Yes to everything you've said. :-)
LOST will be on for three more seasons (concluding at end of third season).. so they will keep us in suspense for quite a while longer.
We don't know if Lock ended up getting taken off the Island or not... And do we know FOR SURE that Charley died? Or could it just have appeared that he would? We never really know for sure with Lost.
I had the distinct impression that the last 3 (or so) episodes of Lost were written MUCH BETTER than earlier in the season. Reminded me more of the first season. This season I thought things were not nearly as well done...until the end. Wonder if they got new writers, or if suddenly got better ideas?
I gather the "flash backs" are now flash FORWARDS... And I wonder who's funeral Jack read about on that obit from the newspaper on the plane? Obviously it was some one who was with him the island (or that's what I ASSUME at any rate).
To me that suggested that the next "theme" will be to make true what Ben had said (warned..prophesized) on the island...that to get OFF the island was not good.... That it was not how things were meant to be, and it would bring them ALL down.
I kind of projected from that...and by Jack's reaction to the Obit, that it is /has/will become a pattern that one by one, the characters will each undergo some catastrophe... They will all slowly be killed off. Jack must realize this (or sense the wisdom that was in Ben's warning NOT to attrack others to 'rescue" them --- and hence his deep despondency (and doing drugs/drinking to dull the pain of his realizations). Also explains his DEEP desire to RETURN TO THE ISLAND...where he now sees there was safety, of sorts.
And if they got off the island, you have to wonder why JACK is not married to Kate....
I might also hazzard a guess....that if my previous thories are correct, then Jin and partner WILL lose their baby...since it was concieved on the Island. Maybe that's just one more piece to the puzzle that Jack is putting together that bad things are now befalling all of them... (Again, PURE CONJECTURE on my part.)
But I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO ANNOYED that I have to wait until NEXT SEASON for this to resume. Heck, it's finally gotten GOOD again, and now we all have to undergo withdrawal pains!
YES! YES! YES! it was GREAT when Hurley came barreling in to the rescue. I've wondered if maybe he would end up with Charlie's girl friend (IF Charlie is indeed dead).
I wonder if Locke DID get off the island with everyone, if he ended up back in a wheel chair? Maybe that will be the first clue (to Jack) that Ben's projection of "disaster" was true afterall.... ?
What do the rest of you think?