Alex
From Lostpedia
- This article is about the character from the Others. For others uses of "Alex" see: Alex (disambiguation)
Alexandra Rousseau
Alexandra, commonly known as Alex, was the biological daughter of Danielle Rousseau and Robert. She was the adopted daughter of Ben Linus. Alex's surname is uncertain (either "Rousseau" or "Linus"), although she has been listed in ABC Medianet episode credits as "Alexandra Rousseau".
Sixteen years before the crash of Flight 815, Danielle and Robert arrived on the Island as part of a science expedition. Danielle was seven months pregnant with Alex when she arrived. According to Rousseau, Alex was taken by the Others a week after her birth. Ben Linus raised Alex among the Others as his daughter, telling her that her mother was dead.
Alex became estranged from Ben as a result of his disapproval of her relationship with Karl, and his subsequent abusive mistreatment of Karl. She first assisted, and then eventually outright allied herself with, the survivors. When this was discovered by Ben, he took her to the survivors saying they would be her new family, and re-introduced her to Danielle.
When the mercenaries from the freighter arrived on the Island, they took Alex hostage as leverage against Ben. When he didn't bend to their will and tried to talk them down by pretending not to care about Alex, she was executed by Martin Keamy as Ben looked on helplessly.
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On the Island
Background
According to Danielle, she arrived on the Island seven months pregnant and Alex was taken by the Others when she was one week old. However, Danielle claims never to have seen one of the Others during her first sixteen years on the Island, and used the term interchangeably with "the whispers" at the time she told her story. This was also after Danielle had killed all the members of the science expedition including Alex's biological father claiming that they were sick. Regardless of the exact circumstances of her adoption, Alex was raised by Ben as one of the Others, and she was told that her mother was dead. ("Solitary") ("Exodus, Part 1")
Season 2 (Day 27-67)
After sixteen years, Alex saw that the Others had captured a pregnant woman, who she later learned was Claire. She woke Claire up, told her that the Others were planning on taking Claire's child via cesarian section, and showed her the operation room where the surgery was going to take place. Claire started to resist, so Alex drugged her and dragged her out of the Staff, saying Claire would thank her one day. ("Maternity Leave")
During the confrontation between the Others and the search party that Jack assembled to find Michael, Tom called out for Alex to bring the captive Kate out to the circle of torches. Instead, Pickett brought her out; Alex was trying to get Pickett out of earshot so that she could talk to Michael and ask him if Claire had given birth to her baby and whether it was a boy or a girl. Michael was gagged and stunned, so he could not respond. When the others rejoined her, she apologized to Michael and knocked him out. The next day, Alex hiked back with the Others to the decoy village, bringing Michael there to speak with Ms. Klugh about his son. ("Three Minutes")
Two weeks later, Kate, Jack, Sawyer and Hurley, were brought by the Others to the Pala Ferry, with Alex present. After Ben closed the deal with Michael, Alex pulled Kate up and put a hood over Kate's face. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Season 3 (Days 69-91)
On Jack, Kate and Sawyer's second day on the Hydra island, Alex tried to communicate with Kate while she was working at the labor area of the camp. Alex asked her about a guy named Karl, and if Kate had seen him around the cages area. She commented that Kate was not even supposed to be in the cage she was held captive in. She also remarked that Kate's dress used to belong to her. ("The Glass Ballerina")
Three days later, on the prisoners' 6th day on the Hydra island, Alex intruded again into the quarry, an area she was not supposed to be in, and attacked two of the Others using a slingshot. She aimed it at Danny, who was aiming a gun at her, demanded to know where "he" was (referring to her boyfriend Karl), and demanded to talk to Ben. Danny refused, and Alex was taken away by one of the Others. Alex cried out to Sawyer and Kate, who were lying on the ground under Danny's orders, that whatever the Others tell them, they should not believe. She warned Kate that they would kill her boyfriend, "just like they killed mine". ("I Do")
