Yes that’s right folks, three episodes for the price of one… Unlike previous spotlights I wont be talking about these episodes in order because, frankly, that would take forever. Instead I will break them down into components and discuss them that way.
If you want a complete breakdown check out Lost Lover At Law
Flash Sideways
The major new element in season 6 is the introduction of the flash sideways. Without actually reading about them on the web, you 
don't really get a sense that there are two (very real) parallel stories going on here, or at least I didn’t. However Lindelof and Cuse have made it very clear that the island story and the landing in L.A story are both equally valid and that neither should be thought of as “the real timeline”.
I’m guessing, that while the islanders fight a war against the Black Smoke alongside the new Others, the Alternate 815er’s will continue to cross paths through twists of fate. For sure, how can you explain Desmond Hulme’s appearance otherwise. Already Locke and Jack have plans to meet up, while Kate and Claire have already crossed paths.
However, in the non-crashed 815 storyline, while destiny seems intent on course correction (i.e. to bring all the survivors of the 
815 crash together to fight the war between Jacob and the Black Smoke in both timelines) certain things changed. Primarily, the island sunk, presumably right after jughead, possibly killing all of the Others. This means no Charles Widmore and no Penny? (Because she is too busy with Flash Forward?).
It could also spell doom for other islanders. Did Miles’ mother escape in time? What about Charlotte? Did Eloise escape with Daniel?
With only 14 episodes remaining, that is a lot questions that need answering…
Jack
Since sometime in season 3 Jack fell from grace and now, instead of being the leader, he is just as Lost as everyone else. On the island Jack’s assurances that Jughead will reset everything have failed and now Sawyer has him to blame for Juliet’s death. Then, after failing to use his medical knowledge to save Sayid he hands 
his friend over to the Others, who after much secrecy ask Jack to poison the Iraqi.
Meanwhile 815-Jack lands safely in L.A only to discover his father’s coffin is missing. He also meets up with John Locke. After a bit of a theological chinwag Jack offers John a free consultation about his back issues.
815-Jack seems to be different to Original-Jack in only minor ways. He’s still angry, especially with Christian, but he has longer hair… that’s it.
Kate
On island Kate is acting as a mediator, hoping to keep Sawyer from killing Jack, however with Juliet out of the picture Kate is back in the middle of the love triangle. (Although that said, I’m not convinced either Jack or Sawyer wants her anymore.)
815-Kate however uses her bathroom break in LA X to escape from the Marshall and hi-jack a cab (driven by Doyle from Heroes 
of all people) and which pregnant lady should be riding in the back? That’s right Claire.
It seems that Kate is fated to help Claire give birth to Aaron (and to convince her to keep the baby). After she kidnaps Claire, the pregnant girl goes into labour and Kate takes her to hospital where she is treated by non-other than Ethan! However, with the island gone, is it safe to assume that Ethan is no longer an Other?
Ethan drugs Claire to cease her premature labour and Kate ducks out, after Claire hands over her credit card, of course. I’m sure this is not the last time these two will meet. After all, on-island Kate claims her only goal is to reunite Aaron with his mother.
Locke
Locke is dead… Yup, Dead is Dead, although that doesn’t stop a frikkin’ smoke monster turning into you and convincing ex-Other Leader Ben to murder Jacob. Yep, that’s right On-Island Locke is in fact the smoke monster. He kills the majority of Jacob’s body guards (the “in the shadow of the Statue” people from last season) and then takes charge of the last of the non-
temple Others, knocking Richard out and slinging him over his shoulder.
815-Locke however is alive and well and wheelchair bound. He is returning from his walkabout, or at least he claims he is. He certainly doesn’t seem like the bitter old man from the island. In this timeline did Locke become paralysed by some method other than being thrown through a window by his father? Is he actually content?
Sayid
815-Sayid lands in LA X and sets out to look for his lost love… Other than that we know little else about him.
On-Island Sayid is a different matter. After Juliet passes away Hurley insists on taking him to the temple because Jacob appears to chubby millionaire and tells him to do so. However, the others 
at the temple drown Sayid and proclaim him dead.
