crew do, as does Ben of course, and Naomi mentioned it to a few people. Was that enough, or was someone else involved in their conspiracy? Popular theory has Ben and/or Richard part of the rescue, but ...

I think that will be the cliffhanger. The O6 come up with the story themselves when they find that they are being rescued almost by accident. At the end of tonight, we'll be left with all kinds of chaos on the island, and no idea what's going to happen to everyone else.

[Brian is LOST]

doubt that it could be michael in the coffin ... his son, his mother and his ex would most certainly show up (remember, the caretaker said Jack was the only visitor). It's either Ben or Locke. Nobody else makes sense. If it was Sawyer then Kate would have went (unless something else is revealed to make her say "Why would I go?" to Jack in S3 finale).

I agree w/ the theory that the O6 are in the copter when the island "moves" and therefore are stuck ... copter loses fuel and maybe they crash (oh no, yet again? LOL) and then they are really rescued. Maybe they concoct story themselves to cover up island for some reason ... the only guys on copter besides the 6 seem to be Lapidus and Sawyer ... so, could it be that those guys die? creating your final 8? Don't know ... we'll see in a few hours I guess?

[Jenny]

Thinking more about Oceanic, and who might own it ... there have been a few clues that they are more involved in this than simply an unlucky plane crash.

We have the odd circumstance that Lapidus says he was supposed to be the pilot on the flight, but was subbed at the last minute - perhaps by someone who would deliberately lead the plane off course??

We have the odd behaviour of the airline post rescue (that they've gone along with the fake plane crash in spite of clear skepticism about the entire story), which I have attributed to their efforts to save their corporate reputation. But what if someone else is directing them?

Then, something just occurred to me now - the one 815 survivor who has apparently completely assimilated with the Others is Cindy - *an Oceanic employee.*

[Paul]

When trying to work out how and why the O6 get off the island - dont forget what happened to Desmond when he left the island and almost died. As has been pointed out previously - 5 of the 6 (excluding Aaron who is an infant) were not near the hatch when it exploded and presumably 'infected' all the beachies who electro-magentic nasties that caused the problems with Des. I suggest the 6 are the only ones who can go home - with the inclusion of Sawyer + Jin who dont go for some unknown reason.

[Jeff Heimbuch]

I am must curious to find out who was in the coffin...Im really excited to find that out.
Looks like my night is shot...three hours of LOST?! Sounds like a good night in to me!