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The Unofficial Lost Who's Who by Billie Doux with lots of cool stuff about names contributed by Tom Kane [Originally published on N:Zone in August 2005] Jack: "Three days ago, we all died. We should all be able to start over." Lost, about to start its second season, has already become a household name. The show is so popular that comedians are already satirizing it. Man, that's when you know when you've really arrived. With so many characters, it can be difficult to keep track of who's doing what to whom. So here's a handy fall guide to who's who, and as an extra added bonus, what their names may actually mean. (After all, everything on Los" seems to mean *something.* We just don't know what that something is.) Actor: Naveen Andrews Character: Sayid Jarrah Hurley: "Did you ever get that Gulf War syndrome?" Sayid: "That was the other side." An Iraqi and a former communications officer, Sayid spent five years in the Republican Guard (that's the one in Iraq, not the Bush administration). Even though his background makes him the Character Most Likely to Experience Prejudice, everyone has accepted Sayid by now because they see his value and the content of his character. He's clearly the best leader of the group, and it's more than time for Jack and Locke to step aside and let Sayid make the big decisions. Yeah, that'll happen. Sayid is my favorite character. (He's also the character I find the most attractive, although that's not why he's my favorite.) Some fans don't understand his interest in the bratty, shallow Shannon, played by Maggie Grace, but I think it makes him more interesting rather than less. I think that Sayid sees the vulnerability in Shannon, and senses how much there may be under the surface. There is a lot the writers could do with this relationship, and I for one am enjoying it. "Sayid" comes from the Arabic word for lord, master, chieftain, or leader. (Actually, they probably could have given him a name from the Latin word for sex symbol, which he is fast becoming.) "Jarrah" is a species of eucalyptus tree that has a long, straight trunk with no branches; Sayid certainly is forthright and upright, and has a strong and undivided sense of self, and of purpose. "Jarrah" was also one of the names of the 9/11 suicide bombers, interestingly enough. Naveen Andrews has been nominated for a best supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of Sayid. Actor: Matthew Fox Character: Jack Shephard Jack: "Everybody wants me to be a leader until I make a decision that they don't like." Jack is an American surgeon, and the reluctant leader of the Island's survivors. He's a fascinating character. An almost perfect hero -- a brilliant, handsome, compassionate doctor -- Jack's emotional baggage and savior complex make him all too human, and some fans dislike him intensely. It's true that Jack gets too emotionally involved with his patients, and has struggled to treat injuries on the Island with scavenged meds and no medical instruments; he lost two patients in season one (the marshal and Boone), and both losses devastated him. And he has reason for all that emotional baggage. Flashback episodes in season one explored Jack's difficult relationship with his alcoholic jerk of a father, Christian Shephard (played beautifully by actor John Terry), a former chief of surgery who botched an operation while drunk, and lost his job because Jack gave him up to the review board. Shephard Sr. died in Australia; Jack was on Flight 815 because he was transporting his father's body back to Los Angeles. Christian Shephard's ghost has even been seen wandering about the Island. Maybe. Jack could have been hallucinating, after all. Events on Lost can often be interpreted two different ways. "Shephard" has an obvious meaning. Jack is the shepherd who tends to his flock of survivors, keeping them all together and protecting them from harm by outsiders. According to my baby name book, "Jack" means "supplanter," to oust, or take the place of, which Jack most certainly did to his father. And I think you all know what "Christian" means. "Christian Shephard" certainly is a metaphorically loaded name. "Jack" is also an endearing form "John", which comes from the Hebrew word meaning "God is merciful." Mercy is a good quality for a doctor and a leader to have. And it was certainly merciful of the fates to give the survivors such a good doctor. Actor: Jorge Garcia Character: Hugo Reyes, aka Hurley Hurley: "Hurley's just a nickname I have. Why? I'm not telling." Is he just comic relief? Or is he the heart of the show? Hurley is a big favorite with the fans, who