One of the most important parts in the season finale of LOST occurs when Jack, Kate and Sawyer paddle to shore from the sub. After Kate and Sawyer admit that neither of them have a compass, they land on the beach and have no idea where they are. And then Vincent (Walt's old dog) appears out of nowhere. Followed by...Bernard and Rose! (My favorite "minor" characters.) Rather than join the Dharmas, Rose and Bernard explain, they retired. And they're quite happy about it.

SAWYER: I hate to rain on your parade, but the whole island is about to go kablooey.

KATE: Jack has a bomb.

ROSE: Who cares.

KATE: Excuse me?

ROSE: It's always something with you people. Now you say, "Jack's got a bomb." And what? You guys are all gonna try to stop him, right?

KATE: Yeah, that's right.

ROSE: You traveled back 30 years in time and you're still trying to find ways to shoot each other?

JULIET: Rose, we just need to know which way the Dharma barracks are from here so we can stop Jack. Or, you're gonna be dead. We all will.

BERNARD:  So we die. We just care about being together. That's all that matters in the end.

The looks on Sawyer's, Kate's and Juliet's faces say it all--well, almost all. Maybe Jack's mantra of "Live Together, Die Alone" wasn't right. Maybe there are alternatives to the simple binary that Jack set up. Maybe being together IS the whole point. That doesn't stop Sawyer, Kate and Juliet from heading off to try to stop Jack--but it may be why they decide to help him in the end.

The beauty of LOST is not just in the time travel, which is neat and fascinating and all. The show wouldn't be anything without the characters, their relationships, and the decisions they make. Maybe whatever happened happened. But for our Losties, it's happening for the first time, and the decisions they make are their own, no matter how it turns out.