Which of Lost's lingering mysteries could a future revival series solve? Lost captivated and baffled viewers in equal measure from 2004 to 2010, spinning an intricate tale of paranormal goings on, God-like beings, time travel and redemption. Groundbreaking and ambitious, Lost introduced a treasure trove of plot points, and while most of these were wrapped up by the season finale (satisfactorily or otherwise), a handful remained without a corresponding answer. A purpose-built short film called "The New Man In Charge" served to plug some of those gaps, including the "Hurley bird," the Island's supply drops and Walt, but even so, Lost still hasn't covered every base.
Divisive though its ending might've been, Lost has retained its popularity over the past decade, commanding a passionate fan base who still obsess over the Island's many curiosities, and this enduring interest is fueling talk of a potential revival. While Lost's cast and producers have all moved on in their careers, they're often questioned about a return to the Island, whether in a sequel to the original series or a reboot with an entirely fresh crop of survivors. Given Lost's format, a revival is far more likely, and the recent announcement of a Dexter continuation only emboldens the sense that Lost's return is only a matter of time.
A future Lost season 7 would likely establish fresh plot threads, rather than drawing entirely from the existing characters and storylines. But a revival could also dig into areas of Lost mythology that haven't been fully explored. Here are the Lost mysteries a new series could finally explain.
What Is The Island In Relation To The Real World?
Perhaps Lost's biggest unanswered question and the reason the show's finale proved so divisive is the lack of clarity about what the whole adventure really means. Lost's final season revealed the Island to be a central core of electromagnetism on the planet - overflowing with energy that possessed a variety of qualities (time travel, pregnancy issues, etc.) and could be harnessed in different ways. But the truth behind the Island and its purpose runs far deeper and revolves around the mysterious "heart" of the island beyond the bamboo grove.
A giant stone cork plugged into a cave, Lost hints that removing this cork could have apocalyptic consequences, but the details remain unspecified. The cork holds back a strange, golden light which is clearly more than mere electromagnetism. What this light does, how it affects the outside world, why it grants immortality, and what happens if it goes out are the most vital questions Lost never answered, preventing viewers from fully comprehending why the Island was so important. Will the world end if the cork is removed? Or, as the Mother suggests, does the light simply need protecting from bad people? These questions must surely form the basis of any potential Lost revival.
Who Is The Mother?
Speaking of Lost's enigmatic Mother, the season 6 character was left entirely unexplained by the original series. Since the first mention of "Jacob," Lost viewers wondered and speculated about the Island's fabled deity, and when Mark Pellegrino's character finally appeared in the flesh, answers looked to be forthcoming. The backstory of Jacob and his brother was covered by Lost season 6's "Across the Sea" episode but the long-awaited solution proved underwhelming. Jacob and The Man in Black crashed on the Island long ago and were inducted as its protectors by the Mother who already lived there. Effectively, every question Lost's audience had about Jacob transferred to Mother instead. Where did Mother come from? Was she the Island's first protector and, if not, who was? Tracing the chain of leadership back, someone must've decided the Island needed protecting, but their identity and motivations remain unknown.
These answers would go a long way towards explaining why Lost's Island is so important. It's ironic that in a show about the battle between faith and science, Lost never revealed whether the Island's nature was supernatural in origin or an as-yet-undiscovered form of science. Delving into the history of Mother (or whoever came before her) is key to unraveling that question.
Did The Oceanic Survivors Finally Find Peace?
Moving away from mythology and lore, a Lost revival couldn't possibly avoid catching up with old favorites. Lost's finale wisely focused more on characters and relationships than systematically addressing every unresolved plot thread, and thanks to the flash-sideways mechanic, everyone was afforded a happy ending without resorting to a "10 years later" epilogue. A Lost revival could reveal what became of Kate, Sawyer, Desmond, Claire, Richard and the rest in a more natural setting. These classic characters may not be among the main cast of a new series, but could appear sporadically throughout, revealing their post-Island lives. When some of the Oceanic survivors returned home in Lost season 4, they struggled to resist the pull of the island, leading to Jack's famous "we have to go back" speech. After escaping a second time, did everyone manage to find peace? Or did the Island continue to haunt them? If a revival does ever happen, probably the latter.
Why Was Walt So Special?
Young Walt possessed strange abilities in Lost, able to manifest visions of himself to others and kill birds with his mind, but the nature of Walt's power was never explained beyond other characters repeatedly confirming he was "special" and possessed a unique affinity for the Island. The wonders of puberty prevented Lost from pursuing Walt's storyline further, but "The New Man In Charge" attempted to pick up the pieces by having Hurley and Ben (now protectors of the Island) hire the boy as part of their new-look team. Ben also suggested that Walt's powers could somehow guide the Island's restless ghosts into the afterlife. Assuming a Lost revival heads back to the Island, Walt is sure to appear, and his connection to the Island can finally be answered. Introducing a grown-up Walt, completely familiar with his powers and purpose, to a new group of survivors would marry together the old and new elements of a Lost continuation, while finally offering some insight into this criminally underused character.
Did Hurley Protect The Island (& How Long For?)
And if Walt returns for a future Lost season 7, Hurley and Ben surely won't be far behind. Lost's finale installed Jorge Garcia's fan-favorite character as the new Jacob of the Island, with Ben finding redemption by becoming Hurley's assistant. Although the flash-sideways ending confirms that Hurley and Ben both eventually die, Lost reveals nothing about their reign. Was their time protecting the Island hassle-free, or did the duo face an even tougher villain than the Man in Black?
According to Jacob, the Island was designed to contain a powerful darkness, and it's assumed he was referring to the Man in Black. The Smoke Monster was defeated in the final episode, theoretically making Hurley's job as protector much easier. But perhaps another blackened soul was transformed by the Island's heart, or maybe the "darkness" Jacob referred to was actually a completely different entity still contained by the cork. Whatever the case, Hurley and Ben would almost certainly still be protecting the Island during a Lost revival series.
The Outrigger Chase Attackers
In the grand scheme of Lost, the outrigger chase mystery is a minor plot hole, but arguably the most infuriating. A classic example of introducing a story thread without any idea how to resolve it, Lost season 5's "The Little Prince" saw Team Sawyer commandeer an outrigger boat while the Island was hopping through time. During their short journey, the group come under fire from mystery assailants whose identity is never revealed. The plot thickens, since there were no enemies in the vicinity at that point in the story. Various sources have confirmed that the episode's original script contained the identity of the attackers, while supplementary material suggests Black Rock crew members were responsible, but the mystery has never officially been resolved. Since the Island was time-traveling during the chase, a future Lost revival could unveil the truth. New survivors might trigger another Island time-skipping incident and encounter Sawyer's boat from the past, mistaking them for enemies.
Is The Valenzetti Equation Solved?
The Valenzetti equation plays a major part in Lost's backstory, but barely features in the show itself. A fictional mathematical deduction predicting the end of the world, the Valenzetti equation is why the DHARMA Initiative was formed and why they carry out experiments on the Island. Denoting a series of numbers, the world can be saved if a single numeral in the Valenzetti equation is altered. Those numbers are, of course, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42. Lost offered several explanations for the famous Numbers, ultimately settling on each entry representing a "candidate" among the survivors, but the Valenzetti equation adds a new dimension to the mystery, especially since Lost never revealed whether the equation was ever successfully fixed. If Valenzetti's prediction remains untouched, then the world is still doomed until one of those 6 numbers changes. This abandoned quest could provide the foundation for Lost's inevitable revival.