find him funny, endearing, and complex. He goes out of his way to be helpful. Even though he's more of a follower than a leader, it was Hurley who thought of the golf game that raised everyone's spirits ("Welcome to the first, and hopefully last, Island Open. It's two holes, three par, and no waiting".) It was Hurley who came up with the census, which uncovered Ethan's deception. Hurley is always there to help, even though (as Jack has discovered) he's not so good with blood. In flashbacks, we learned that Hurley won the lottery with numbers that he later realized were cursed, and he was followed by extreme bad luck wherever he went. Hurley believes that his bad luck caused the crash of flight 815, and he may be right. His lottery numbers, 4 8 15 16 23 42, turn up somewhere in every episode, and are engraved on the mysterious hatch that the survivors blew up in the finale. "Hugo" means "bright in mind and spirit," and "Reyes" is Spanish for "kings." His nickname, "Hurley," comes from an Irish word meaning "sea tide." Do all of these apply? Hurley is certainly bright in mind and spirit; everybody loves him, and he brings joy to those around him. He's a multi-millionaire, which might cover the king part. And he certainly goes with the flow. Actor: Josh Holloway Character: Sawyer, aka James Ford Sawyer: "If you'll excuse me, I have some revenge to tend to." I have to give Josh Holloway a gold acting star, because I absolutely despised Sawyer at first -- and now he's one of my favorite characters. He may also be the most complex character on the Island. How to describe him? There's the surface Sawyer, the smart-mouthed redneck who gives everyone a snappy and often offensive nickname. The surface Sawyer is out for himself, hoarding loot from the fuselage and making suggestive comments to the ladies, blackmailing Kate for a kiss and exposing himself in the nude to get a rise out of her. (So to speak.) And then there's the other Sawyer that we're getting to know, the one who defends others in tough situations (he's been trusted with one of their few guns a couple of times). There's the Sawyer who is still a wounded little boy, nearly suicidal about the murder-suicide of his parents when he was small, and out for vengeance on the man who caused it to happen. There's the Sawyer who showed extreme kindness by telling Jack the truth about his encounter with Jack's father, when he really didn't have to do it at all. Sawyer was one of the four survivors on the raft whose fate was unknown at the end of season one. I sure do hope Sawyer survived, because the Island wouldn't be the same without him. A "sawyer" is one who wields a saw, and Sawyer is certainly divisive; he causes trouble and divides the survivors against each other. He is also strongly self-destructive, and constantly cuts himself apart. Of course, the name could also refer to Tom Sawyer, the trickster created by Mark Twain: a boy with wits and imagination who constantly talked others into doing whatever he wanted done. Sawyer's real name is James Ford. "James" comes from a Hebrew word meaning supplanter, one who takes another's place. Perhaps this is a reference to the potential love triangle between Sawyer, Kate, and Jack, with Sawyer threatening to take Jack's place in Kate's heart. "Ford" is a mid-sized American car, or the inventor of same. (I'm not sure what "Ford" means, here. Maybe that Sawyer is inventive, which he most certainly is.) Actor: Malcolm David Kelley Character: Walt... what? Locke: "As long as we're here, I think Walt should be allowed to realize his potential." Walt is Michael's son. Raised by his mother and his stepfather, Brian, Walt was living with them in Australia when his mother died, and Michael got custody. Michael was taking Walt back to the United States with him when the plane crashed. Walt, like many of the other characters, is still a mystery. He may have special powers, much like the little boy in the classic "Twilight Zone" episode, "It's a *Good* Life" -- and if so, his reluctance to return to the U.S. with Michael might be the reason for the crash of Flight 815. In an early episode, Walt was reading a comic book that had a polar bear in it, right before a polar bear appeared on the Island. Coincidence? You tell me. Walt's last name is unclear. Is it Lloyd, his mother's surname? Dawson, which is Michael's name? Or his stepfather's surname, Porter? The name "Walt" is probably a reference to Walt Disney, the great animator and studio head who will forever be associated in the minds of everybody with the world of children's imagination. Disney's motto, and that of his studio, was "If we can dream