Broken Frontier

Ready to get Lost? A look at what may be to come in the final season of Lost.

(Beware for spoilers of Season 1-5 as you read on - ed.)

The final season of Lost is finally upon us, and millions across the globe wait in breathless anticipation as the secrets of the mysterious island will be finally revealed. It's almost hard to believe that the end of Lost is so close, but the last season is bound to be one wild ride. Here's a few speculations on what may be in store for the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 in the final season.

1. Season six unfolds as dark mirror of season one

With the two hour premiere sporting the title “LAX” expect opening moments similar to that of the pilot episode, as characters deal with the fallout of the possibly-timeline-eradicating hydrogen bomb explosion. While some Lost seasons have been more subdued than others, expect season six to be just as chock-full of action as season one was.

2. The end of “flashbacks” and “flashforwards”

“Flashbacks” and “flashforwards” have been a Lost staple since day one, expect to see some changes in that format in season six. The end of the flashbacks has been mentioned by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and also by Actor Matthew Fox (Jack Shepard). Expect the new narrative device to be jarringly cool, much like the shocking switch to flashforwards at the end of season three.

3. More old questions answered than new mysteries revealed

This one is pretty much a no-brainer. So many long-term mysteries have been left unanswered in Lost it's definitely time for some big revelations to be made. With only 18 episodes remaining, and so many loose ends that need to be tied up, you can bet that as the season goes on that the viewer's patience will finally be rewarded.

So, be prepared to learn all about Smoke Monsters (Un-Locke?), Egyptian fertility goddesses, time-controlling dharma wheels, “Ann Arbor”, and Richard “eyeliner” Alpert.

4. Long-brewing character conflicts reach a boiling point

Season five ended with the culmination of the philosophical conflict between Jacob and his rival “the man in black”. Expect the theme to continue on into season six as well, as Jack and Locke, Sawyer and Jack, Ben and Sayid, Ben and Locke, and everyone and their fathers still have heaps of issues to work through.

Also, the romantic quadrilateral of Sawyer-Juliet-Jack-Kate should conclude dramatically, here's hoping for at least one Juliet cameo in the final episodes.

5. Long lost characters return

Lost has always found clever ways to put dead characters back on the screen, whether it be flashbacks, time-displacement, or even ghostly apparitions, if the writers want a character to re-appear they'll find a way. Look for Claire, Juliet and Farraday to make probable appearances, with Walt and Charlie also likely to pop up on screen again.

There is also a chance that at the beginning or end of the season we will have a complete Oceanic Flight 815 reunion with all deceased characters returning, but don't hold your breath on that one, it's far to obvious.

6. Closure

For six years Lost has been the best serial television since David Lynch's Twin Peaks. By masquerading as a character drama, it has set a new high water mark of mass appeal for a science fiction influenced show. All that's missing is a fantastic ending that will satisfy the fans and solidify its place in television history. I trust the show's creative team too much at this point to expect anything but utter satisfaction at the end of the show's run.

So sit down, put your tray up and buckle up, the captain has just put on the “smoking seatbelts” light. We're about to reach our final destination.

Lost: Season 6 premieres tonight on ABC at 8/7c.