Kate Austen
From Lostpedia
Joan Hart
Monica Callis
Katherine Dodd
Maggie Ryan
Lucy
Farm hand, Mullen farm
Wayne Janssen - Father
Sam Austen - Stepfather
Kevin Callis - Husband
Jack Shephard - Ex-Fiancé
Aaron Littleton - Foster Son
- "Kate" redirects here. For other uses of "Kate", see: Kate (disambiguation)
Katherine Anne Austen, more commonly known as Kate, is one of the middle section survivors from the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 in 2004. Kate was born in Iowa to an abusive father whom she eventually killed when she was finally of age to run and take care of herself. Kate was pursued for three years by the U.S. Marshall and was in his custody when she crashed on the Island. On the Island, Kate formed strong bonds with Jack and Sawyer, becoming an integral member on several A-Missions. She became engaged to Jack after the rescue, but their relationship soon ended. Resourceful, quick-witted and mysteriously reclusive, she participated in many rescue and combat missions against the Others by using her tracking skills and natural ease at using firearms. In the aftermath of her very public trial for murder and other charges, Kate agreed to 10 years' probation with the condition that she must remain in the state of California. Aaron Littleton lived with her and believed that Kate was his mother until 2007 when Kate decided to go back to the island. Because of this Aaron was reunited with his biological family when Kate confessed the lie to Carole Littleton and told her about crash, Claire's pregnancy, her disappearace and about who really Aaron was. Kate then told Carole that she was returning to the island to find Claire and bring her home to Aaron. Kate boarded Ajira Flight 316 and returned to the Island without Aaron. Stranded in 1977 with her friends, she worked for the DHARMA Initiative as a mechanic, and was responsible for saving a young Benjamin Linus's life. After the detonation of Jughead by Juliet, her fate is currently unknown.
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Before the crash
Childhood
Born in rural Iowa in 1977, Katherine Anne Austen was raised by her mother, Diane, and Sam Austen, whom Kate believed to be her biological father. However, her actual biological father was a man named Wayne.
In 1982, aged five, Kate became a child of divorce when Diane and Sam separated. Diane got custody of Kate and married Wayne. Diane began to suffer from domestic abuse, but she still professed that she loved Wayne.
A few years later Kate and her friend Tom Brennan attempted to steal a lunchbox from a small convenience store. She was caught on her way out the door, and the clerk threatened to call the police and her parents. Suddenly a man entered the shop, revealed to be none other than Jacob. Jacob offered to pay for the lunchbox, which satisfied the clerk. Jacob then made Kate promise to never steal again. She agreed and Jacob touched her nose, telling her to, "Be good Katie." ("The Incident, Parts 1 & 2")
In 1989, Kate and her childhood sweetheart Tom Brennan made a time capsule out of the lunchbox and buried it. It contained a recorded message, a toy airplane and a baseball. ("What Kate Did") ("Born to Run")
Murdering Wayne
While making a scrapbook for Sam's birthday, Kate discovered from pictures that Austen couldn't be her biological father as he had been away serving in Korea during the period when she would have been conceived. This horrified Kate as she realized that Wayne was her biological father. Kate decided to take drastic action. After taking out an insurance policy on the house, she orchestrated a devastating gas explosion. On that day, Wayne had returned home and Kate tended to him in a far-from-loving manner. She expressed nothing but contempt when he made advances toward her. Leaving him drunk and asleep in the house, she left as the gas explosion tore the house apart, killing Wayne.
Kate then visited her mother at the diner where she worked. After a conversation where Diane showed her dismay at Kate riding a motorcycle, Kate commented about an injury on her mother's hand that Diane claimed was caused by a shelf in the kitchen (although it was clear to Kate that this had actually been inflicted by Wayne). Kate then handed her mother the insurance policy and told her that she was protecting Diane. Fleeing the scene, she warned Diane that she wouldn't see her for a while and left - forcing Diane to question "What did you do?" After discovering her husband's death, Diane called the police to report the crime and gave her daughter up.
Kate then attempted to flee Iowa, unaware that the authorities were already tracking her and that U.S. Marshal Edward Mars had already been assigned as her primary law enforcement figure in her pursuit. As she attempted to leave for Tallahassee, she engaged in an uncomfortable conversation with Mars, who eventually revealed himself and arrested her for murder as she tried to flee the scene - revealing that her mother had given her up. As the Marshal escorted her to imprisonment, he questioned why she chose to kill her father now but Kate refused to respond. However, the car was forced into a pole as a black horse ran out into the road. With the Marshal unconscious, Kate made a break and began her life on the run.
Kate then went to see the man who she believed to be her biological father at a recruitment office, much to Sam's shock due to the fact that the U.S. Marshals were searching for her. Kate, however, questioned him as to why he didn't tell her about her true lineage, recalling the story of how she discovered Wayne was her father. He recalled that he didn't tell her because he knew she would kill him. He then warned her that he would have to call them and Kate asked for him to give her an hour. He obliged and she fled the scene. ("What Kate Did")
Help from Cassidy
Kate evaded the law for roughly two months before she tried to initiate contact with her mother again. Kate went back to Iowa, but her car broke down from a bad fan belt before she could get to Diane. The mechanic took her to the local repair station, where Kate witnessed Cassidy Phillips trying to sell fake jewelry to local people. When one man threatened to call the police, Kate interrupted and purchased one of the fake necklaces. After the men left, Cassidy thanked Kate for her help. However, she detected that Kate didn't want police attention herself. Cassidy offered to take Kate into town to buy her a drink, which Kate accepted. ("Left Behind")
At the bar, Kate told Cassidy of killing her father, her escape from the marshal and how her mother had told the police. Cassidy offered to help Kate get a meeting with Diane, due to her own betrayal by a man who conned her and stole all the money she had. Kate questioned why Cassidy wanted to help her, and she replied that one of them deserved something good. Wanting to test how much security was around Kate's mother, Cassidy disguised herself as Kate and knocked on Diane's door. Believing it was Kate, many agents attacked Cassidy. Down the road, Kate observed the situation through binoculars and realized it would be a challenge to meet with her mother. ("Left Behind")
Hours later, Cassidy returned to a motel, where she and Kate were staying. Angered by her half-hour questioning, Cassidy demanded to know what Kate did. She confessed that she killed Wayne, her father, by blowing up his house, but took out an insurance policy on it beforehand, which would have set up her mother for life financially. The reason why Kate wanted to meet her mother was because she wanted to know why Diane had betrayed her, when she only tried to help. Now knowing the whole story between Kate and her mother, Cassidy agreed to continue helping her. The next day, Cassidy ordered a meal from the diner where Kate's mother worked and purposely spilled her meal on Diane. She remained polite and went to clean up in the toilets. Diane found Kate there, and she asked her mother why she had reported her. Despite Wayne's abuse, Diane defended him, claiming that you can't help who you fall in love with. Kate stated she wasn't sorry, and Diane warned Kate if she ever came near her again, she would yell for help. She left the tearful Kate in the bathroom to herself. ("Left Behind")
Later that day, Cassidy gave Kate a lift back to her fixed car. She thanked Cassidy for all the help but asked her for the name of the man who conned her. However, Cassidy revealed she was pregnant and he was the father. Kate still advised her to call the police. Before parting ways, Kate told Cassidy her real name. ("Left Behind")
Return to Iowa
Later, Kate learned via a letter that her mother was hospitalized and dying of cancer. Though she had sworn never to return to Iowa, she sought the help of her childhood sweetheart, Tom Brennan, who was also a doctor at Diane's hospital, to gain access to her mother before her death. Before visiting her mother, Kate and Tom dug up their time capsule and retrieved Tom's toy airplane from inside. When Diane saw Kate, she kept her word and screamed for help to the nearby security guards, forcing Kate to attempt another escape. Against Kate's objections, Tom insisted on going with her in his car. Tom was killed in the subsequent shootout between Kate and the police. Kate fled on foot, leaving behind Tom's cherished toy airplane. ("Born to Run")
Marriage to Kevin
Still on the run, Kate attempted to assume a new life by relocating to Florida under the alias Monica. She fell in love with a police officer named Kevin Callis. Callis did not know her true identity, or anything about the life she was living. At some point during the relationship, Kevin proposed to Kate. Believing she was truly happy, Kate accepted his proposal. On her wedding day, she was visited by Suzanne Callis, Kevin's mother. After commenting how beautiful Kate looked, she presented her a precious locket that had been passed down through the family. However, since she had only sons, Suzanne thought Kate should have it. A few hours later, Kate and Kevin married.
After settling down with Kevin, Kate realized this was the life she wanted. So Kate called the marshal and begged him to stop chasing her. He guessed she was married and told her it wouldn't work, due to her nature of running out on people if life got difficult. Although she hated Edward Mars, Kate realized he was right, the relationship couldn't continue because her past would eventually catch up with her.
