Desmond shepherds Christian's coffin, Kate pushes him for answers

At the church where the Lamp Post station was located in the original timeline, Kate sits in Hurley's Camaro as a Oceanic delivery van pulls into the parking lot. Desmond approaches the Oceanic employee and signs for Christian Shepherd's coffin, telling the guy that he works at the church. Desmond asks the guy to take the coffin around the back.

Desmond returns to the Camaro and she asks him who died. He tells her that it was a man named Christian Shepherd, and she laughs and asks if he's serious (the name is fairly funny when sitting in front of a church).

As Desmond is about to start the car, Kate stops him and asks why he's doing what he's doing. He says "No one can tell you why you’re here, Kate... Certainly not me." Kate objects saying that he brought her there and Desmond says that he's not talking about the church, "I'm talking about here."

Desmond introduces himself and tells Kate that even though she doesn't know it, he's a friend and all he wants to do is leave. When she asks where he wants to leave to, Desmond says "Let me show you."

Island scenes during the opening montage of "The End"

During the opening montage of "The End," we see Jack at sunrise by the creek, washing his hands and looking at them intently. We see Ben Linus looking somewhat terrified as he loads a gun. He turns and looks at Locke who is wrapping a rope.

Sawyer, Kate and Hurley are sitting around the camp where they talked to Jacob the night before. Sawyer approaches Kate and examines her bullet wound.

Not a lot to analyze, but some beautiful opening shots.

Christian Shephard's coffin arrives at LAX

As the series finale opens, we see Christian Shephard's coffin arrive at LAX and gets removed from a plane and placed in a van.

While this happens, we see Jack in his office looking at Locke's x-ray. Ben is making himself a cup of coffee, his arm still in the sling. Locke is being wheeled off to surgery on a gurney and looks at his empty wheelchair. Sawyer prepares for another day at work and looks at himself in the broken mirror he punched in "Recon."

This sets up our characters as we enter the finale. I'll include the island shots from this montage in the next post.

Locke discovers Desmond is not in the well, tells Ben he wants to destroy the island

As Locke and Ben walk through the jungle, Ben asks Locke why he bothers walking if he can turn into smoke. Locke says that the he likes the feel of his feet on the ground because it reminds him that he was human.

They then arrive at the well, where Locke discovers that Sayid didn't kill Desmond and someone helped him out with a rope. Locke says that whoever helped Desmond out actually helped him because Widmore said that the Desmond was a fail-safe for Jacob to ensure that Locke never left the island, just in case Locke managed to kill all of the candidates.

Locke then reveals that he plans to use Desmond to do what he can't, which is destroy the island.

And this is where we're left headed into the finale. Jack is the protector of the island and Locke wants to destroy it, so a showdown is coming. More later.

Hurley pays Ana Lucia to help Desmond, Kate & Sayid escape the police

At the police station, Sawyer comes to tell Kate, Desmond and Sayid that they are being sent to the county lockup. Kate stops him as he's leaving and says that he can still let her go because he believes she's innocent. Saywer says that he can't because he's a cop. Kate tells him that he doesn't seem like a cop.

In the back of the van, Desmond says that he thinks it's time to leave. Kate asks who he is and Sayid says that he's crazy, revealing that Desmond turned himself in. Desmond admits that he hit a man (Locke) in a wheelchair.

Desmond says that the driver already knows where to stop and says that when they stop, he'll expect Sayid and Kate to trust him, because he's going to ask them to do something. They both reluctantly agree, then the van comes to a stop.

The back door opens, revealing Ana Lucia who asks Desmond where her money is, because if she doesn't get it, she'll have to tell the police that she shot them while they tried to escape. As she releases them from their restraints, Hurley pulls up in his yellow Hummer.

Hurley gets out and says that he didn't know Ana Lucia was going to be there. With her trademark attitude, Ana Lucia says "Do I know you tubby?" Hurley realizes his mistake and says that they've never met and hands her an envelope with $125,000 in it. As she leaves, Hurley asks Desmond if she's not coming with them and Desmond says she's not ready yet.

Hurley's Camaro can be seen next to the van and he tells Desmond to take it. Sayid goes with Hurley who says he knows where they need to go. Kate stays with Desmond, who hands her a black dress and tells her that they're going to a concert. Kate looks bewildered.

So Desmond and Hurley both clearly know what's going on, and they have a plan. We learn what that plan involves in the finale.