Anyone that’s been watching “Lost” consistently for the past four seasons knows that no matter how bad the actual season may be, the season finales (and the episodes leading up to them) are always money. Though the pre-finale episodes tend to be more set-up than actual progression, I was surprised to discover that tonight’s episode (the first of a three-part season finale) also filled in a lot of gaps via a flash-forward that documented the Oceanic Six’s rescue and the beginning of their post-island lives.

The night opened with the Oceanic Six on a plane back to Hawaii. After Jack coaches the group on their “story,” they arrive to discover an Oceanic Airlines-moderated press conference set up to allow reporters to ask the survivors questions. Among the topics covered included the fate of Jin (Sun says he died when the plane crashed), the birth of Aaron (he’s being played off as Kate’s biological child), and confirmation that no other people could have possibly survived. But that wasn’t the juicy part.

Following their re-entry into society, Sayid is reunited with Nadia (no, not that Nadia, but his ex-flame), Sun uses her settlement money to purchase a controlling share in her father’s company, and Hurley receives a classic car as a birthday present. Unfortunately, the dreaded “numbers” just happen to be the reading on the speedometer, and he isn’t at all entertained. Finally, there’s Jack. After delivering a eulogy at his father’s funeral, Jack is approached by Claire’s mother, who informs him about Christian’s secret daughter, and the fact that she too was aboard Flight 815. Hmm. Maybe now we have a better understanding as to a) why Jack wants to take care of Aaron, and b) why he’s so depressed in the future.

Meanwhile, on the island, all of the major players are being positioned for the season’s final masterstroke. Jack and Sawyer have control of the helicopter (only to discover that Hurley’s in trouble), Sun, Jin and Aaron are on the freighter (thanks to Faraday, who has volunteered to begin ferrying people off the island), Sayid and Kate have been captured by Richard Alpert, and Locke and Hurley have just witnessed Ben’s surrender to Keamy at the Orchid station – the proposed location of the “secondary protocol” (i.e. Operation Blow Up the Island). It’ll be interesting to see how the Oceanic Six, who are seemingly in four different places, will manage reunite and get off the island.

We’ll find out in two weeks, along with why they’re the only survivors who escaped, what happened to Lapidus after he rescued them, as well as who was in that coffin at the end of season three. For those that simply can’t wait to find out the latter, feel free to check out this spy report here, where the deceased character has supposedly been outed by a spoiler-happy fan.