One night, during dinner, Kevin surprised Kate with an overseas honeymoon to Costa Rica, which would require a valid passport, which Kate didn't have. Soon after this, Kate detected that she may be pregnant. After revealing a negative result on the pregnancy test, Kate decided to confront Kevin. Kate presented him with a spiked lemonade and joked about being a fugitive, she then turned serious and told Kevin how she blew up her abusive father and it would only be a matter of time before he found out. He was left speechless and didn't know if it was a joke. Kate told him about the pregnancy and how she couldn't do regular things like have a "taco night". When he tried to calm her down, he called her Monica. Kate snapped that this wasn't her real name and began to leave. Kevin collapsed due to the spiked drink. After tearfully revealing some of the truth about her history, Kate left the unconscious Kevin and took up life on the run once again. ("I Do")
New Mexico bank robbery
In a later attempt to taunt Kate, Mars informed her that he had Tom's toy airplane in a safety deposit box in a Ruidoso, New Mexico bank. Kate then traveled to New Mexico, took the name "Maggie" and joined up with a group of bank robbers. She became romantically involved with one of them named Jason, and convinced the gang to rob the bank where the toy airplane was stored. ("Whatever the Case May Be")
The heist started with Kate (as "Ms. Ryan") applying for a loan to a senior employee named Mark Hutton. He asked Kate what brought her to New Mexico. She told him she was a photographer, taking pictures of old theaters in small towns. After talking for some time, Jason and the robbers invaded the bank. They shot all the security cameras and made staff and customers, including Kate, stay down on the floor. After pondering what to do, the robbers demanded the security key from Hutton. On the floor, one of the bank-goers told Kate he thought he could take one of the robbers. The man disarmed a robber, whose gun then slid along the floor, towards Kate. She picked up the gun, stood up and aimed at the robbers. The man instructed Kate how to use it but she claimed to have never used a gun before. However, when she attempted to fire, the gun would not. Jason then grabbed Kate by the neck, and took her to the office.
Once in the office, Jason and Kate kissed. After discussing what they would do next, Jason smacked her across the face, to make it look like there had been a struggle. He then took Kate to Hutton, and told him if he didn't give him the key, Kate would be killed. After counting to three, Hutton handed over the key. The three headed into the vault, where Jason told the manager their plan, and how Kate was responsible for the whole thing. Jason then pointed the gun at Hutton. However, Kate never intended for anyone innocent to get hurt and grabbed the other gun. She aimed at Jason and made an ultimatum that if he shot Hutton, Kate would shoot him. After Jason made to shoot Hutton, Kate did shoot him in the leg, as well as the two other robbers. With the robbers injured the manager gave Kate the key to the safety deposit box. She had the other key to go with it and she opened the box. It contained a small toy airplane, which previously belonged to Tom Brennan. She left the other members of the gang behind and escaped the scene. ("Whatever the Case May Be")
Capture in Australia and Flight 815
Kate then fled to Australia, where she stayed at a farm owned by Ray Mullen for nearly three months. She was planning to subsequently travel to Bali, Indonesia. ("Hearts and Minds") Mullen eventually noticed Kate's wanted poster at the post office, and attempted to turn her in to Edward Mars for a reward of $23,000 dollars, which he intended to use to pay off his mortgage debts.
Kate discovered the plan, but when her escape attempt endangered Mullen's life, she chose to save his life rather than make her escape. Mars consequently captured Kate and prepared to extradite her to the U.S. aboard Oceanic Flight 815. ("Tabula Rasa")
During the turbulence that preceded the crash of Flight 815, Kate's captor, US Marshal Edward Mars, received a head injury caused by falling baggage. Kate unlocked the handcuffs securing her by stealing the keys from the unconscious Mars before the plane crashed.
On the Island
Season 1 (Days 1-44)
One of Kate's first acquaintances post-crash was Jack, who had just finished tending to the injuries of some of the other survivors, and needed Kate's assistance in stitching one of his own wounds. This meeting was the beginning of her involvement in what would become the core subgroup, composed of herself, Jack, Locke, Sayid, and Sawyer, who later were to participate in the most significant adventures of the survivors. It was also the opening scene in what would later become a love triangle involving Jack, who played "straight" man to Sawyer's "bad boy". Jack was also tending to Edward Mars, who was discovered dying. He learned from Mars that Kate was a criminal and a fugitive, but gave Kate the benefit of the doubt, and decided to judge her by her actions on the Island, rather than solely by her history.
Kate's first island adventure, with Jack and Charlie, was the quest to retrieve the cockpit's radio transceiver, in the hope of obtaining rescue. During the expedition, they were confronted by the Monster for the first time.
Once the transceiver had been obtained, it needed to be repaired, then brought to higher ground for better reception. These needs led to her meetings with Sayid, who had technical expertise, as well as Shannon, Boone, and Sawyer. This quest ended with their discovery of a chilling distress signal that appeared to have been running for sixteen years. ("Pilot, Part 2")
Later, when Kate set out on a mission to triangulate the distress signal, Jack asked Kate if she was going on the mission to catch boars. To which she replied "I'm a vegetarian".
The beginning of the love triangle formed a few days later, when Jack and Sayid were torturing Sawyer to force him to hand over Shannon's asthma inhalers. Kate accepted Sawyer's request to kiss him in exchange for the inhalers. However the request was only a ruse to get a kiss, since he then revealed that he didn't have the medication. Nevertheless, the kiss appeared to deeply affect them both in a way neither expected. ("Confidence Man")
After Claire and Charlie were kidnapped by Ethan, Kate and Jack went together in pursuit of them. They had a short confrontation with Ethan, then discovered Charlie hanging from a banyan tree, apparently dead, although Jack managed to revive him after an extended resuscitation attempt, during which Kate broke down into tears and pleaded with him to stop. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")
Later Kate was out fruit-gathering in the jungle when she became aware that she was being followed. She responded by hurling a rock into the bushes behind her. Sawyer limped out, swearing and protesting that he was only protecting her. After some friendly banter, they stumbled across a beautiful scene, a large pool of water with a large waterfall. Kate let him talk her into a swim, but their fun was cut short at the discovery of a pair of bodies under the falls, still strapped to the airline seats. As Sawyer checked the bodies, Kate discovered the Marshal's Halliburton case, which she allowed Sawyer to take when she was unable to open it. Later that night, Kate attempted to steal the case from his tent as he slept, only to have him ambush her and pin her against him. She headbutted him and escaped his grip, but was unable to grab the case. Frustrated, she demanded he give it to her, and he refused.
She later managed to snatch the case as Sawyer attempted to break it open by dropping it from a height onto a rocky outcropping. A chase ensued with Sawyer managing to outwit Kate, catching her. After a brief struggle(during which Sawyer was headbutted again) he offered to give up the case if only she revealed its contents, but she refused. Kate then told Jack about the guns, and recruited him to exhume Edward Mars's body to recover the key to the case. Kate tried to hide the key and lie to Jack, but like Sawyer she underestimated him, and he discovered her duplicity. Jack was able to retrieve the case from Sawyer, who warned him about Kate's dishonesty. They opened the case in the caves, and Jack discovered Kate's toy airplane. When she refused to tell him about it, he became angry and forced her to reveal the truth, and she cried out that it belonged to a man she loved, and killed. Jack left her sobbing miserably, but spared her a sympathetic glance later than evening as she stared at the toy as she sat by the fire.("Whatever the Case May Be")
Kate continued to bond with Sawyer as she helped him track a boar that he believed was harassing him. During this expedition, they played a game of "I never", and revealed dark secrets to each other, many of which they had in common, such as having killed someone. ("Outlaws")
However, her relations with Sawyer became strained when she tried to wheedle her way into getting his spot on Michael's raft. After Michael accused Sawyer of poisoning him, Sawyer revealed Kate's fugitive status to the group, accusing her of the deed. Kate stood up for herself, admitting she was indeed the Marshal's prisoner, but passionately denied poisoning Michael. While everyone seemed to believe her, the knowledge that she was a fugitive from justice made everyone distrustful of her. Later it was revealed that while it really was Kate's idea, it Sun who was behind the actual poisoning, but Jin had been the intended target. Kate and Sawyer had a somber talk by the main campfire in which they seemed to come to a mutual understanding, but they parted on less than friendly terms. ("Born to Run")
On the day of the raft launching, Kate searched for Sawyer as she said goodbye to her friends before departing on a mission to the Black Rock to find dynamite to force open the newly-discovered hatch, but Sawyer had left the beach to chop down bamboo for a new mast. Sawyer then searched for Kate as they prepared to launch the raft, but she had already left on the mission. At the Black Rock, Kate witnessed Arzt exploding. On the way back to the Hatch, Kate threw dynamite down the hole in the ground that the Monster was pulling Locke into. She witnessed the dynamite explodng on the Hatch. ("Exodus, Part 2")
Season 2 (Days 44-67)
After the mysterious hatch was opened, Jack and Locke came to blows over whether the hatch should be abandoned claiming that they couldn't get everyone down the shaft due to the broken ladder, a claim which was not aided by Kate discovering "Quarantine" written on the Hatch door. The group decided to head back to the caves before making a decision, and while they traveled, Kate questioned Locke on why he wanted to go down the hatch so badly, but Locke reminded her of the unnatural tendencies of the island. Upon arriving at the caves, Locke defied Jack and decided to descend the shaft, and Kate told him that she was planning on doing so with him. Being the lighter of the two, Kate agreed to go down first and after she was harnessed in by Locke and his contraption made of cable she started the descent (reiterating 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 as she did so. However, the cable came loose forcing her to drop to the bottom, as a florescent light emitted up the shaft. In order to find her Locke, and later Jack, came down the Hatch. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")
