LOST Spoilers!!!!

It doesn't take a flash-forward to uncover Lost's secrets. Just a trip to Hawaii and a few pry­ing interviews. Here, a sextet (in honor of the Oceanic Six) of spoilery insights. — Shawna Malcom

1) Others leader Ben (Michael Emerson) has been called many things — Master Manip­ulator, Bug-Eyed Bastard, Captain Bunny Killer — but an action hero? In the April 24 episode, Ben leads the resis­tance against the freighter fiends working for cranky billionaire Charles Widmore, while in his flash­forward adventure, he does battle in the Tunisian desert and spies on a funeral in Iraq. Emerson was as surprised as anyone by this unexpected turn of events, not to men­tion a little anxious. "Stunts, languages — all sorts of spe­cial skills were asked of me," he says. "feel like I've done everything but the kitchen sink in this episode. God only knows what's next."

2) In one scene witnessed by TV Guide, Sawyer, Miles (Ken Leung) and a banged-up Claire, holding baby Aaron, make a ghastly discovery in the jungle: one dead body and an extra dismembered arm. Surprisingly, the con man turns all Big Brother on the single mum. "Since Charlie's died, feel like no one's protecting Claire," Holloway explains. But can anyone really keep Claire from joining the island's body count? After all, Aaron's calling Kate "Mommy" in the future. De Ravin claims she hasn't received the dreaded phone call from producers. "Maybe just let the baby go first," she says. "Or maybe fall off the helicop­ter. But if that's the case, I'm not shooting that scene. Stunt double, please!"

3) Remember that water­color painting an insti­tutionalized Hurley was working on when Charlie appeared in the season pre­miere? Jorge Garcia painted it himself. He also decided what to paint — an Eskimo fishing outside an igloo. "I was like, 'hope peo­ple think this means something,'" says the prankster. Mission accomplished: After the episode, fan sites buzzed with theories, including one he expected: "I hoped people might think it had something to do with the guys [in the Season 2 finale] speaking Portuguese in the snow."

4) TV Guide caught a scene shot for the May 1 episode in which Jack collapses, unconscious, on the beach. Expect Juliet to take charge and perform emergency surgery. "get to go into Jack's guts!" says a glee­ful Mitchell, who adds, "After reading this episode, realized that Juliet really does truly love him." Even so, Jack's flash-forward revolves around Kate. We're sworn to secrecy but will let slip that fans of "Jate" are in for a long-awaited happy twist of events.

5) Coming attractions: The return of ageless Other Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell). A trek to Jacob's cabin. In the future, Hur­ley imparting a chilling message from Charlie to Jack. Christian Shephard reaching out to both (!) of his children.

6) The producers' ambitions for the season finale were so epic, they had to ask ABC for an additional hour (Part 1 airs May 15; the second and third hours will air May 29). "All we can say is, at the end of May 15, viewers will be left wondering how the hell in two hours are the Oceanic 6 all going to be together and off the island?" executive producer Damon Lindelof says. But get off they will. And as a result, expect Lost to be a whole new ball game — again — when it returns for Season 5.

Source: TV Guide