Kate Austen

Kate Austen
Actor	Evangeline Lilly
First	"Pilot, Part 1"
Centric	"Pilot, Part 2" "Tabula Rasa" "Whatever the Case May Be" "Born to Run" "Exodus, Part 1" "What Kate Did" "I Do" "Left Behind" "Eggtown" "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" "There's No Place Like Home, Part 2"
AKA	Annie Joan Hart Monica Callis Katherine Dodd Maggie Ryan Lucy
Age	27
Birth	May 1977
Place	Ames, Iowa, USA
Profession	Criminal
Reason in Australia	... to find a new life
Reason For Trip	... to be escorted to USA by the Marshal
Family	Diane Janssen - Mother Wayne Janssen - Father Sam Austen - Stepfather Kevin Callis - Husband Jack Shephard - Ex-Fiancé Suzanne Callis - Mother-in-law Aaron Littleton - Adoptive Son

Katherine Anne Austen, more commonly known as Kate, is one of the middle section survivors. A fugitive being pursued for the murder of her biological father and participation in a bank robbery, she was in the custody of U.S. Marshal Edward Mars when Flight 815 crashed. On the Island and after her initial experiences there, Kate has formed very strong bonds with Jack and Sawyer. In the post-rescue flashforwards she is one of the Oceanic 6, and as part of a plea agreement (stemming from her very public murder and grand theft trial) agrees to 10 years probation with the condition she remains in the state of California. Aaron Littleton lives with her and he believes that Kate is his mother.

Before the Crash

Childhood

Born in rural Iowa in 1977, Katherine Anne Austen was raised by her mother, Diane Janssen, and Sam Austen, whom Kate believed to be her biological father. However, her biological father was a man named Wayne. In 1989, Kate and her childhood sweetheart Tom Brennan buried a time capsule. It contained a recorded message, a toy airplane and a baseball. By the time Kate was an adult, Sam and Diane had separated, and Diane revived her relationship with Wayne. Kate hated Wayne for his physical abuse of her mother.

Murdering Wayne/Life On The Run

Wayne talking down to Kate for the last time.

Kate discovered that Wayne was her biological father when she discovered photographs of Sam in Korea dated up to four months before she was born, indicating that he could not possibly be her biological father. Disgusted by this new knowledge, and his recent unruly behavior, she decided to murder Wayne. She took out a home owner's insurance policy on the family house in her mother's name, then orchestrated a devastating gas explosion and fire while Wayne was drunk and asleep inside. Kate's mother figured out her scheme and reported her to the authorities. Kate has been on the run from the law ever since, and U.S. Marshal Edward Mars soon became the primary law enforcement figure in her pursuit.

Mars' pursuit of Kate was a long one, and Kate evaded his attempts at capturing her many times. Her first escape was after Mars had captured her at a bus station as Kate was purchasing a ticket to Tallahassee. However, as he was driving her into custody, a black horse ran in front of his car and forced them off the road. Kate ran from the scene of the accident, leaving a wounded Mars behind. ("What Kate Did")

Help From Cassidy

Kate reveals to Cassidy she's on the run. ("Left Behind")

Kate evaded him 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 threatned to call the police, Kate panicked and interrupted. She 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. She offered to take Kate into town to buy her a drink, which Kate accepted to. ("Left Behind")

Kate realises how tough it will be to see her mother. ("Left Behind")

At the bar, Kate told Cassidy of killing her father, her escape from The Marshal and how her mother told the police. Cassidy offered to help Kate get a meeting with her mother, due to her own betrayel 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. They wanted to test how much security was around Kate's mother Diane. So Cassidy disguised herself as Kate and knocked on Diane's door. Believing it was Kate, many agents attcked Cassidy. Down the road, Kate observed the situation through binoculars and realised 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 taking out a an insurance policy on it beforehand, which financially would have set up her mother for life.