In the hatch Kate, and later Locke, are discovered by the man living in it - Desmond Hume. Instantly suspicious of the two, he ordered Kate to tie up Locke upon his arrival. However, Locke used his knowledge of Kate's past to their advantage, telling Desmond that she was a fugitive and more dangerous. Therefore, Kate was locked in the Swan Station's pantry. Inside the pantry, she freed herself using a knife that Locke had slipped her and escaped the room via the air vents where she witnessed Jack's entry into the Swan as he came face to face with a man from his past. ("Adrift")
The distraction of Jack and Locke was enough to allow Kate to drop from the air vents and into the armory where she armed herself. She approached Desmond and hit him with the butt of her gun, forcing him to the floor, but not without firing a bullet before he did so. In this mêlée the Swan computer was damaged, a computer which Desmond previously explained must have The Numbers entered in it every 108 minutes in order to save the world. Not wanting to test Desmond's beliefs, Kate fled for the caves to recruit Sayid to fix it. After assisting in the reparations of the computer, it became a shared secret between the survivors with Kate being a key feature in it's running. ("Orientation")
The following day, Kate and Hurley were on shift in the Swan and she awoke him from his slumber as the time to enter the numbers approached. She reminded him of the numbers, which were written on a post-it note, unaware of the irony of the situation. Later, an awkward moment ensued between Jack and Kate when his and Sayid's explorations of the Hatch led him upon a towel-clad Kate following her sulfur-odored shower. That night, as Hurley distributed the food, she happily ate with Jack as they joked together. ("Everybody Hates Hugo")
Kate's bond with Sun developed as she helped her in searching for her wedding ring. An attempt to reassure her everything would be alright forced Sun to confess about the message bottle that Claire found. Upon digging up the bottle, Kate began siphoning through the messages, but was stopped, but professed that she never got to say goodbye to Sawyer, but soon noticed Sun's ring in the sand. ("...And Found")
Kate continued to bond with Jack, even playing golf together as they friendly bantered with each other. Jack's missed shot led them both into the jungle where they encountered Eko who had an unconscious Sawyer strewn across his shoulders, after his gun shot wound from one of the Others on board the raft. They both learned of Shannon's death in the process. ("Collision") They rushed Sawyer to the Hatch where Jack treated the gunshot wound, which had gone septic. As the Tailies and the Rafties joyfully reunited on the beach, Kate stayed by the side of a seriously ill and delirious Sawyer, comforting him and whispering "You're gonna be all right. You're home".("Collision")
Kate, visibly shaken by Sawyer's condition, stayed by his side for nearly 24 hours, depriving herself of rest in her efforts to tend to him. Jack finally had to order Kate into the jungle to get fruit for Sawyer to eat, where she saw a black horse, similar to the horse that allowed her to escape Edward Mars. Confused, she returned to the Swan to tend to Sawyer while the rest of the camp went to Shannon's funeral. She told Jack that she was tired, but insisted that she was well enough to keep watch over Sawyer. As she prepared a fruit mash for him, Sawyer began to mumble in his sleep. Thinking perhaps he was coming out of his delirium, she leaned in to talk to him. He suddenly seized her by the throat and shouted "Why did you kill me?" Kate fled the Swan in terror and confusion, leaving Sawyer unattended.
After a brief conversation with Charlie, a disturbed Kate was found by Jack and he confronted her for leaving the Hatch. Kate responded "I'm sorry I'm not as perfect as you. I'm sorry that I'm not as good." As she attempted to run away Jack grabbed her and, without warning, she kissed him. Confused over her feelings for two mean and more than likely suffering from a severe lack of sleep, Kate fled into the jungle.
Kate then returned to the Hatch to face her demons. She approached Sawyer, then began to speak to him as though she believed that Wayne was somehow manifesting through him. She confessed to killing him because she hated that he was a part of her and then angrily went on to say that his memory now tainted her thoughts whenever she looked at, and felt something, for Sawyer. Then "Wayne" was gone, leaving Sawyer who wryly remarked "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard, but who the hell's Wayne?". Kate ruefully told him that they were still stranded on the island and had not been rescued. Some time later a very happy and relieved Kate helped Sawyer walk outside for some air, then after some flirtatious banter, Sawyer and Kate both saw theblack horse. She approached the horse, and shared a silent exchange as Kate made peace with her past. ("What Kate Did")
Unaware of Michael's discovery on the computer the previous day (when Walt communicated with him), Kate agreed to swap her shift with Michael at the computer. Later, she gave Sawyer a well needed haircut. ("The 23rd Psalm")
A few days later, Kate went with Sawyer to the Hatch so Jack could tend his bandages, where they found Jack and Locke, imprisoned by Michael before departing for The Others' camp to find his son. After freeing them, Jack told the group that he planned to initiate a hunting party, to which all four of them agreed to go on. With unexpected anger, Jack ordered Kate to stay behind when she asked for a gun, saying that someone needed to stay and man the button. They left without her. Determined to help, and possibly to prove herself, Kate tailed the group of three, but was soon caught by Pickett and taken hostage.
During a confrontation between the hunting Party and the bearded Other, both Michael and Kate were held (Kate unaware Michael was there due to the bag on her head.) Kate was gagged and her hands and feet were tied up. In order to force the group to surrender their guns, the man ordered "Alex" to bring her out (however Alex refused to do so and Pickett did instead.) Taking off her hood, her deception was revealed to the group and they surrendered their guns to allow her to go free. Jack was infuriated and barely spoke to Kate afterward. After the group returned, Jack left Kate at her tent without a word, while Sawyer told her not to "beat herself up", that he would have acted no differently.("The Hunting Party")
After Charlie apparently kidnapped Aaron proclaiming he needed to save him, Kate stayed with a worried Claire and warned Charlie that seeing the child probably wasn't the best idea. She later watched the confrontation between Charlie and Locke as he tried to save Aaron once more. ("Fire + Water")
Kate and Sawyer's bond grew, and she was often by his side to help with his physical therapy. During one of these sessions, Sawyer could not help but point out that Jack was now seemingly inseparable from Ana-Lucia, while he was still giving Kate the cold shoulder. ("Fire + Water")
She later came by to lend a show of support after Jack ransacked Sawyer's tent looking for a bottle of pills that he had taken for himself. They heard screams in the jungle and rushed to investigate, finding Sun knocked unconscious, after an attempted abduction by an unknown assailant(later revealed to be Charlie). Kate and Sawyer took it upon themselves to investigate the scene of the crime. They hunted for clues and Sawyer reported that it wasn't The Others who kidnapped her, as Ana Lucia had theorized, due to the use of different bags. He asked her who would have the motivation into scaring 46 people into joining an army? They returned to camp, and as Sun awoke, Kate watched on believing this to be a ploy by Ana Lucia to get the guns and form her army.
Tensions between Jack, Locke, Ana Lucia and Kate came to a head as everyone theorized over who was behind the scam as three warning shots were fired. Sawyer then revealed that the whole elaborate con had been his doing(though for whatever reason the assault on Sun was never linked to Sawyer's theft of the guns or the medicine). Kate later approached Sawyer and angrily reproached him for playing everyone, and using her. He replies "You run, I con. Tigers don't change their stripes." She tells him that she knows it's not about the guns, it's that he only wants people to hate him. He responds that it's a good thing she doesn't hate him, but she gives him a parting glare that indicates otherwise, leaving Sawyer to wonder if he'd alienated her after all. ("The Long Con")
Later, when Claire began having memory flashes from the time she was kidnapped by Ethan, Kate took it upon herself to help her find Rousseau. After a tense exchange between her and Sawyer to obtain a gun(which he hands over willingly), the two women set out into the jungle together. After finding her, Rousseau agreed to help for her own reasons. They find the station, and while Claire and Rousseau search for vaccines, Kate made an odd and important discovery: several lockers, containing the Others' trashy costumes, and a fake beard. Kate does not reveal this information to Jack, still hurting from his prior rejection. ("Maternity Leave")
The following day, after Sun suspected herself to be pregnant, Kate sat with her while waiting for the results to become clear. During this wait Sun asked Kate if she had ever taken a pregnancy test and Kate admits that she had. Their discussion was interrupted when the time had elapsed and they discovered Sun to be pregnant. After consulting Jack, Sun made them promise to keep it a secret and they agreed, but Jack warned her that she would tell Jin the whole truth. He then left for the hatch, irony in his words as he himself had not told Kate the whole truth and she remained blissfully ignorant about the situation in the hatch. ("The Whole Truth")
Kate participated in a friendly game of Texas Hold 'Em with Hurley and Sawyer, but she pulled out of the game, preferring to watch, when the competition heated up as Jack and Sawyer decided to "put their mangoes where their mouths are." After Jack beat Sawyer, Kate caught up with him on his trek back to the hatch. She told him she wanted to take a shower at the hatch, but Jack told her that a pipe had burst, providing no running water. Kate had little time to question this as a flashing beacon in the distance grabbed their attention. Eventually, they both came across a large pallet filled with foods. Further more, they were interrupted from their discovery when Sayid, Charlie and Ana Lucia returned from their journey with the truth about "Henry Gale". Kate joined them in the hatch as they confronted the prisoner, this being the first time she had heard of or laid eyes on the man. ("Lockdown")
Kate was forced to hold her questions as she helped Locke deal with his injuries following the Lockdown procedure. She then left for the beach to collect some crutches for Locke where she ran into Sawyer just prior to his beating by Hurley out of revenge for all the nicknames he had adorned on him. ("Dave")
The following day, Jack asked Kate to join him in a journey to "the line", where he planned to force a trade with the Others, Ben for Walt. During the trek, Kate thanked him for asking her along, to which he responded "I only asked you because Sayid wouldn't come." When Kate saw a baby doll in the jungle, despite Jack's protests, she picked it up triggering a net trap in which Jack and Kate were both caught. The situation became increasingly awkward as the two tried to disable the trap. Her attempt to shoot the trap failed, but Jack succeeded, as they both fell to the jungle floor.
