If you have not seen the episode yet, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT read on. You absolutely have to watch the Season 3 finale as unspoiled as possible.

Wow! Where to even start? The episode was beyond satisfying and worth a second viewing.

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The Flashback/Flashforward Transformation

Let's just get this out of the way now, but the flashback transform into flashforward is beyond cool. When Kate walked out of the darkness revealing that we weren't watching a flashback but a flashforward, I got goosebumps. My jaw dropped and hit the floor.

The storytelling possibilities have expanded ten-fold. I'm not sure how many upcoming episodes are going to employ the flashforward that the finale did, but I think most of our days of flashbacks are over. We're now going to see the LOSTies as they try and navigate their post-island days.

The crazy thing is that this show is going to double back on itself. I have a prediction that the final episode of the series (or a future episode) will be the LOSTies returning to the island in the flashforward as the real-time LOSTies finally get off the island.

But the head trippy thing about the whole flashforward/flashback switcheroo is that it begs the question; since the flashforwards are more of "the present," does that make everything that happens on the island a "flashback?" It's weird. Only a show as f'ed up as LOST could play with time in such an interesting manner.

What's unclear to me is whether the events in the "flash forward" were "set in stone," so to speak. Meaning, is what was happening a definite, or is that just one possible future outcome? My guess is that these are definite events that are happening, but time will tell. If these events are destined to happen, then some dark times are ahead.

As far as the subject matter of the flashforward, I loved it, however, in retrospect, I ADORE it. At first I thought it was going to be another angsty Jack vs. the world flashback, but in hindsight, it turns out to be a brilliant story of what happens to someone when you've taken away their purpose in life. This episode confirmed that Jack in indeed a true leader and that when you take that away, the man is...well...lost.

Of course, the question of the day is "who is in the casket?" I think it's Sawyer. Actually, I'm fairly certain it's Sawyer. Anya worked her magic Photoshop skills on the newspaper clipping and saw that the name in the clipping started with a "J." No one attended the funeral, which would fit for Sawyer. And Jack contacted Kate at the end of the episode, which seemed to be the final clue. Of course, it could be Locke in that coffin as well, but there is absolutely NO way that Locke left that island. The man's there for life.

But then again...it could be Locke in the box. Jack could feel so distraught about Locke being dead that he takes his body and casket (like his father in season 1) back to the island where he can have eternal LOST.

But if the Photoshop job was off and it wasn't a name starting with J, it couldbe Ben. That would explain why nobody was at his funeral, since he spent his whole life on the island.

But this being LOST, I'm probably WAY off. The person in the casket might even be a character we haven't seen yet.

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Jack

I've said pretty much all that needs to be said of Jack. I guess I could add that Jack's strict devotion to his "plans" and to his tribemates is pretty intense. The man is just driven, plain and simple.

His on-island storyline also re-enforced the Catch-22 theme that the LOST writers have been playing around with recently. Of course he's going to use Naomi's phone. Why wouldn't he? No matter what Ben or Locke try to tell him, he's so driven to get off the island that he puts everyone into some rather precarious situations. And seeing the post-island result of his decisions was heartbreaking.

How twisted is it that Jack takes airplane rides in hopes that it'll crash back onto the island? I need to watch this episode again, but I remembered Jack looking a little excited when that plane from the opening shot hit that batch of turbulence. I just find it terribly sad that Jack, of all people, would hang out at airports and take needless trips around the world. That's Locke type stuff, right there.

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Locke and Walt

While the twist at the end was my favorite moment of the episode, Locke's visit by Walt at the grave comes in a close second. This show really needs Walt, so it was great seeing him come back to the show, if even for a brief moment or two. Poor Locke. He was literally staring down the barrel of a gun when Walt appeared with the message, "Get up, John. You have work to do." BRILLIANT!

The knife to Naomi's back was incredible. Locke is the hero of the show, this is for certain at this point.

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Hurley

Hurley and the van was a Chewbacca moment if there ever was one. With this case, Hurley = Chewbacca and Sawyer = Han Solo (surprise). :)

I feel a little for Hurley. First Libby, now Charlie. Maybe he is bad luck after all.

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Sayid

That neck snap was just flat out awesome. He didn't have a lot to do this episode, but that neck snap more than made up for it.

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Ben

One of the cool themes of season 1 was the theme of LOST dashing your expections about people. You expect people to be a certain way, only to learn that what you thought was true about the character, isn't.

The scary thing is, is that Ben was right all along. I mean, his Catch-22 situation is that he's not permitted to divulge island secrets, but in doing so, that made NO ONE trust him. His people are against him, the LOSTies are against him, his "daughter" is against him. But I think he was partly right in the season 2 finale when he said that they were "the good guys." Because as bad as the Others are, it sounds like whoever's coming is worse. That's a scary thought.

Because as bad as Ben has been, you knew that he was speaking the truth when he pleaded for Jack to not take that phone call. But the best moment was when he put Jack on a ticking clock by telling him to smash the phone or else Tom would off the three sabateurs. But the fake-out was on by Ben telling Tom to shoot into the sand.

And the screw was turned by Ben telling Mikhail to off the two hatch guarders in order to protect the island. He's in a bit of a fix. He has to protect the island, but he can't mess with his kharma too much. Almost makes one feel sorry for Ben.

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Alex and Rousseau

At long last, mother and daughter are reunited. I wish it had been a little more touching, but it was a good scene nonetheless.

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Charlie

Poor Chahlie. I think he's going to be sorely missed on the show. His banter with Hurley was always fun and I wonder what that's going to be like now that C3PO has been killed off.

I liked that he had a heroic death. A lot of people were wondering why he didn't try to swim out the hole, or why Desmond didn't bring him a breathing apparatus, but I honestly don't really care. I think Charlie thought that he had to die to ensure the LOSTies survival (per Desmond's vision), so that's what he did.

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Desmond and Penny

I liked that really brief scene with the computer. You just know Des is going to be all angsty in the upcoming seasons because of it.

I also liked Desmond with the harpoon gun. That was pretty bad ass.

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Things I didn't like. Not much, but...

- Mikhail outside of the window with the snorkel and grenade. That was a little too corny for me. It wasn't needed, but it's a minor gripe.

- Bernard didn't have to spill ALL the beans, did he? But then again, he's a "dentist, not rambo."

- I don't know that I completely bought Sawyer offing Tom. Seemed a little out of character for Sawyer, and I think it's going to be the killing that seals his fate as a character. There wasn't any equillibrium attained there (eye for an eye, so to speak) so I think he's going to have a rough time of it.

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Questions to ponder for...sigh...BIG SIGH...10 months. :-(

- Who's coming to the island? Why is Ben so afraid at what they'll do to the LOSTies and to the island?

- Are all of the future episodes going to be flash forwards? I think so, since they seem to have exhausted all of their flashback potential.

- Was Walt's appearance caused by Jacob, the smoke monster, or by Walt himself?

- What's the deal with the ruins?

- Are we going to learn more about Jacob?

- Are we going to be able to find anything worthwhile to take our minds off LOST?

Can't wait for the dvd. That's it for now.

-Matt