Kate meets with her mother, Diane. ("Left Behind")

The reason why Kate wanted to meet her mother was beacause she wanted to know why Diane betrayed her, when she only tried to help. Now knowing the whole story between Kate and her mother, Cassidy agreed to continue helping her. So the next day, Cassidy ordered a meal from the diner where Kate's mother worked at and purposely spilt her meal down Diane. She remained polite and went to clean up in the toilets. Diane found Kate, and she asked her mother why she reported her. Despite Wayne's abuse, Diane defended him, claiming 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 Kate parted ways, she told Cassidy her real name. ("Left Behind")

Return To Iowa

Later, Kate learned that her mother was hospitalized and dying of cancer via a letter she received. 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

Kate in her wedding gown. ("I Do")

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. ("I Do")

Kate marries Kevin Callis. ("I Do")

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, which had been passed down through the family. However since her son's where all boys, Suzzane thought Kate should have it. A few hours later, Kate and Kevin married. After settling down with Kevin, Kate realised 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. ("I Do")

Although she hated Edward Mars, Kate realised he was right, the relationship couldn't continue, thinking her past would 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. ("I Do")

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 or a fact. Kate told him about the pregnancy and how she couldn't do regular things like 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 collpased, due to the spiked drink and after tearfully revealing some of the truth about her history, she left the unconcious Kevin and took up life on the run once again. ("I Do")

New Mexico Bank Robbery

Kate and Jason kiss. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

In a later attempt to taunt Kate, Mars informed her that he had Tom's toy airplane in a safety deposit box in a 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 plan started with Kate 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, customers and Kate get down to the ground. After pondering what to do, the robbers demanded the security key from Hutton. Whilst staring at the floor, a victim told Kate he thought he could take one of the robbers. He took down one of them and the robber's gun slided 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. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

Kate is given the key to the safety deposit box. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

Once in the office, Jason and Kate kissed. After discussing what they will do next, he smacked Kate across the face, to look like there was a struggle. He took Kate to the Hutton, and told him if he didn't give him the key, Kate would be killed. After counting to three, he 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. She shot him in the leg, after he went shoot Hutton, aswell as two other robbers. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

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 aeroplane, which previously belonged to Tom Brennan. She left the other members of the gang behind and escaped the scene. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

Caught 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 travel to Bali, Indonesia, afterwards. ("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")

On the Island

Season 1 (Days 1-44)

Kate, after the crash ("Pilot, Part 1")

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. Incidentally, her handcuffs were discovered after the crash by Walt and were used briefly to restrain Jin.

Kate obtaining an antenna from Sayid, to help locate the source of the French distress signal.

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")

Kate and Jack, searching in the jungle for kidnapped Claire and Charlie ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")

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". However she had been eating bacon and eggs at Ray Mullen's farm, so it can only be assumed that she was lying.

The beginning of the love triangle formed a few days later, when Jack and Sayid were attempting to force Sawyer to give medication to Shannon. Kate accepted Sawyer's request to kiss him in exchange for revealing his knowledge of Shannon's asthma medication. However the request was only a ruse to get a kiss, since he then revealed that he didn't have the medication. ("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")

While diving in the waterfall, Kate and Sawyer discovered Marshal's Halliburton case, trapped underwater. The two vied for possession of the case, but, when Sawyer could not open the locked case, despite his best efforts, it fell into Kate's possession. Kate then convinced Jack to exhume Edward Mars's body to recover the key to unlock the case. Jack then recovered the firearms from the case, but Kate also got what she had really wanted from the case, the toy airplane from her time capsule with Tom Brennan. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

Kate's relationship with Sawyer became closer on a boar-hunting trip. 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. However, her relations with Sawyer were not always smooth, such as when he revealed the secret that Kate was the Marshal's prisoner, so that he could obtain a space on Michael's raft. However at the time when the raft set sail, Kate had departed on a mission to the Black Rock to find dynamite to blow open the newly-discovered hatch. She realized then that she regretted not having said goodbye to Sawyer. ("Exodus, Part 2")

Season 2 (Days 44-67)

Locke locks Kate in the Swan's pantry ("Adrift")  (promotional still)

After the mysterious hatch was opened, Jack decided to abandon it because the survivors could not be hidden in it, due to its broken ladder and perceived lack of space. However, instead of assisting with Jack's plan of guarding the survivors in the caves until morning, Kate decided to help Locke, mainly in exploring the Hatch. Kate's hands an barefeet were tied up and she was gagged and locked in the food pantry. Kate was later followed by Jack, who discovered Desmond, a man from his past, holding Locke hostage. In the mêlée that followed, the Swan computer was damaged, and Desmond fled into the jungle. After the computer was repaired by Sayid, the Hatch was now a shared secret, and a valuable resource, among the central subgroup of survivors, a group in which Kate was a key figure. ("Orientation")