As night fell, the two continued their trek and Kate confessed to Jack of the discovery of the Staff station during her trek with Claire and Rousseau and also told him of what she found inside (such as the ragged clothes and the fake beard.) Jack, annoyed, asked why she had kept him from this, but Kate responded that she had been left out of the circle, as they had captured one of them and decided not to tell her. Their discussion was interrupted as they arrived at the line. Jack and Kate stayed for some time, in which their discussion turned personal. Kate said she was sorry that had kissed him, to which he replied "I'm not.". Then a rustling in the bushes caught their attention and eventually Michael emerged, dazed and delirious. ("S.O.S.")
Following his arrival, Kate attempted to check Michael for injuries, but Jack began to wander into the jungle. Kate tried to insist that he was alone. The two slung Michael's arms over their shoulders and brought him back to the Swan where they enlisted Locke to help them (Locke, however, was slightly distracted by some ominous news from the prisoner.) Kate remained at his side until he awoke some time later, and she listened as Michael informed that that "they could take them." Deciding a confrontation with the Others was the only way to survive, Kate, Locke and Jack left the hatch to get the guns from Sawyer, unaware of the deadly aftermath leaving Ana Lucia and Michael alone with the prisoner would bring. ("Two for the Road")
After attempting to get the guns back from Sawyer, it was discovered that Ana Lucia had stolen his pistol. The three quickly made tracks for the Hatch, Kate breaking up an argument along the way. However, they were too late as Michael stumbled out of the hatch with a gunshot to his arm. They all rushed inside to find Ana Lucia and Libby dead, and "Henry" escaped following the day's events.
Kate proclaimed Ana Lucia dead, but she was forced into action as it was revealed that Libby had gone into shock - but was still alive. As Sawyer volunteered the heroin in his stash to aide in easing Libby's pain, Jack ordered Kate to go with him in order to find out the whereabouts of his stash, and therefore the guns. Despite the awkward situation in which Jack had put her, Sawyer allowed her to accompany him. As they trekked to retrieve the heroin she questioned him on how Ana Lucia had gotten his gun, but receives no answer. Kate is shocked, and impressed, to discover that Sawyer's stash had been hidden all this time under his own tent. They bumped into Hurley on their way out, and Kate broke the heart-wrenching news to her friend. Back at the Hatch, Libby died, and Sawyer comforted Kate she broke down in tears. ("?")
Unaware of Michael's traitorous intentions to help the Others, Kate agreed to join the squad of five survivors, that he had suggested to rescue Walt from the Others. Kate spotted the Others tracking them along their trek, and enlisted Sawyer's aide before they opened fire on the tracking party, Sawyer managing to kill one. Kate was ready to track down the surviving Other, but then Jack revealed that he knew of Michael's plan to betray them. Despite knowing the truth of their quest, the five kept moving, and Kate later discovered the capsule dump, where they were ambushed and captured. They were taken to Pala Ferry, where after Michael exchanged his own friends for his son's and his own freedom. After Hurley was freed to take the message back to the castaway's camp, Kate and her friends were taken away as prisoners of the Others. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Season 3 (Days 68-91)
Kate's first experience as a prisoner at the Others' base was awakening to find a bandage on her arm from an apparent blood sample. Tom then told her to shower. She was then made to wear a sundress, and was taken to eat breakfast with Ben, during which she demanded to know where Sawyer and Jack were being held(Ben taking note of the fact that she named Sawyer first), then she was told that the next two weeks were going to be very unpleasant.("A Tale of Two Cities")
Kate then was imprisoned in a large animal cage, across from a similar cage holding Sawyer. Jack was nowhere to be seen. Kate and Sawyer were forced to work daily in inhumane conditions at a quarry, overseen by a belligerent Pickett. During their work, Sawyer kissed Kate as a distraction, then turned the tables on the Others. He almost managed to turn the situation into a successful escape attempt, only to be foiled when Juliet held Kate at gunpoint. Later that night Kate demanded an explanation, to which Sawyer pointed out how he'd discovered certain useful points about their captors, which ones were a greater threat and which ones they could take out. The moment took an unexpected and intimate turn when Sawyer remarked that Kate "tasted like strawberries", to which she blushed and responded "You taste like fish biscuits." ("The Glass Ballerina")
Later Kate and Sawyer were witness to the return of Colleen Pickett's ill-fated mission, during which she was fatally wounded. Kate was disgusted at Sawyer's pleasure that one of their people had take out an Other, but he told her it was "every man for himself". After an attempt on Ben's life, Sawyer was led to believe that he had a deadly device affixed to his heart, and that Kate would suffer the same fate if he said anything. Unaware of this, Kate discovered that she could escape the cages by climbing out through the top bars. Pickett, bitter at Colleen's death, came out to take his grief out on Sawyer. As Pickett beat him savagely, he demanded Kate to say if she loved him. She attempted to shield Sawyer as best she could before crying out that she loved Sawyer. Convinced that Pickett would eventually kill Sawyer, Kate attempted to initiate an escape. Sawyer tried to stop her, and Kate tells him she only said that she loved him so Pickett would stop beating Sawyer. She climbs back into her cage, unwilling to leave without Sawyer, citing, "Live together, die alone."("Every Man for Himself")
Juliet persuaded Kate to try and convince Jack to perform surgery on Ben, by describing Pickett's threats to kill Sawyer. She's taken to his cell, and Kate tells Jack that he has to perform Ben's surgery or Sawyer will die. Jack becomes infuriated and refuses in spite of Kate's tearful pleas, even mocking her for trusting them.
That evening, Kate and Sawyer argued over her decision to tell Jack to save his life, and fed up with his disinterest in escape, she climbed out of her cage and broke the lock on his, entering the cage. Sawyer then revealed to her that they were on a different island than their own, and that escape was virtually impossible. He then told her he withheld this so she would still have hope. Giving in to long-withheld feelings, Kate kissed him, and the two of them made love in the cage.
