Alex (Lost)

Infobox Lost character
Title=Alex


First="Maternity Leave"
Last="The Shape of Things to Come"
Flashback1
Name=Alexandra
Age=16
Place=The Island
Actor=Tania Raymonde

Alexandra, commonly known as "Alex," is a recurring fictional character on the ABC television series "Lost" played by Tania Raymonde. She was born 16 years prior to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, but was taken from her mother, Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan) by the Others. She was raised among them, believing her mother to be dead. She has helped the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on many occasions, and is reunited with her mother at the end of the third season. Not long after however, she is shot and killed by Keamy (Kevin Durand) after her adoptive father, Ben (Michael Emerson), would not listen to his demands. Her death scene was received positively by critics, earning it a spot on multiple "top moments of the season" lists.

Arc

Before the crash

A heavily pregnant Danielle Rousseau and her husband Robert shipwreck on the island, 16 years before the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, during a French scientific expedition. Rousseau's team becomes sick, so she kills them all, and later gives birth to Alexandra.cite episode | title = Solitary | episodelink = Solitary (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Greg Yaitanes | writers = David Fury | network = ABC | airdate = 2004-11-17 | season = 1 | number = 9] Rousseau claims she saw a column of black smoke on the island a week later and Alex was taken from her by the Others. A significant member of the Others named Ben adopts Alex and tells her that her mother died.

After the crash

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Sixteen years later, Alex meets the pregnant woman Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin), whom the Other, Ethan Rom (William Mapother), had kidnapped to take her baby. Alex tells her that the Others will kill Claire once they get her baby. She knocks Claire unconscious and leaves her in the jungle to find her way safely back to her camp.cite episode | title = Maternity Leave | episodelink = Maternity Leave (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Dawn Lambertsen Kelly & Matt Ragghianti | network = ABC | airdate = 2006-03-01 | season = 2 | number = 15] Alex later asks Michael (Harold Perrineau) if she is alright, when the Others capture him. They send him back to the beach camp with a mission to bring to them other survivors of the plane crash: Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia).cite episode | title = Three Minutes | episodelink = Three Minutes | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Stephen Williams | writers = Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz | network = ABC | airdate = 2006-05-17 | season = 2 | number = 22] Alex helps in their capture and transport to a smaller island nearby.cite episode | title = Live Together, Die Alone | episodelink = Live Together, Die Alone | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse | network = ABC | airdate = 2006-05-24 | season = 2 | number = 23]

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Armed with a slingshot, Alex attempts to break Kate and Sawyer out of where they are being held captive, but stops and gives up when another Other, Danny Pickett (Michael Bowen) pulls a gun on her.cite episode | title = I Do | episodelink = I Do (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Tucker Gates | writers = Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse | network = ABC | airdate = 2006-11-08 | season = 3 | number = 6] In a later rescue attempt, Alex is successful in helping Kate and Sawyer escape. She agrees to let them back to the main island so long as they help resuce her boyfriend, Karl (Blake Bashoff). After finding where he is, they break him out of a mysterious room where he has been undergoing brainwashing. Alex, Kate, Sawyer, and Karl are about to leave when Danny turns up intending to kill Kate and Sawyer. Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) steps in, shooting Danny dead. Juliet allows Sawyer, Kate, and Karl to leave, but insists Alex stays. Later Alex helps Jack escape from his cell to stop Juliet's execution. Thanks to their interference, Juliet is not executed, only "marked."cite episode | title = Not in Portland | episodelink = Not in Portland | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Stephen Williams | writers = Carlton Cuse & Jeff Pinkner | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-02-07 | season = 3 | number = 7]

Alex, along with the rest of the Others and Jack, returns to her home in Barracks. She is surprised when Sayid (Naveen Andrews), part of the rescue party that has arrived to get Jack, says that he knows her thought-to-be deceased mother. She later unknowingly walks past Danielle Rousseau, her mother, while taking Locke (Terry O'Quinn) to the Other's submarine at Ben's request.cite episode | title = The Man from Tallahassee | episodelink = The Man from Tallahassee | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Drew Goddard & Jeff Pinkner | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-03-21 | season = 3 | number = 13]

The Others leave the Barracks and begin travelling to the Temple with Locke, as he wishes to join them.cite episode | title = Left Behind | episodelink = Left Behind (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Karen Gaviola | writers = Damon Lindelof & Elizabeth Sarnoff | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-04-04 | season = 3 | number = 15] After he is initiatedcite episode | title = The Brig | episodelink = The Brig (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Eric Laneuville | writers = Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-05-02 | season = 3 | number = 19] , Alex approaches Locke, and gives him a pistol, claiming he'll need it if he was planning to meet the leader of the Others, Jacob.cite episode | title = The Man Behind the Curtain | episodelink = The Man Behind the Curtain | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Bobby Roth | writers = Elizabeth Sarnoff & Drew Goddard | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-05-09 | season = 3 | number = 20] However, when Ben returns alone the next day, he bitterly returns the gun to her, and reveals his plan for a group of Others to go to the survivor's camp that night and kidnap the pregnant women. Sensing trouble, Alex flees into the jungle in search of Karl, who has been living in hiding since his escape. She gives him her gun and tells him he must warn the survivors. The two kiss before Karl heads off.cite episode | title = Greatest Hits | episodelink = Greatest Hits (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Stephen Williams | writers = Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-05-16 | season = 3 | number = 21] Ben goes to confront the survivors, bringing Alex with him. On the way there, Ben tells her that he is taking her to her new family, explaining the reason he locked Karl up was he didn't want him getting Alex pregnant. Once they meet the survivors, Ben reunites Alex with her mother.cite episode | title = Through the Looking Glass | episodelink = Through the Looking Glass (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof | network = ABC | airdate = 2007-05-23 | season = 3 | number = 22]

