The producers have said over and over that they aren't dead.

If Jack is dead and the others are somehow alive, why would the island use Jack's Father to send Vincent to wake up Jack when it could just wake up Jack on it's own?

This whole the Island won't let you stuff bothers me. The producers have said everything could be explained using some sort of science, and I don't see how the island could be explained (unless it's some kind of alien !!)

I agree that the island won't let you stuff is hard to swallow sometimes. I guess it is similar to the idea of fate and fulfilling your destiny. It seems like the island has all of these people on a set path that it DOES NOT want changed.

We can assume that Mikael also has "more work to do" as the island has seemingly protected him from death many times...the protective fence, being shot in the Looking Glass station, etc

The people that have died (Boone, Eko, Shannon, Libby, Charlie, etc). I guess we have to think about what significant work they had done and the goals they had accomplished. Whatever their work was, it was done alright (as were they immediately after).

Would you guys agree to the fact that maybe Jacob's list records the people that do "have work to do"? And if so, what about the people on the island that were not on Jacob's list, why are they still alive if they "aren't worthy"?

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" We kinda like knew that forever ago." -Hurley SE4EP8

Hmm interesting suggestion about Jacob's list..I don't know why those off the list are still alive though... There were a number of lists around and at this point I can't recall which one had what purpose to it, but I do remember some conversation from 3rd season where it was mentioned that Kate and some other central characters didn't make to the lists due to personal flaws..Was it Tom or Mikhail saying that?

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

I believe it was Mikhail and it was right before the team that was coming from the flame hatch reached the sonic fence, I think.

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" We kinda like knew that forever ago." -Hurley SE4EP8

The more I think about it the more I think things are coming a little clearier, the fake 815 crash was stage by Ben's off island group. Because Ben knows that Widmore is looking for the island for what reason I'm not too sure about.
When the original 815 crash happen Ben sent someone to each part of the broken up plane to make a list of who was on the plane and who were the surivours. Ben check this list to see if any of them might be of Widmore group. Ben thinking that Widmore had found the island. So Ben get his list and sees no names jumping out at him that could be Widmore group. So then Ben's off island group stage the fake 815 crash to throw Widmore off the possibility of finding the island once a search has began for it's black box.
It was pure accident of how 815 had crashed at the island because Desmond wasn't where he was suppose to be to enter the numbers when he suppose to which cause the magneto thing to put the airplane out of the sky.
Now the rest of this is just me thinking okay. Jacob is having some kind of fallout with Ben and thinks it time to replace Ben, so Jacob is search out the surviours to see whom might be the best choice to take over Ben. Jacob has a plan for each one of the surviours and onces they've fulfill that use then the island's done with them. Once everything is in harmony with Jacob all it good once again. I know it's a little crazy, haha.

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Standing in the ocean with the sun burning low in the west
Like a fire in the cavernous darkness at the heart of the beast
With my beliefs and possessions, stopped at the frontier in my chest
At the edge of my country, my back to the sea, looking east

The island being supernatural is the only thing that makes the show even remotely interesting

if there wasn't something intrinsically special about the island itself the others wouldn't defend it so vigourously, nor would Widmore spend so much time trying to find it

I think everone on the island is undergoing some sort of trial period. Some a short triall, others longer. Once that trail period is ended, then you are alowed to die. From there you will either end up as one of the "good guys" in the temple and appear as some sort of ghost when the island (jackob?) sees fit ( Libby, Charlie etc) or you end up as "a bad guy"in a darker place.

The people who where "good" to begin with where on the list that Ben had made up by Ethan and Goodwin. They where allowed passage to the temple straight away, without trial and can even be seen roaming arround freely outside the temple ( on the work island ). Think about it...the initial people on the list where mostly children who are innocent, thus "good".

The ocianic six returnt as a result of Widmore's freighter. That was never suposed to be. Their trials on the island were suposed to be completed.
In one of the flash forwards Jack realises that, and states to kate that they have to go back.
Charlie was sent by the Island tot tell Hurley the same thing.