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Richard Alpert (Lost)
Encyclopedia
Ricardo "Richard" Alpert is a fictional character
played by Nestor Carbonell
in the American ABC
television series Lost
. Alpert is introduced in a flashback of the character Juliet Burke
(Elizabeth Mitchell
), where he claims to be a doctor for a bioscience
company called Mittelos Bioscience; he is later revealed to be a member of a native island faction called the Others, where he plays a role in the group's hierarchy that has been compared to that of the Panchen Lama
in Buddhism
by the series' producers. A major facet of the character is his seeming agelessness; he has been seen with a similar physical appearance both in the show's present events in the mid-2000s as well as flashbacks dating as far back as the late-1860s. Richard becomes mortal at the end of the series.
Originally introduced as a guest star in the third season episode "Not in Portland
", Alpert reappears throughout the third season, both in flashbacks and present-day island events. In the spring of 2007, shortly before the conclusion of Losts third season, Carbonell was contracted as a regular on the CBS
television series Cane
, which jeopardized his future on Lost. Nevertheless, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
resulted in Cane being cancelled and allowed Carbonell to return for the final three episodes of the fourth season and several in the fifth. Producers Damon Lindelof
and Carlton Cuse
confirmed in January 2009 that Carbonell had been contracted for the show's sixth and final season in 2010.
known as Ricardo who lived in the Canary Islands
with his wife, Isabella, who was dying from tuberculosis. Richard promised to save her and arrived at the doctor's house. The doctor had the medicine which could help her, but refused to accept Isabella's gold cross as payment. Richard pleaded with the doctor and in the scuffle the doctor fell back, hit his head on the table and died. Richard took the medicine and rushed back to Isabella only to find her dead. He was then arrested for murder and sentenced to be hanged
. When the time came for his execution, Father Suarez, a priest, sold him to Magnus Hanso, who was going to the New World
.
Richard, now a slave, was chained below the deck of the Black Rock, which got caught in a bad storm and shipwrecked on the Island, colliding with the four-toed statue of Tawaret
in process. The other surviving slaves were executed by Jonas Whitfield, an officer of the ship. Before Richard was killed, the Smoke Monster arrived and killed all except Richard. As he worked to free himself, a vision of his wife appeared and told him they are in Hell. She was then apparently killed by the Monster as well. Still in chains below deck, Richard was visited by the Man in Black
(Titus Welliver
), the Smoke Monster in human form. The Man in Black freed him on the condition Alpert would help him.
The Man in Black told Richard they are in Hell and he must kill Jacob (Mark Pellegrino
), whom he referred to as the devil, in order to get his wife back. The Man in Black gave him a dagger and sent him off to kill Jacob, who lived at the foot of the statue. When Richard arrived, he was attacked by Jacob. Richard told Jacob that he was told Jacob was the devil and he had his wife. Jacob managed to convince Richard he was still alive and not in hell. Jacob explained to Richard the Island is like a cork in a wine bottle keeping the Evil contained. The Man in Black thinks humanity was evil and corrupt, while Jacob wants to prove to the Man in Black humans can do good and was bringing people to the island to contradict him. Jacob then decided to give Richard a job as Jacob's representative to the people coming to the Island in the future. In exchange, Jacob granted Richard immortality, after stating he was unable to bring Isabella back from the dead or absolve Richard of his sins.
Richard returned to the Man in Black and told him he was joining Jacob. The Man in Black informed Richard he found Isabella's cross on the ship. Richard took it, crying, and buried it at the base of a tree.
The next earliest chronological time period in which Alpert has been seen is 1954 in the episode "Jughead
", where he was leading a group of Others who had recently killed a detachment of eighteen US military soldiers who landed on the island with a hydrogen bomb. Alpert first asked the troops to leave peacefully, but was "forced" to kill them when they refused. He hints he was ordered to by someone higher in his chain of command.
The Others captured Daniel Faraday
(Jeremy Davies
), Miles Straume
(Ken Leung
) and Charlotte Lewis
(Rebecca Mader
) in the jungle after their third skip through time to 1954, a result of the island having been moved in "There's No Place Like Home
". Alpert was under the mistaken impression the three were sent by the military to retrieve the bomb; Faraday played along in order to gain access to the bomb and repair a crack in the casing. Alpert reluctantly allowed Faraday to see the bomb after Faraday professed his love for Charlotte as a way of proving he does not intend to detonate it. As Faraday worked, John Locke
(Terry O'Quinn
) walked into the camp, having followed a young Charles Widmore
(younger, Tom Connolly; older, Alan Dale
) to their location. Locke attempts to continue a conversation he began with Alpert in the future, but was met with skepticism. His mention of Jacob, the Others' leader, and the compass given to him in the future by Alpert himself (an ontological paradox), convinced Alpert to at least hear him out. He told a reluctant Alpert if he was suspicious of Locke's claims of time travel, Alpert should visit Locke's birthplace in two years for proof. Locke was unable to convince Alpert to tell him how to leave the island before another time skip occurs.
Alpert took Locke's advice and visited the newborn Locke two years later on May 30, 1956 in the episode "Cabin Fever
". Five years later, he visited a five-year old Locke, giving him a test not unlike those administered by the Panchen Lama to Dalai Lama
potentials, under the guise he was recruiting children for a special school. He showed Locke several items, including the compass, and asked Locke to identify which items belonged to him. Along with several other items, Locke picked a knife; angered by Locke's failure, Alpert left in a hurry, claiming Locke was "not ready" for his school. Alpert tried to recruit Locke again in the 1970s, this time into an internship program with Mittelos Laboratories in Portland, Oregon, but a teenage Locke turned it down.
In 1973, in "The Man Behind the Curtain
", Alpert encountered a young Benjamin Linus (younger, Sterling Beaumon; older, Michael Emerson
) in the jungle. Ben expressed a desire to run away from his father, a member of the scientific research group called the Dharma Initiative
, and join the Others. Alpert realized Ben is special when Ben mentioned seeing his deceased mother (Carrie Preston
) in the jungle. He agreed to Ben's request, but told Ben it will require time and patience.