Later, Jack saw them together via the security cameras and was clearly jealous and angry. The next morning, Pickett and Jason came to execute Sawyer. They attempted to fight back, but Kate was overpowered, and Pickett threatened to kill her as well. Sawyer gave in, unwilling to allow the woman he loved to die. As he knelt outside the cage, Kate begged desperately for his life, saying she'd do anything to save him. At the last moment, Pickett was interrupted by a call from Tom on his walkie-talkie. He ordered Pickett to allow Kate to speak with Jack. Jack was holding Ben hostage during surgery, and ordered Kate to run and escape. ("I Do")
She and Sawyer beat up Pickett and Jason, and fled the Hydra Station. Once they reached the beach and saw the main island, they realized they needed a boat. Their salvation came in the form of Alex, who rescued them from Pickett and his team. After helping her get her boyfriend, Karl, out of a strange prison-like complex, Alex agreed to give the pair her boat. Before leaving, Kate spoke to Jack on a walkie, and was told never to come back for him. With that, Sawyer and Kate set off back to the main island, accompanied by Karl, who faced death if he stayed with Alex. ("Not in Portland")
The three made it back to the main island, and Kate and Sawyer argued about whether they should go straight to the castaways camp or not, an argument Sawyer won. While camping she and Sawyer argued again over whether she felt guilty about sleeping with him. He accuses her of sleeping with him because she thought he was going to die. She doesn't confirm or deny his claim, but she is clearly upset by his accusation, and it causes a rift between the couple. She attempted to smooth things over with him, but he irritably refused to apologize. Once back at camp, Kate was determined to rescue Jack, and set off with Locke and Sayid following her later. Sawyer sadly looked for her later that evening, but he was too late to find her. In the jungle, Kate also successfully recruited Rousseau, using Alex as incentive. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")
Traveling north they found the Flame station, inhabited by Mikhail Bakunin who told them that he was the last member of the DHARMA Initiative. After Sayid revealed that he was lying, the team took him prisoner and continued their mission to find Jack. ("Enter 77")
Using maps found by Sayid at the station, the team made it to a sonic barrier surrounding the barracks. Locke pushed Bakunin into the barrier to his apparent death, to Kate's horror. After this, they used a chopped-down tree to surmount the barrier and proceeded to the barracks, with Kate being the first to get to the other side. There, Kate saw Jack running towards them and tried to catch his attention, but was held back by Sayid. They were astonished to find Jack was playing football amicably with the Others. ("Par Avion")
That evening, she sneaked into Jack's house where she found Jack playing the piano. Jack ordered her to leave, saying he was under surveillance, and sure enough, the Others barged in, and captured her and Sayid while Jack stood passively by and watched. Jack came to see her, admitting that he'd made a deal with Ben to escape the Island. Kate asked why he would believe them, and he coldly responds, "because you asked me to." She discovers that he knows about her and Sawyer. He then leaves her and Sayid behind, prisoners of the Others(though his escape attempt was thwarted by Locke).("The Man from Tallahassee")
Still in the Others' captivity, Kate was dumbfounded after she heard that Locke was leaving with the enemy. Later, she was gassed when a canister was thrown into the rec room where she had been imprisoned. When she woke up, she found herself in the jungle, handcuffed to Juliet. Decisive to go back for her friends, Kate led Juliet towards the Barracks once more. On the way, the two physically fought, culminating in Kate dislocating Juliet's shoulder. Later, after the two had survived an attack from the Monster, Juliet tells Kate that Jack had seen her with Sawyer, telling her that she broke Jack's heart to which Kate looked angry - she then popped Juliet's shoulder back into place. After another encounter with the mysterious black smoke, the two made it back to the deserted Barracks. There, Kate found Jack, and apologized for preventing his escape from the Island(but not for sleeping with Sawyer), despite the fact that it was Locke who destroyed the sub. Outside, they joined up with Juliet and Sayid, and agreed it was time to go back to the beach camp. ("Left Behind")
Jack, Kate and Sayid were reunited with the camp, as suspicions surrounded Juliet. When Claire mysteriously became ill, Juliet came to Kate, telling her that she knew why Claire was ill because she was the one that made her sick. Juliet explained to Jack and Kate that pregnant women die on the island, leading Kate to become concerned about Sun too. ("One of Us")
Sawyer later flirted with Kate, though she playfully rebuffed his suggestion that they have sex. That night, after attempting to engage Jack in conversation, Kate was hurt to see him having dinner with Juliet. Upset, she went to Sawyer at his tent and seduced him. When Sawyer later gently rebuked her about why she'd jumped him the previous night(because she'd seen Jack and Juliet together), she seemed shocked and denied the accusation. ("Catch-22")
Sun sought Kate's advice after Jack asked her some odd questions about her pregnancy, and Kate told her about Juliet's research with pregnant women on the island. She then tried to calm Sun as she confronted Juliet. Later, they learned that the Others had taken an interest in Kate, as Juliet spoke of obtaining a sample from her. ("D.O.C.")
A couple of nights later, Kate found Sayid and Hurley attempting to fix the satellite phone, and Sayid told her everything about Naomi. She betrayed their trust, running immediately to Jack with the information but was angered that he wouldn't talk to her out of Juliet's presence. She told him about Naomi and the possibility of rescue anyway, and told him that no one trusted him anymore. Jack asked Kate for more information. Juliet implied that there was something Kate should know, but Jack refused to tell her, leaving Kate very confused. ("The Brig")
The next day, Kate was among the group of survivors who gathered together to listen to Sayid talk about his distrust of Jack and Juliet. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
Shortly after the tape was played by Sawyer, Jack and Juliet returned to offer an explanation. They took the survivors into the jungle, where they revealed their plan to rid themselves of the Others. However, Karl arrived on the beach to warn them of the Others' change of plans.
Kate then headed off to the radio tower, along with Jack and the rest of the camp. On the way, she showed concern about Sawyer's distant attitude, and offered to go back to the beach with Sawyer, but Sawyer refused her company. While in conversation with Jack, he tells her that Sawyer refused her because he was trying to protect her, and that he, himself, had done the same back at the Hydra. Jack tells Kate that he loves her, to Kate's surprise. They then reached the tower, and Jack managed to call for rescue. ("Greatest Hits") ("Through the Looking Glass")
Season 4 (Days 91-108)
Kate, like the rest of the survivors, was elated by the prospect of finally being rescued. But when Naomi disappeared, she found what she believed to be her trail. Jack, however, intended to follow a different trail found by Rousseau, and told Kate to take the rest of the survivors back to the beach. Kate seemingly agreed and gave Jack a hug, but in the process, she stole Naomi's satellite phone from Jack and headed off to follow the other trail.
She turned out to be correct about the trail, and after a short conversation with Minkowski on the phone, she was attacked and had her hands and barefeet bound by Naomi, who believed that the survivors wanted to kill her. Kate managed to convince her that Locke was acting alone in attacking her, and when Naomi talked to Minkowski on the phone, she did not disclose how she was injured.
After Naomi ultimately died of the stab wound inflicted by Locke, Kate met up with the rest of the survivors in the jungle by the cockpit of the plane. She informed everyone of Naomi's death, then decided to stay with Jack and the survivors, who believed that Naomi's people intended to rescue them. Jack and Kate talked about Charlie for a brief moment, remembering when they went on their first trek to the cockpit. Shortly thereafter, she and Jack witnessed a man parachute onto the Island, apparently a member of the "search and rescue" team from the freighter. ("The Beginning of the End")
Kate and Jack agreed to help Daniel Faraday, the parachutist, find the other members of his team, who were forced to bail out of the helicopter when it experienced mechanical difficulty. The first person they found was Miles, who initially appeared dead, but surprised Kate and Jack and held them at gunpoint, demanding to know where Naomi's body was. After learning that Naomi had used a code to communicate that she was in trouble, Kate told Miles that Naomi was killed by Locke, but stated that he was not with them anymore. After being taken to the body, and apparently communicating with Naomi somehow, Miles accepted her story, but still regarded Jack and Kate with suspicion despite Daniel's insistence that they were "good people", and wouldn't put his gun away.
Kate and Jack were ultimately saved by Sayid and Juliet, who surprised Miles and Daniel by firing shots from the jungle, and disarmed them. Kate appeared disappointed that Juliet, her romantic rival, was responsible for saving them. Kate was also present when the group discovered that Locke was holding Charlotte, another team member, hostage, and when they found Frank Lapidus, the pilot of the helicopter and final team member. She and Daniel carried Naomi's body back to the helicopter. ("Confirmed Dead")
Sayid and Lapidus negotiated a deal: If Sayid could retrieve Charlotte from Locke's group, then Lapidus would allow him onto the helicopter. Jack was not invited on Sayid's mission, and Kate said she knew what it feels like to be told not to come along. Jack, however, encouraged Kate to go anyway, as he didn't trust Locke and knew that Sawyer would protect Kate. Kate joined with Sayid and Miles as they went across the Island to the barracks. ("The Economist")
Upon reaching the barracks, Kate heard a muffled shouting coming from inside one of the houses. With Sayid and Miles, she investigated the noise, to find Hurley tied up in a cupboard. He told them that Locke had gone crazy and that he tied him up and was going to leave the barracks after shortly stopping at Ben's house. The group headed to Ben's house to investigate, and while Kate was searching around Ben's bedroom, Sawyer entered and closed the door, motioning for Kate to be quiet, but she yells for Sayid anyway. He told Kate that he didn't want to leave the Island because there was nothing left for him back in the outside world. He also reminded Kate that she was a fugitive, and would be arrested if she left the island. He told her that he thought they should stay at the barracks, as they had everything they needed to live comfortably. He asked Kate to stay and "find out" what it would be like to live together there.
