Essentially, the show has become much more than it once was. It used to be a "Lord of the Flies"-ish drama, but now it's become a hodge podge of uniqueness with all kinds of elements mixed into the plot for good measure.
As for ideas, the show was plotted to only last five seasons. Whether the producers will stick to that initial pledge remains to be seen. However, they do have some great comic book writers on their creative team, like Brian K. Vaughn and Jeph Loeb.
I actually met the woman who plays Claire on the show when I was still living in Hawaii. This was before Lost was a big hit. She mentioned that she was working on a TV show, and I was like, "Well, that's nice." Little did I know that she would be one of the main characters on the show that gives me a reason to watch ABC. In hindsight, I wish I had gotten her autograph then, so I wouldn't have to stand in long ass lines at SDCC.