L O S T - Season Finale (Spoilers)
 

I stayed up much too late watching it.

Of course, I told Farrah, "I'll bet Locke is in that cargo container."

The show has focused on dyadic conflicts over its history:

Jack vs. Locke
Survivors vs. Others
Ben vs. Locke
Ben vs. Charles Widdemore
and more recently:
Locke I (but actually II) vs. Jacob
and now Jacob vs. Locke II

In other words, the conflict has moved from the immediate to something more historic to the island.

I certainly didn't understand the significance of the Jacob flashbacks.

What the heck is this thing that can take on Locke's form, can tell Locke I to die (through Richard), and appear as Ben's daughter to manipulate Ben.

I'm going to miss this show when it's gone. Some of the spine-tingling mystery of LOST is gone, but it's still the best TV has got.

Very entertaining. Why is it Jacob gave all of the survivors a gift (all tangible gifts, except for advice, which he gave to Sun and her husband)?

Maybe they were trying to convey that he was a good guy?

or perhaps that he was manipulative?

Maybe it has even been prepping Ben for a very long time for that moment. Could that be why Jacob never talked to Ben; he always knew Ben was self serving and a "bad" guy.

Don't forget Christian. He arrived at the island dead in a coffin, just like Locke did. Christian. He could also be the ghosts showing up to talk to Hurley too. Everyone seems to be pawns manipulated by this Jacob or bizarro non--Locke person.

There's also a return of the talk about the "good" people, that we heard a couple seasons back from the Others. They were given lists of the "good" people to take from the beach.