Kate moved into the barracks with Claire, but not long afterward, she demanded to speak to Miles. Although denied by Locke, she gained access to Miles by tricking Hurley. Kate demanded that he tell her what he knew about her. Miles agreed, but in exchange, wanted to talk to Ben first. Kate, using Sawyer to distract Locke, broke Miles out and took him to see Ben, where she witnessed Miles blackmail Ben for 3.2 million dollars. Miles then revealed that he knew all about Kate and her criminal record. On their way out, they were intercepted by Locke, who told Kate to leave by morning. She went to Sawyer's house, where she spent the night. In the morning, the couple had a tense moment where Sawyer expressed relief that she wasn't pregnant, and also chastised Kate for looking for a reason to leave. He said that after a week back at the beach, she'd come back to him the moment she'd get upset at Jack. Kate slapped him, then left and headed for the beach. ("Eggtown")
On the walk back, Kate encountered Daniel and Charlotte making their way to the Tempest. After she caught them lying, discovering their gas masks, Charlotte knocked her unconscious, gagged her, and bound her hands and barefeet. Jack and Juliet found Kate shortly after. While Jack tended to Kate, Juliet sneaked off ahead after Daniel and Charlotte. Following Juliet to the station, Kate told Jack that she stayed with Locke's group to find out if the people on the freighter knew about her status as a fugitive, and that they did. They later reached the Tempest after Juliet had controlled the situation, and Kate decided to see if Charlotte's story checked out by following them into the Tempest. ("The Other Woman")
Following her return from the Tempest, Kate grew ever more suspicious of both Juliet and the Kahana crew. With the prospect of rescue too much of a gamble to take, she remained on the beach but expressed her doubts to Sun, and they were reciprocated. Kate later drew Sun a map to the Barracks when she decided she and Jin would defect from the beach camp. ("Ji Yeon")
Kate was bathing on the beach when she saw Jack walking by. She followed him to his tent and asked him about his medication. They chatted for a little while until they heard Bernard's cries for help. They found Dr. Ray's body washed up on the beach with his throat slit. They asked Faraday who it was and he informed them that he was the freighters' doctor. Later that night, Kate was present when Jack found out Faraday and Lewis have been lying to them about what the freighters' intentions were. She attempted to aid Jack when his stomach bug started to act up. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
When it turned out to be more than a stomach bug, Kate was concerned. Juliet recruited her to help with the surgery to remove Jack's appendix, but Kate had difficulty with this. When Jack started to feel the pain of enduring the surgery without anesthetics, Kate started to cry and was ordered from the tent. After the surgery, Kate went to see Jack, finding Juliet stitching up his stomach. Juliet told Kate about her and Jack's kiss, and Kate feigned indifference. Juliet then told her that the kiss was nice, but that it was intended to prove that Jack "wasn't in love with someone else" - the implication being he really loved Kate. Relieved, Kate thanked Juliet, and then again for saving Jack's life. ("Something Nice Back Home")
Kate was present at the beach camp when suddenly, a helicopter was heard in the distance. The chopper flew over the camp, and a satellite phone fell from it. ("Cabin Fever")
Kate and Jack, both armed, followed the helicopter through the jungle, tracking it with the sat phone. After hiking what appeared to be all night, they ran into Sawyer, Miles, and Aaron making their way back to the beach. Kate took Aaron, and she and Miles returned to the beach, while Jack and Sawyer continued on towards the chopper. Upon arriving at the beach, Kate delivered the news to Sayid, who decided to go after Jack and Sawyer. Kate handed Aaron off to Sun, and followed Sayid back into the jungle.
Some time later, Kate came running out of the jungle toward Keamy and his men, claiming that she was being chased by Ben's people. After telling Keamy her name, she was ordered to put her hands above her head and stay beside Ben. After the Others took out the mercenaries, Kate and Ben ran while being chased by Keamy. After Richard shot Keamy and saved Sayid's life, Kate cut Ben's bonds. Ben told her and Sayid that the helicopter was theirs and they were free to leave the Island.
When Kate and Sayid were joined by Hurley, Jack and Sawyer at the helicopter, they lifted off and headed for the freighter. When there was a fuel leak, Kate and the other survivors tossed things out of the helicopter to reduce weight. Sawyer turned to Kate and whispered something into her ear, kissed her and jumped out of the helicopter in order to save the other survivors. Upon landing on the freighter, Kate told Sun to get Aaron on the helicopter and that she would go and get Jin. Kate went to get Jin but Jack stopped her and told her he was not leaving without her. Kate and Jack boarded the helicopter and it left the freighter with Sun, Aaron and Desmond. Kate and the others witnessed the freighter blowing up with Jin and Michael still on board. When the Island moved and the chopper ran out of fuel, the helicopter crashed into the ocean and Kate and the others got into a life raft. They were later found and rescued by the Searcher. After some travel, Kate and the rest of the Oceanic 6 departed for the island of Sumba on an inflatable transport boat. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
After the Island
Sometime later, Kate landed in Hawaii with the rest of the Oceanic 6 and from here she professed to being Aaron's biological mother. She found that none of her family and friends were waiting for her when she stepped off the plane holding Aaron. At the press conference, she was questioned about giving birth on the Island, and being pregnant at the time of her arrest in Australia. A reporter that seemed suspicious asked about the fact that she would have been 6 months pregnant at the time of her arrest based on the time that she indicated she had the baby. Karen Decker interrupted this reporter and informed him that Kate's legal issue was off the table for questioning.
She attended Christian Shephard's funeral, where she met Carole Littleton who complimented Aaron, and stood by while Jack talked to her about Claire being his sister. Later, Kate attended Hurley's surprise birthday party, where she stated that Jack was running late, but soon would be there. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")
Kate went to visit Cassidy and Clementine to help give them financial support as Sawyer had requested. Cassidy was at first very warm and receptive of Kate, but after Kate offered her money and told her about Sawyer on the Island, she became a bit more bitter. Cassidy called Sawyer a coward, claiming that the only reason he jumped off the chopper was because he was afraid of what would happen if he didn't. Amidst all of the information about the Oceanic Six lies, Cassidy figured out for herself that Aaron is not actually Kate's baby. It seems that Kate and Cassidy remained in a friendship for the next 3 years before Kate went back to the Island. ("Whatever Happened, Happened")
Kate went on trial for murdering Wayne and numerous other crimes committed during her time as a fugitive. Even though Jack appeared as a character witness offering false testimony about Kate, the trial did not go in Kate's favor. Her mother was to be the "star witness" against Kate. Kate's mother was weakened by a terminal illness: she explained that she did not want to testify, and would not if she was allowed to see her "grandson". Kate refused, but Diane still did not testify. ("Eggtown")
After this development, the prosecution offered Kate a deal: 10 years of probation and confinement to the state of California. Having accepted the deal, she left the courthouse where she ran into Jack, who admitted he still loved her. Pleased, she invited him back to her house for a "visit" but he declined, asking her out instead. Kate detected Jack's discomfort, and suspected that it dealt with Aaron. She then told him that until he wanted to see the baby, there would be no "me and you going for coffee." She told him to come and see them when he changed his mind. Kate returned home to her "son" -- Aaron. He greeted her as his mother. ("Eggtown")
Shortly after her trial, Jack had changed his mind about seeing Aaron, and he and Kate began a very serious relationship. He moved into her home, and took over as the paternal figure to Aaron -- something which pleased Kate. The two seemed to be thoroughly and genuinely happy together. Jack asked her to marry him, and she happily accepted. Their trust issues followed them off the Island, however, and erupted in a confrontation about Kate's comings and goings (revealed to be a "favor" she was doing for Sawyer), though she denied that it had anything to do with them and their relationship. ("Something Nice Back Home")
John Locke visits Kate sometime afterwords and tells her that she needs to go back to the Island. She tells him no and says that he only wanted to stay originally because he had no one he loved back home. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
About a month later, after getting a phone call from Jack, Kate agreed to meet him at the end of an airport runway. Once there, it was apparent the two haven't spoken in some time. Kate is surprised at his appearance. After a brief, simple exchange, Jack - who was deeply addicted to drugs and alcohol - explained that they were never supposed to leave the island, and that he was attempting to return. Kate, saddened by Jack's condition, said that she had to leave and return before he started wondering where she was. Kate left, while Jack was remained standing on the runway calling after her, yelling "We have to go back, Kate!" ("Through the Looking Glass")
Kate then stopped the car, got out, and proceeded to yell at Jack. She condemned Jack for wanting to go back to the Island and for showing her the obituary for Jeremy Bentham. When Jack revealed that his reason for believing Jeremy Bentham was because it was the only way to protect Kate and Aaron, Kate slapped Jack - illustrating her anger and resentment for him abandoning her and Aaron. Jack then tried to calm her down, but she refused to listen. She got back in the car and sped away.
Later, Kate had a dream in which she received a phone call from an unknown voice. The person's message sounded unintelligible to Kate, but it was actually a man speaking in reverse speaking telling her to go back to the Island. As Kate hung the phone up, she heard something coming from Aaron's room. She grabbed a small handgun from her closet and proceeded to the baby's crib. She saw someone hunched over the crib and screamed for them to stay away from her son, with gun in hand. The person turned around and it was Claire, Aaron's true mother. She warned Kate not to bring Aaron back to the island, saying "Don't you dare bring him back, Kate." She then woke up, frightened that something might have happened to Aaron, and went to go check up on him. She hugged and cradled Aaron, apologizing to him. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
Season 5
Later, Kate was at home watching cartoons with Aaron when she was visited by Dan Norton, an attorney working for an unknown client. Norton claimed to have a court order to conduct a test to determine if Aaron was actually Kate's child. She refused to allow the test and told Norton to leave, which he did, saying that he would be back with a sheriff. Kate frantically packed a bag, grabbed an envelope of cash and a gun (which were hidden in her room), took Aaron and left saying that they were going "on vacation."("Because You Left")
Shortly after leaving, Kate pulled into a gas station. Not knowing what to do, she contemplated phoning Jack, but thought better of it. Her phone began to ring however, and she answered it. She expressed relief that the person was in LA, and they agreed on a place to meet. When Aaron asked where they were going, Kate responded "to see a friend."
