Lost -- 29 May (There's No Place Like Home)

I finally watched the season finale last night, courtesy of ABC.com.

It was everything a good season finale should be. It answered some questions and gave us lots more. And, in true Lost fashion, it provided us with some nice character moments and drama.

• Again, we see the complexity of Ben's character. There were lots of sympathetic Ben moments, in particular his anguish when he was turning the strange wheel. He realizes this is it for him and the Island and is understandably upset. But, minutes before, we see the cold, remorseless Ben, as he replies with an uncaring "So?" when Locke tells him he's just killed everyone on the freighter. I've totally gone from hating Ben to rooting for him.
• Locke assumes the mantle of leadership. Nice shot with all The Others looking up at him. Why do those guys always need some outsider to rule them?
  
• I loved how the episode began the instant after last year's season finale ended. It was a nice bit of continuity, as well as reinforcing the non-linearity of time that the show plays around with. The same with Ben's jacket and cut on his arm. We see why he was wearing a parka when he shows up in the desert.
• Michael is, apparently, finally dead. He gets the "You can go now" nod from Christian. He's redeemed himself by helping to save the 6. It was good to see Walt again; nice bit of story structure and acting, there, as Hurley knows Michael is dead but doesn't want to tell Walt.
  
• Jeremy Bentham. Let's hear it for 18th century philosophers! (I'll return to this bit in a moment).
• Jack has good taste in music. Nirvana, The Pixies, etc.
  
• The Keamy/Sayid fight was awesome!
• Great to see the Penny/Desmond reunion. That was a nice conclusion to an ongoing plot line. It also provided a happy emotional counterpoint to Jin and Sun.
  
• We learned how much time has passed for the 6 -- 3 years since they were rescued.
  
• What were the "bad things" that happened on the island after the 6 left?
  
• Is Jin really dead?
• What was up with the Claire dream by Kate? Was it just anxiety or was it more like a vision? Who isn't supposed to go back to the island? Aaron? Why not? Maybe she means Ben or Whidmore.
  
• What happened to the folks on the raft that were going back to the island?
• One new mystery is Charlotte. What's her deal? Why has she been looking for the island? What did she mean by trying to find the place she was born?
• What will happen with Sun and Whidmore? Is she trying to help him? Does she join up with him to fight Ben? Much of this hinges on who else she blames for Jin's death. She told her father he was one of two. Who is the other? Jack thinks it's him, but it could easily be Whidmore or Ben for that matter.
• And, of course, the big question -- how did Locke get off the island, become Jeremy Bentham, and end up in that coffin?
  

My guess is we will spend most of next season answering that final question, as the 6 work to get back to the island. Given the reluctance Kate demonstrated to that possibility, it will be interesting to see how that plays out.