Lost Season 4 Preview and expectations! Part 1

Well...I don't know if anyone is as excited as me for Season 4 of Lost but if you are not excited, you should sure get that way. This post is gonna be a long one so hang on and buckle your seat belt cause its click it or ticket. Now I understand if you have not been watching Lost or if you are confused this might be a little overwhelming but press on because this is gonna be both informative and interesting. This may be a slight spoiler to any of you who just like to watch the show and not think. Well, here we go. SO much information to cover and for really detailed analysis and info visit LostPedia.
Most of this information is gathered from a variety of sites, mainly Lostpedia and also some from the ARG Find 815. After watching all three seasons of Lost recently I have come to realize that this show is more than your typical ABC Drama. This show Lost has meanings and hidden messages spread throughout each episode that can give you a whole new outlook on the show and as some may say an obsession with the show. Now lets start out with the main characters and where we left off from season 3.
Dr. Jack Shepherd (the inherent leader of the group) made a decision in the season finale that could lead them off the island or to there destruction.
Kate Austen in the very last scene of the season while talking to Jack off the island "explains that she has to leave and return before "he" starts wondering where she is. Most believe that "he" is Sawyer.
Sawyer in the end of the season is assumed to be dating and or living with/married to Kate.
John Locke over the course of the season has proved to be a pain to many of the survivors and fallen out of favor with many viewers. In the last episode he threw a knife into the back of Naomi.
Ben Linus has spent the entirety of season 3 in attempts to keep everyone on the island and now with the finale of season 3 it appears that all of his attempts may be in vain.

Now that we have some of the main characters and some refreshers lets get into the good stuff, such as theories and other significant information.
To begin with some conspiracy theories you must first have watched the Season 4 Trailer to fully understand. This trailer is interesting for many reasons. We will begin with the scientist/doctor. One interesting thing about him is his variety of names. Throughout the different videos shown in episodes of this man he uses different names. There is the Swan orientation video, the Flame self destruction video, the Pearl orientation video, and also the Barracks orientation video for those new to the DHARMA Initiative. In the Swan orientation video he says his name is Dr. Marvin Candle (which is believed to be his real name), in the Pearl orientation video he portrays himself as Dr. Mark Wickmund, in the Flame video he is again Dr. Candle, In the Barracks video he is And now in the Orchid video he refers to himself as Edgar Halowax. The one thing in common with all of his aliases is the theme of candles in his last names. This may or may not prove to be important. Also worthy of mentioning is his attire in the different videos. In the Swan video he is wearing the appropriate Swan logo lab coat as he is wearing in the Orchid video as well as the Barracks video. However in the Pearl video he is wearing just a suit without the lab coat and in the Flame video he is wearing a lab coat with the Flame station logo. One more thing worth mentioning about Dr. Candle is believed to possibly have a prosthetic left arm because in some of the videos his left arm hangs lifeless at his side. This leads me to talk about the DHARMA Initiative.
The Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications Initiative or DHARMA was started by a couple, the DeGroots. The Initiative was funded by the Hanso Foundation, founded by Alvar Hanso. In the Barracks video they say the purpose of the Initiative is for the "betterment of mankind and the advancement of world peace." However in the ARG The Lost Experience, it is said that the Initiative is tied to the Valenzetti Equation. This is said to be "a mathematical formula designed to predict the end of the world." However it is said that the DHARMA Initiative failed. Dharma in eastern religion that we know plays a role in Lost means "Way of the Higher Truths which is what Alvar Hanso says in the Sri Lanka Video, saying "it also stands for the one true way." So far there are 7 stations connected to the DHARMA Initiative, and interestingly enough the names of each are all related to the Greek god, Apollo.

The Arrow which is the storage facility where the tail survivors lived was the most common weapon of Apollo, the bow and arrow.
The Staff which is the medical station is known as the Caduceus staff but was originally Apollo's but was traded to Hermes for a lyre.
The Swan which is more commonly referred to as the Hatch. "When Leto gave birth to Apollo, the island on which he was born was encircled by a flock of swans. Swans were afterward sacred to Apollo."
The Flame is related to Apollo because he was a sun god.
The Hydra which is where Jack was held captive and performed surgery on Ben is also related. "Apollo sent a crow to fetch water. The bird stopped to eat figs and wasted lots of time. Knowing Apollo would be angry, the crow captured the Hydra and attempted to blame it for causing the delay."
This theme of Apollo is also related to the Apollo Candy Bar that is often seen on the island and believe to be owned by the Hanso Foundation.
The Hanso Foundation is mentioned twice on the show, once in the Swan video and the other time is in a Korean conversation between Mr. Paik (Sun's Father) and an employee that was not subtitled but in it Mr. Paik is worried that he will upset the Hanso Foundation. Flowing from the Hanso Foundation we find the Black Rock, and the captain of the Black Rock was Magnus Hanso. He is the great grandfather of Alvar Hanso, and is burried on the island near the site of the ship. Interestingly enough the Black Rock set sail from slip 23 in Portsmouth. Just one reference to the Numbers of Lost. Also Magnus is the Latin form of the Dutch name, de Groot , meaning "the great." Albertus Magnust to receive their name from a philosopher.
Richard Alpert who is seen as Ben's second in command receives his na was a German philosopher and theologian, but Magnus Hanso is not the only character on Losme from Richard Alpert aka Baba Ram Dass.
Mikhail Bakunin who is the one eyed Russian receives his name from Russian revolutionary and anarchist philosopher Mikhail Bakunin.
Edmund Burke, the late ex-husband of Juliet gets his name from an Irish statesman, Member of Parliament, and a leader of the Old Whigs Edmund Burke.
Boone Carlyle receives his name from Scottish philosopher and writer Thomas Carlyle. Thomas wrote a book called Heroes and Hero Worship and the Character of Boone is constantly trying to prove is heroics, earning him his nickname from Shannon of Captain America.
Anthony Cooper who is the father of John Locke receives his name from Anthony Ashley-Cooper who was an English politician who was the mentor and patron of real-life philosopher John Locke.
John Locke that of course receives his name from the Enlightenment philosopher who dealt with the relationship between nature and civilization John Locke. This is very similar to the character's fascination with nature.
Danielle Rousseau receives her name from Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Also Referenced are the DeGroots and Hugo Reyes who both receive their names from Hugo De Groot, Dutch novelist, philosopher and jurist.
Desmond Hume was named after David Hume, philosopher of skepticism and, perhaps to a lesser degree, naturalism as well. Both of these men were Scottish.
That is all of the Philosophy connections able to find although each of these has a more in depth story or parallel to it that you can check out here. This is it for now but check back in a day or two because part 2 is coming with much more, including theories as well as other helpful information so you are not lost on Thursday when Lost Season 4 Premieres.