Only he isn’t.. But when he wakes back up he is “infected”. Dogen, leader of the Others in the Temple warns Jack that Sayid has been “Claimed” just like Rousseau's team, just like CLAIRE!
Dogen insists that Jack must kill Sayid… presumably before he turns feral and starts shooting everyone.
Hurley
815-Hurley is a happy-go-lucky lottery winner who has never had a piece of bad luck in his life.
On-Island Hurley however is now talking to dead people, including the great and powerful Jacob. He convinces Jack to allow him to take Sayid to the Others, proving that Jacob sent him by handing over the guitar case. When Dogen, the Leader of the Temple Others, opens the case it is not a guitar but an Ankh (the Egyptian symbol for eternal life.) However, upon 
receiving it Dogen smashes it open and retrieves a piece of paper from inside.
I’m thinking that Jacob knew he was going to be killed then, otherwise why would he give Hurley this message to pass on if he thought he would be alive and well enough to do it himself. This could easily be taken as a metaphor for Jacob as Christ, who also knew he was going to be killed giving instructions to his apostles ahead of time.
The paper, I would assume, contains a list of names which includes Sayid and Sawyer for definite. I don’t know if it the same list Ben had…
Dogen
Is it any coincidence that the leader of the Temple Others is named after a Japanese Zen Buddhist who’s writings include “Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma” Dogen is the apparent leader of the Temple-Others. When he realises that Jacob is dead he launches flares to let Richard know 
he and Others are needed. As well as fortifying the temple walls, plenty of ash is laid down to keep the Black Smoke out.
Dogen’s news about Claire being “Claimed” by the Dark Side explains why Christian (Black Smoke) took her at the end of season 4. It could also explain how she survived the explosion in her house, like Sayid, she probably died and was then “claimed” by whatever the Black Smoke is.
Everyone Else
So what else happened? Well, many other dead or missing characters made a reappearance this week. Charlie returned, choking on a bag of heroine. After Jack saved his life Charlie snapped at the Doc, warning him that “I was supposed to die.” 
Something Desmond Hulme once told him.
The irritating school teacher Dr. Artz returned but so far no major storyline for him.
Heroes’ Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) returned as the voice of Seth Norris. It would be quite cool to see Seth and Frank catch up on old times, wouldn’t it.
The air stewardess Cindy returns as one of the Temple Others, supposedly reassuring Jack, Kate and the others that it’s all going to be ok.
Boone makes a reappearance too, with a rather weak excuse as to why Shannon cannot be there. There were no signs of Walt, Michael, Anna Lucia, Paulo, Nicky or Libby either although I’m fairly sure Frogurt made an appearance.
Desmond Hulme made a rather prophetic appearance which has some people speculating that Desmond’s ability to remain outside the flow of 
normal time will affect both timelines, despite never having been exposed to the Swan Hatch in the 815 timeline.
Juliet Burke was killed by the fall into the Swan Hatch, however her dying thoughts were simply “It worked” which suggests that somehow the two timelines will be relevant to each other.
Sawyer was devastated by her death as he had planned on asking her to marry him.
Ben has been totally dethroned and is now little more than a shell of a man. He is the Judas Iscariot of the Lost world.
Richard is revealed as possibly being one of the survivors of the Black Rock, which makes me wonder just how old other Others like Dogen are.
Finally, the episode closes out with Jin being pinned down by gunfire from non-other than “Claimed” Claire.
Conclusions
We know now that the “Dead People” on the island are in fact the Black Smoke, which of course brings into question the motives of the entity. It also brings into question Walt, who has appeared on the island several times, even since leaving it. Is Walt dead? Probably not? Is he able to translocate himself somehow using his psychic powers? Or is another being (i.e. Jacob) using Walt’s 
familiar form to gain the trust of certain islanders?
How can the two parallel stories be related and what possible conclusion can they have? The only one I can see is that both stories end the same way, proving that everything that has happened was fated to anyway.
How many more main character deaths will we see now that they can live on in the other storyline? Sawyer, for sure, will die on the island, probably saving everyone else. And Vice-Versa, which dead characters will now return in the 815 storyline? Daniel Faraday? Libby? Anna? Echo?
So many questions, so few episodes, so much confusion… We can only be watching Lost!
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