it, we can do it." This certainly could apply to Walt, who has demonstrated an inexplicable power to make things happen just by thinking about it, without even meaning to do so. "Dawson" means "beloved son". "Lloyd" comes from a Welsh word meaning grey or grey-haired -- Walt's powers are definitely in the "grey area" between good and evil, as they could easily be used for either. Walt was officially adopted by Susan's second husband Brian Porter, though; a "porter" is one who carries heavy burdens, which may be a reference to the burden of responsibility attendant on having great power. Actor: Daniel Dae Kim Character: Jin-soo Kwon Locke: "Michael and Jin getting along?" Hurley: "Well, they fight like a married couple building a raft together." Jin may be the most misunderstand character on the Island. He is Korean and does not speak English, and the other survivors can only communicate with Jin through his wife, Sun. For a long time, we saw only Sun's interpretation of events during their marriage; but in "...In Translation," we learned the lengths that Jin went through in order to provide for Sun and keep her father happy, while not compromising his own principles. The son of a fisherman, Jin is the ultimate romantic; he gave up everything to be with Sun, and is a much better man than he first appeared to be. Jin and Sun spent much of season one separated and angry, although they were finally reconciled before Jin left with Michael, Walt, and Sawyer on the raft. Jin is determined to get help and rescue Sun; she means everything to him. Did he survive the attack of the Others on the raft? "Jin" is a Chinese word meaning gold or treasure. (Many Chinese names have worked their way into Korean culture.) This could be a reference to Sun's father's wealth, and how it first intimidated Jin when he was courting Sun, and then later posed such a threat to their marriage. "Jin" can, however, also mean truth, and the couple's marriage is even more threatened by their lack of communication, which is caused by Jin's hesitance to tell his wife the truth about her father. Jin is also much more valuable a person than we first thought, so he could be considered a hidden treasure. "Kwon" means fist, or it can mean to hit or destroy with a fist. This may be a reference to the violence that threatened to engulf Jin's life while working as his father-in-law's special assistant. Actor: Dominic Monaghan Character: Charlie Pace Charlie: "Dear Mom: Everything's fine. I'm on the Island, unless, of course, the black smoke people show up. Love, your name here." Dominic Monaghan, who is best known for his Hobbit turn in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, has quite a fan following... but his character isn't all that well-liked. Charlie is a former rock star as well as a drug addict. He kicked his habit early in season one (with Locke's and Jack's help), but has recently found a new source: the crashed plane full of heroin that killed Boone. Interestingly enough, Charlie is also a devout Catholic. He and Claire have bonded and are forming a relationship, and they're very sweet together. Charlie certainly means well, but doesn't always follow through with his promises. "Charlie" is short for Charles, which comes from an Old English word meaning man, manly, or strong. A "pace" is a step, a stride. Charlie Pace stepped away from the childish irresponsibility of his drug addiction, and toward the more mature choice of sobriety. "Pace" is also the Latin word for peace, as in the traditional Catholic funereal benediction "Requiescat in Pace" (rest in peace). This may be an indication of Charlie's search for peace of mind. Actor: Terry O'Quinn Character: John Locke Charlie: "Chances are he probably killed all his mates at the post office the day his mum forgot to put a cookie in his lunch tin." John Locke is a mystery, and a mystic. He may be the savior of the survivors. He may also be their doom; there's no way to tell. Hero or villain, Locke is always, always interesting, and Terry O'Quinn has done a masterful job in portraying him. (O'Quinn has been nominated for a best supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of John Locke.) Locke was once a paraplegic in a wheelchair, working as a sales manager for a box company. He played role-playing games during his lunch hour, and dreamed of fighting for survival in the wilderness. After the crash, Locke discovered that he could walk again, and has taken pride in hunting food for the survivors. Locke is wildly happy to be on the Island; it's his every dream come true. At the end of season one, Locke was obsessed with opening a mysterious hatch