Doc Jensen at EW.com breaks down Tuesday night’s Lost premiere here. Go read that and come back.
A couple observations. First, I’m wondering if the “sideways” reality is really just an alternate timeline that branched off from the established timeline at the point of The Event. In the sideways world where the lostaways land as expected in LA, the island is presumably sunk as a result of either The Event (the release of pent-up electromagnetic energy) or the explosion of the hydrogen bomb Jughead. In that world the “original” group of lostaways were sent back to their own time due to the event/explosion and the younger versions of themselves aged normally without the influence of Jacob in their lives to guide them to the island. But, if Jacob didn’t manipulate events to put them on that plane, why were they on the plane to begin with?
An alternate timeline can expain why Desmond was no longer in the Hatch when flight 815 was flying over the island: he was never on the island to begin with. But it sure is a coincidence he was on the plane with the other passengers. Another interesting question: why was Shannon not on the plane, when Boone explained to Locke that he had gone to Australia to rescue her from herself? Why does Jack have his feeling of deja vu?
Back to the “established” reality or timeline. How would Juliet know that “it worked” and what exactly did she mean by that? By the way, new series for Elizabeth Mitchell or no, Juliet’s death really sucked.
The man in black/fake Locke/smoke monster reveal was somewhat expected, but very cool nonetheless.
What made this episode so great is that it gave some answers, but raised so many more questions it leaves me anxious for next week.
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When is Juliette coming back to ‘Lost’? http://elizabeth-mitchell.org/?p=4434