Kate took Aaron to the penthouse of a large hotel, where they met Sun. Sun showed Kate pictures of Ji-Yeon and stated that she'd like Aaron and Ji-Yeon to play together. Kate told Sun about the lawyers who came to visit her asking about testing her and her "son." Sun told Kate that they weren't interested in exposing their lie, they just wanted Aaron. Sun told Kate that she needs to do what she must to take care of Aaron, and that she didn't rescue Jin from the freighter like she said she would. Kate apologized, but Sun said she didn't blame her for what she did. She asked Kate how Jack was. ("The Lie")
Shortly after, Kate, with Sun watching Aaron, decided to visit Norton, and tried to negotiate a deal as a way to find out who Norton's client was. Norton refused Kate's offer, telling her that it was no use and that she should brace herself with the reality that she would lose Aaron. Kate, resolved in finding out who has discovered her lie, initiated a stake-out to follow Norton, in the hopes that he'd lead her to his client. She was briefly interrupted by a call from Jack, who implored her to tell him where she was so they could talk.
When she saw Jack, she was friendly towards him, but told him that somebody knew about the lie and her non-relation to Aaron. Jack helped her in tailing Norton to a motel, where they glimpsed Norton's client to be Carole Littleton. It was revealed that Ms. Littleton had no knowledge of Aaron, and Jack and Kate were left wondering who, then, was the individual seeking to claim custody of Aaron.
When Jack and Kate arrived at the marina, Kate was disturbed to see Ben. She realized that it was Ben who was the "client". She demanded Ben to leave her and her "son" alone, to which Ben replied, "But he's not your son."("The Little Prince")
Kate retrieved Aaron from Sun's car upon realizing that Jack was trying to trick her into returning to the Island. She stormed off and drove away with Aaron. ("This Place is Death")
After Kate drove off with Aaron, he asked her if she could get him milk at the supermarket. She took him to the supermarket and he changed his mind and asked for a juice box. Kate got distracted for a few seconds when Jack called and she pressed ignore. When she put her phone away, Aaron was gone. Kate panicked and frantically looked around the supermarket for Aaron, but he was nowhere to be found. She finally found Aaron just before a worker was about to make an announcement. Aaron was walking with a blonde woman who looked slightly like Claire. The woman told Kate she was taking him up front to go and make an announcement saying a boy had been found. Kate hugged Aaron in relief.
The next day, Kate went to Cassidy's house, where Clementine answered the door. Kate discussed the events in the supermarket with Cassidy, and said that as scared as she was, she was not surprised that Aaron went missing and that she knew it would happen someday. Cassidy told Kate that she was so afraid of someone taking Aaron because she took him to begin with. Cassidy said that Kate took Aaron to fill the emptiness left in her heart by Sawyer.
That night, Kate checked into a hotel a few doors down from Carole Littleton and went to go talk to her. Carole said that she knew who Kate was and mentioned her visit with Jack. Kate, in tears, came clean about the lie cooked up by the Oceanic Six and told Carole that Aaron was her grandson, and that Claire was still alive. She told Carole that Aaron was in the other room, and that when she was ready, Aaron was waiting for her, as she would be the one to take care of him while Kate was gone. She let Carole know that she had filled Aaron in on the situation. When Carole asked Kate where she was going, Kate declared that she was going back to the Island to find Claire.
Kate left and went to go say goodbye to Aaron. She broke down and quietly wept about leaving Aaron behind. She gave him a kiss, and tearfully walked out of the room after saying goodbye one last time before she went to the Island. ("Whatever Happened, Happened")
Later that evening, Jack came home to his apartment and found Kate strewn across the bed, clearly distraught. She asked if the plan to return to the Island was still a go, and then told Jack that she was coming, despite her legal binding to the state of California for 10 years. Jack, confused, asked why she changed her mind so suddenly, and questioned after Aaron's whereabouts. Kate, visibly upset, demanded that if Jack wanted her to come back, he must never ask about Aaron or mention his name again. Jack agreed and Kate kissed him passionately. The next morning, presumably after making love the previous night, Kate and Jack shared coffee and orange juice for breakfast. She questioned after Christian's shoes, and Jack explained why they are there. Jack's phone rang, upon which Kate decided to leave, mentioning that she would see Jack at the airport.
Later, on the plane, Jack came over to sit by Kate. He mentioned to Kate how strange and crazy it was that all of the Oceanic 6 were together again, when Sayid and Hurley were not originally coming. Kate remarked "We're on the same plane, it doesn't mean we are together". During the crash, Kate flashed out of the plane into the past with Jack, Hurley, and Sayid, disappearing before everyone's eyes. ("316")
Back on the Island
Season 5 (1977)
After the supposed crash, Jack and Hurley found Kate unconscious on the edge of the waterfall. Jack roused her and explained that they were really back on the Island, though no one remembered crashing. Jack, Hurley and Kate then heard music nearby and spotted a DHARMA van coming to the side of the lagoon. The van stopped, and a man in a DHARMA suit stepped out with his rifle. The group was astonished to see that it was Jin. ("316")
After Jack, Kate and Hurley's reunion with Sawyer and Jin, they all agreed to go along with Sawyer's plan to pose as new recruits for the Dharma Initiative. As Kate waited for her name to be called for work assignments, she's approached by Phil, who can't find her name on the sub manifest. Kate tried to stall a bit when Juliet arrived and feigned to meeting Kate for the first time. Kate, relieved, went along with the charade. ("LaFleur")("Namaste")
Kate met up with Jack and Hurley at the Barracks cafeteria, where they discussed what they were going to do next, and also talked about Sawyer and Juliet being together. Kate also told Jack she would talk to Juliet to find out what's going on. When she showed up for work at the Motor Pool Juliet gave her a tour of the garage. They got on the subject of Sawyer, to which Kate told Juliet she understood that they were together and that she respected that. ("He's Our You")
After little Ben broke Sayid out and a flaming van destroyed one of the houses in the Barracks, Kate talked with Roger Linus who wanted her to help him extract a burnt DHARMA van from one of the bungalows. She revealed that she had no idea what she was doing and Roger mentioned that he too had just been stuck in a random position when he got there and the two discussed their positions. This was interrupted when Jin arrived with an injured Ben.
Later, down in the security station, Kate approached Sawyer to find out what exactly was going on when a suspicious Horace interrupted to ask Sawyer about the cell Sayid was being held in. Kate and Sawyer successfully conned Horace into thinking she was there for questioning, and she left. In an attempt to keep things under control, Sawyer put her, Jack, and Hurley under house arrest while the situation was being cleared up. After Sawyer failed to recruit Jack for help in surgery with Ben, Kate became angry with Jack and left to to do what she could for Juliet and Ben.
She showed up at the clinic and offered to give Ben blood, as she was a universal donor. Roger came in to check on his son, where he told Kate that he knew Ben stole his keys and admitted that wasn't the good father that he was initially hoping to be. Their conversation was interrupted when Ben started to crash, and Juliet stabilized him. Outside, she told Kate that Ben had no chance of survival and was in a medically unsolvable situation, but at Kate's stubborn refusal to give up on Ben, she suggested that the Others may be able to help.
Juliet wanted to go with her, but Kate told her that she didn't want to mess things up for her and Sawyer. Juliet told Kate that she would have to tell Sawyer what was going on, but that she would try and give her a head start. Kate took Ben in a DHARMA van to the Sonar fence, where she stopped to check on Ben. Sawyer drove up behind her, and Kate told him she understands that he was going to stop her. He told her he's there to help her, not to stop her. While carrying Ben into the forest, Kate told Sawyer about his daughter Clementine, and that Cassidy thought that he jumped because he was "afraid what would happen if he didn't", alluding to Kate and Sawyer's prior relationship. Sawyer ruefully told Kate that their relationship would never have worked out, because he was too immature for her.
Their conversation was cut short by the Others, who surrounded them. Sawyer demanded to be taken to Richard and the Others complied and escorted him and Kate into the jungle toward Alpert. Sawyer said to Richard that Kate was with him, and they asked Richard if the Others could help Ben. Richard explained that if he took Ben, he would lose his innocence, never be the same again, and "always be one of us." Kate agreed to hand Ben over and when Richard walked away, Kate tried to follow him, but Sawyer held her back. ("Whatever Happened, Happened")
Kate arrived back at the hospital and filled Juliet in on the situation when Roger came in and discovered that Ben was missing from the hospital. Juliet desperately tried to lie about not knowing the reason for his disappearance, but Roger didn't listen and raced out to go to security. Kate later attempted to comfort Roger, but he became unexpectedly and irrationally suspicious instead. ("Some Like It Hoth")
The next day, after their cover was blown, Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, and Hurley met in Sawyer and Juliet's home to discuss their options. Sawyer suggested they either leave the Island by submarine or head into the jungle to "start from square one." They were interrupted when Miles and Daniel arrived asking where he could find the Hostiles. Sawyer angrily rejected Daniel's plan, and asked Kate to come with him and the group to the beach. Kate was clearly undecided. However, when Sawyer called her "Freckles", his old pet name for her, Juliet became visibly annoyed and gave Kate the code for the fence. Taking the hint, Kate left with Jack and Daniel.
