Lost was renewed for a fourth season this week, who didn't see that coming?  Despite being cast as ailing, (in fact, the drop-off in viewers was about what ABC had predicted for the time change),  Lost's twisty-turny plot continues to dominate water-cooler conversations as its story begins to unfold in some exciting new directions.  Time travel, other Others, and now Locke's dad mysteriously appearing on the island?  Where is all this going?  How will it end?  Read on for our best guesses at what Lost season 4 might look like!

First the setup.  What do we know.  In the recent ABC podcast, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof told us that 'Jacob' is 'him'.  So Jacob, who made some mysterious master list, is the de facto leader of the others, or is he?  Maybe he is a leader of the other Others.   Getting confused yet?

New characters are scheduled to begin appearing on the island who are neither Others nor plane folk.  It has been alluded to many times that this third group is far more terrifying in nature than the monster, and probably more powerful than the Others.  So without further delay, here are my predictions for season 4:

• The base.  The basis of four is going to be this new group, but not in the way we dealt with the others.  This new group is going to be aggressive.  Something has been preventing them from interfering with things up to this point, and when that something is removed, all hell is going to break loose on the island.
• No more beach.  The beach we know and love is going to go bye-bye.  I'm predicting the Others will be revealed to be the good guys they are and the 815ers will be huddling together with them in anticipation of a looming showdown with the new third group.
• The good guys.  We're going to learn by the end of this season that the Others have been doing what they do out of necessity.  In other words, they are protecting their own butts, probably carrying out the orders of the third group to avoid their wrath.
• No Monster. Go ahead, call me crazy, but I predict that the monster will somehow be destroyed by the end of the third season.  Why?  Because he is the 'security system' to quote Danielle, he is what keeps that other group from mingling down and doing their evil bidding.  Think of this, the monster is named Cerberus.  Cerberus both guarded the way in, and out, of the underworld.  With Cerberus out of the way, the third group has free reign over the island.  Look out.

And that is what I have so far.  All totally speculation of course. Have any ideas of your own?  let's hear them!


-Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
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