Flash Forwards????

Okay, we finally got the chance to watch Lost today during the kids nap time and all I have to say is, "Huh?!" I understood and really liked the flashbacks that gave us insight into the characters, but then at the end of last season, they did a flash forward. Are they done letting us know anything about the past of these people? I guess if they're simply trying to explore why getting off the island is bad then it makes sense, but right now we can't even see that...
And why oh why did they really have to kill off Charlie??? I so loved his character and who he was becoming. Oh well. It will definitely be interesting to see what they do with the season this year, especially with the writer's strike. I'll stay tuned. : )