As for the coffin, my guesses on the body in the box are Ben or Locke. Thanks to the web, people have analyzed the newspaper clipping that Jack carried with him to the funeral. It mentions that the person took their own life – so it has to be someone who absolutely wanted to be on the island. My bets are one of those two are taken from the island against their own free will. The fact that Kate says “Why would I go?” infers that it is someone she (and Jack) would supposedly hate. It would be great drama to have Jack completely broken up over the death of his enemy as he has to be feeling guilt for calling the freightor. His actions effectively ruined everything.

As for time travel and Miles/Milo… I think my head will soon explode. Still have no idea what that tricked out dustbuster was doing… perhaps that shunts him back in time/dimension so that he talks to these people when they are alive somehow, but he also remains in the present… or it simply allows him to communicate across time or it is just something to scare up some Slimers…

@Chris: Don’t assume because they are the Oceanic Six that only six come back. It could be six from the plane and untold others. Juliet and Ben perhaps. The more I think about it, the more I think it will be Ben in that box and not Locke, however, he might sooner die than leave the island for good…

And what do you think we could accomplish in the world if we all put THIS much time in figuring something out??? Maybe master a little time-travelin’ ourselves??

@ Everyone – Here’s something creepy/weird/cool that I just read online in numerous forums (yet I haven’t been able to confirm for myself as I deleted the ep from the DVR).

In the scene where we meet Miles (I keep calling him Milo but the more I think about it, I think he’s Miles). Anyway, in that scene, when he first enters the grandmother’s house, the camera focuses on some pics of her grandson on the wall. We see this and assume it’s just to give a face to the ghost he’s busting (of course – we don’t know he’s a ghostbuster yet). Here’s the important thing – all of the pics have wooden frames.

After Miles does his job, he comes downstairs and gives the grandmother her discount. As he’s leaving the camera focuses on the pics again. I remember thinking it was weird that they did that but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. It just seemed random. Apparently, all of the picture frames are now metal. The pics are the same but the frames are completely different.

Now – you could argue it’s a continuity error but why would they set up props in wooden frames and then in metal frames. Seems like an easy thing to keep track of – especially on a show so consumed with keeping continuity. The weird thing is, the camera focuses on these pics on 2 separate occasions (before he goes up – after he comes down). A lot of people are reading this to be confirmation of the whole alternate time line/time travel/worm hole theories that are starting to pop up. Maybe Miles has the ability to not bust a ghost but to access altered time lines. Access a time line where that ghost doesn’t exist there anymore. Or perhaps his ability affects time in some way (as an after effect). That would explain why whoever Abbadon works for, would want him. I don’t know. I don’t have any answers. But that seems like a very deliberate thing they did. They know how obsessive fans are and wanted them to find that. What it all means? Who knows?

One other thing – I think Abbadon works for Widemore Industries – the company owned by Penny’s father. In some of the ancillary media (the viral games, the book Lost Twin) there are references to Widemore being a a founder – and later a competitor – of the Hanso Foundation – which ultimately created the Dharma Initiative. That would explain why they want Ben and would also explain why Naomi also had a pic of Desmond and why Penny didn’t know about the boat.

Just a thought.

See – this is why I love shows like this. All the guessing and wondering.

I also thought the look that Hurley got from Ben and Locke when he mentioned the cabin was telling. It must be pretty rare for folks to see that and they both seemed surprised. I also find it strange that Locke feels the need to find jacob again. What did the taller Walt tell him?

The one question they didn’t ask Ben after he told them they were there looking for him was why???

Also, my pick of Juliette as one of the six has to be off. The way Lapidus (and then Milo) reacted when she gave her name and they realized she was a “native” was interesting. Milo then said they were looking for Ben, again not saying why. I think they are going to have a lot distrust in her as it appears that Ben has been built up as something/someone bad by Abbadon. Plus as Lapidus said, she wasn’t on the manifest, so how could she be one of the six!

The whole fake plane is interesting. Who would have done that. They would have had to have know it landed on the island or else why cover it up. Why did it need to be found? I have way too many questions and not enough answers, which I like/expected in the first couple of episode. But I agree with Ed, how much more are they going to be able to shoot now that the strike is over? I think they will shoot enough to tie this arc off cleaning before starting another one. I just hope they didn’t shoot the first 8 knowing they might not return and rush the story along.

I’d say whoever is behind the Dharma Initiative is responsible for the cover-up wreckage, etc. Either that, or it is whomever Ben, Richard, et al are in league with. He’s clearly been photographed off-island. The NTSB guy on the phone seemed upset with Lapidus’ call, so is the government in league as well?

I think this reveals the secrecy around the Oceanic Six. They weren’t supposed to have survived given the wreckage reveal. They probably put out a story that just the six survived on a raft or something.

As for the “rescue” crew, I think all, or at least half of the four were supposed to be on Oceanic 815. We know Lapidus was supposed to pilot it, but I think Charlotte was so interested in the clipping because she was also meant to be on it. Not sure about the Ghostbuster or the geek, but certainly, Milo would seem like a perfect fit given all the spirits (hello Jacob!) floating about the island. Either that, or they have been recruited by Dharma to take back control by eliminating Ben? Or, maybe some anti-Dharma group. Charlotte certainly seemed to know what she was looking for at the polar bear dig. And, I’m with you, it’s a teleportation or time travel experiment gone awry. I’m thinking more teleportation given my Looking Glass theory. I don’t remember them saying how old the skeleton was…

Finally, I agree on the introductions. I liked the flashbacks happening before the island intro.