Okay, I admit I was totally dumbstruck at the end of the show. I knew we were taking a different direction with the show, because the producers have floated that out there. But I do not believe that we are finished with this island. So here are some possibilities in my mind:

1. We saw a flash forward of the future that will occur if current events stay on course. We know that Desmond has had future flashes and that he has changed the course several times. So next season, we could return to the island....but instead of flashbacks we will experience flash forwards. Seeing how each persons action will impact the outcome.

2. The entire episode was Jack of the future having flashbacks of the past. The new season picks up with us in 2010. Our Losties must come together to try and go back somehow and undo the mistakes they made. Remember, it was told to Desmond that his actions had impact on the future survival of the world. So, we do not know what impact overall our losties could have on future events. They became better people on the island, and as a group functioned in a healthy way. They found redemption, they were happy. But back in the real world they are miserable and always longing for the life they had on the island.

3. Jack will bump his head like Desmond and be returned to the island having knowledge of the future and future flashes and be able to do things differently.

I have other thoughts and possibilities but my head is just swimming!!
Anyone else have thoughts on where this could be headed next year?

Those are all legit ideas, Frog. I wonder what the structure of the episodes will be now as well. Will we have flashbacks of the island now? Or perhaps it's flash fowards? Aye, I'm so confused!

I love the ideas of flash forwards! i mean how many past stories can we see we are up to Season 4!

__________________
Because all we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her.

They can't be done with the island. Remember Jacob is still there, the people have to deal with him.

Agreed Frog... Jack was flashing BACK to the island. not flashing forward to his future. I could see the show doing that. but as mentioned. the Island has tons left to explore.

there is something very tricky about flashing forward. becuase logically speaking if jack knew that crap would go down and he was flashing forward. then he would not have made the call on the phone.

OR maybe theres a future descision point that he reaches that will be the decider of if they leave or not.

Could the flash forwards be a possible future? Desmond has the knowledge that the rescue team is not Penny's. Lot's could happen in the time of rescue that could seriously go crazy.

Desmond's future flashes were potentials because he was acutely aware of them. This seems to be something completely different as Jack seems blissfully unaware that he will one day long to return to the island.

Could we have seen Lok's flashes forward? The flashes that let him know Jack wasn't meant to leave? Just hazarding a guess... but one that would have meant the future scenes were not set in stone.

What about Jack asking the the other Dr. to bring Jacks dad down to see if he was drunker than Jack? I thought Jacks Dad was dead?

In the future flashes Jack was desparate to get back to the island and realised it was a mistake getting rescued.
Ben had told him "what have you to go back to your dad is dead your wife has left you"
Jack talked about a golden airline ticket presumably from oceanic for the now celebity survivors ,which gave unlimited free air travel.
He longed for the plane to crash and take him back to the island.
So im guessing season 4 will concentrate on those who were left behind on the island-Locke and the others.

Unless there is a mess up between then and the present in Lost with the rescue mission.I'm not sure how they can prolong the season to make up for this gap.