One timeline by Lost_forever

So at the end of season 5 Juliet never detonated the bomb as we thought. Whatever happened happened and can't be changed. Either the electromagnetic field that pulled her down triggered an island shift forward for them or Jacob somehow pulled them forward given that Jack would be the eventual successor to Jacob.

Given that season 6 opens with them being in the current time frame. The hatch was built and Desmond imploded it. Everything that happened to the losties happened. The island itself and all the mystery/mythology etc. was real and happened in real life. The trick was still choosing a successor for Jacob which is why the Oceanic 6 minus Aaron plus dead locke plus Linus had to return to the island. This important point needed resolution and especially since MIB found a way to kill Jacob in assuming Locke's form. A big question is why didn't MIB kill Jacob while assuming Christian's body or Ecko's brother's body?? The answer is simply that only a candidate can kill Jacob. Locke was a candidate.

Everyone that dies up to the point of the finale was permanently dead and never alive in an alternate or sideways universe. That term was used to throw us off. The sideways universe was the Losties living in a purgatory type world needing some sort of resolution for their broken lives before going to Heaven. Before going to Heaven they needed to discover true love.

Basically Jack figures out that when Desmond disabled the power of the island in the light it made MIB mortal and killable. If the light is not turned back on then the island will sink and somehow keep everyone from entering Heaven. Jack pulls this off and and then dies leaving Hurley and Ben in charge as number 1 and 2. Desmond is alive and as stated by Linus can be taken home to raise his son and live with Penny because Jacob's rules are no longer in place. The only true survivors leaving the island are Claire, Kate, Miles, Sawyer, Lapides, and Richard Alpert who is now also mortal as demonstrated by his gray hair. I'm assuming he is because Jacob is dead and the new candidate has not given him continued mortality.

So at this point everyone is living their lives post island escape until death where Desmond awakens them in purgatory to the ones they truly loved. Kick started of course by Charlie. Jack never has a son as told by Locke because it's purgatory meaning he was never married to Juliet. Locke never walked until he reached the church which is where he doesn't need the chair anymore. So the whole ending was Jack needing to realize he was dead and coming to terms with it. Christian confirms he's dead and everyone else in the church. Christian also says some died before and after you. Of course that would be folks like Juliet, Sun, Jin etc. before and Desmond, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer etc. after. The timelines of their death are all in conjunction with the timeline we watched for the show except of course not seeing how Kate and company died.

So the big question is where do they go when they leave church? Heaven? Continuing to live their lives but now united? Also why did Claire need resolution in purgatory with Aaron? She was going home to see him. Or possibly was it resolution for Charlie?? Kate did not seem to need much resolution although she had the flashback because she helped deliver Aaron again. She found love before she left the island in Jack and admitted it openly and passionately. So maybe she was there for Jack to come to terms.

Still lots of questions but for the most part the show resolved itself for the losties. I guess we could see lost the sequel surface because the island should still have a successor named by Hurley. But I guess it would be boring because no smoke monster in play unless a new one is created. Then we're back to the beginning again.