Clues (maybe)!

Fellow blog author John brought the above image to my attention. Click the image for a full picture for closer examination.

Here's what John had to say about it:

Check out the link, and look and see the cast of characters that are shown. Typically, these promotional posters/photos only contain the characters involved with the current season, so it could be that we get to better know some of those who have passed (i.e. Mr. Eko).

That is definitely an interesting aspect of this promotional poster. Upon closer inspection, I count the following dead characters present:

• Boone
• Shannon
• Charlotte
• Faraday
• Eko
• Ana Lucia
• Charlie

And there are a couple whose identity I'm unsure of: the woman fourth from the left and the man fifth from the right. Anyone know who those guys are?

Anyway, there are a three established ways the Lost writers could involve dead characters in this season:

1. Flashbacks.
2. Time travel.
3. Hurley seeing dead people.

The most interesting part of this poster for me is Locke. Standing in the middle of the group, closest to us, but with his back turned. I had a discussion with my wife a couple days ago about Locke and his role in this last season. I was wondering if his currently dead status implied he wouldn't be all that involved.

Apparently I was wrong.

So that leaves us with some questions:

Who or what is impersonating Locke currently?

Can Locke be brought back from the dead, or will he return as there is another major time shift on the Island?

Another reason I question Locke's prominence in this season is that his "special" quality was almost entirely manufactured. The reason Alpert and the Others were so interested in him is because Not Locke created that interest in 1977 by planting the idea that John Locke was special in Alpert's head. That's why Alpert was at Locke's birth. That's why he visited young Locke and tried to get him to the Island when Locke was a young adult.

The other thing that impressed the Others about Locke was that he was healed of his paralysis on the Island, and they'd never seen someone recover from such a damaging injury before. This evidence still stands, though it could just be they'd never seen a paralytic arrive at the Island before.

Locke without his higher calling, without his purpose, is a very depressed, bitter and hopeless man. Not exactly a leading character.

One thing my wife said is that Locke in Season 6 may be the embodiment of the good/evil black/white conflict that was established in the pilot. Good Locke and Evil Not Locke at odds for the fate of... the Island?

And finally, the phrase "Destiny Found."

"What happened happened. "It's our destiny." "What if everything that happened here, happened for a reason?" Charlie being fated to die in Season 3. There's a whole page on this at Lostpedia.

I'm guessing we'll find out exactly why Flight 815 was brought to the Island, and what Jacob wants from Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Juliet, etc. There's something threatening the Island, something worse than Widmore and the Kahana. I think it all boils down to the conversation Jacob has with his enemy sometime in the 19th century.

JACOB: I take it you're here 'cause of the ship.
HIS ENEMY: I am. How did they find the Island?
JACOB: You'll have to ask 'em when they get here.
HIS ENEMY: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
JACOB: You are wrong.
HIS ENEMY: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.
[The gray-haired man stares at his compatriot.]
HIS ENEMY: Do you have any idea how badly I wanna kill you?
JACOB: Yes.
HIS ENEMY: One of these days, sooner or later... I'm going to find a loophole, my friend.
JACOB: Well, when you do, I'll be right here.
HIS ENEMY: Always nice talking to you, Jacob.
JACOB: Nice talking to you, too.

Shivers.

Less than three weeks!