In the underwater section of the Hydra station, Alex communicated with Jack through the intercom, asking him to "try it, the door", which was usually locked. Jack tried, and the door was open. ("I Do")
Later, before going into surgery, Ben asked Juliet if Alex had asked about him. Juliet said she hadn't and that she didn't know where Alex was, just that she had been taken home the previous night. ("I Do")
The next day, Alex helped Kate and Sawyer to escape from Danny, Ivan and Jason by hiding them in her hideout, right after hitting Jason with a rock. She told them she had a canoe that could get them off the Hydra island, but she would only help them if they would help her to rescue her boyfriend, whom Sawyer identified as Karl. ("Not in Portland")
When they reached a smaller part of the Hydra compound, Alex told them that Karl was being held somewhere inside. She pretended to hold Sawyer and Kate captive, and tried to convince the guard, Aldo, to let them in. He said she was not allowed in, but she used her father (later revealed to be Ben, likely her foster father) as an item for negotiation. As Aldo called Ben for confirmation, Sawyer attacked him, and Kate knocked him out. ("Not in Portland")
In the facility, the trio found Karl in Room 23, strapped to a chair with goggles, forced to watch what looked like a brainwashing video. They freed Karl and ran to the nearest beach, where Alex's canoe was waiting for them. Danny suddenly appeared, ready to shoot Sawyer, but was shot by Juliet. Before Kate and Sawyer left with Karl, Alex and Karl were briefly reunited. However, Ben, according to Juliet, would never let Karl go if Alex left with him. As a result, after the launch of the canoe, Alex went back to the Hydra with Juliet. ("Not in Portland")
When Isabel took Jack to the office to question him, they passed Alex, who Isabel sweetly, but firmly, suggested should visit her father. Later, Alex broke the camera outside Jack's cage so they wouldn't be watched, and asked Jack why he would help Ben after what Ben did to them. Alex told Jack about Juliet's verdict and told him they are strict about killing their own. She also told Jack that Ben is her dad. Alex released Jack from his cage, and they ran to the operating room where Ben was being treated. While Jack and Ben talked, Alex watched them. Afterward, Alex and Jack stormed over to the deliberation room and stopped Juliet's death sentence. Alex relayed Ben's orders to Isabel. Later the Others left Hydra Island. While on the boat, Alex looked up sadly at the same night sky Karl watched from his camp on the Island. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
Later, while the Others where back at the Barracks, Locke took Ben hostage. Alex (who lived in Ben's house and referred to him as "Dad") walked into Ben's room, but was taken hostage by Locke. As Tom knocked on the door, Locke took Alex into a closet just before Tom and Richard Alpert entered. After they left, Alex retrieved Sayid's pack, which contained Locke's C-4, as she was told. Sayid told her that she looked like her mother, and she replied that her mother was dead. Sayid responded, "I'm sure that's what they told you", leaving Alex shocked and confused. While accompanying Locke to the submarine, Alex warned him that Ben was manipulating him, but he didn't seem to care. Danielle saw Alex from the forest around this time, but did not reveal herself to her daughter. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
As Ben and Locke collected water on their way to see Jacob, Alex arrived to give Locke a gun so he would be safe, much to Ben's surprise. She coldly added, "Happy Birthday, Dad", as she left. Later, Alex watched Locke and Ben leave when they walked to Jacob's cabin. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
The following day, Alex prepared a white rabbit. When she saw Ben arrive back at the camp, she questioned him as to what happened, and where Locke was. Ben gave her back the gun she originally loaned Locke, saying, "Here's your gun back." Afterwards, Alex listened to Ben's abrupt change of plans, and ran off to find her boyfriend, Karl. Alex told him to warn the survivors as soon as possible that the Others were coming. Alex questioned whether Ben was truly her father during this meeting with Karl. ("Greatest Hits")
When Ben decided to go by himself to stop Jack from using the satellite phone, Alex asked to go with him, and to her surprise, Ben agreed. While they were on their way to intercept the survivors, Ben clarified that he allowed Alex to come along because he has chosen to disown her as retribution for her betrayal, and she would remain with her "new family". He also told her that the reason he locked Karl in a cage was that he didn't want him getting her pregnant. After Ben fails to dissuade Jack from carrying out his plan and gets beaten by Jack for seemingly having Sayid, Jin, and Bernard killed, Alex sees Danielle for the first time, and the bleeding Ben told Alex that Danielle was her mother. Danielle's first statement after the reunion was a request for Alex to help her tie Ben up. Together, they then dragged Ben along to the radio tower. ("Through the Looking Glass")
