Interesting theory but I don't think they would do something as drastic as show what is presented as a flashback turn out to be a lie. Doing that would bring all of the other flashbacks and maybe even the flashforwards into question and I don't think that would be something anyone wants to do.

The back-in-time part is definitely possible but the time loop is a bit out there, even for Lost.

I don't think so. In Meet Kevin Johnson they made a point to show Walt briefly, looking down from the window of Michael's mother's house. He was younger non-ghost Walt, younger than the Walt we saw in Through the Looking Glass. So they haven't aged substantially by that point, indicating to me that taller ghost Walt was from some future time.

That said, Darlton have stated that they haven't told us the whole story of Michael and Walt's return.

Michael's mother indicates he's only been gone a couple of months. So whenever ever the flashback takes place (for when Michael tries to take his life, meets Tom, etc) happened about when we thought he should get back to the real world.

Via Domus is not canon. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20179125_4,00.html last part of the page's interview.

I think something hinky happened, but it's not why Walt is older. I am in favor of Walt is projecting from the future.

Why would Michael want to blow up the ship if he was trying to get back to Walt?

The producers have said that they will explain what happened to Michael during this time period... that is before his FB picks up but after he left the island. My prediction is that bearing 325 warps him into the Bermuda Triangle off Miami (which is where Juliet drank the knock out potion before she got on the sub...). Then it's only 2 days up 95 to NYC, with fake ID papers Ben left in the boat. I think the fake name he uses is going to be the same name that Jack read in the coffin-person's obituary.

It's just too much to believe that the FB was a lie and didn't really happen.

I guess what I would like to stress about this idea is that this Flashback was unlike all other flashbacks. (I'm really in the Passover spirit)

All other flashbacks have been internalized. That is to say the characters have actually though about what happened to them in the past.

The flashback in “Meet Kevin Johnson” was not internalized, rather it was a story that Michael told to Sayid, when he was cornered and asked the question, “Where have you been?” What stops someone him from telling a lie or fudging the details? Nothing. More importantly would Michael be willing to lie to get something he wants? Yes!

Could Michael have it in him to lie to a fellow castaway? Let me think...(Sarcasm is hard to express in words, but in actuality I really don’t need to think. But in case someone is thinking, here are some things that Michael has done in the past.)
1) He killed two people in cold blood to let Ben out
2) He shot himself to let Ben out

Michael probably did lie, and all that would need to happen to prove that his story was fabricated is during a future episode where Michael eventually reaches the island, Ben would just need to say, "did you tell them the cover story I told you," and then cue the beginning of an internalized flashback of what really happened to Michael.

In conclusion, all we know for sure is that Michael departed on bearing 325, and he eventually winds up on the freighter. The actual reason he is on the freighter I believe is still unknown to the viewer, and what really happened to him during his time from 325 to the freighter I also believe is unknown to the viewer.

I feel like this would help explain some of the inconsistencies in the episode because if someone was making up a story as to how he got somewhere, he might have neglected to calculate exactly how long something took, which is something the writers of the show probably didn’t. It would also give more merit to the end of the videogame. (I know, I know, it is not cannon, but why make up a complete bull@#$! ending?)

Note: As seen in my theory I really don’t have a good grasp of what the ending of the videogame could mean for the future of Lost and what might have actually happened to Michael, but I feel like it would be much more in tune with Lost for something like that to really have happened.

Not to mention the lost writers have already tried to "trick" the viewer on a much smaller scale, with the Jin/Sun Flashforward/Flashback. They even did it with the Flashforward in the finale of season 3, so i see know reason why the writers were unwilling to lie here. It would set up a more shocking twist in the finale.

Also we don't need to re-disect every episode if Michael was lying because as I mentioned this was the only the flashback that was told. Internalized might not be the right word, but all other flashbacks simply happened during the episodes. When they just happen, you can assume they are true because it is as though there is an omnicous (spelling?) narrator showing us the flashback (the narrator are the writers). However, when Michael tells the story, he in essence becomes that narrator, and is therefore able to make up details.

Why would Michael lie, especially in such a way that he would know Sayid would become enraged (that he was working for Ben)?

Also, the traditional flashbacks are not to be interpreted as if the character is ACTUALLY remembering the events. It's merely a narrative device, in the same way the FFs are. And FFs certainly are not "remembered".

Yes, I agree. The word internalized is not the correct word. Flashbacks just happen as a way to see the characters past.

I've got a theory, there is a split in time and space, the plane did crash into the sea, and also crashed on the island. Those who survived the crash into the sea cannot be killed on the island or off it while they are still alive in the sea crash senario -Michael, Sawyer last night in The shape of things to Come, Ben. Those who died in the sea crash can be killed on the island,Charlie, Boon etc. Alex was killed because she had no existance off the island.