Previously on Lost: the biggest cliffhanger of the series completely erased any preconceived notions we had about the direction of one of television’s most enigmatic and engaging programs. Like us, the viewing audience and the blogging world were overwhelmed with questions, both mythological and about the characters we have come to know and love over the span of six seasons. Who exactly is Jacob and is he really dead? Who is the mysterious Flocke/Esau/Man In Black and what is his relationship with the Island? Where in the world and in time were our heroes? Is any of this even going to matter by the end of the series? As any devoted fan knew, by literally setting off a hydrogen explosion at the end of Season Five, the show’s creators gave themselves carte blanche to take the story of the survivors of Oceanic 815 in any direction they deemed fit. Once the dust settled though, it was clear there were two strong possibilities for the future of Lost: continue on the Island or have the Losties finally land in L.A., for good.

Season Six’s premiere on Tuesday provided a new angle to the show that neither of us saw coming. By creating two separate realities, one in which the bomb blew up and 815 landed safely juxtaposed with a universe where the bomb seemingly fails, the writers allowed fans of both camps to indulge their fantasies. While both of us were staunchly convinced that Season 6 was going to open with Oceanic making it to LA (what we’ll call the “X” reality after the premiere’s title, “LA X”) we appreciated seeing the various conflicts on the Island being played out. It is clear now that the continued fight between Jacob and his nemesis (whatever his name and nature may be) is going to be the focal point of this season, leading us to believe that this is what the show’s creators had envisioned as its climax since Lost’s 2004 premiere.

The new elements of mythology the writers threw into this premiere were tantalizing twists that kept us with our mouths and minds wide open during an episode that had promised answers. While we finally know what lies in the shadow of the statue, we still know nothing about it or its even number of toes. Additionally, the reveal of the Temple was one of the most breathtaking moments of the episode, if not the series, but left us scratching our heads at who these other Others are and whether they have “good” intentions. Arguably the biggest reveal, Jacob’s nemesis as the Smoke Monster, answered one of Lost’s biggest and longest running questions. This however, only added to the mystique of the so-called Man In Black, who stunned us further by knocking out the ever-important Richard Alpert and voicing his “disappointment” at Jacob’s followers.

However though, it is the characters that first drew people to this show, and it is the characters that ultimately have kept us watching for the past five seasons. For us, this is where Reality X hit the hardest. While it was painful to watch Sawyer bring up Juliet’s body from the ruins of the Swan, it was nothing compared to the image that came to mind of Boone’s final moments after he joked with Locke about “pulling his leg.” In many ways, Boone embodied the dual realities in this episode, both with his jovial remark to Locke and how he told his one-time mentor that he would “stick with him” if the plane went down. This reference to what had-been created a jumble of feelings for us, as we remembered the sense of wonder we had throughout our heroes’ adventures in the first season and immediate sadness as we mourned a character we had buried in one of the first major deaths of the show. Likewise, Charlie’s declaration that it was his fate to die immediately tore at our heartstrings as we remembered Desmond’s repeated attempts to fight the powers that be and save his friend. While notable appearances and absences of characters (Why was Desmond on 815? Where were Shannon, Michael, Walt, Anna Lucia, Eko etc.?) were interesting and may prove important, these took a backseat to what we really wanted to see: the characters interact without all the baggage of the Island.

All of this though has led us with one major question: Where does this all lead? We now have evidence that the bomb worked and both believe that Juliet’s remark about “going Dutch on coffee” will come back to shock Sawyer in a conversation when he finally does come face to face with Juliet again, much like Charlotte’s remark to Faraday about “chocolate before dinner” came back to haunt him. To this end, it seems likely that the two universes, the Island and Reality X, are on track to intersect. Juliet had bridged the gap when the bomb went off, proving that travel between the realities is possible. How the characters we have seen grow and change over the course of the series reach this point is the climax we have been building towards for years. We eagerly await the opportunity to watch them face the final consequences of their actions and choices.