Have you noticed that there are things that don't make sense in the show? (Besides the show itself, I mean.) Here are some controversial questions that have the web buzzing. Buzz in your own answers.

Debate: Michael and Walt are free from the island.

Note: The formal debate on this topic is over. Please see the details for "Meet Kevin Johnson" for more information. In short, yes, Walt and Michael did get off the island, however, metaphorically, Michael was never "free" from it.

Ben told them that they could go home, he has no reason to keep them- they went home. Ben told them that they could go home, and he also said the main island is home. Home is where Isabelle lives and where the book club meeting was being held when the plane when down. Walt's stepfather gave him back to michaelMichael because he said that strange things happen when waltWalt is around. theThe others have kidnappedkidnapped, or tried to kidnapkidnap, every young person or child on the island. whyWhy didn't they want Walt any longer; is it because they are scared of him also? i thinkIthink that they are free from the island but are stuck in some current and will eventually turn around again without knowing it.So i think they aren't written off the show just yet. Also, where would they go if they don't know where they are in the first place?	There is no way off the island. Anyway, a motorboat won't take you far. No way. Ben's dishonest and too interested in Walt to have let them sail into the sunset. Ben told them that they could go home, and he also said the main island is home. (Home for The Others is due North of where the Survivors crashed according to the map Sayid is looking at in "Glass Ballerina" and according to the scene just before the openningopening credits in that same episode. Not on a third Island but just over the mountains to the North. They all stay on the West side of the Island.) Would the Others simply give away the boat? The boat (and Walt) are too important to the Others to just let 'em go. Does anyone rember that a few episodes ago Ben told John that the only way off the island was by the submarine? And Michael and Walt weren't on a submarinesubmarine, wherewere they? So they're not going to be able to go back to THEIR home!
They are unlikely to bring back michaelMichael and walt,Walt, as the actor who plays waltWalt is aging too rapidly for the timespan on the island to be believable. Response to --------------------------> This is unlikely. It's hard to judge with a boy especially around the age of 10 or 11. Some kids tend to look really young for years (think that kid that played Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle) while others get a growth spurt at a much younger age (like Malcolm David Kelly did). That said, it would still be great to see Michael and Walt again in some compacity, even if it's not on the island.	This could have been part of the producer's plan from the beginning, giving the child actor some type of time advancement. Another strange side effect of the mysterious island.
There is a new "psychic" in the island... Desmond. So there is a shift in focus... perhaps the island has a series of "scientific controls" that need to be met/kept, and because Walt left, Desmond got the gift. (to answer the person refuting -->>> yes, but it doesn't matter how you got 'the gift' to maintain the 'control position'...the trade-off was the same moment)	Walt had psychic abilities prior to his visit on the island. Desmond only received his abilities from the fallout energy from the hatch implosion. Desmond doesn't seem to be wanting to offer up any of his psychic abilities to inform anyone else of anything -- after what happened to Charlie. Plus, he must have some insights, but "mums" the word.
What if the "discharge" caused the protective bubble around the island to harden...harden? Communication has been down since the sky turned purple...purple, What if the purpose was the keep the island "open" instead of closed...closed? whichWhich would mean, Walt/Michael wouldn't have been able to leave...leave, because they were a few minutes too late! Your statement belongs on that side.------------------------------------------>	There is no way off the island and Ben knows that. He knows Michael and Walt wont get anywhere. There is NO place to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!go! Michael and Walt are going to be back on the island at the end of season 3!!3!
If the young actor playing Walt was growing up too fast, they could just have replaced him with another actor. A disclaimer could have been put in place to assure us that's it's not some kind of trick.	This technique hasn't been used in years on network tv, save for characters as babies often being swapped out for other kids to play them as toddlers. Audiences these days dont' buy it and the only time you'll still see this used somewhat widely is on soap operas. Lost is not "Bewitched!"
MAKROS---When Ben let Walt and Michael go with the boat, he seemed honest enough when he gave them the compass bearing (which would take them to someone who would rescue them). After all, Michael had done some pretty bad things to let Fenry go. Perhaps there is a single point in the island's perimeter that has a weakened magnetic field, otherwise their submarine wouldn't go very far, either? Am I off-target in assuming that the version of Walt that Locke sees while in the pit of despair is actually a manifestation from the island and not the actual boy? I wouldn't put it past Ben to send Michael and Walt to the enemies offshore with Naomi. Since they could only have made it about 80 miles in that boat, they could only have met up with Naomi's crew, so if Jack & all do give away their location with Naomi's device then...No, Walt and Michael are not free to the island....and yikes, what an awkward reunion that will be....	When Ben and Juliette learn in "the glass ballerina" from Colleen that Sayid, Sin and Jun have a boat Juliette replied something like: "It's of no use for them. Sailing around in circles will keep them busy." In another scene with Jack Ben said: "Do you think we would still be here if we could leave this island?" There simply is no way off the island. Ben knows that Walt and Michael will eventually be "drawn" back to the island. Besides, producers Lindeloff and Cuse have said in their podcast that they will return. Also, if the island is associated with unique magnetism, surely any compass on the boat (wasn't it a compass bearing that Ben gave to Michael) wouldn't work. This could also explain why Desmond couldn't leave. No way Ben told them they'd get off the island and Ben always tells the truth (now that's sarcasam.)