Season 4 (Days 91-97)
Alex was seen chatting to Karl shortly before the group departed from the tower. Later that evening, Jack and Locke had a stand-off in front of the cockpit, resulting in the formation of two separate factions, Locke's group and Jack's group. Alex, Danielle, Ben, and Karl went with Locke. ("The Beginning of the End")
The next day, Ben tried to talk to Alex in the jungle, but she ignored him, and Karl told him off. Later, after Ben shot Charlotte, Locke was prepared to kill him, but Alex protested. Locke told Danielle to take Alex away from the scene so she would not interfere with the killing; however, Ben's life was ultimately spared. ("Confirmed Dead") The following day, Alex came to the Barracks to reside with the rest of Locke's group. ("The Economist")
Later, Ben persuaded Alex, Danielle, and Karl that the crew of the Kahana were preparing an attack on the Barracks. Ben gave Alex a map led to the Temple. While en route, Alex, Danielle, and Karl were ambushed by mercenaries from the freighter, including Keamy. Karl and Danielle were killed, and Alex stood up with her hands above her head and yelled repeatedly "I'm Ben's daughter!" in order to dissuade the unseen ambushers from shooting her. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
After her surrender, Alex was taken prisoner. The mercenaries brought her to the sonic fence where she was forced, with a gun to her head, to punch in the code. She begged that they didn't hurt the surviours, as a baby was with them. Later, Alex was brought back to the Barracks as a hostage to smoke Ben out of hiding. Keamy sent a walkie-talkie into Ben's house with Miles, and when Ben found out Alex was the hostage, he agreed to go to the East window and speak with Keamy. Alex told Ben that the mercenaries' had killed Karl and Rousseau and she begged him to save her. After a standoff in which Ben attempted to denounce Alex, stating she meant nothing to him, Keamy shot Alex in the head execution style and walked away. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Post-Death
Ben, shocked with her death, unleashed the Monster to attack the mercenaries. As the attack commenced, Ben spent a few final moments with his daughter.
In 2005, Ben visited Charles Widmore, and accused him of killing Alex. Widmore denied this, instead blaming Ben. Ben stated that he will kill Widmore's daughter, Penelope Widmore, in retribution to make Widmore sorry he "changed the rules." ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Trivia
- Alex appeared in 15 episodes.
- Out of all the main characters, Alex has only met Ben, Juliet, Claire, Michael, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Locke, Sayid, Sun, Charlotte and Miles.
- Alex may have also met Walt during his captivity with the Others.
- Alex has not met, but been in the same area, as Desmond and Jin at the cockpit.
- Sawyer gave Alex the nickname "Sheena" a reference to Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. ("Not in Portland")
- In a "deleted scene" from the Season 3 DVD, Locke questioned Ben about Alex, accusing him of kidnapping her. Ben replied defensively, "I did not kidnap her, I'm just the one who raised her." When Locke asked why Ben told Alex her mother was dead, Ben replied, "Because her mother is a raving lunatic who slaughtered her entire research team and spent the next 16 years sleeping in ditches. What would you have told her? I mean, think about it John. Imagine how much happier your childhood would have been, if you had no idea who your parents were."
- Karl and Alex's love story could be a reference to Willa Cather's "O Pioneers!" The main character, Alexandra, falls in love with but is unable to have a life with her neighbor, Carl.
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Alex/Theories
- If she was taken shortly after birth, how is it that the Others even know her real name considering Danielle never even saw them?
- How long did the Others have her before Ben adopted her?
- If she was raised by the Others since birth, why does she rebel against their ideals?
- Did Widmore tell Keamy to kill Alex, as questioned by Ben?
- What are the rules Ben refers to, and how did the death of Alex change these rules?
