Getting Lost: “Because You Left”/”The Lie” Preview

It’s hard to believe that ABC’s Lost has been away for nearly eight months — mostly because it feels like it’s been gone for much, much longer than that. The wait for new episodes ends with tomorrow’s two-hour Season 5 premiere (three hours, if you count an hourlong clip show preceding the new stuff.) We’re not sure exactly what to expect, other than the return of Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia, but we’re giddy with anticipation.

Here are the unanswered questions heading into this week’s two-part Season 5 premiere, “Because You Left”/”The Lie”:

Jeremy Bentham is dead. Is John Locke?

What happened to Sawyer, Juliet and the rest of the people still on the island?

What happened to Faraday and the others on the raft?

Where — or when — is the island now?

Is Jin really dead?

Is Claire dead? If not, how is she communicating with Kate off the island?

Who (or what) is Jacob?

Why doesn’t Claire want Aaron to go back to the island?

What does Christian Shephard want from Jack and Claire?

According to the Oceanic 6’s story, who is Aaron’s “father”?

Why doesn’t Jack want to see Aaron off the island?

What did Kate promise to do for Sawyer once off the island?

How does Faraday know about the Orchid station?

Why will Faraday need Desmond to be his “constant”?

Why was Locke chosen by the island?

What is the significance of the objects that Richard Alpert showed young John Locke?

What exactly is Richard Alpert’s role in the Ben vs. Widmore battle?

Is Sun really working with Widmore, and why?

What exactly are “the rules”?

Why can’t Ben kill Widmore?

Why is Widmore confident that Ben can’t find Penny?

When and how did the island belong to Widmore, and how did Ben take it from him?

Who really put the fake Oceanic 815 at the bottom of the ocean?

What happened to Annie?

What’s in that Black Rock journal, and why does Charles Widmore want it so badly?

Who are the people on Ben’s list, and why are they on it?

In her flashback, Charlotte finds the Hydra symbol and the remains of a polar bear wearing a collar in Tunisia. Um, what’s up with that?

When, how and why was Charlotte previously on the island?

Why did Seth Norris pilot Oceanic 815 instead of Frank?

Check back on Friday for a recap of this week’s episode.