Debate: Juliet is actually working with Ben and it's all part of a plan to break Jack.

Yes, Juliet is lying and she and Ben are on the same side	No, Juliet is telling the truth and wants to overthrow Ben.
She asked Jack to make a mistake during Ben's surgery, yet only complied to allowing the surgery to go unhindered when she could have made a undetectable mistake herself that would hinder the success of the surgery.	She keeps looking at Jack during the surgery as though she's trying to communicate something (like, hey, are you going to do what I told you?). Juliet wants Ben gone. She handed Jack the wrong tools while Jack was doing Ben's operation.
Those cue cards, while a very cool idea, would have been extremely hard to hide after the video was made.	Ben's egotistical. It makes sense the Juliet would want him gone. Besides, she seems nice and truly interested in Jack. Okay! The others have electricity... what makes you think they don't have fire??fire? You could easily burn them!!them!
There seem to be hidden cameras everywhere and Ben likes to watch them (no cable, I guess). Wouldn't he have seen Juliet making the video?	Juliet is obviously sick of being told what to do by Ben. She wants to convince Jack to kill him so that she can be in charge, and possibly do something very bad to Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Maybe there are only cameras in certain houses/buildings. When Juliet made the tape she didn't say anything or make any noises- she just held the cards. And when Tom let Jack into see Kate, he said, "Be careful in here." and pointed to his ears to tell Jack that there were mics in there, but appearently no cameras.
I'd think that anyone who'd choose Stephen King as a "book Club book" on "scary wierdo Island" would actually be evil... In fact I think Ben is the Good Guy (a check to the balances), and Juliette is Evil (her grilled cheeses don't fool me)... I suspect they will be taking advantage of the Ben's death/recovery time to cause some panic/ power struggles/etc. Also, Ben was in the shark-tank at one time... Juliette never made him soup...Likely they were romantically involved... but most certainly are not any more.	In the beginning of the season, Juliet was having a book party or something and when they all came out to check the sound they heard , Ben said something like " so im no longer welcome in the book club" so it appears as though they have a history... and she also risked herself by showing jack that video ... whether she's gonna stab jack in the back is anybody's guess but one things for sure is that she wanted Ben gone

Debate: Is Mr. Eyepatch (Mikhail) Really Dead?

He died after getting shot by a harpoon and using a grenade underwater.	He's ALIVE! No One can keep this guy down.
Maybe he's not dead, just unconscious. He passed through the sonic fence very quickly. So Maybe, we'll see him again. HE IS DEAD, thanks Locke! There was blood coming out of his ears... with his hands cuffed behind him, how did he fake that? (and for the record I think it will be dumb if they bring back Nikki and Paulo! They would have breathed in the dirt and died before they could have dug thier way out.	Maybe he's not dead, just unconscious. He passed through the sonic fence very quickly. So Maybe, we'll see him again.

Debate: There Are Two Islands, But Is There A Third Island?

There's only two islands, and maybe even that's a lie!	The are without a doubt two islands, and I've seen evidence of a third island.
Home for The Others is due North of where the Survivors crashed according to the map Sayid is looking at in "Glass Ballerina" and according to the scene just before the openning credits in that same episode. Not on a third Island but just over the mountains to the North. See pics below: This image is turned 180 degrees. Here you can see that the Survivors live Sourth of the Other's home which appears to be in a crater. This puts all the occupants of the Island, that we are aware of, on the West side of the Island. I believe that if another island exists it must be even further North than the Other's home.
Ben showed Sawyer "the mainland" Because when Ben told Ethan and Goodwin to go to the sites of the crashes, he said.. "If you run you can make it within the hour." Unless they have access to secret tunnelling (which is possible) its is always been a day+ walk to "The Others" - perhaps "the others" are closer than anyone suspects. It could all be one island and at high tide it looks like two islands. Also, during low tide people and animals could walk between the islands.	The mention that "the sub is back" seems to imply that the others have a submarine to get back and forth between the islands. From what we've seen so far, it really looks like The Others' suburbia is on the main island, but that doesn't mean that The Hydra is on the same island.
Sawyer and Kate are in cages. Since The Others have referenced the cages held bears, it makes sense that the cages held the Polar Bears that we've seen on the 'other' island. Therefore, it makes more sense that everyone is on the same island.	Polar Bears are strong swimmers and could have made the mile-ish distance to the island easily.