The funeral place seemed to be in a black neighborhood, which may mean it's Michael, which fits with the teenaged son thing.

this is a completely un-researched theory, but after season 2 made such a big deal out of the mental home and showed multiple characters were there at the same time. I'm thinking something along the lines of one of thems insane and imagining all of it, as per that episode with hurleys imaginary friend, Dave. Then the man in the coffin could have been anyone on the island or a mutual friend of Kates and Jacks. Or a second theory is that everyone on the island is part of some crazy experiment in the mental home as in the movie "the jacket". the dude in the coffin could be the man behind the the experiment, hence Jacks answer to the question "Are you friend or family?" - "Neither" once again this is completely un-researched and its just an ending that i've peiced together from watching each episode a few times.

i have a question. why is there a 'suicide' even in a Los angeles newspaper anyway.

i think it was locke for two reasons. (1) there were no friends or family at the funeral, and the show has made clear that locke has no friends or family back in the states. (2) he says to jack "you're not supposed to do this" and in the end jack tells kate "we were not supposed to leave" indicating much regret for leaving the island. this is probably why he is so distressed at the newspaper, because he is miserable for leaving and locke had specifically told him he wasn't supposed to.

To all that keep referring to the "newspaper clipping" as an obituary. It was NOT an obit. It was a news article reporting the death of someone who committed suicide. Newspapers do report news.

Obituaries are generally placed in the newspaper by someone close to the deceased (a family member, significant other, or friend). Based on the fact, as told by the funeral director, that no one attended the viewing, I think we can safely assume there would have been no obituary.

Additionally, the article may not have been on the first page of the newspaper, as some have stated. It could have been the first page of any of the secondary sections.

My initial reaction was that the deceased was Michael, but after much reading on this subject, I believe it to be a new character that will be introduced in S4.

I meant, once they get back, they forget that they've been there before, and that they wanted to be there. Except some people, perhaps... such as John Locke. It may explain part of that he realizes why he wants to be there.

#50

Sorry, I mistyped my previous post, I meant that they want to go back, but they forget once they get there.

Its not exactly what happens in Dark Tower, but I don't want to ruin it for those that are looking to read it. Excellent series, by the way, the first one seems a bit slow, but starting with the second one, there gets to be a lot more action.

I think the name Worden is important, perhaps he is not only a doorman but also a warden of some type? From Dharma? From the Others?
Wait till next year is the only course

I like the idea that the island makes them forget things. It sounds so nice. Just like purgatory. Or that Walt really was back and not an apparition.

I guess you just made me read the dark tower series. I had they standing on my bookshelf for two years now, bought the whole set when the last book came out after having read the first two and a half about ten years ago - because I don't get your dark tower reference - what do you mean by "they want to get back but forgot that they put themselves there". How's that a never ending cycle? Could you be a bit more specific? Because me reading 4000 pages might take a little longer than you telling me a bit more about it :-) Thanks :-)

And about simplicity - I think that assuming that the story is told in the now that is the island with flashes backward to their past and forward to their future is pretty much the easiest explenation or wouldn't you say that assuming that it's a cycle (as I understand it at the moment) with the story repeating itself without the people aging would be a bit more complicated?

Although I have to admit that the aging of some characters (walt) as well as the non-agin of others (Alpert in Ben's flashback to when he fled into the woods) seems interesting. Time certainly has a major role in this story and once again it would be a reference to the Donny Darko story.

But all the theories with the island being a split-off of the "real" universe seem off to me as long as the island itself seems to be different and in another reality with certain laws of nature off but then again they seem to be able to communicate with the outside world through their com-station, the radio tower and finally through the looking glass with Penelope as well as with Naomi's people via the satellite phone. It seems more and more that the island is not really off all maps and away from reality. But since this story hasn't fully been told yet... 9 months fly by very fast. I can hardly believe it's been 8 months since my last vacation...

No matter who was in that coffin, didn't anybody else find the statement by Ted Worden the doorman to be suspicious? If he was near enough to the loft to hear the noise, it's not made clear what was causing it. Maybe it was the victim kicking away his chair or stool and then flailing about as he died.

But maybe it was the sound of a struggle and the victim's death was made to look like a suicide. (Not really sure if we can trust that Worden went into the loft right away or not. If this guy was murdered, maybe the murderer had time to get away.)

If it was Michael in the coffin, I could see somebody getting their revenge on him for what he did back on the island. And it would be yet another mystery to help keep the show going to 2010.

At any rate, I'm sure we were given the name of Ted Worden for a reason.....