Kate continued to develop feelings for both Jack and Sawyer, as well as her relationship with Sun over their shared activity of cultivating the garden. Soon, the Tailies arrived, with Michael, Jin, and the ailing Sawyer. It was during this time that she began to encounter a black horse in the jungle, a horse that looked eerily similar to the one that aided in her first escape from Edward Mars by causing a car accident. While caring for Sawyer, he seems to take in the ghost of her biological father, Wayne, going so far as to attempt to strangle Kate and demand "Why did you kill me!" She ran from the hatch and into the jungle. When Jack finally caught up with her, she kissed him passionately, then, when seemingly suprised by something, either her action or his reaction, Kate ran.

Kate, watching out for the Others, before she was captured by them. (promotional still)

Later, Claire began having memory flashes from the time she was kidnapped by Ethan. Kate decided to help her find Rousseau. After finding her, Rousseau agreed to help for her own reasons. The trio continued their journey to the place where Rousseau had found Claire, which triggered enough memories to enable her to discover the entrance to the Staff station. Inside, Claire searched for a vaccine for Aaron, Danielle searched for clues to Alex's fate, while Kate found several lockers, containing the Others' trashy costumes, and a fake beard. Upon their return, Kate told Jack of these discoveries, which hinted that the Others were not the ragtag, disorganized group they seemed to be. ("Maternity Leave")

Jack then chose Kate to come with him to "the line", where he planned to force a trade with the Others, Ben for Walt. Kate's love triangle deepened when Kate picked up a baby doll, triggering a net trap in which Jack and Kate were both caught in a temporarily intimate, and extremely awkward, situation. After Jack's attempts to call the Others failed, they made camp, where Kate told him that she was sorry for kissing him. However Jack replied that he wasn't sorry. It was at this point that a disoriented Michael appeared at the line, then fainted, whereupon Kate and Jack carried him back to the Swan. ("S.O.S.")

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, which resulted in Sawyer's shooting of one of them, and Jack's admission that he knew Michael had tricked them all. Despite knowing the truth of their quest, the five castaways were captured by the Others at the capsule dump. They were taken to Pala Ferry, where Ben gave Walt back to Michael, along with a boat to use in escaping the Island. As they both left, Hurley was set free and sent back to camp with orders for the survivors not to attempt a rescue. Kate, Jack, and Sawyer were taken away as prisoners of the Others. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Season 3 (Days 68-91)

Kate, forced to have breakfast with Ben ("A Tale of Two Cities")

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 treated well with new clothes, a sundress, and a luxurious beach side breakfast with Ben, during which she was told that the next two weeks were going to be very unpleasant. Ben also quizzed her about her feelings about Jack and Sawyer. ("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 at a rock quarry, overseen by a belligerent Pickett. Kate and Sawyer continued to bond, culminating first in Sawyer kissing Kate while working in the quarry. As Pickett responded, Sawyer almost turned the situation into a successful escape attempt, which was foiled only when Juliet arrived with a gun and believably threatened to shoot Kate. Kate and Sawyer discussed the strength and composition of the Others, but also began to ask oblique questions about their feelings for each other. ("The Glass Ballerina")

Kate, stopped by Sawyer from opening his cage ("Every Man for Himself")  (promotional still)

When Sawyer believed that he had a deadly device affixed to his heart, Kate discovered that she could escape the cages by climbing out through the top bars. When Pickett was beating Sawyer almost to death, she begged him to stop, and he continued to ask if she loved him. When Picket did not listen to her wishes, she said that she loved Sawyer, and asked him to stop once more, and he did. Although mystified why Sawyer did not want to attempt to escape with her, Kate refused leave also, and climbed back into her cage, quoting Jack's, "Live together, die alone" to demonstrate that she would stick with him, despite his attempt to convince Kate to make a solo escape attempt by citing: "Every man for himself." The entire interaction was secretly observed by Ben, who had orchestrated the situation, and appeared to be studying the development of their relationship. ("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. This was Jack and Kate's first reunion since their journey from the Pala Ferry. Although they were initially emotional and grateful to see each other, their conversation quickly soured as Jack accused Kate of being manipulated by the Others. Kate started to cry, pleading with him to do it, believing Sawyer was soon to be executed if Jack wouldn't perform the surgery, but Jack angrily refused her and she left devastated to think Sawyer would be killed. That night, Sawyer revealed to her that they were on a different island than their. own, and that escape was probably impossible. Kate kissed Sawyer and the two of them made love for the first time. Jack sees them together via the security cameras and is shocked and upset. The next morning, Pickett and Jason came to shoot Sawyer. Although he had overpowered Pickett, Kate's life was threatened and Sawyer knelt to be executed, in order to save Kate's life. Kate begged and screamed desperately for Sawyer's life. At the last moment, Pickett was interrupted by the walkie-talkie. It was Tom, who 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")

