ALT is wholly a fabrication, and why it's being shown by SugarFree

Many have suggested that the ALT timeline is an epilogue to the show. That it is where it will end up, and that it was caused by the absence of some event.

I don't think that the ALT is an epilogue, nor was it caused by some missing event.

The main reason is that the characters lives are drastically different BEFORE the plane crash. Even if you remove Jacob, or the Island, from the equation, I still don't see how their lives would be so radically changed, as they are in the ALT.

Why would removing Jacob/Island/crash turn Sawyer to a cop? Why turn Locke into a pilot?

I think that the ALT has to be a fabrication created by Widmore, and that is his purpose for being on the Island. His way of not only dealing with MiB, but also his tattered Island past, is to create an idealistic fate-based fake reality.

By showing this throughout the season, it will make much more sense once Widmore reveals his plans. I also think that by showing the mostly 'decent' lives of the characters in the ALT, it will make the end choice all the more significant.

Jack will be forced to choose between joining the fate-based fake reality, and making some large sacrifice to keep the Island world going. He can revive all that have died, and live a life without buttons or plane crashes in the ALT, or maintain the Island world, and all the casualties that go along with it, in order to serve the greater good.

The ALT is simply NOT a course-correction. Too much is different for that to be the case. Nor do I think it is a world in which Jacob is removed, or Smokey is released, etc.