In 1974, Richard entered the Dharma Initiative's barracks in "LaFleur
" and demanded the whereabouts of two members of his people, they having been killed and buried by Juliet Burke
(Elizabeth Mitchell
) and James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway
) following Locke's successful attempt to stop the time skips. Sawyer managed to appease Richard by taking responsibility and revealing knowledge of Alpert's encounter with Locke in the 1950s. In 1977, Richard again encountered Sawyer in the jungle in "Whatever Happened, Happened
", this time with Kate Austen
(Evangeline Lilly
) and a wounded Ben Linus, whom they wanted healed. He warned Sawyer and Kate by saving Ben's life, Ben won't retain any memory of the event and will lose his innocence. Sawyer and Kate acknowledged this and Richard took Ben to the temple. Shortly after this exchange, Alpert tells several of the Others he did not answer to Charles Widmore or to Ellie (Alice Evans
), then leader of the Others. Regardless, he was briefly berated by a middle-aged Charles Widmore (David S. Lee) in "Dead is Dead
" for bringing Ben to the camp.
Later on, he had another encounter with Daniel Faraday in "The Variable", who frantically demanded to see Ellie and the bomb he told their people to bury. Ellie shot Daniel in the back, much to Alpert's displeasure, and he listened as Daniel explained to Ellie she was his mother. Ellie was convinced Daniel was telling the truth, and Alpert joined her, Jack Shephard
(Matthew Fox
), and later, Sayid Jarrah
(Naveen Andrews
) in retrieving the hydrogen bomb in "Follow the Leader
". During this mission, Richard confided in Jack he has been keeping tabs on John Locke and "he is not that special". Jack insists Richard have faith in Locke.
In 1988, Alpert observed the tensions between Charles Widmore and Ben Linus in "Dead is Dead
" when Ben was given the order to kill Danielle Rousseau; Ben spared her and instead stole her child, Alex. Alpert said nothing in this exchange. As an adult in the early 1990s, Ben assisted Alpert in killing the members of the Dharma Initiative with poison gas in "The Man Behind the Curtain
". After the purge, in 1992, Richard consorted with Ben in banishing Charles Widmore.
In 2001, Alpert attempted to recruit Juliet into Mittelos Bioscience in "Not in Portland
". Juliet initially declined the offer, offhandedly joking the only way she could go is if her employer, her ex-husband, were hit by a bus; Alpert saw to it that this "joke" became reality in short order. Alpert claimed to have forgotten Juliet's joke when she mentioned it later, and she accepted the job offer. Alpert then admitted the company is not really in Portland, and Juliet was taken to the island. Three years later, when Oceanic Airlines flight 815 crashed on the island, Alpert was in Miami, Florida, filming Juliet's formerly cancer-stricken sister playing with her young son, footage Ben showed to Juliet in "One of Us
".
Alpert encountered Locke once again, in 2004, when the latter infiltrated the Barracks, now the Others' community, in "The Man from Tallahassee
". Locke destroyed their submarine to prevent Jack and Juliet from leaving the island and was captured. At Ben's request, Alpert fetched Anthony Cooper (Kevin Tighe
), Locke's father. Ben arranged for Locke to kill Cooper in front of the Others as his initiation in "The Brig", knowing Locke would not be able to do so. Locke was thus publicly humiliated when he refused. The next day, Alpert hinted to Locke that he was unhappy with Ben's leadership and informed him Sawyer had a connection to Cooper which would make him kill the latter, Cooper having been the man whose con inspired the murder/suicide of his parents. Alpert was then instructed by Ben to take the Others to "the Temple," a safe haven, while Ben negotiated with the Flight 815 survivors in "Through the Looking Glass
".
After Ben was taken into custody by Martin Keamy
(Kevin Durand
) and the mercenary team sent to the island by Charles Widmore, Alpert captured Kate and Sayid to enlist their aid in retrieving him in part 1 of "There's No Place Like Home
". In part 2, Ben was rescued and Keamy was shot several times by Alpert; Keamy's bulletproof vest saved his life. Once Ben ventured to the Dharma station called the Orchid and moved the island, time began skipping for the survivors while Alpert and the Others remained in the present.
During one skip, in "Because You Left
", Alpert tracked down Locke, who had been wounded in the last skip, and treated a bullet hole in his leg. He gave Locke the compass which Locke would give Alpert himself in 1954, and told Locke the only way to save the island was to get the Oceanic Six, the six survivors who left the island, to return. When Locke asked how he could do this, Alpert responded Locke would have to die. In "Follow the Leader
", the Man in Black (using Locke's form) is revealed to have directed Alpert to do this. At the Others' camp, Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) asked Alpert if he remembered the survivors trapped in the past. He confirms he did, and says he watched them die.
Locke convinced Alpert to take him and the Others present (a second group remains at the Temple) to see Jacob. Alpert expressed displeasure at Locke's style of command, which Ben pointed out was why he tried to kill Locke. Richard lead them to the broken base of the statue, within which was Jacob's home. Locke went in with Ben despite Richard's statement only the current leader was allowed to request an audience. As Ben and Locke spoke with Jacob, Ilana (Zuleikha Robinson
) and her group arrived at the camp. She addressed Richard as "Ricardus" and asked him, "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" He replied, "Ille qui nos omnes servabit" (Latin for "He who will save us all."). She opened the crate her people brought with her, revealing Locke's dead body; the man visiting Jacob was an impostor.
When Ben emerged from the statue claiming "John" wanted to speak to Richard, Richard furiously threw Ben to the ground in front of Locke's corpse. Later, Richard was shocked when The Man in Black, in the form of Locke, exited the statue and said to Richard it was good to see him out of his chains. At this statement, Richard realized who he was facing. But The Man in Black, in the form of Locke, knocked Richard unconscious, picked him up, and walked away.
The Man in Black later cut down Richard from a sack he had hung him from in a tree, and prompty apologized for it. Richard asked the Man in Black why he looks like John Locke, to which MIB replied Locke was a candidate. Richard expressed he doesn't know what a candidate was, to which the Man in Black was surprised. He asked Richard to come with him, but Richard refused.
