Yuku free message boards

The Walt factor. Where does he fit in all of this? We have Locke visiting the Oceanic 6 to convince them that they must go back to the island, yet he also stops by to visit Walt? Walt isn't a part of the Oceanic 6 (and there's no mention from Ben or Ms. Hawking that he's a critical piece to return) so why would Locke visit him in the first place? I hope they explain this eventually.

Jin is alive. Apparently Ben knows that Jin is alive and has his ring to prove it to Sun next week. How does Ben know this since he left the island before all of them via the donkey wheel? Is it because Locke met up with the newly found Jin during another time shift (according to spoilers Jin basically has encounters with everyone except Sun), gives Locke the ring to bring back home in order to comfort (or convince) Sun to go back? If that's the case then Locke eventually had to meet Ben off-island as well before he died, otherwise how else would Ben know what's already happened on the island and have possession of Jin's ring?

This also begs the question why Ben would ask Jack during the season 5 premier what else did Locke tell him, as if fishing for more information to see if Jack knows the entire story or just bits and pieces about what's really going on.

How many of them go back to the island? So far we know that the critical members of the Oceanic 6 (Jack, Kate, Sun, Hurley, Sayid and Aaron) must go back. Where does Sun's daughter Ji Yeon fit in? Does she go with her back to the island? What about Ben? The same thing goes with Desmond. What about Penny and his son Charlie? Do they take the same route as the Oceanic 6 via Ajira Airlines on flight 316 and we experience another plane crash, or do they take a boat (the same way Desmond went to the island the first time?) Maybe the only way to get back to the island is the same way they got there the first time around for each individual (plane crash, boat or submarine?).