Gearing Up For Season Six

So, despite my immeasurable passion for LOST, I failed epically when it came to the grand Rewatch, particularly in terms of blogging along. Maybe after the series is over I'll go back and say something about those episodes. Maybe not. But the time has come to speculate about the sixth season - which I will be recapping, because I won't be able to help myself. So... What's going to happen?

My guess is that there will be some sort of reboot, but it won't result in five seasons of events being wiped clean. At the very least, I think the characters will retain some, if not all, of their memories, or maybe the lessons learns from their experiences if not necessarily the specific moments that led to such deep understanding. But I'm not sure where that leaves the current-day crew. I thought Damon and Carlton said we wouldn't be stuck in different times in season six; it certainly would make things simpler if everybody was together in roughly the same time and place. But somehow what's been happening with Ben, Fake Locke, Richard and the gang has to be factored in as well. I'm guessing the explanation for whatever scenario we get will make little sense to the non-quantum physicists among us...

There are so many mysteries left unanswered on this show, so I think answers will come with every new episode. We had a lot of revelations in season five, and I'm guessing the pace will quicken even more now. We'll get the scoop of Richard's agelessness (and, I'm thinking, find out he was a passenger on the Black Rock) and get at least a general idea of what makes the Island so special. We'll find out how far back this feud between Jacob and the Man in Black goes. We'll learn just what the Smoke Monster is. I think they'll wait till as close to the end as possible to really let us in on any of the major mythological stuff, but we'll see.

Of course, as fascinating as all of the mysteries are, it's really the characters who make the show so compelling. So... a few thoughts about what might happen with each person. First off, I wouldn't be surprised, really, to see anybody from past seasons turn up in season six, especially if there's a reboot. Otherwise, there's still plenty of room for flashbacks or phantoms. I think Boone, Charlie and Libby are particularly likely to resurface. And, from more recent times, John and Jacob, and quite possible Dan and Charlotte. Or maybe that's all wishful thinking. Among more minor characters, I'd most like to see Liam and Mr. Kwon. And, of course, Annie.

If Annie doesn't show up in season six, I'll be severely disappointed. But I'm convinced that she will, because I've been comparing her to Lily Evans since before I even knew how close the parallel was. The swing set scenes in LOST and Harry Potter seem strikingly similar, and Ben's childhood seems to have been quite as troubled as Snape's, with Annie, like Lily, the only really bright light. Both men are very clever, very derisive and very unpopular. I'd like to think that both men are also ultimately on the right side of things. I think that late in the season, maybe as late as the finale, Ben will die, but he will also find redemption.

If Juliet is really dead, that opens up the Sawyer-Kate-Jack triangle again, as if it wasn't messy enough throughout all these seasons. I think I'll venture a guess that Kate and Sawyer will get tangled up with each other again but that ultimately she will end up with Jack, and perhaps Sawyer will die trying to save one or both of them. Of course, I'd rather he survive, but we've been promised a bloodbath, so I'm trying not to be too optimistic.

However, I think Hurley is safe. I really can't see them killing him off. Which means if they do, it'll really pack a whallop. But I'm almost certain he'll survive the series. Same goes for Vincent. I think Rose and Bernard will die, but off-screen. Jin and Sun will reunite and survive, and presumably somehow get off the Island again and reunite with their daughter. And hopefully introduce her to Mr. Kwon. We'll finally find out what's so important about Aaron, and maybe he, Little Charlie and Ji Yeon will have some sort of interaction with each other.

Desmond will set foot on the Island again, though for what purpose, I couldn't say. I feel like he's been dodging death for a long time so I wouldn't be that shocked if it found him this season, though I sure hope it doesn't. Someone - Liam, Claire, Aaron or possibly Charlie himself - will end up with Charlie's ring. Claire will find out Jack is her brother; Penny will find out Daniel is her brother. There will finally be a scene with both Penny and Charles in it. We will find out the origin of Hurley's nickname.

I think we will find out that Jacob intended for Ben to stab him, since that will take his cosmic experiment to a whole different level. Instead of being stuck in a loop, there will finally be an ultimate showdown between his viewpoint and the Man in Black's, even though others are working on his behalf. I think we will see Jacob again, and I hope he will be firmly established as a Good Guy, though I can't help feeling like LOST has a trick up its sleeve. Perhaps the conflict will end not in a decisive victory for one or the other but in compromise, as duality has been such a huge element of the show thus far. I also think that the Island will remain largely hidden from the outside world when all is said and done, and that some characters will choose to remain there.

There's lots more to speculate about. But I don't want to think too much, so I'll just leave it here for now as I wait for the season six premiere to leave me slack-jawed.