Sneak Peak at next week:

Warning!!!!!!! Very Spoilerish!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFj8RdCsiZY

I just had a thought -

The Oceaniac 6 got back on the plane and ended up back on the island. Someone has to have noticed them missing by now. And was the Algeria Air crash reported on the news? That would be the second plane to go missing in 6 years and on that plane were the Oceaniac 6. So twice in 6 years there are 2 missing planes, and both planes were transporting [some of] the same people.

excellent question

But maybe them getting on the plane the second time and landing sets time back so maybe the second crash doesn't happen or maybe the first doesn't exist. Not explaining myself well. Maybe no one misses them because in a reset reality they're not missing. Does that make sense?

I think the only answer that can be given right now is that we have no idea. Since the "flash sideways" story began, we've been kept in the dark about what is happening in the "real" timeline, whether that timeline even exists anymore, whether it ever existed. It's a complete unknown, they've given no clues in the show that would make any one answer more likely than another.

Add to that, at the start of the season the island was underwater.

So, we have

An island that is now underwater after an H-bomb was set off (presuming it actually went off and they didn't 'jump' right before it exploded).

People who have been living on the [now] underwater island still living on the above ground island and somewhere else.

I would guess that when the Ajira 316 airplane crash-landed on the island, the sideways timeline came into existence and in that existence, Oceanic 815 landed safely and Ajira 316 doesn't yet exist. So, as far as "news" goes, neither event happened and all of the Losties are where they should be (more or less).

I think this is what katiesue is also saying.

I think the island is only underwater if/when the sideways timeline is allowed to exist. Further, they aren't living on the island and somewhere else concurrently (at least based on given information). The sideways timeline is 3 years earlier than the island timeline which may or may not have ever existed to begin with (if the sideways timeline is allowed to continue).

Did that make sense?

Point, PB.

Jack's line, "I guess we've all changed" highlighted just how long it's been, how much has happened, how strongly the characters have been developed...all in one line. Small dialogue touches like that make this show extra enjoyable.

Another example - Sawyer calling Lapidus "Chesty." :D