15 Unanswered Lost Questions That Totally Have Explanations

Lost was one of the greatest television events of all time, creating a huge national conversation every week as viewers tried to piece together what the hell was going on. But, over the years, a lot of people built up the expectation that Lost was like a Sherlock Holmes style mystery, and that someone would step out in the final episode and reveal what's really been going on this whole time, answering every single question.

That didn't happen, and so a lot of viewers, some of who were checking in after not watching the show in years, left the final episode feeling like the series didn't provide any answers to its biggest questions. But that's definitely not true; while Jacob didn't sit the characters down and explain why Walt was special or what Claire's psychic was talking about, the show still provided enough clues for viewers to figure these things out for themselves. Many questions that at first appear to have been left unanswered actually have pretty compelling explanations based on previous episodes. They just weren't totally spelled out.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 15 "unanswered" questions from the series and attempt to provide an explanation. Some of these are simply interpreting what's on screen, while with others gaps need to be filled by extrapolating based on the clues the writers provided, but either way they're clear solutions.

Since Season 1, everyone had their own crazy conspiracy theory about what the island was. It seemed like the island possibly had some sort of consciousness and powers - just look at how it seemingly heals Locke's paralysis. Is this an alternate dimension? A spaceship? The back of a giant turtle? 

The Explanation: Well, it really is an island, but it's important because it's essentially the source of the universe. At the centre of the island is the Heart, an incredible, bright light that, if extinguished, will mean the end of life as we know it. It's like the light switch for all existence, the "source" of everything (pure fantasy, but that's what it is).

Many, many people have come to the island over the years, and each one has been fascinated by this source. The Dharma Initiative took a scientific approach to it, seeing it as a tremendous outlet of electromagnetism. Others took a more religious approach. But what's certain is that the source needs to be protected, or it's end of everything.

That's why there's a protector of the island: Jacob throughout most of the series, then Jack for a bit, and Hurley at the end of the finale. So what is the island? It's the centre of all life, with the characters brought there to protect it.