that he and Boone had discovered in the jungle. The hatch is now open, but we still don't know what is inside. The Enlightenment-era philosopher John Locke popularized the concept of the "tabula rasa," or blank slate, saying that all people are born as such blank slates, upon which life's experiences will eventually write the totality of their being. A blank slate is also a euphemism for a clean slate, a fresh start in life, a new beginning. And that is certainly something that Locke has been given. "Locke" also means "Dweller by the stronghold or enclosure." Would that be the hatch, perhaps? Actor: Harold Perrineau Character: Michael Dawson Michael: "He's not supposed to be mine. It was never part of the plan." Michael is an artist who has worked as a builder. Right before the crash, he regained custody of his son, Walt, who was raised by his mother in more than one foreign country. Building a relationship with his stranger of a son under such difficult circumstances has kept Michael busy in season one. Michael was determined to construct the raft; he is desperate to get his son Walt home to safety. At one point, he appeared to be romantically drawn to Sun. After a series of almost fatal misunderstandings caused by the language barrier, Michael and Jin have become unlikely friends. "Michael" comes from a Hebrew word meaning "one who is like God". It is probable that this is not a reference to Michael himself, but to his son Walt, who has demonstrated near-godlike powers to alter reality to suit his own whim. In the Bible, "Michael" was the commander of God's angels, and the protector of humanity from the forces of evil. There's also "Michael, row your boat ashore." Michael did build the raft, after all. Coincidence? I think not. :) The name "Dawson" is related to the name Davidson. David is a Hebrew word meaning beloved. So Dawson could conceivably be translated as "beloved son" -- again, a possible reference to Walt rather than to Michael. It is obvious that Michael's relationship with Walt is the most important thing in his life, the thing that defines him. Actor: Ian Somerhalder Character: Boone Carlisle Locke: "Boone was a sacrifice that the Island demanded." Boone Carlisle was a series of contradictions. He appeared to lack life experience, even though he was wealthy and ran a company (a wedding business) in the real world. He often tried to help others, but his efforts were often unsuccessful or misunderstood (rescuing Joanna, hiding the water bottles). He passionately loved and passionately resented his step-sister Shannon, and once had an affair with her. (Yes, it wasn't technically incest, but their relationship was definitely ooky.) During season one, Boone spent a great deal of time in the jungle with Locke, trying to uncover the mysterious hatch. During an expedition, Boone was mortally injured when he was caught under a crashed plane full of drugs, and died in the episode, "Do No Harm." However, Boone may not be gone forever. Flashbacks play a big part on "Lost," after all, and we have seen ghosts on the Island before (Christian Shepard, for example). "Boone" comes from the French word "bon," which means good or fine. Or it may be a reference to the naturalist Daniel Boone, an indicator of Boone Carlisle's growing wilderness skills under the tutelage of Locke. A boon (without the "e" on the end) is also another word for a gift -- and Boone's stepsister Shannon did once say very sarcastically that he was "God's frickin' gift to humanity". "Carlisle" may be a reference to the great nineteenth-century essayist Thomas Carlyle, who believed that much of the growing technology brought about by the Industrial Revolution was making man less human, more mechanical in nature. Boone was cut off from modern technology, and learned to live well without it. Until he died, that is. Actor: Madison Character: Vincent Walt's dog Vincent is actually one of the first two characters we see in the series. The dog originally belonged to Walt's stepfather, Brian; Walt spent several episodes searching for Vincent early in season one. When Walt departed on the raft with Michael, Jin, and Sawyer, he left Vincent in the care of the grieving Shannon, telling her that Vincent had helped Walt through the death of his mother and might help her through the death of her brother, Boone. Just like Flipper and Gentle Ben, Vincent is a male character played by a female performer: Madison, the dog. (And hey, Lassie was played by a guy. What's with that?) "Vincent" is from the Latin Vincentius, meaning "conquering one." Perhaps the dog has a secret we don't know about. (Hey, everybody else has.) Coincidentally, I