When Kate, Jack and Daniel went to the motor pool to arm themselves, they are interrupted by Radzinsky and two other DHARMA workers. When Radzinsky saw their weapons, he accused Daniel of lying about the group's intentions, and a firefight ensued. They made their way to the Jeep, when Jack covered them by opening fire on a fuel tank, causing a tremendous explosion. When they got to the sonic fence, Kate enters the code provided by Juliet and they made their way into the jungle. They stopped by a stream and Kate hears Daniel reveal his intention to set things right by detonating a hydrogen bomb in an attempt to negate the catastrophic energy release, thereby preventing the events that led to Oceanic 815's crash. Jack believed this plan would work but Kate was uneasy. They arrived undetected at the Hostile's camp, when Daniel decided to go in alone. Jack tried to stop him but Kate told Jack to let him go as they watched him enter the Hostiles' camp. ("The Variable")
Jack and Kate discussed their options while hiding behind bushes at the Hostiles' camp when suddenly, a gunshot was heard, and they watched Daniel collapse to the ground. As they were about to run away, they were surrounded by Charles Widmore and another Hostile riding horses. Widmore knocked out Jack with his rifle's butt and the other aimed at Kate. They were brought by Widmore into the camp where Eloise ordered that they be taken to her tent. While captive, Jack told Kate that this plan would work and that they could erase all of the miserable things that happened to them but Kate didn't think it was all miserable. Eloise entered and assured them that she'd believe whatever they said because she just killed her future son. Jack told Ellie of Daniel's plan to detonate Jughead and when she asked Kate if Jack knew what he was talking about, Kate responded, "He thinks he does."
Kate and Jack were taken by Eloise, Richard, and Erik to the bomb. They arrived at a creek and are told this is where they'll swim under to the tunnels. Kate didn't want any part of this and told Jack she's going back. Erik threatened to shoot Kate if she tried to leave but Sayid came out of the bushes and shot Erik. Jack filled Sayid in on the plan to change the future and he is convinced he has already done so by killing Ben, but Kate told him what she had done. She left them and went back to the barracks.
Kate was caught and taken down into the sub where she was hancuffed next to Sawyer and Juliet. They all gave each other awkward looks and the vessel submerged, leaving the Island. ("Follow the Leader")
With the sub on its way, Kate convinced Juliet and Sawyer that they needed to stop Jack from detonating the hydrogen bomb on the island. They managed to break free and forced the captain to surface so that they could leave and instructed him to continue on his course. When they arrived on the island, they met up with Vincent the dog, Rose, and Bernard who had been living alone for the past three years. Kate, her mind on her mission, was oblivious to an affectionate glance from Sawyer and Juliet's sad response. On Kate's request, Rose pointed them in the direction of the Barracks and they left. Kate, Sawyer, and Juliet intercepted Jack and the rest of the survivors on their way to the Swan site.
After Jack's fight with Sawyer, Kate tended to Jack's wounds and eventually changed her mind about helping Jack, when he convinced her she would be helping Claire. Along with everyone else in the group, Kate gave cover fire for Jack as he attempted to reach the drill-well in order to detonate the bomb. When the bomb failed to detonate and the drill hit the EM pocket, Kate desperately tried to save Juliet from being dragged into the well by the chains entangling her legs. She was able to buy enough time for Sawyer to grab Juliet's hand and try to pull her to safety, but this was to no avail and Juliet fell. Kate forcibly pulled a grief-stricken Sawyer to safety before the scaffolding was pulled into the well. Moments later the bomb presumably detonated and her current fate is unknown. ("The Incident, Parts 1 & 2")
The List
In "Par Avion", Mikhail tells Kate she is not on the list because of the fact that she is "flawed."
In "Left Behind", Locke tells Kate he made a strong case with the Others for her. But based on who she was and what she had done he could not convince them because "forgiveness is not one of their strong suits."
Kate's places and license plates
- For more information on the cars Kate has used, see: Automobiles
| License Plate | Significance |
|---|---|
| Because she was a fugitive, Kate had a stash of license plates hidden within the trunk of her car to use when adopting a new identity. Some of the license plates found in the picture to the left are: Minnesota, Idaho, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, North Dakota, Colorado, and Wisconsin, all holding a possible reference to the places where she might have been located while on the run.
|
| Iowa |
This was Kate's birthplace, and where she was later temporarily reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Tom, while visiting her dying mother. In Iowa, Kate committed her first crime, by killing Wayne, and escaping after, which also makes it the starting point of her escape. |
| Nebraska/Ohio? |
In "Born to Run", Kate changed her license plate from Nebraska to Ohio. |
| New Mexico |
In Ruidoso, New Mexico, Kate staged her bank robbery, to get the toy airplane from the safety deposit box. |
| Florida |
Florida is where Kate married Kevin Callis, and lived with him for a while in Dade County, before escaping again. |
| Australia |
In Australia, Kate lived and worked on Ray Mullen's farm, before he turned her in for the $23,000 reward. |
| Missouri |
Kate's license plate in "Left Behind" is 40N DVB |
Trivia
- Kate was the central character of the first episode to contain the traditional flashback format we know today. ("Tabula Rasa")
- Kate was the third character to ever have a flashback.
- Kate was the fourth character to ever have a flash-forward.
- Kate's episode count so far is 94 (as of "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2").
- Kate has met all of the main characters.
- There are a total of 16 letters in her name.
- She is after Jack for the second-most flashbacks, with 13.
- Kate has been referred to as or used the aliases Katherine Ryan, Katherine Dodd, Joan Heart, Maggie Ryan, Annie, Lucy, and presumably lived under the name Monica Callis during her marriage. Her father and Tom Brennan called her Katie. Her mother called her Katherine. Sawyer almost always calls her Freckles, but occasionally calls her Kate during particularly emotional or tense conversations.
- She is called "Kate Ryan" at the Oceanic-air.com seating chart.
- According to the Marshal, Tom Brennan was killed a couple of years before the plane crash, which would place the flashbacks in "Born to Run" happening during 2002.
- According to the Marshal, he had been chasing Kate for three years before the plane crash, which would place the flashbacks in "What Kate Did" in 2001.
- Kate mentions being 24 in "What Kate Did", so she was presumably 27 at the time of the crash.
- Kate is involved in a car accident in many of her flashbacks ("Tabula Rasa")("Born to Run")("What Kate Did")
- Kate presumably left Iowa before Tom's son Connor was born. Connor was almost 22 months old in "Born to Run".
- Tom and Kate's time capsule was buried on August 15, 1989, roughly 15 years before the plane crash. (The Numbers)
- The safety deposit box that contained Kate's toy plane was box #815. (The Numbers)
- On her mugshot the subject file is: 00-0428-23-5607-01, which contains the Numbers 4, 8, 23 and 42.
- Kate has visited five of the ten known DHARMA Initiative stations: the Swan, the Staff, the Hydra, the Flame, and the Tempest. This is more than any other of the survivors except for Locke, who has also visited five stations.
- The character of Kate was first intended to be the de facto leader of the survivors, after Jack's character was to be killed off in "Pilot, Part 1". Later, the writers found that killing Jack in the first episode would raise feelings of betrayal and anger in the audience. They decided instead to have the pilot killed in Jack's place.
- Claire notes that Kate is a Gemini, which means her birthday is between May 21 and June 21. ("White Rabbit") (Evangeline Lilly is a Leo.)
- Kate, while on the run as a fugitive, called Edward Mars on Catholic Holy Days of Obligation. ("I Do")
- She was the first of the Oceanic 815 survivors to meet Desmond Hume on the island.
- Kate seems to be a fan of American country singer Patsy Cline. She plays Patsy Cline records twice on the Island, once in the hatch in "What Kate Did" and once at Claire's house in "Eggtown". Patsy Cline songs also play in Kate flashback scenes in "Tabula Rasa" (in Ray Mullen's truck), "Left Behind" (in the tow truck) and "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2" (in the grocery store she attempted to steal from). Kate also listens to Patsy Cline on the way to Cassidy's house in her car in Whatever Happened, Happened. Interestingly, Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash.
- Katherine is a Greek name which means "pure".
- Kate's blood type is O negative. ("Whatever Happened, Happened")
- Kate has been tied up more than any other character on the show.
Additional casting
- Skye McCole Bartusiak was the voice of Young Kate on Kate and Tom's tape. ("Born to Run")
- Young Kate was played by Emily Rae Argenti in "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2". The casting call described her as "Young Emily Caucasian. 10 year-old, brunette. Green eyes. Cute, precocious and confident. Willing to bend the rules to get what she wants."[1]
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Kate Austen/Theories
Pre-Island
- Who sent her money in a letter informing her Diane was dying?
- How did she get the other key to the safety deposit box?
- How did she manage to leave the country and travel to Australia?
- Isn't she still legally married to Kevin Callis?
See also
References
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