Later, after the Man in Black chased after a blond boy, Sawyer met Richard in a clearing. Richard urgently tried to encourage Sawyer to come with him to the Temple, but Sawyer insisted on staying with the Man in Black. Richard tried to convince him further, but when he heard the Man in Black appearing, he ran off, frightened. He later visited the Temple, realizing everybody there was dead.
While Jack and Hurley (Jorge Garcia
) walked through the jungle in hopes of returning to the Temple, Richard suddenly appeared, convincing them he knew where the Temple was. He eventually leads them to the Black Rock, admitting he came to the Island with it. When Hurley admits he was talking to Jacob, Richard, angered at Jacob, told Hurley not to listen to him. Upon entering, Richard saw the chains he was once in, and picked a stick of dynamite, having become suicidal after Jacob's death. Hurley then warned him about the unstable dynamite, even referencing another survivor who died by the dynamite. Richard claimed he wanted to die because he was touched by Jacob, who claimed everything happens for a reason, and his life was a lie and had no purpose now that Jacob was dead. Jack lit the dynamite and Hurley fled. Jack then talked Richard into believing Richard still had a purpose and he wouldn't let him die just yet. At that moment, the dynamite did not explode. After that, Jack, Hurley and Richard headed for the beach camp, where they found Ilana, Sun, Ben, Miles and Frank
(Jeff Fahey
).
Later, Ilana stated Jacob told her to follow Richard's lead. Richard, though, says he didn't know what to do, but instead he was going to follow another, referring to the Man in Black. He ran off through the jungle, to the place where he buried his wife's cross. Hurley followed him, informing him his wife, Isabella, said Richard has to stop the Man in Black from leaving the island, or they "are all going to Hell".
Against Hurley's advice, Richard, Miles and Ben go off to another part of the island when Hurley insists they have to trust him with following Jacob's wishes. When they go to the Dharma Iniative's barracks, they are told by Charles Widmore the Man in Black is coming for them. Richard and Ben go to talk with the Man in Black, who surfaces as the Smoke Monster and hurls Richard from the Dharma. Miles later finds Richard, as well as a grey hair on his head. On their way to Hydra Island, the two find Lapidus floating out in the water. Together they repair the Ajira plane. Once the Ajira plane is made airworthy, Lapidus, Miles, Richard, Sawyer, Kate and Claire are seen to fly safely off of the Island by a dying Jack. Ostensibly, Richard leaves the island and survives, but this is never confirmed - and he is not seen in the flash-sideways 'purgatory'.
how old Richard is, lead Lost actor Matthew Fox
guessed 125, which Lost producer Damon Lindelof
said was wrong. When Locke asks Juliet how old Richard is in "Jughead
", she simply replies "old". In "Follow the Leader
", Ben describes Richard as an advisor "who has had that position for a long, long time." In "Dr. Linus", Richard mentions he doesn't age because Jacob touched him. In "Ab Aeterno
" it is revealed Richard lived in 1867, being around 35 years old. Since the current storyline takes place in 2007, that makes Richard around 175 years old.
, an Eastern-influenced writer and figure from the 1960s and 70s. Lost producer Damon Lindelof
confirmed Richard is named after someone famous, but did not elaborate. Nestor Carbonell was originally contracted to guest star in "Not in Portland", with the possibility of the role becoming recurring. After the producers enjoyed his performance, his contract was extended to five further appearances in season three. During production of "The Man Behind the Curtain", Carbonell shot the pilot for CBS
drama Cane
.
While producing the final episodes of the third season, Carbonell was cast in a starring role on the new CBS
series Cane
. The writers modified their original story plan for the fourth season in anticipation for Carbonell's potential unavailability. Despite Carbonell's willingness to return to Lost, CBS president Nina Tassler
ruled out another Lost guest appearance. Cane
, freeing Carbonell from his contract with CBS. Executive producer Carlton Cuse
cited this as an unintended positive consequence of the strike.
's TV Squad was disappointed Carbonell did not use the accent he used in Suddenly Susan
. Entertainment Weekly
' s Jeff Jensen was pleased when Richard returned in "One of Us
", saying "[Carbonell's] Slick Willy performance as Mittelos exec Richard Alpert is on par with his superb embodiment of the half-bat, half-lothario superhero known as Batmanuel
in the gone-too-soon sitcom The Tick
". He also "loved [Richard's] matter-of-fact way of telling Juliet he had spiked her orange juice with a massive amount of tranquilizer ... his silver-tongued temptation was so persuasive, I think any of us would have gulped down that [orange juice]". Chris Carabott from IGN
thought Richard featuring in Ben's flashback as a Hostile was "one of the more surprising revelations of ["The Man Behind the Curtain", because] Alpert doesn't seem to have aged a day in thirty-plus years".
Many reviewers were pleased when Richard returned in season four's "Cabin Fever" after being absent for ten episodes. Jay Glatfelter of The Huffington Post
called him a "fan favorite" and speculated that although it is less plausible his appearance at Locke's birth is due to time travel, this seemed more believable than Richard not aging. This proved untrue, as Locke visited him 2 years prior, telling Richard of his (Locke's) birth in "Jughead
." Carabott called it "The biggest and most welcome surprise" because "He's one of the most enigmatic characters on the series and his appearance in Locke's past is an exciting and shocking revelation." Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
said "I get absurdly excited every time Richard Alpert (the wonderfully spooky Nestor Carbonell) arrives on the scene. I just know he’s going to bust out some major-league Dharma Initiative
goodness one of these days, and his mere presence boosted my enjoyment level of an already good episode." Cynthia Littleton from Variety
said "Just the sight of Richard puts me on edge. Actor Nestor Carbonell is fantastic."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
played by Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Gastón Carbonell is an American actor, known for portraying Richard Alpert in ABC's drama Lost and Mayor Anthony Garcia in the film The Dark Knight...
in the American ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. Alpert is introduced in a flashback of the character Juliet Burke
Juliet Burke
Dr. Juliet Burke is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Elizabeth Mitchell. Her character was introduced in the third season premiere.- Prior to arrival on the island :...
(Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell , is an American actress/modelwho is known for her roles as Dr. Juliet Burke on ABC's TV series Lost and as FBI agent Erica Evans on V. She has starred in such films as The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and Gia.-Early life:Mitchell was born Elizabeth...
), where he claims to be a doctor for a bioscience
BioScience
BioScience is a peer-reviewed monthly sometimes daily scientific journal that is published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences . The content is written and edited for accessibility to researchers, educators, and students alike...
company called Mittelos Bioscience; he is later revealed to be a member of a native island faction called the Others, where he plays a role in the group's hierarchy that has been compared to that of the Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
by the series' producers. A major facet of the character is his seeming agelessness; he has been seen with a similar physical appearance both in the show's present events in the mid-2000s as well as flashbacks dating as far back as the late-1860s. Richard becomes mortal at the end of the series.
Originally introduced as a guest star in the third season episode "Not in Portland
Not in Portland
"Not in Portland" is the 7th episode of the third season of Lost and the 56th episode overall. It first aired on February 7, 2007 on ABC. The episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Jeff Pinkner and was directed by Stephen Williams...
", Alpert reappears throughout the third season, both in flashbacks and present-day island events. In the spring of 2007, shortly before the conclusion of Losts third season, Carbonell was contracted as a regular on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Cane
Cane (TV series)
Cane is an American television drama created by Cynthia Cidre, who also served as executive producer alongside Jonathan Prince, Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony. The pilot was directed by Christian Duguay...
, which jeopardized his future on Lost. Nevertheless, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
resulted in Cane being cancelled and allowed Carbonell to return for the final three episodes of the fourth season and several in the fifth. Producers Damon Lindelof
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
and Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse is an AmericanEmmy Award winning screenwriter and producer, most famous as executive producer andscreenwriter for the American television series Lost for...
confirmed in January 2009 that Carbonell had been contracted for the show's sixth and final season in 2010.
Character biography
In 1867, Richard Alpert was a SpaniardSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
known as Ricardo who lived in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
with his wife, Isabella, who was dying from tuberculosis. Richard promised to save her and arrived at the doctor's house. The doctor had the medicine which could help her, but refused to accept Isabella's gold cross as payment. Richard pleaded with the doctor and in the scuffle the doctor fell back, hit his head on the table and died. Richard took the medicine and rushed back to Isabella only to find her dead. He was then arrested for murder and sentenced to be hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
. When the time came for his execution, Father Suarez, a priest, sold him to Magnus Hanso, who was going to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
.
Richard, now a slave, was chained below the deck of the Black Rock, which got caught in a bad storm and shipwrecked on the Island, colliding with the four-toed statue of Tawaret
Tawaret
In Egyptian mythology, Taweret is the Egyptian Goddess of childbirth and fertility. The name "Taweret" means, "she who is great" or simply, "great one"...
in process. The other surviving slaves were executed by Jonas Whitfield, an officer of the ship. Before Richard was killed, the Smoke Monster arrived and killed all except Richard. As he worked to free himself, a vision of his wife appeared and told him they are in Hell. She was then apparently killed by the Monster as well. Still in chains below deck, Richard was visited by the Man in Black
Man in Black (Lost)
The entity referred to most frequently as the Man in Black is a fictional character on the American ABC television series Lost, and is the main antagonist of the...
(Titus Welliver
Titus Welliver
Titus Welliver is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring roles on the television shows Deadwood, Lost, Sons of Anarchy and The Good Wife...
), the Smoke Monster in human form. The Man in Black freed him on the condition Alpert would help him.
The Man in Black told Richard they are in Hell and he must kill Jacob (Mark Pellegrino
Mark Pellegrino
Mark Ross Pellegrino is an American actor of film and television. He is best known for his work on Lost as Jacob and for playing Lucifer on Supernatural.-Career:...
), whom he referred to as the devil, in order to get his wife back. The Man in Black gave him a dagger and sent him off to kill Jacob, who lived at the foot of the statue. When Richard arrived, he was attacked by Jacob. Richard told Jacob that he was told Jacob was the devil and he had his wife. Jacob managed to convince Richard he was still alive and not in hell. Jacob explained to Richard the Island is like a cork in a wine bottle keeping the Evil contained. The Man in Black thinks humanity was evil and corrupt, while Jacob wants to prove to the Man in Black humans can do good and was bringing people to the island to contradict him. Jacob then decided to give Richard a job as Jacob's representative to the people coming to the Island in the future. In exchange, Jacob granted Richard immortality, after stating he was unable to bring Isabella back from the dead or absolve Richard of his sins.
Richard returned to the Man in Black and told him he was joining Jacob. The Man in Black informed Richard he found Isabella's cross on the ship. Richard took it, crying, and buried it at the base of a tree.
The next earliest chronological time period in which Alpert has been seen is 1954 in the episode "Jughead
Jughead (Lost)
"Jughead" is the third television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 89th episode of the show overall, "Jughead" aired on January 28, 2009 on ABC in the United States, being simulcast on A in Canada...
", where he was leading a group of Others who had recently killed a detachment of eighteen US military soldiers who landed on the island with a hydrogen bomb. Alpert first asked the troops to leave peacefully, but was "forced" to kill them when they refused. He hints he was ordered to by someone higher in his chain of command.
The Others captured Daniel Faraday
Daniel Faraday
Dr. Daniel Faraday, often referred to as Dan or simply by his surname, Faraday, is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeremy Davies. Faraday is introduced in the season four premiere as a physicist, suffering from memory loss, and is part of the team aboard the ...
(Jeremy Davies
Jeremy Davies
Father Jeremy Davies , an English Roman Catholic priest whose parish is based around Old Hall Green, is a former doctor and also a leading exorcist....
), Miles Straume
Miles Straume
Miles Straume is a fictional character played by Ken Leung on the ABC television series Lost. Miles is introduced early in the fourth season as a hotheaded and sarcastic medium as a crew member aboard the freighter called the Kahana that is offshore the island where most of Lost takes place...
