Lost Spoiler Alert: Death Is Coming

Michael Emerson and Jorge Garcia reveal scoop on the show's very deadly end

In last night's Lost, we finally learned what this show is about, and why these people came to this stinkin' Island in the first place: One of them is supposed to be "the new Jacob" and protect "the Island," which we can only assume is the world.

So which one will it be? And is it possible this show is all just an elaborate version of Survivor, with the Losties getting crossed off, or killed off, one by one until the last "candidate" is standing? 

Maybe. 'Cause according to Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson, death is coming...

"It's gonna be pretty heartbreaking," Jorge tells me, "but as we start approaching the end of filming—because we're down to the last six [episodes]—people are going to start dropping like flies...It's the end! You know, so they can totally start wiping people out!

According to Michael Emerson (Ben), "The path to the end is strewn with casualties." Dun, dun, dun.

Sources tell me there have been some "pretty big explosions" being shot on the show's set in Hawaii during the past month, and that there has been "at least one major death scene."

Crap.

And don't forget what Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell) warned Sawyer last night: "He wants everyone dead. Everyone you care about. All of them."

Double crap.

So if only one Lostie will carry on as the new Jacob, the "substitute" (the title of last night's episode, which, yes also referred to John Locke the substitute teacher), who will it be among the just-revealed "candidates?"

• 4. "Locke"
• 8. "Reyes"
• 15. "Ford"
• 16. "Jarrah"
• 23. "Shephard"
• 42. "Kwon"

The most obvious choice seems to be Jack Shephard, since Matthew Fox certainly started off this series as the leading man and also recently revealed he's been told what the very end will be. "I have some images of what that will be like," he told me of Lost's final moments. Could Jack "Live Together, Die Alone" Shephard ultimately end up the hero he's struggled to be?

Maybe. But for the record my money is on Claire's son, Aaron, to take the Jacob throne. Though we saw "Littleton" crossed off on the cave wall last night (which could have been referring to Claire or Aaron), it's possible Aaron might technically be a "Shephard" as the biological grandson of Jack's father, Christian Shephard. "Whole families of questions will be answered," Emerson has told us (see video above).

Speaking of, was that creepy boy running around the jungle last night a young Jacob, or is there any way it could be Aaron? Food for thought.

A few fun facts about names: Aaron means "messenger of God" in some instances, while Jacob means "may God protect" and/or "holder of the heel," as the biblical Jacob was born holding his twin brother Esau's foot. How convenient that Jacob was found beneath the four-toed statue and seems to have a bad twin.

Also, the English names Jacob and James derive from the same source, with James coming from Latin Iacomus. Hmmm...So could Sawyer be the last man standing? Damn you, genius show and your never-ending questions.

So what do you all think? If only one character becomes the new Jacob on the Island, who will it be? Who should it be? Who are you hoping it will not be? Anyone else rooting for Vincent the dog?