As for the “alternate universe reality” you refer to – I’m pretty sure it’s not an alternate reality. But what it really is… I’m not quite sure yet, but something has obviously changed. Apparently when Juliet detonated the Jughead bomb, “it worked.” Kinda. So I think that the “flash sideways” is showing us what their lives would have been like if the plane never crashed. But there are some obvious changes. Remember Daniel Faraday telling us something about how you can never change what happened, “whatever happened happened”… and that your future has a way of course-correcting itself. Not sure how that applies yet, but it’s obvious that there are changes and that Jack has some residual “memories” of the Island life. Ultimately, as we continue down the path of Good vs. Evil, I think that each of our castaways will need to choose which side they’re on… as well as which “life” they want to live out. “Island Life” or “Off-Island Life”?! As we’ve seen, “Off-Island Life” is not necessarily “better” for many of them!

I also think that we’re going to have some analysis of what is “good” and what is “evil.” That “good” and “evil” are not as clear as people believe. I think that we may find out that Jacob was evil… obviously manipulative and using people as pawns for his own folly. I think that we may find out that Ben was good, and “Anti-Locke” is good too. Somehow?! I think we’ll see that each of them are fighting for what they truly believe in their heart-of-hearts. But since their “core beliefs & values” are so polar opposite, it therefore casts the “other” one as “evil.” Does that make sense? I kind of think of it as a parallel storyine to “Les Miserables”… where Javaert and Jean Valjean were forever in conflict, but each of them thought they were correct and fighting for the “good” side. And did until their deaths.

Does any of that make sense? Does it go along with any of your theories? I’d love to hear them.
Here’s a few of my basic theories…
1. Locke, Sayid, Claire & Christian are now all dead. But “brought back” by Smokey’s “bad” energy.
2. Smokey and “Anti-Locke” are one and the same now… and recruiting followers.
3. The blond-kid-with-bloody-hands-vision that “Anti-Locke” sees was Aaron.
4. Towards the series’ end, back in the States, Sawyer will meet and have coffee with Juliet… and “go dutch.”
5. Sun is a big, fat, lying murderer.
6. Adam & Eve will turn out to be Desmond & Penny.
7. We’re not going to get all of the answer we want in the end.

And I’m just getting started… GARY