(Ken Leung
Ken Leung
Kenneth "Ken" Leung is an American actor best known for his role as Miles Straume in the ABC television series Lost and roles in such films as Shanghai Kiss, Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Saw.-Early life:...
) and Charlotte Lewis
Charlotte Lewis (Lost)
Dr. Charlotte Staples Lewis is a fictional character on the American Broadcasting Company television series Lost, played by Rebecca Mader. Charlotte is introduced in the second episode of season four and is a cultural anthropologist on a mission to the island where Oceanic Flight 815 crashed...
(Rebecca Mader
Rebecca Mader
Rebecca Leigh Mader is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Morgan Gordon on All My Children and Charlotte Lewis on Lost.-Career:...
) in the jungle after their third skip through time to 1954, a result of the island having been moved in "There's No Place Like Home
There's No Place Like Home
"There's No Place Like Home, Parts 1, 2 & 3" is the season finale of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of the serial drama television series Lost, consisting of the 12th through 14th episodes. They are also the 84th through 86th episodes of the show overall...
". Alpert was under the mistaken impression the three were sent by the military to retrieve the bomb; Faraday played along in order to gain access to the bomb and repair a crack in the casing. Alpert reluctantly allowed Faraday to see the bomb after Faraday professed his love for Charlotte as a way of proving he does not intend to detonate it. As Faraday worked, John Locke
John Locke (Lost)
John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
(Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
) walked into the camp, having followed a young Charles Widmore
Charles Widmore
Charles Widmore is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific. He is primarily portrayed as an older man by Alan Dale; Tom Connolly and David S...
(younger, Tom Connolly; older, Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
) to their location. Locke attempts to continue a conversation he began with Alpert in the future, but was met with skepticism. His mention of Jacob, the Others' leader, and the compass given to him in the future by Alpert himself (an ontological paradox), convinced Alpert to at least hear him out. He told a reluctant Alpert if he was suspicious of Locke's claims of time travel, Alpert should visit Locke's birthplace in two years for proof. Locke was unable to convince Alpert to tell him how to leave the island before another time skip occurs.
Alpert took Locke's advice and visited the newborn Locke two years later on May 30, 1956 in the episode "Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever (Lost)
"Cabin Fever" is the 11th episode of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 83rd episode overall. It was aired on May 8, 2008 on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada. The episode was written by supervising producer Elizabeth...
". Five years later, he visited a five-year old Locke, giving him a test not unlike those administered by the Panchen Lama to Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
potentials, under the guise he was recruiting children for a special school. He showed Locke several items, including the compass, and asked Locke to identify which items belonged to him. Along with several other items, Locke picked a knife; angered by Locke's failure, Alpert left in a hurry, claiming Locke was "not ready" for his school. Alpert tried to recruit Locke again in the 1970s, this time into an internship program with Mittelos Laboratories in Portland, Oregon, but a teenage Locke turned it down.
In 1973, in "The Man Behind the Curtain
The Man Behind the Curtain
"The Man Behind the Curtain" is the 20th episode of the 3rd season of Lost, and the 69th episode overall. It was first aired on May 9, 2007 on ABC. The episode was directed by Bobby Roth and written by Elizabeth Sarnoff and Drew Goddard....
", Alpert encountered a young Benjamin Linus (younger, Sterling Beaumon; older, Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice.-Early life:...
) in the jungle. Ben expressed a desire to run away from his father, a member of the scientific research group called the Dharma Initiative
DHARMA Initiative
The Dharma Initiative, also written DHARMA , was a fictional research project featured in the television series Lost. It was introduced in the second season episode "Orientation". In 2008, the Dharma Initiative website was launched. Dharma's interests were directly connected with fringe science...
, and join the Others. Alpert realized Ben is special when Ben mentioned seeing his deceased mother (Carrie Preston
Carrie Preston
Carrie Preston is an American film and television actress, producer and director. Her husband is actor Michael Emerson, and her brother is actor John G. Preston.-Early life:...
) in the jungle. He agreed to Ben's request, but told Ben it will require time and patience.
In 1974, Richard entered the Dharma Initiative's barracks in "LaFleur
LaFleur (Lost)
"LaFleur" is the eighth television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 94th episode of the show overall, "LaFleur" aired on March 4, 2009 on ABC in the United States, being simulcast on A in Canada...
" and demanded the whereabouts of two members of his people, they having been killed and buried by Juliet Burke
Juliet Burke
Dr. Juliet Burke is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Elizabeth Mitchell. Her character was introduced in the third season premiere.- Prior to arrival on the island :...
(Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell , is an American actress/modelwho is known for her roles as Dr. Juliet Burke on ABC's TV series Lost and as FBI agent Erica Evans on V. She has starred in such films as The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and Gia.-Early life:Mitchell was born Elizabeth...
) and James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway
Josh Holloway
Joshua Lee "Josh" Holloway is an American actor and model from Free Home, Georgia. He is best known for his role as James "Sawyer" Ford on the American television show Lost.-Early life:...
) following Locke's successful attempt to stop the time skips. Sawyer managed to appease Richard by taking responsibility and revealing knowledge of Alpert's encounter with Locke in the 1950s. In 1977, Richard again encountered Sawyer in the jungle in "Whatever Happened, Happened
Whatever Happened, Happened
"Whatever Happened, Happened" is the 11th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 97th episode of the show overall, "Whatever Happened, Happened" aired April 1, 2009, on ABC in the United States...
", this time with Kate Austen
Kate Austen
Katherine Anne "Kate" Austen is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly. She is the de facto female lead...
(Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Kate Austen in the ABC drama, Lost.-Early life:...
) and a wounded Ben Linus, whom they wanted healed. He warned Sawyer and Kate by saving Ben's life, Ben won't retain any memory of the event and will lose his innocence. Sawyer and Kate acknowledged this and Richard took Ben to the temple. Shortly after this exchange, Alpert tells several of the Others he did not answer to Charles Widmore or to Ellie (Alice Evans
Alice Evans
Alice Jane Evans is an American-born English actress.-Early life:Evans, the daughter of educators and the granddaughter of a coal miner, was born in New Jersey, USA and grew up in Bristol, England. She graduated from University College London with a 2:1 in French and Italian.-Career:After...
