Kate Austen's (Evangeline Lilly) fugitive status on Flight 815 is a riveting mystery on Lost, and the reason behind her crime defines her character ac. Kate lived in Iowa with her mother Diane (Beth Broderick) and stepfather Sam (Lindsey Ginter) and when she ends up on the island, she doesn't tell anyone about her past. On the plane, Kate is seated next to a U.S. Marshall named Edward Mars (Fredric Lane) and it's clear that she's keeping a secret. She alludes to what happened while connecting with Jack Shepard (Matthew Fox) in season 1, and in season 2, episode 9, "What Kate Did," Kate's crime becomes evident through flashbacks.
Best known for playing Hope Van Dyn/The Wasp in the Ant-Man movies, Lilly's Lost character is also a fugitive, which likely helped her with her MCU role. While Kate's relationships with Jack and Sawyer Ford (Josh Holloway) are also memorable, her crimes make her stand out from the other characters. The full picture of Kate's history is painted in season 2. While the survivors all carry around dark secrets, Kate's shame and regret over the chain of events that happen after her criminal act help flesh out her character. Her brash, stubborn personality hides the pain that she is dealing with, and she can never forget her actions.
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Kate Hides The Fact That She Killed Her Father
Kate doesn't tell anyone that she killed her father Wayne Janssen (James Horan) because he abused her and her mother. In 2001, Kate blows up his house, which causes his death. Kate's discovery that he was her biological dad doesn't lead to regret, but it complicates matters and makes Lost's Oceanic Flight 815 plane crash a strange reprieve for the character. While everyone is frightened that they will never leave the island, Kate experiences freedom and doesn't have to keep running. She can't help but feel relief though she still carries around tragic memories that she isn't ready to share with anyone.
Kate's crime changes her as a person, as she knows that she is capable of dark and terrible things. The difference between Kate and Jack comes up in season 1, episode 3, "Tabula Rasa." Jack doesn't like Kate's request to let Ed die since he's in pain, and he says he would never kill someone. Kate doesn't want to think of herself as a killer but knows that she did what was necessary. From the pilot episode of Lost, Jack and Kate connect, but Kate's fear that he will judge and dislike her makes her keep the secret for a longer period of time.
Kate Is Caught, Runs Free, Then Is Finally Caught Again In Australia After Changing Her Identity
Ed Mars (Fredric Lehane) arrests Kate for killing her father, but when a horse causes their car to crash, she runs off. Kate comes back home to Iowa to see her dying mother in the hospital, and reunites with her former love Tom Brennan (Mackenzie Astin), who is a doctor. Season 1, episode 22 "Born To Run" shares via flashback that Tom is shot and killed by a cop when he and Kate try to evade the law. Going by "Monica," Kate marries police officer Kevin Callis (Nathan Fillion) in Florida, runs away again, and then robs a bank in 2002.
The flash sideways are meaningful in Lost, and the flashbacks tell the complete story of Kate's crime. Kate is finally arrested in Australia when her boss, Ray Mullen (Nick Tate), sees a poster with her face on it, which is how she ends up on Oceanic Flight 815. A pivotal scene explains that Kate was perhaps fated to kill her father all along. When she talks to her stepfather Sam, he says he didn't share that Wayne was her biological father because it was clear that she would commit murder. This is chilling and suggests that Kate was destined to take this action before ending up on the island.
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Kate Is Given 10 Years Probation At Her Trial And Reconnects With Jack
Season 4, episode 4 "Eggtown" features a flash-forward that explains Kate's trial. In this timeline, Kate and Jack are alive after surviving the island and Jack is a witness. He wants to help her out and pretends that she is why the Oceanic Six were able to make it back home. Thanks to Kate's mom deciding that she isn't going to speak in the courtroom, Kate is told that if she lives in California, she will receive 10 years probation. This is an emotional storyline as she reconnects with two of the most important people in her life and realizes that they care about her.
The trial serves as a way for Kate and Jack to see each other again and suggests that they might have a romantic relationship off the island. Jack wants to spend time together and Kate shares that she is looking after Claire's (Emilie de Ravin) son Aaron (William Blanchette). The couple does reunite in the flash sideways before Lost's season 6 finale, but they don't have a typical love story thanks to the magic of the island and the various timeframes that they are part of. In "Eggtown," Kate appreciates that Jack is there for her in her time of need and this interaction suggests that their story isn't over.
Kate Is Haunted By Her Crimes And They Make It Hard For Her To Love Someone Again
While Kate would kill her father all over again, she struggles with the fact that she was the reason why Tom died. Tom is a crucial part of Kate's backstory as she robs the bank because that's where Tom's toy plane is. She shares pieces of this story with Jack in season 1, episode 12 "Whatever the Case May Be," but he doesn't know the full details. When the characters see each other again in Lost's controversial series finale, they have both experienced pain and suffering and have a better understanding of each other. Kate is no longer afraid of being vulnerable.
Kate is nervous about falling in love again after her past with Tom and she wonders if anyone will care about her when they find out her secret. The fact that Jack accepts her for who she is is one of the most moving parts of Lost and suggests their romance was meant to be. When the characters meet in season 1, Jack says that her history is irrelevant because the island offers up the freedom to be someone new and forget what happened before. This comment changes how Kate sees herself and allows her to open up about the crime she committed and begin to move on.
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