Question about the Beginning of Season 6

[Nardpuncher]

I've only just finished episode 4, The Substitute and am wondering why the alternate timeline where the characters are back in LA seems different than their lives were as we'd seen them in flashbacks in previous seasons. Locke is with Helen, Hugo is successful and seemingly lucky.
I'm sure it's been discussed, but I didn't want to search through threads that will spoil me for eps I haven't seen yet.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Keep watching. It'll be explained at least partially. I think the key episodes are The Lighthouse and Happily Ever After

 

[Nardpuncher]

Thanks.
Just to add, it's not like I thought the writer's had screwed up...I just thought I wasn't paying attention.

 

[RoJoHen]

As with most things LOST, we have no idea what the hell is going on.

 

[Starbreaker]

They're very much intentionally different, and not just in a subtle way. Things are about to get much bigger.

 

[Hober Mallow]

The differences becomes an important part of the plot later on in the season, so don't spoil yourself just yet.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I've only just finished episode 4, The Substitute and am wondering why the alternate timeline where the characters are back in LA seems different than their lives were as we'd seen them in flashbacks in previous seasons. Locke is with Helen, Hugo is successful and seemingly lucky.
I'm sure it's been discussed, but I didn't want to search through threads that will spoil me for eps I haven't seen yet.

I'm remaining unspoiled about this, and not revealing too much, but I believe (and it has been strongly suggested and hinted by some people) that the detonation of Jughead (at the end of season 5) did more than just prevent Oceanic 815 from crashing.

When "LA X" first aired, many speculated that the ripples in time caused by that event seemed much more far-reaching, and may or may not be to do with the effects of the island on the passengers' lives outside prior to the crash, and (as seen in season 5 in particular) vice versa. In other words, blowing up Jughead to stop a plane from crashing in the future was a very short-sighted strategy.

On the other hand, the alternate timeline may not have anything to do with Jughead at all, and may be related to something more significant. We shall see.