), then leader of the Others. Regardless, he was briefly berated by a middle-aged Charles Widmore (David S. Lee) in "Dead is Dead
Dead Is Dead
"Dead Is Dead" is the 12th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 98th episode of the show overall, "Dead Is Dead" aired on April 8, 2009 on ABC in the United States and aired on April 12, 2009 on Sky1 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by editor Brian K...
" for bringing Ben to the camp.
Later on, he had another encounter with Daniel Faraday in "The Variable", who frantically demanded to see Ellie and the bomb he told their people to bury. Ellie shot Daniel in the back, much to Alpert's displeasure, and he listened as Daniel explained to Ellie she was his mother. Ellie was convinced Daniel was telling the truth, and Alpert joined her, Jack Shephard
Jack Shephard
Dr. Jack Shephard is a fictional character and protagonist of the ABC television series Lost played by Matthew Fox. Lost follows the journey of the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815 on a mysterious island and their attempts to survive and escape, slowly uncovering more of the much broader...
(Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox (actor)
Matthew Chandler Fox is an American actor. He is mostly known for his role as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five, and for portraying Jack Shephard on the supernatural drama television series Lost.- Early life :...
), and later, Sayid Jarrah
Sayid Jarrah
Sayid Hassan Jarrah is a character from the ABC show Lost portrayed by Naveen Andrews.-Season 1:Sayid fixes the transceiver recovered from the cockpit, and leads a group into the jungle in order to send out a distress signal. Instead, he picks up a looping message . He tries to locate the...
(Naveen Andrews
Naveen Andrews
Naveen William Sidney Andrews is a British American actor. He is best known for portraying Kip in the movie The English Patient and Sayid Jarrah on the American television series Lost.-Early life:...
) in retrieving the hydrogen bomb in "Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader (Lost)
"Follow the Leader" is the 15th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 101st episode of the show overall, "Follow the Leader" aired on May 6, 2009 on ABC in the United States. The episode was written by supervising producer Paul Zbyszewski and co-executive producer Elizabeth...
". During this mission, Richard confided in Jack he has been keeping tabs on John Locke and "he is not that special". Jack insists Richard have faith in Locke.
In 1988, Alpert observed the tensions between Charles Widmore and Ben Linus in "Dead is Dead
Dead Is Dead
"Dead Is Dead" is the 12th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 98th episode of the show overall, "Dead Is Dead" aired on April 8, 2009 on ABC in the United States and aired on April 12, 2009 on Sky1 in the United Kingdom. The episode was written by editor Brian K...
" when Ben was given the order to kill Danielle Rousseau; Ben spared her and instead stole her child, Alex. Alpert said nothing in this exchange. As an adult in the early 1990s, Ben assisted Alpert in killing the members of the Dharma Initiative with poison gas in "The Man Behind the Curtain
The Man Behind the Curtain
"The Man Behind the Curtain" is the 20th episode of the 3rd season of Lost, and the 69th episode overall. It was first aired on May 9, 2007 on ABC. The episode was directed by Bobby Roth and written by Elizabeth Sarnoff and Drew Goddard....
". After the purge, in 1992, Richard consorted with Ben in banishing Charles Widmore.
In 2001, Alpert attempted to recruit Juliet into Mittelos Bioscience in "Not in Portland
Not in Portland
"Not in Portland" is the 7th episode of the third season of Lost and the 56th episode overall. It first aired on February 7, 2007 on ABC. The episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Jeff Pinkner and was directed by Stephen Williams...
". Juliet initially declined the offer, offhandedly joking the only way she could go is if her employer, her ex-husband, were hit by a bus; Alpert saw to it that this "joke" became reality in short order. Alpert claimed to have forgotten Juliet's joke when she mentioned it later, and she accepted the job offer. Alpert then admitted the company is not really in Portland, and Juliet was taken to the island. Three years later, when Oceanic Airlines flight 815 crashed on the island, Alpert was in Miami, Florida, filming Juliet's formerly cancer-stricken sister playing with her young son, footage Ben showed to Juliet in "One of Us
One of Us (Lost)
"One of Us" is the 16th episode of the third season of Lost. It aired on April 11, 2007, making it the 65th episode of the series. The episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Drew Goddard and directed by Jack Bender...
".
Alpert encountered Locke once again, in 2004, when the latter infiltrated the Barracks, now the Others' community, in "The Man from Tallahassee
The Man from Tallahassee
"The Man from Tallahassee" is the 13th episode of the 3rd season of Lost, and the 62nd episode overall. It was aired on March 21, 2007 on ABC. The episode was written by Drew Goddard and Jeff Pinkner and directed by Jack Bender...
". Locke destroyed their submarine to prevent Jack and Juliet from leaving the island and was captured. At Ben's request, Alpert fetched Anthony Cooper (Kevin Tighe
Kevin Tighe
Kevin Tighe is an American character actor primarily known for his roles on television. Tighe is best known for his role as Roy DeSoto, a senior paramedic, on the NBC series Emergency! . He and Randolph Mantooth, his partner in the series, have remained close friends...
), Locke's father. Ben arranged for Locke to kill Cooper in front of the Others as his initiation in "The Brig", knowing Locke would not be able to do so. Locke was thus publicly humiliated when he refused. The next day, Alpert hinted to Locke that he was unhappy with Ben's leadership and informed him Sawyer had a connection to Cooper which would make him kill the latter, Cooper having been the man whose con inspired the murder/suicide of his parents. Alpert was then instructed by Ben to take the Others to "the Temple," a safe haven, while Ben negotiated with the Flight 815 survivors in "Through the Looking Glass
Through the Looking Glass (Lost)
"Through the Looking Glass" is the third season finale of the ABC television series Lost, consisting of the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the third season. It is also the 71st and 72nd episodes overall. It was written by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse,...
".
After Ben was taken into custody by Martin Keamy
Martin Keamy
First Sergeant Martin Christopher Keamy is a recurring fictional character played by Kevin Durand in the fourth season and sixth season of the American ABC television series Lost. Keamy is introduced in the fifth episode of the fourth season as a crew member aboard the freighter called the Kahana...
(Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
) and the mercenary team sent to the island by Charles Widmore, Alpert captured Kate and Sayid to enlist their aid in retrieving him in part 1 of "There's No Place Like Home
There's No Place Like Home
"There's No Place Like Home, Parts 1, 2 & 3" is the season finale of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of the serial drama television series Lost, consisting of the 12th through 14th episodes. They are also the 84th through 86th episodes of the show overall...
". In part 2, Ben was rescued and Keamy was shot several times by Alpert; Keamy's bulletproof vest saved his life. Once Ben ventured to the Dharma station called the Orchid and moved the island, time began skipping for the survivors while Alpert and the Others remained in the present.
During one skip, in "Because You Left
Because You Left
"Because You Left" is the television season premiere of the American Broadcasting Company's fifth season of the serial drama television series Lost. The episode is the 87th episode of the show overall, and was written by executive producers/show runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed...
", Alpert tracked down Locke, who had been wounded in the last skip, and treated a bullet hole in his leg. He gave Locke the compass which Locke would give Alpert himself in 1954, and told Locke the only way to save the island was to get the Oceanic Six, the six survivors who left the island, to return. When Locke asked how he could do this, Alpert responded Locke would have to die. In "Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader (Lost)
"Follow the Leader" is the 15th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 101st episode of the show overall, "Follow the Leader" aired on May 6, 2009 on ABC in the United States. The episode was written by supervising producer Paul Zbyszewski and co-executive producer Elizabeth...
", the Man in Black (using Locke's form) is revealed to have directed Alpert to do this. At the Others' camp, Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) asked Alpert if he remembered the survivors trapped in the past. He confirms he did, and says he watched them die.
Locke convinced Alpert to take him and the Others present (a second group remains at the Temple) to see Jacob. Alpert expressed displeasure at Locke's style of command, which Ben pointed out was why he tried to kill Locke. Richard lead them to the broken base of the statue, within which was Jacob's home. Locke went in with Ben despite Richard's statement only the current leader was allowed to request an audience. As Ben and Locke spoke with Jacob, Ilana (Zuleikha Robinson
Zuleikha Robinson
Zuleikha Robinson is an English actress, raised in Thailand and Malaysia by a Burmese-Indian mother and an English father. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, and best known for playing Ilana in the ABC show Lost.In 2006, she played a Bengali character called...
) and her group arrived at the camp. She addressed Richard as "Ricardus" and asked him, "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" He replied, "Ille qui nos omnes servabit" (Latin for "He who will save us all."). She opened the crate her people brought with her, revealing Locke's dead body; the man visiting Jacob was an impostor.
When Ben emerged from the statue claiming "John" wanted to speak to Richard, Richard furiously threw Ben to the ground in front of Locke's corpse. Later, Richard was shocked when The Man in Black, in the form of Locke, exited the statue and said to Richard it was good to see him out of his chains. At this statement, Richard realized who he was facing. But The Man in Black, in the form of Locke, knocked Richard unconscious, picked him up, and walked away.
The Man in Black later cut down Richard from a sack he had hung him from in a tree, and prompty apologized for it. Richard asked the Man in Black why he looks like John Locke, to which MIB replied Locke was a candidate. Richard expressed he doesn't know what a candidate was, to which the Man in Black was surprised. He asked Richard to come with him, but Richard refused.
Later, after the Man in Black chased after a blond boy, Sawyer met Richard in a clearing. Richard urgently tried to encourage Sawyer to come with him to the Temple, but Sawyer insisted on staying with the Man in Black. Richard tried to convince him further, but when he heard the Man in Black appearing, he ran off, frightened. He later visited the Temple, realizing everybody there was dead.
While Jack and Hurley (Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
) walked through the jungle in hopes of returning to the Temple, Richard suddenly appeared, convincing them he knew where the Temple was. He eventually leads them to the Black Rock, admitting he came to the Island with it. When Hurley admits he was talking to Jacob, Richard, angered at Jacob, told Hurley not to listen to him. Upon entering, Richard saw the chains he was once in, and picked a stick of dynamite, having become suicidal after Jacob's death. Hurley then warned him about the unstable dynamite, even referencing another survivor who died by the dynamite. Richard claimed he wanted to die because he was touched by Jacob, who claimed everything happens for a reason, and his life was a lie and had no purpose now that Jacob was dead. Jack lit the dynamite and Hurley fled. Jack then talked Richard into believing Richard still had a purpose and he wouldn't let him die just yet. At that moment, the dynamite did not explode. After that, Jack, Hurley and Richard headed for the beach camp, where they found Ilana, Sun, Ben, Miles and Frank
Frank Lapidus
Frank J. Lapidus is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeff Fahey. Frank is introduced in the second episode of season four as a pilot hired on a mission to the island where Oceanic Flight 815 crashed. He aids the survivors of the crash against mercenary Martin Keamy ...
(Jeff Fahey
Jeff Fahey
Jeffrey David "Jeff" Fahey is an American film and television actor. He has portrayed Captain Frank Lapidus on the ABC series Lost and the title role of Deputy Marshal Winston MacBride on The Marshal.-Early life:...
).
Later, Ilana stated Jacob told her to follow Richard's lead. Richard, though, says he didn't know what to do, but instead he was going to follow another, referring to the Man in Black. He ran off through the jungle, to the place where he buried his wife's cross. Hurley followed him, informing him his wife, Isabella, said Richard has to stop the Man in Black from leaving the island, or they "are all going to Hell".
Against Hurley's advice, Richard, Miles and Ben go off to another part of the island when Hurley insists they have to trust him with following Jacob's wishes. When they go to the Dharma Iniative's barracks, they are told by Charles Widmore the Man in Black is coming for them. Richard and Ben go to talk with the Man in Black, who surfaces as the Smoke Monster and hurls Richard from the Dharma. Miles later finds Richard, as well as a grey hair on his head. On their way to Hydra Island, the two find Lapidus floating out in the water. Together they repair the Ajira plane. Once the Ajira plane is made airworthy, Lapidus, Miles, Richard, Sawyer, Kate and Claire are seen to fly safely off of the Island by a dying Jack. Ostensibly, Richard leaves the island and survives, but this is never confirmed - and he is not seen in the flash-sideways 'purgatory'.
