Emilie de Ravin is returning as a regular cast member on Lost next season, so that means we should find out WTF happened to Claire.

That’s the news from EW’s Michael Ausiello.

What it means is anyone’s guess.

Is Claire Not Dead?

Is Claire Not Dead in an alternate timeline caused by Juliet’s detonation of Jughead?

Is Claire dead?

Is Claire dead in an alternate timeline caused by Juliet’s detonation of Jughead?

Is Claire merely another manifestation of Smokey or of the yin to Jacob’s yang?

If you click through the link to Ausiello, you’ll read Doc Jensen’s theory. Which is really not a theory at all so much as it is a couple of different scenarios.

Basically, no one knows exactly what the heck it all means, but as I wrote this, I decided this is what I think:

Claire is a manifestation of Jacob’s enemy. He does this because the timeline DID change due to Juliet’s detonation, but not in the same way that Jack expected it to. The plane still crashes, etc. But now the circumstances that led to Ben stabbing Jacob have changed, and it doesn’t happen.

But Jacob is Aaron (a theory that’s been making the rounds for a good couple years now), and the real Claire is dead, so Jacob’s enemy manifests as Claire in order to wreak havoc for Jacob.

Or not.