LOST Series Recap Timeline of LOST Seasons 1-5 in Preparation for LOST Season 6

It is time to start preparing for the return of LOST in its sixth and final season. To get you ready, we have put together a LOST Series Recap Timeline to give you the skinny on the entire LOST series of the past at a glance, and give you the information you need for the end of the LOST series to come.

LOST Series Recap: an undisclosed time in the past
Two characters are seen on a beach watching an old ship known as the Black Rock sailing close to shore. One of the men, dressed in black, questions the motives of the other man, dressed in white and known as Jacob, in bringing the ship to the island. The man in black also tells Jacob he wants to kill Jacob and that he will eventually find his loophole.

LOST Series Recap: 1954
A man named John Locke appears mysteriously on the island and claims to be the leader of the people there (much of the LOST series centers around this man).

LOST Series Recap: the 1954
Another mysterious man tells the inhabitants of the island that he is a time traveler, and that they must bury a dangerous hydrogen bomb (for the outcome of the hydrogen bomb, see LOST Series Recap: 1977 below).

LOST Series Recap: The 1970s
A group of scientists known as the Dharma Initiative come to the island to perform experiments on it. The Dharma Initiative finds itself opposed by a group of people who were living on the island previously (we are led to believe that they are the people who were on the Black Rock in the past; see LOST Series Recap: an undisclosed time in the past, above), and a war ensues between the "Others" and the Dharma Initiative.

LOST Series Recap: 1974
A group of survivors from a plane crash from the future (See LOST Series Recap: 2004 below) mysteriously appear in 1974 and assimilate into the Dharma Initiative. These future survivors have apparently been through a lot, and make their permanent home among the scientists in the past.

LOST Series Recap: 1977
More survivors from the future (See LOST Series Recap: 2007 below) appear in the past and disturb the happy lives of those who had assimilated previously. One of the 1974 survivors tells the others that they must set things right by detonating a hydrogen bomb (this is the man who told them to bury it in the 1940s; see LOST Series Recap: 1940s above). This detonation will prevent the survivors from the future from the heartache of a plane crash, being sent to the past, etc.

LOST Series Recap: 1977
An incident occurs at one of the Dharma stations spread across the special island. In order to contain it, survivors from the future detonate a hydrogen bomb. The results of this bomb have not yet been revealed by the beginning of LOST season 6.

LOST Series Recap: 1980s/early 90s
One of the Dharma people, a man named Benjamin Linus, has allied himself with the Others who were on the island before. He and the Others kill all of the Dharma people with gas, and Ben assumes a role as the leader of the Others. Ben Linus banishes the previous leader, a man named Charles Widmore, off the island. Widmore will eventually seek revenge on Ben for this (see LOST Series Recap: Christmastime, 2004 below).

LOST Series Recap: 1970s/80s/early 90s
The man Jacob, who began this story when he brought the Black Rock to the island, is seen in various locations around the globe meeting younger versions of the people who end up crashing on the island. He touches them as he meets them.

LOST Series Recap: 2004
Flight Oceanic 815 from Sydney, Australia crashes on its way to Los Angeles on a small island.

LOST Series Recap: during the 108 days following the crash, 2004
Over the course of 108 days the survivors learn that the island is somewhat special, that there are Others on the island who are very territorial, and that there are people off the island who very much want to get back.

LOST Series Recap: Christmastime, 2004
A freighter appears off the shore of the island full of scientists including the man who told the Others to bury the hydrogen bomb; see LOST Series Recap: 1940s and LOST Series Recap: 1977 above) and military men. The military men have come for Ben Linus, and attack the island to get to Ben.

LOST Series Recap: just after Christmas, 2004
The crash survivors attempt to escape to the freighter during this attack, only to have a bomb on the freighter explode. Six survivors end up on a helicopter and watch the island mysteriously vanish with some of the survivors still on it.

LOST Series Recap: after the New Year, 2005
The six survivors who were on the helicopter make their way back to civilization, where they are recognized as the Oceanic 6, the only people who survived the crash. The Oceanic 6 participate in a cover-up to conceal the island and keep those who are still there safe from any more attacks.

LOST Series Recap: Various Undisclosed Times in History
After the island vanishes, it begins to bounce around to various times in history. The time shifting takes a toll on the survivors caught in it, and begins to kill them. In order to stop the time shifting one of the survivors, John Locke, operates the mechanism that started the shifting, and is transported to Africa in 2006 or 2007. The other survivors become stuck in 1974 (see LOST Series Recap: 1974 above).

LOST Series Recap: 2006 or 2007
John Locke begins traveling around to the Oceanic 6 under a pseudonym, begging them to go back to the island to set things right.

LOST Series Recap: 2007
The leader of the Others, Ben Linus, murders John Locke and uses his body as a catalyst to get the Oceanic 6 back together to return to the island. They all board Ajira flight 316, which is destined to crash on the island, with John Locke's body in tow. Before the crash, however, the majority of the original survivors are mysteriously transported to 1977 (see LOST Series Recap: 1977 above).

LOST Series Recap: 2007
Ajira flight 316 crashes on the island with a mix of Oceanic 815 survivors, Ben Linus, Jacob loyalists, and John Locke's dead body on board. As they recover from the crash, John Locke apparently returns from the dead on a mission: find Jacob and kill him.

LOST Series Recap: Season 5 Finale, 2007
The newly resurrected John Locke leads the Others on a trek to find Jacob. The Jacob loyalists discover the real John Locke still dead amidst the plane wreckage, and head out to find Jacob. The new John Locke confronts Jacob, who recognizes the new John Locke as the man from the past who wanted to kill him. Ben Linus stabs Jacob and throws him into fire.

LOST Series Recap: What Is to Come?
No one knows what will happen in the LOST season 6 premiere, but for all who intend to watch the final season of LOST, we hope that this LOST series recap timeline will help to put everything into perspective. The final battle awaits.

J.J. Abrams Examiner
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