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Harper Stanhope is a therapist and a member of the Others. She was married to Goodwin, but their relationship deteriorated, prompting Goodwin to have an affair with Juliet Burke.

Before the crash[]

Background[]

Harper received her bachelors degree from Columbia University and her masters degree in psychology from Yale University. ("The Other Woman-Enhanced") She was also granted a "Certificate of Recognition" from the Hanso Foundation and another certificate from the "Experimental Social Psychology Society". ("The Other Woman")

Harper the therapist

Harper at work.

Sometime before Juliet's arrival, she married Goodwin Stanhope. It is possible they may have a child and/or children, as Goodwin attempted to appeal to Ana Lucia's maternal instincts when she looked after Emma and Zach undercover; he also wanted to initiate a conversation about the topic of children several times.

Prior to Juliet's arrival, one of her known patients was Tom Friendly. She was described as a "piece of work" by Tom, but within enough time, she was able to get him to open up emotionally about his father issues.

Meeting Juliet[]

In September 2001, Harper introduced herself to Juliet one week after her arrival on the Island. Instead of a normal process involving a self-initiated appointment to book a therapy session, Juliet was instead assigned a therapist as a compulsory part of being one of the Others.

Harper Welcomes Juliet to the Island

Harper's forced smile to Juliet, welcoming her to the Island.

This made Juliet uncomfortable, because she felt she did not need therapy. However, her assigned therapist Harper tried to ease her by saying, "Why don't we call it talking instead of therapy?"

Harper was antagonistic towards Juliet from their first meeting and became more so after she discovered Juliet was sleeping with her husband, which she discovered by following and watching them. When Juliet told Harper that Ben was really good to her, she remarked under her breath "Of course he has, you look just like her". (The identity of the woman is alluded to being an adult Annie.)

She warned Juliet that Ben's obsession with her could prove lethal for Goodwin should Ben discover the affair. Harper's omen came to pass when Ben sent Goodwin undercover with the tail section survivors and left him there for three weeks, at which time he was killed by Ana Lucia Cortez. ("The Other Woman")

After the crash[]

Day 1[]

Harper Stanhope after the crash of Flight 815

Harper glares at Juliet after Ben orders Goodwin to be a spy.

Harper was a previously unseen witness of the Oceanic Flight 815 plane crash at the Barracks alongside the other Island Natives. ("A Tale of Two Cities")

After her leader Benjamin Linus ordered for her husband Goodwin to pose as a member of the tail section survivors, she gave a forewarning glare to her patient, Juliet Burke, to indicate her suspicion that Ben's revenge for the affair Juliet maintained with Goodwin was about to be enacted.

Three weeks later, Goodwin was still undercover which Juliet was concerned about. It is unknown how Harper reacted to the circumstances. ("The Other Woman") Almost a month later, Harper became a widow. ("The Other 48 Days")

Day 94[]

Juliet Harper Reunion in The Other Woman

Harper gives Juliet instructions to go to the Tempest.

After Juliet left the Others, Harper found her in the jungle to deliver a message, allegedly from Ben, that Juliet should thwart Charlotte Lewis and Daniel Faraday's mission to the Tempest at all costs.

According to Harper, the freighter team members were being sent to unleash a type of nerve gas that would kill every living person on the Island. Harper claimed to be acting under Ben's orders even though Ben was still imprisoned by Locke at the time. She further claimed that Ben was exactly where he wanted to be. Following this, she disappeared after Jack and Juliet were once again distracted by whispers in the jungle. ("The Other Woman")

Harper's entrance in the present storyline strongly resembles Walt's appearances to Shannon Rutherford. Both appeared wet, either from the rain or being in water for some unknown reason, to deliver an important warning message of some kind to a person wandering in the jungle. Both appearances also follow and precede the sounds of whispers. ("Abandoned")

Later seasons[]

Harper is never seen again. She was neither with Richard's group of Others in 2007, nor at the Temple. The Others who remained at the Temple were massacred by the Man in Black, though some of the Others evacuated before this massacre occurred, during which a warning was given. ("Sundown") She did not join the Man in Black's group later in the season. ("The Last Recruit")

It is not known if Harper was killed during or before this, or accompanied another group of safe Others in the jungle shortly before this took place off-screen.

Trivia[]

  • During casting she was described as Chandley Price. Mid 30s to early 40s. Female. Tough, no-nonsense and beautiful in an unadorned way. A therapist by profession and yet could benefit from some therapy herself. The qualities that make her a leader and effective at seeing into other people also cause her problems in her own life -- she can be overly controlling and obsessive. Her strength of personality is undeniable. Guest star / recurring [1]
  • In a TVGuide interview, Carlton Cuse admitted scheduling conflicts may have affected Harper's reappearance in Season 4 as a result of the Writer's Strike (as Ausiello asked about Roth, who plays Harper being affected specifically). The strike delayed future filming dates for Season 4's second half—which got reduced by 3 episodes—into pilot season, where guest stars look for other work. [2] Following this, Roth was never asked to reappear at all.
  • Out of all the main characters, Harper has only met Ben, Juliet, and Jack. She has most likely been acquainted with Richard Alpert as well.
  • In Greek mythology, a harpy was a monstrous, winged minister of divine vengeance with the face of a woman and body, wings, and claws of a bird. Personifications of guilty consciences, harpies harassed the guilty. The word is often used hyperbolically to refer to an strident, demanding woman, especially a wife.
  • Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl Stanhope was a British statesman and scientist. He wrote a scathing reply to philosopher Edmund Burke's Reflections on the French Revolution. Edmund Burke is also the name of Juliet's husband.
  • Her name is an anagram for "present pharaoh" and "perhaps an Other"

Unanswered questions[]

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Harper Stanhope/Theories
  • Was Harper conveying Ben's orders?
  • How was Harper able to appear and disappear suddenly?
  • What happened to Harper?
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