Amazingly spot-on with what I've been thinking since last night, including that Ben is waiting for Alex. The side-point to that is Danielle. She might be pissed when snapped into her reality, because for the most part, it kind of sucked for her on the island. BTW, I can't remember how she went missing from this season - did I forget her being killed off?

I think that the final episode and the whole sideways "gates of heaven" thing was well done despite all the issues it brings up. The beauty is that you don't really need to explain away all the issues, holes and such to make it work. But for those people that aren't into that, the reality time-line still offered a fitting conclusion to the whole saga, even if it wasn't a "happily ever after" one. Reality for the characters ended pretty much like it does for everyone outside of a TV show. They lived, they loved, they lost (hehe, no pun intended) and they died - everyone in their time/place.

There are big gaps of timeline left untold for the characters who didn't die by the last episode, but that leaves room for spin-offs. Like the new 30 minute sitcom about Ben and Hurley on the island. I think they turn it into a resort and the Globe Trotters do finally show up and guest star in their new dolphin show.