* This is not novel by any stretch, but as we have seen Season 5 unfold, the timeframe has been at most a couple of days since the island moved from the perspective of the islanders (just in terms of “experienced” time, not time traveled), and while the Oceanic Six have experienced a similar timeframe, it begins nearly three years after they have left the island. How will this be explained?
I think the answer is in Faraday’s lecture about time being a string. The “event window” that Ms. Hawking is trying to ascertain is when the timeline of the island and the real world will be in synch. Then the Oceanic Six can return at a unique moment on their string that also corresponds island time.
Since the island is now dislodged from time, there is no discrepancy--the matching window could have occurred in 2014 or 3001 instead of 2007, and maybe it would again. But this time may be the only one that fits the lifespan of the current characters, just as Halley’s comet may only pass Earth once in your lifetime, despite the fact that it will continue to pass occasionally for millions of years to come.
* One of the most interesting episodes of the year, and I hope we get in a traditional flashforward format, will be when we get to see Bentham visit the Oceanic Six. I would particularly be interested in the meeting between Bentham and Walt (and, of course, Bentham and Jack).
* With all of the island history being explored, one event that is often overlooked that I would like to see is the story of the real Henry Gayle. I don’t even think I included anything about that incident in my list of fifty Lost questions. But I should have, and I think it would be very interesting. There’s some faint evidence of a Gayle/Widmore connection--was he explicitly sent on a mission to find the island like the Freighter, or was he positioned to do so with a sporting challenge as Desmond was? Or is the seeming Widmore connection a red herring? And how do the Others respond when they encounter him?
* I speculated that we will see the outrigger shooting scene again this year, from the perspective of the Oceanic Six. If they are the party in the other boat, then why are they shooting? And more intriguingly, WHO are they shooting at? Could they be shooting at Locke to attempt to prevent a space-time anomaly, as he is the only person who could possibly be in both parties?
* Another thing I’m looking forward to this season (and am reasonably optimistic that we will see) is Claire stumbling out of the jungle ala “Special”. Perhaps it will come early next season, but it will be an exciting moment in the show, even if it doesn’t go down as a stumble out of the jungle.