had a beloved cat named Vincent who died a year ago, and I thought Vincent was a pretty unusual name for an animal when I named him many years ago. Bet we're going to get a lot more dogs named Vincent in years to come. Actor: Maggie Grace Character: Shannon Rutherford Boone: "I hate to break it to you, but the ocean is not going to take your gold card." Shannon spent a lot of time in early episodes sparring with her step-brother, Boone, who treated her as if she were useless. Their difficult and antagonistic relationship ended with his tragic death in "Do No Harm," and Shannon was left grief-stricken at the end of season one. Yes, she's a brat. But I get strong victim vibes from Shannon, which may mean that her anti-social behavior is her way of coping with the world. People who had terrible things happen to them in childhood often remain children emotionally because they never got what they needed to mature, and this may very well explain the way she acts. It's unfortunate that she's one of the two characters in the cast who hasn't had a backstory of her own in season one; when we finally get one, it may change how many feel about her. Her attraction to Sayid says a lot about her character. What sort of woman would be interested in such a complex man who has done wrong in the past and has a strong commitment to trying to do right? She may not even realize why she finds him attractive, but subconsciously, I think she wants to be worthy of Sayid. Sayid clearly sees potential in Shannon, too, and more than how she looks in a bikini, because he didn't show interest in her until she translated Rousseau's nonsense verses. Shannon and Sayid make a fascinating couple -- the most interesting possible pair on the Island, as far as I'm concerned. "Shannon" comes from the Irish Gaelic for "wise owl". On the island, Shannon spent much of her time on the sidelines, watching everyone else as they worked hard to survive. Most of the survivors consider her useless, as her step-brother did, but she certainly came through when Sayid needed help translating Danielle Rousseau's maps. She has shown unexpected intelligence and wisdom. "Rutherford" may be a reference to the early twentieth-century physicist Ernest Rutherford, who put forth the first viable theory of the propagation of electromagnetic radiation; the whole concept of radio is based on Rutherford's theories. Shannon was the one who translated the Frenchwoman's automatic radio distress signal. Actor: Yunjin Kim Character: Sun [Paik? Kwon?] Jin: "In a good world, she would hate her father, not me." Sun may be the most likeable female character on the Island. She has a great deal of botanical knowledge, and has helped Jack heal others. And she has taken the initiatve in planting a garden that will hopefully be a future source of food. Sun and her husband Jin are Korean; Sun learned to speak English because she was planning to leave Jin without telling him. Jin does not speak English, and Sun concealed her knowledge of the language for quite awhile before it was discovered. Backstories about Sun and Jin revealed that Jin worked for her father, who is a powerful and ruthless man. "Sun" is Korean for good or goodness. Her maiden name Paik means "white" or "pure." These appear to be references to Sun's nature, as illustrated by her ability to heal with plants. The fact that her ruthless, vicious father is also a Paik is surely a bit of irony. Actor: Evangeline Lilly Character: Kate Austen Tom: "You always want to run away, Katie." Kate may very well be the most controversial character on the Island. Fans love her. Fans hate her. It may be because Kate has had three backstories (the only other character with that many is Jack), but despite all that info, we still don't know enough about her to make a reasonable judgment about the content of her character. Kate runs. She runs from the authorities, she runs from her friends, she runs from accountability. She deceives as easily as she breathes. There may be a very good reason for this behavior, but we sure don't know what it is. What we know is that Kate is a fugitive who was being extradited from Australia to the United States. What did she do? It has something to do with the death of her childhood sweetheart, and with her parents. Did she murder her stepfather? And if she did, why? "Kate" is short for Katherine, which comes from a Greek word meaning pure. Considering Kate's shady past, this must be a deliberate bit of irony on the part of the writers. However, the word can also mean innocent -- perhaps an indicator that Kate's criminal actions were not so criminal as they may seem? "Austen" may be