It’s not long more now. On the 31st of January, LOST continues, and even though the WGA’s strike took away the last eight episodes, at least we can enjoy the first half of season four. I have noted down some predictions for this miniature season, and when it’s over in two months I will return to them and see what has changed. Beware for spoilers!

Previously on LOST

“Jack… you’re not supposed to do this.” Has rescue come for the Losties? They got in contact with the freighter who will get them off the island, and even though John Locke seems to have completely  flipped and gone the way of the Linus, we don’t care: rescue is coming! But what will this rescue bring along?

The last five minutes of the third season finale, however “Through the Looking Glass”, will without a doubt be what will be remembered. They will be embedded in our puny little minds for ages to come as the best so-called game changer moment in at least ten years of television. We got so used to the whole Flashback formula, that we didn’t see it coming, that they would get off the island, that the series would move into the future with Flashforwards, showing us what would happen… which, ultimately, does not seem good at all. At least not for Jack “We have to go back!” Shephard.

Shadows foreboding: what’s next?
Is this the beginning of the end for our Losties? Which questions will the story answer, and which ones will it pass on? Below, I have written down 10 questions, 10 questions I will hypothesize about. After the eight episode run, we’ll see how full of crap I really was. Obviously, these are all spoilers so don’t read them if you haven’t seen the three first seasons of LOST. Point to note: questions of which I’m 99 % positive that they won’t be answered, have not been included. This includes the usual ramblings about Libby, Richard, the monster…

Will we find out…

1. …if all the Losties got off the island? Yes, we will. I’m quite sure of it. Rescue’s coming to the island, we already know Jack and Kate are going to make it off. We’ll undoubtedly find out more about the fate of the other Losties.

2. …what’s up with Walt? Not entirely. My guess is that time travel is somehow involved in the island. The pieces
are there, but mostly have to do with Desmond, whose fate it has apparently become to crash on the
island (proof: Mrs. Hawkins, Mr. Widmore… who always told him what he was and what he was not).
What exactly is up with Walt and his mysterious aging… I don’t think we’ll find out right away. What’s
up with his psychic abilities, I’m sure will be explored later on as well.

3. …who Kate had to return to? Yes, we will. 100 % sure of it. I’ve got a hunch pointing more in the direction of a marshall than an abusive husband. We’ll see!

4. …what Jack meant by “I’m sick of lying”? Yes. Conspiracy. It had to happen sooner or later – Americans love their conspiracy theories. Let’s hope they don’t pull a Prison Break out of their asses, though.

5. …who or what Jacob is? No. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t hear from him/her/it at all over the course of the next eight episodes. More pressing matters are at hand, obviously.

6. …why Ben and Locke didn’t want Jack to place that call? Well… we already know Jack ends up miserable. Maybe they can see the future? This is pretty far-fetched, though. Well, maybe not for Locke: I still think that Locke, in looking into the eye of the island (= having seen the monster) saw the future (just like Mr. Eko who saw the past in it). Ben, not so much. But then again: he knows more about the island, and he knows what things threaten it. He didn’t seem to unhappy to keep it hidden from the outside world. Which leads us to the next question: why are the freighter people
coming, if not for our Losties?

7. …any definite answer to the Jack-Kate-Sawyer triangle? I don’t think they will, but apparently I am mistaken. Rumour has it one of the three is not going to make it off the island, and we would find out the (very definitive) reason in the next eight episodes. I don’t believe this rumour though.

8. …why Ben decided to purge the Dharma initiative? Yes. There’s a black hole begging to be uncovered.

9. …what’s up with Rousseau? Also, who is Annie? See what I did there? People call me stupid for thinking this, but I’m still convinced Annie (Ben’s childhood friend) and Danielle are one and the same person. I’m guessing she will have something to do with the purge. But then again, I’m not sure.

10. …who was in the coffin? At first, I thought it was Locke. Seemed like the most obvious person to be in there. After rewatching the episode, however, and seeing the newspaper’s transcript, my money’s on Michael. The article mentioned something about leaving behind a teenage boy… I’m quite sure we’ll find this out in the next batch of episodes. It won’t be important, though.

Well… the wait will soon be over – thank god! Then I’ll have 8 weeks of sweet, wonderful Lostness to bask in. And then… it’ll be a cold spring, summer and possibly fall..