How to watch the 'Lost' finale

How to Watch the Finale

SPOILER ALERT!

We asked Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse to tell us what happens in the May 24 season finale. Then they laughed. But they did suggest that fans should be considering the following questions, which may be addressed in some fashion. The Estimated Chance of Resolution (ECR) is our own shot-in-the-dark guess at how satisfying the answers will be.

WILL MICHAEL'S BETRAYAL BE EXPOSED?
ECR: 83%
The May 17 episode will reveal Michael's motivations, and the consequences start to play out in the finale. Here's a bigger question: Can Michael still live among the castaways when they discover what he did? (The producers declined even to tease that one.)

WHY DID THE OTHERS KIDNAP WALT?
ECR: 4%
Don't expect an answer until next season. We're betting heavily on a Michael/Walt reunion — and, of course, some kind of heartbreaking twist.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE FAKE BEARDS?
ECR: 70%
If Mr. Friendly is actually sporting a disguise, perhaps he doesn't want someone from flight 815 to recognize him. (FYI: On the set, he was sporting the chin bush. And then he wasn't. He also winked at us.)

WHAT'S DESMOND'S STORY?
ECR: 93%
The MIA hatch man does show up in the finale, and, says Lindelof, ''he might be able to answer some questions about the Dharma Initiative that he didn't have time to download before he ran off.''

WHO IS ''HIM''?
ECR: 9%
The mysterious leader of the Others is likely to stay a mystery for a while. ''But you will get more information by the end of the season,'' says Lindelof.