LOST Season 4 Finale

So many things to say and ask. It’ll be a summer long thought process, I’m sure.
Only eight months to go until next January.

(This quick summary brought to you by Octagon Global Recruiting.)

Overall recaps:
Entertainment Weekly’s Doc Jensen recap is here.
Nikki Stafford’s blog recap is here.

References:
1. Jeremy Bentham

2. donkey wheel

3. Kate's backwards phone call

4. This is a few episodes previous, but someone bought the Mystery Tales comic book that Immortal Richard Alpert tested young Locke with. They scanned it all and it's on the Internets.

5. Alternate endings that were broadcast this morning on Good Morning America. (These were dummy endings to confuse the fans before last night's broadcast.)

Things I'm Happy About:
1. Desmond found Penny

2. We know who's in the coffin.

3. We saw the Orchid Station. And YAY! another Orientation film.

Things I'm Sad About:
1. Ben is exiled from the Island.

2. Charlie remains dead.

3. Juliette remains stuck on the Island--but maybe is ready for a romance with Sawyer? Will the relationship freaks (shippers in fan parlance) dub this potential duo Suliette or will they choose Jawyer? (The second one sounds dirty.)

4. Still no explanation about the 4-toed statue.

5. What about Matthew Abaddon?

6. Not enough in the Walt/Hurley scene.

7. Oh, yeah. Jin died. And, yes, I think he IS dead. Also Michael, but that's no big deal.

8. All these ghosts are popping up everywhere--Charlie, Christian Shephard, maybe Eko, potentially Claire, and there's no ghostliness for Nikki & Paolo?

9. Still not clear about what happened to Claire.

Things I'm Cautious About:
1. While I loved the FlashForward technique throughout the season, I found that it diminishes the OMG feeling of the finale because you are experiencing how all the pieces fit together to bring you where you knew you were going, rather than being confronted with something you didn't expect. (Though I will admit that I didn't expect a) to start the episode back at the airport with Bearded Jack and b) I didn't REALLY think the Island would, you know, move!)

2. Speaking of moving. Seriously? Frozen Donkey Wheel? WTF? I presume that either a) Immortal Richard Alpert's Others--the original Island inhabitants??--build the Big Gear of Island Movement about the same time they build the 4-toed statue, but HOW in the WORLD does this thing even work? Do I want to know? If they attempt to truly answer this, it's going to be a polarizing issue as the series winds down over the next two years.

3. How is Daniel going to use Desmond as his Constant, when Desmond is away from the Island for good?

Predictions:
1. Next season is about Jack convincing the Oceanic 6 to return--and somehow bringing the dead body of Jeremy Bentham along for the ride. That part should be easy for Jack since he knows how to transport the dead.

2. Also, we've got to learn what terrible things occurred after the Island was moved and Locke was given the keys of leadership. I can't say I'm surprised that he (and I blame him) messed it up. Dude's life is ALWAYS screwing itself up.

3. More scenes/info on Daniel/Charlotte/Miles. Especially Charlotte & Miles. What does he know about her?

4. I've forgotten something vitally important. It'll come to me later.