a tribute to nineteenth-century author Jane Austen, whose essentially feminist novels explored the lives of women and their limited choices in the early 1800s. Kate has used two aliases so far in backstories: Annie and Maggie. "Annie" comes from a Hebrew word meaning gracious; this could just be ironic, or it could be a reference to the grace and ease with which she takes on alternate identities. "Maggie" is the endearing form of "Margaret," which comes from the Latin word for pearl. Perhaps this is a reference to the toy airplane -- Kate's personal "pearl" that she had to liberate from its "oyster". Actor: Emilie de Ravin Character: Claire Littleton Claire: "Why would you keep me in the dark, Charlie? I'm already in the dark." Claire is Australian, single, and arrived on the Island very pregnant. Her boyfriend abandoned her when he decided fatherhood was too demanding, and Claire decided that she would give up her baby for adoption. (That sure isn't gonna happen now.) Claire is friendly and open; she and Charlie are currently building a romantic relationship. There is a "Rosemary's Baby" feel to what is happening to Claire. During her pregnancy, Claire consulted a psychic who told her that it was extremely important that Claire raise her own baby; the psychic inferred that the baby would be evil unless it was influenced by Claire's innate goodness. Later, the psychic seemed to contradict himself and set Claire up with adoptive parents in Los Angeles -- which is why Claire was on Flight 815. In the middle of season one, Claire was kidnapped by the mysterious Ethan Rom, and kept ... somewhere ... for several days. When she returned, she had no memory of what happened to her. "Claire" comes from the French word which means bright, shining, or clear. A derivative of "claire" is clairvoyant ("clear-seeing"), which is interesting considering that Claire is on the Island because of what a psychic told her. Claire also had disturbing (possibly clairvoyant) dreams about someone trying to kill her baby. "Littleton" means "little town," which could refer to the Island, to a small town mentality, or possibly even to the Columbine massacre in Littleton, Colorado, where two children "turned evil." Claire gave birth to a boy, Aaron, in the episode, "Do No Harm." Claire doesn't know what the name "Aaron" means, but according to my baby name book, it means "lofty or exalted." And of course, it's a biblical name: Aaron was the brother of Moses. And we did get a three-part finale called "Exodus." Actor: Mira Furlan Character: Danielle Rousseau Danielle: "Dynamite. At the Black Rock, in the Dark Territory." Hurley: "Well, that's three reasons to go, right there." She's not a cast member, but Danielle Rousseau, the mysterious Frenchwoman stranded on the Island for the past sixteen years, has appeared in several critical episodes. We don't really know what happened sixteen years ago, but it appears that the others who were shipwrecked with Danielle were possessed somehow, and she killed them. Is Danielle insane, or did she do what had to be done? Maybe we'll find out in season two. And maybe not. The "Others" took her newborn daughter, Alex, all those years ago. In the first season finale episodes, Danielle kidnapped baby Aaron and attempted to get her own daughter back... unsuccessfully. "Danielle" is the feminine version of the male name Daniel, which comes from a Hebrew word meaning "God is my judge". This may be an indicator of the intense guilt that has wracked Danielle Rousseau ever since she was forced to kill the other members of her scientific expedition. "Rousseau" is a reference to the Enlightenment-era philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who first popularized the concept of the "noble savage". He believed that man was specifically created by God to lead his life under totally natural, non-technological, or "savage" conditions in the Garden of Eden. According to Rousseau, complex civilization is an inherently flawed human concept, which only leads man farther and farther away from God's grace, and one's best chance for salvation ("nobility") is to give up science and technology and live as simply as possible. Hence, Danielle Rousseau has given up on all hope of every being rescued, and has declined even to rejoin humanity by revealing herself to the new castaways on the island, preferring to isolate herself in the jungle away from any hint of civilization. [And that's all, folks. When it was originally posted on N:Zone, each character bit was in a box of its own with a photo. Here, you're getting the low-tech version.] |
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