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She joins Locke's group who head to the Barracks, fearing people on an incoming freighter.cite episode | title = The Beginning of the End | episodelink = The Beginning of the End (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse | network = ABC | airdate = 2008-01-31 | season = 4 | number = 1] Ben sends Alex, Karl and Danielle to the Temple for extra safety, but on the way they are ambushed by mercenaries from the freighter who are looking for Ben, resulting in Karl and Danielle being shot. Alex surrenders shouting that she was Ben's daughter.cite episode | title = Meet Kevin Johnson | episodelink = Meet Kevin Johnson | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Stephen Williams | writers = Elizabeth Sarnoff & Brian K. Vaughan | network = ABC | airdate = 2008-03-20 | season = 4 | number = 8] She is used as a hostage to try and have Ben surrender. Alex sets off a distress signal at the electric fence surrounding the Barracks to warn Ben and the others that the mercenaries were coming. They threaten to kill her if Ben will not surrender himself. Ben refuses, and the lead mercenary, Keamy, kills Alex with one gunshot to the head. Later, Ben goes to Alex's body to say goodbye.cite episode | title = The Shape of Things to Come | episodelink = The Shape of Things to Come (Lost) | series = Lost | serieslink = Lost (TV series) | credits = Jack Bender | writers = Brian K. Vaughan& Drew Goddard | network = ABC | airdate = 2008-04-24 | season = 4 | number = 9]

When Ben meets Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), the man who sent the freighter, he blames him for Alex's death, and in revenge vows to kill Charles' daughter Penelope (Sonya Walger).

Characteristics

Alex is a renegade Other that often turns her back on her group in order to help the crash survivors. Sawyer nicknames her "Sheena", a reference to "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle", a girl raised in the jungle who is an expert in fighting with makeshift weapons.

Development

Tania Raymonde was told her character would be called "Jessica" when first cast in the role. Furthermore, her character was promoted as a survivor who would be introduced in Maternity Leave. [ [http://www.patriotresource.com/lost/insights/spoilers/season2b.html The Patriot Resource: Lost TV Series Season 2 Episodes 13-24 Spoilers] ] Cast members often read fake lines with a different name in their audition to limit potential spoilers from leaking. [Littleton, Cynthia, (October 12, 2007) " [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117974014.html?categoryId=2641&cs=1 "Lost": The Weight of the Wait] ", "Variety". Retrieved on September 24, 2008.] In her first appearance, Raymonde was credited as "young girl", preventing viewers knowing in advance that Alex would be introduced.

Reception

Jeff Jensen from "Entertainment Weekly" described Alex's death scene as "hardcore", commenting that it will be "sitting very high on this ranking of all-time pivotal "Lost" moments" by the end of the series. [Jensen, Jeff "Doc", (April 25, 2008) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20195369_1,00.html Raiders of the "Lost" Story Arc] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on September 24, 2008.] Before the season finale aired, Jensen ranked this as the second best moment of the season [Jensen, Jeff, (May 29, 2008) " [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20202804_13,00.html Best Moment #2 of Season 4: 'He Changed the Rules'] ", "Entertainment Weekly". Retrieved on September 24, 2008.] "IGN"'s Chris Carabott also considered it "one of the more pivotal scenes in the entire series" due to it being "phenomenally shot, edited and acted" [Carabott, Chris, (April 25, 2008) " [http://tv.ign.com/articles/869/869403p1.html Ben is Faced with an Unimaginable Decision] ", IGN. Retrieved on September 24, 2008.] Oscar Dahl described it as "perfectly paced … and provided a huge shock … and some of the best acting you'll ever see" ranking it the fifth best moment of the season. [Dahl, Oscar, (June 2, 2008) " [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/more/5-moment-keamy-kills-alex-20082.aspx Top Season 4 Moment #5: Keamy Kills Alex] ", BuddyTV. Retrieved on June 22, 2008.] Daniel from "TMZ" loved Alex's execution scene, giving it an "A+". [Daniel, (April 25, 2008) " [http://www.tmz.com/2008/04/25/lost-diary-the-shape-of-things-to-come "Lost" Diary: 'The Shape of Things to Come'] ", TMZ. Retrieved on September 24, 2008.]

References