Welcome back to the Lost Secret Clue, where we dig deeper to find the clues and secrets you might’ve missed to fuel your theories for the final season! This week’s episode, “The Candidate” saw the Man in Black’s plan in plain light for the first time, and forced us to say farewell to several of our favourite characters. The end of Lost is upon us. Operations, oaths, options and orders...

If you’ve not seen it yet, we’ve posted the second part of prop master Rob Kyker's tour around his storage room, where he has many more of the show’s cool props to display and explain.

Sawyer: Just as Jack has become the new Locke, Sawyer has morphed into Jack’s former role as the stubborn, impetuous sceptic-saviour. And just like Jack’s bad call on Jughead, he now inadvertently has the blood of Sayid, Jin and Sun on his hands. We as the audience knew something was wrong when the Man in Black brought up the submarine and we quickly learned Sawyer had been long conned into thinking abandoning Locke was his own idea. James is going to have a lot to get his head around, once he wakes up.

Kate: With so many of the candidates scratched from the playing field this episode, it left us begging the question of why Kate isn’t among them even more than usual. Even Widmore knew this and was willing to use the information in a power play. The excuse that the Man in Black needed her to manipulate the men can’t be all there is to her continues survival, surely? What lies in store?

Hurley: Hurley didn’t have terribly much to do this week, but the two moments he was highlighted were vital. When the Man in Black sprung the submarine plan on Sawyer, Hurley was quick to point out that they weren’t supposed to let him leave the island; had everyone else simply forgotten this in their mad rush to leave themselves? His other key moment was as Kate’s saviour, swimming her safely to the surface and carrying her up the beach. His sobs broke the night and spoke for everyone, both characters and audience.

Jack: This episode was uniquely double-centric for Jack and Locke, but without Locke’s counterpart experiencing them on the island. In the alternate timeline Jack learned that Locke had crashed a plane and brought about the loss of his legs himself. Even more distressing, Locke’s crash had put his father Anthony Cooper in a vegetative state, almost karmic retribution for his treatment of John in the original timeline. The two seemed to almost awaken each other’s consciousness on a few occasions but separated more determined and stubborn than before they began. The fact everyone Jack encounters (Bernard, Claire, Locke) was on his flight is sure to play a big part.

Claire: In the most unsettling case of abandonment she’d endured yet, Claire was left stranded on the dock with the Man in Black in the middle of a shoot-out. As Locke pointed out, the sub was the last place she wanted to be, but we find it easy to believe Claire will take this latest snub as the final straw and continue to conspire with Locke despite having seen his evil in action.

Sayid: R.I.P. Sayid. In one of Lost’s most tragic deaths, the former torturer chose redemption and saved as many lives as he could. Ironically, it was only a day or two before the crash of Oceanic 815 that Sayid has talked his old friend out of doing the same thing for the opposite cause. How did Sayid know Jack will be the candidate to replace Jacob? Did he overhear something during his time at the Man in Black’s side, or could the newly all-knowing Desmond have shared this information?

Sun and Jin: R.I.P. Sun and Jin. Their deaths so soon were unimaginable, having only been reunited hours earlier on the beach, but at least a choice was presented to them so that they could let their love burn eternal together. The shot of their hands drifting apart might be the most upsetting image has ever produced.

Frank: Last but not least, Frank’s fate was left hanging in the air. While he’d seemed a safe bet to make it to the end, once flying the plane was taken out of the equation, his days were numbered. While a death not taking place on screen is normally a clue to possible survival, the flying metal door that knocked him unconscious probably sealed his doom before the sub completely sank.

Desmond: Hurrah! We were correct in putting our faith in Sayid: the tortured Scot broke through his tough exterior last week and thus his life was spared. Unfortunately, his powers don’t include being able to get out of not particularly deep wells, so the task has fallen to Jack. Sayid knowing Desmond is important, but not why, made a lot of sense, because that’s what we’ve believed all along!

Ben, Richard and Miles: Yet again neither sight nor sound from the motley crew that branched off weeks ago. Are they still at the Dharma barracks? Have they made it to Hydra island yet? If so, could they have been behind the C4 on the plane, as unlikely as that sounds? Probably not, considering the plane was being guarded by Widmore’s goons, and that would’ve required Ben to cooperate with Widmore, something he’s highly unlikely to do, even after his redemption this late in the game.

Widmore: Charles once again took the position of hero and protector and, by episode’s end, it was revealed that he had been telling the truth all along. Why was Widmore so reluctant to tell the candidates what he knew of their fates? Where did he disappear to, leaving more than ten of his men to be picked off by the smoke monster?