Characteristics
The mysteries surrounding his ageless character were heavily discussed among the fan community. Although being present in scenes from the 1860s to the 2000s, Richard does not appear to age. In "The Man Behind the Curtain" Ben says "You do remember birthdays, don't you?" to Richard. When asked at the 2008 Comic-Con InternationalComic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
how old Richard is, lead Lost actor Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox (actor)
Matthew Chandler Fox is an American actor. He is mostly known for his role as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five, and for portraying Jack Shephard on the supernatural drama television series Lost.- Early life :...
guessed 125, which Lost producer Damon Lindelof
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
said was wrong. When Locke asks Juliet how old Richard is in "Jughead
Jughead (Lost)
"Jughead" is the third television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 89th episode of the show overall, "Jughead" aired on January 28, 2009 on ABC in the United States, being simulcast on A in Canada...
", she simply replies "old". In "Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader (Lost)
"Follow the Leader" is the 15th television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 101st episode of the show overall, "Follow the Leader" aired on May 6, 2009 on ABC in the United States. The episode was written by supervising producer Paul Zbyszewski and co-executive producer Elizabeth...
", Ben describes Richard as an advisor "who has had that position for a long, long time." In "Dr. Linus", Richard mentions he doesn't age because Jacob touched him. In "Ab Aeterno
Ab Aeterno
"Ab Aeterno" is the ninth television episode of the American Broadcasting Company's sixth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 112th episode overall. The episode aired on March 23, 2010. The episode was written by producer Melinda Hsu Taylor and co-producer Greggory Nations and...
" it is revealed Richard lived in 1867, being around 35 years old. Since the current storyline takes place in 2007, that makes Richard around 175 years old.
Development
Richard shares his name with Richard AlpertRam Dass
Ram Dass is an American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the seminal 1971 book Be Here Now. He is known for his personal and professional associations with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the early 1960s, for his travels to India and his relationship with the Hindu guru Neem...
, an Eastern-influenced writer and figure from the 1960s and 70s. Lost producer Damon Lindelof
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
confirmed Richard is named after someone famous, but did not elaborate. Nestor Carbonell was originally contracted to guest star in "Not in Portland", with the possibility of the role becoming recurring. After the producers enjoyed his performance, his contract was extended to five further appearances in season three. During production of "The Man Behind the Curtain", Carbonell shot the pilot for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama Cane
Cane (TV series)
Cane is an American television drama created by Cynthia Cidre, who also served as executive producer alongside Jonathan Prince, Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony. The pilot was directed by Christian Duguay...
.
While producing the final episodes of the third season, Carbonell was cast in a starring role on the new CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series Cane
Cane (TV series)
Cane is an American television drama created by Cynthia Cidre, who also served as executive producer alongside Jonathan Prince, Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony. The pilot was directed by Christian Duguay...
. The writers modified their original story plan for the fourth season in anticipation for Carbonell's potential unavailability. Despite Carbonell's willingness to return to Lost, CBS president Nina Tassler
Nina Tassler
Nina Tassler is an American television executive, a graduate of Boston University , and holds the position of President of CBS Entertainment since September 2004....
ruled out another Lost guest appearance. Cane
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, freeing Carbonell from his contract with CBS. Executive producer Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse is an AmericanEmmy Award winning screenwriter and producer, most famous as executive producer andscreenwriter for the American television series Lost for...
cited this as an unintended positive consequence of the strike.
Reception
When Richard made his first appearance, Erin Martell of AOLAOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad was disappointed Carbonell did not use the accent he used in Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
One of Us (Lost)
"One of Us" is the 16th episode of the third season of Lost. It aired on April 11, 2007, making it the 65th episode of the series. The episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Drew Goddard and directed by Jack Bender...
", saying "[Carbonell's] Slick Willy performance as Mittelos exec Richard Alpert is on par with his superb embodiment of the half-bat, half-lothario superhero known as Batmanuel
Batmanuel
Batmanuel is a fictional character from The Tick live action series.An obvious parody of Batman, the character was similar to Die Fledermaus of the animated series....
in the gone-too-soon sitcom The Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
". He also "loved [Richard's] matter-of-fact way of telling Juliet he had spiked her orange juice with a massive amount of tranquilizer ... his silver-tongued temptation was so persuasive, I think any of us would have gulped down that [orange juice]". Chris Carabott from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
thought Richard featuring in Ben's flashback as a Hostile was "one of the more surprising revelations of ["The Man Behind the Curtain", because] Alpert doesn't seem to have aged a day in thirty-plus years".
Many reviewers were pleased when Richard returned in season four's "Cabin Fever" after being absent for ten episodes. Jay Glatfelter of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
called him a "fan favorite" and speculated that although it is less plausible his appearance at Locke's birth is due to time travel, this seemed more believable than Richard not aging. This proved untrue, as Locke visited him 2 years prior, telling Richard of his (Locke's) birth in "Jughead
Jughead (Lost)
"Jughead" is the third television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 89th episode of the show overall, "Jughead" aired on January 28, 2009 on ABC in the United States, being simulcast on A in Canada...
." Carabott called it "The biggest and most welcome surprise" because "He's one of the most enigmatic characters on the series and his appearance in Locke's past is an exciting and shocking revelation." Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
said "I get absurdly excited every time Richard Alpert (the wonderfully spooky Nestor Carbonell) arrives on the scene. I just know he’s going to bust out some major-league Dharma Initiative
DHARMA Initiative
The Dharma Initiative, also written DHARMA , was a fictional research project featured in the television series Lost. It was introduced in the second season episode "Orientation". In 2008, the Dharma Initiative website was launched. Dharma's interests were directly connected with fringe science...
goodness one of these days, and his mere presence boosted my enjoyment level of an already good episode." Cynthia Littleton from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said "Just the sight of Richard puts me on edge. Actor Nestor Carbonell is fantastic."