I can see the backstory of everything being complicated but the main story with the survivors remaining somewhat simple to digest.

Exactly. I think the main nature of the island will somethng very straightforward. I think all the Dharma, Others, Black Rock, three toes Statue stuff as just being extra plots to keep the whole thing interesting.

So far, there have been two new video podcasts since the Season 4 premiere. But none with Damon Lindelof and his sidekick (I forget his name).
The last audio podcast was back in Sept. with the 3-year anniversary of Lost.

Wouldnt the Oceanic 6 probably be the six that got on the helicopter? Im assuming they never would of found the island again since they dont have the coordinates.

i guess michael and walt aren't part of the 6? ofcourse we don't know yet what happened or will happen to them.

that alternate timeline theory seems interesting, but it totally ignores why the others wanted Walt so badly, and why they "got more than they bargained for." By the time the show ends, I'm sure that there will be questions that don't get answered, but if nothing is ever said about Walt and his mysterious powers, I'd be pissed.

It also ignores things like the numbers being from WWII (though supposedly they're done with the numbers, I think I heard) and the 4 toed statue.

Like you say, there is approximately a .001% chance they have mapped out the whole arc and have come up with satisfying resolution to everything. Heck, look at the tail section arc for confirmation of that. I think we all have our pet issues that they have to deal with, but Walt and Michael are indeed high on the lists of many.

If you want something to slowly fade into the background of the audience's consciousness (see: The Numbers), you don't mention it in the last few episodes of the first season and then bring it back up, two seasons later, and go to the time and trouble to film a missing pieces segment, thereby reminding people of its' presence as an ongoing, unsolved mystery. I think it's definately going to be addressed properly (unlike the Numbers).

I think WWII will play a role in unraveling these mysteries. I was watching The Hunting Party today online, and when Tom had a gun to Kate's head, it sure looked like a German Luger.

I doubt it. The old site is down with a error message. They don't seem to have a new place for podcast.

Sorry they do have video podcasts
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/ind...podcast#t=3421

one more thing from that site:

"Note that in season 3, Ben makes a comment to Richard “Remember when we used to celebrate birthdays?” Well, there wouldn’t be any reason to celebrate birthdays if the Others are repeating time every 108 minutes, and thus not aging."

They aren't. Day changes to night, weather changes, etc. Just another thing that doesn't make sense in his theory.

Ummmm did you see the price for October Road's first season of 5 episodes?

How did they pull the modern picture of Ben out? Is he playing them as well?

Look more closely. That's a YOUNGER picture of Ben.

I try not to post random theories, but of the 100's of theories I've read, this is in the top 2 along with the 5 page theory based around Dark Towers. Long read, but the detail is great. It almost feels like someone took part of the script/series outline... It's like I'm reading the script outline for a flashback series based around patchy;

http://www.lostreview.com/2007/05/an...-abcs-lost.cfm

If they use the timeline theory they're going to need a 2 hour special following the series finale so that the general public can understand. Hell, even after reading it myself there were some dots that I just couldn't connect to the big picture. I think there is an alternate reality or another dimension, but I'm not sure I'm ready to believe the whole time machine thing just yet. The "box" Ben referred to I believe is their ability or mechanism to bring things or people over from the real world into the world that they live in.

Al Gore will be paid to do a power point explanation linking and blaming the Lost Island to global warming.

Hey, look at that, someone (on another board) got it right.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=658

Now, the question is, did Ben intentionally shoot him there, knowing he'd live?

As for the spy, I'm wondering if it was the girl Ben shot. Ben obviously has other people out in the real world. They were able to find Locke's dad and bring him to the island relatively pretty fast. How he's getting information from the spy since the sky turned purple (and the flame blew up) is hard to say. But he must have some other way to communicate, or he got this information before those events happened.

With the Naomi having a pic of Desmond and Penny, I'm guessing somehow Widmore (Penny's dad) is behind it. Maybe Widmore was associated with Dharma, and is now funding the freighter trip. Widmore probably wants Desmond out of the picture. Or, maybe Naomi and Penny are friends, and Penny knew she was going on her mission.

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't know what a freighter is? My sister-in-law didn't

Maybe Ben's source is the little girl from his childhood? Did we ever find out what happened to her? Or maybe she's why they are after ben

"Naomi? Who is Naomi?"

Aaah, good call, had forgotten about her.

Saw this elsewhere. First pic is when Miles went up the stairs. Second is when he came down. Both times the camera went to the boy's picture.