If you want answers to some of Lost‘s biggest questions, you’ll have to tune in on May 11.  The episode airing next week, “Across the Sea,” promises to explain some major secrets.

SPOILER WARNING: Do not continue reading if you don’t want to know who’s appearing in this episode of Lost.

The official description is simple, but very revealing: “The true motives of John Locke are finally explained.”  In other words, it’s all about the Man in Black and Jacob.

Some of the people showing up in the episode are familiar faces, and others are new characters who promise to be very important.  Here’s the guest cast.

Mark Pellegrino as Jacob and Titus Welliver as the Man in Black

Obviously it makes sense that these two will return in an episode that promises to explore the truth about their backstory, hopefully showing just how old they are.

Kenton Duty as Teenage Boy

The creepy kid in the jungle is back, which means we’ll finally find out what his deal is.

Ryan Bradford as Boy in Black

Since he’s credited as “Boy in Black,” it’s not crazy to theorize that he might be the younger version of the Man in Black.  That would also lend weight to the theory that the boy in the jungle is actually a young Jacob.

Allison Janney as Woman

Yes, it’s THAT Allison Janney, the woman who won multiple Emmys for her work on The West Wing.  You don’t get someone of her caliber for a minor role, and since she’s just credited as “Woman,” my theory is that she’s the crazy mother the Man in Black talked about having.

Lela Loren as Claudia

Since I’m theorizing that Allison Janney is playing the Man in Black’s mother, I’m left to assume that Claudia will be Jacob’s mother.

Ivo Nandi as Oldest Hunter

This is one of the stranger character descriptions which could open the door to a lot of possibilities.  Was he on the Island before Jacob and the Man in Black?  Or was he related to one or both of them?

Tune in to Lost Tuesdays at 9pm on ABC.

(Image courtesy of ABC)

John Kubicek

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire DiariesSupernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.