Kate and Sawyer joined forces with Alex to escape Hydra Island ("Not in Portland")

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 - possibly because of her feelings for Jack. Once back at camp, Kate was determined to rescue Jack, and set off with Locke and Sayid in tow. In the jungle, Kate also successfully recruited Rousseau, using Alex as a lure. ("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")

Kate infiltrates the Barracks to rescue Jack ("The Man from Tallahassee")  (promotional still)

That evening, she sneaked into Jack's house where she found Jack playing the piano. Jack orders her to leave, saying he's under surveillance, and sure enough, the Others barge in, and throw her into a rec room, handcuffed. Jack came to see her, admitting that he'd made a deal with Ben to escape the Island. They have an emotional exchange, where Kate asks why he would believe them, and he responds, "because you asked me to." She discovers that he knows about her and Sawyer. Before he leaves, Jack whispers in her ear that he "will come back here for [her]".("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 imprissoned. 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 arm. 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 shocked and emotional - 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 everything she had done, preventing him from escaping the island as she was trying to rescue him. He showed no interest in her and asked to see Juliet. Outside, they joined up with Juliet and Sayid, and agreed it was time to go back to the beach camp. Kate notably walked with Sayid, while Jack headed off to talk with Juliet. ("Left Behind")

Kate watches Juliet with suspicion, as does the rest of the camp ("One of Us")  (promotional still)

When they reached the beach camp she and Sawyer shared a long hug. 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 flirted with Kate, though Kate rebuffed his suggestion that they have sex. That night, after attempting to engage Jack in flirtation, in which Jack treated her coldly, Kate was hurt to see him having dinner alone with Juliet. She went to Sawyer's tent and began kissing him, telling him to "shutup". Sawyer stopped her and asked if she was crying, but she rebuked him, and they continued. The two had sex, but the next day in a conversation with Jack, Sawyer learned that Juliet and Jack had dinner together the night before. Suspecting that Kate initiated sex with him out of jealousy of Jack and Juliet's new found friendship, he confronted her about it. Kate denied this. ("Catch-22")

Kate looks in horror after Locke attacks Naomi in front of everyone ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")  (promotional still)

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 and rejected. ("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 was abashed when he refused to let her go with him back to the beach to help Sayid. Later, whilst trying comfort her about her argument with Sawyer, Kate asked Jack why he was sticking up for Sawyer.Jack then tells Kate that it's because he loves her. Kate looks thoughtful, and remains silent as he turns and walks away catching up with the rest of the group. They then reached the tower, and Jack managed to call for rescue. ("Greatest Hits")  ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

Season 4 (Days 91-108)

Naomi holds Kate at knife point ("The Beginning of the End")  (promotional still)

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 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 in "Pilot, Part 1". 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.

Jack asks Kate to travel to the barracks ("The Economist")  (promotional still)

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. ("The Economist")

Kate moved into the barracks with Claire, but not long afterwards, 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 when the moment she'd get upset at Jack. Kate slapped him, then left and headed for the beach.("Eggtown")

Kate at the beach camp. ("Something Nice Back Home")

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. Jack and Juliet found Kate shortly after. While Jack tended to Kate, Juliet snuck 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")

Kate tells Sun that Faraday and Charlote have never mentioned rescuing the 815ers. She is there when Juliet tells Jin about Sun's affair.("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 find Dr. Ray's body washed up on the beach with his throat slit. They ask Faraday who it is and he informs them that he was the freighters' doctor. Later that night, Kate is present when Jack finds out Faraday and Lewis have been lying to them about what the freighters' intentions are. She attempts to aid Jack when his stomach bug starts 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 Jake, finding Juliet stiching up his stomach. Juliet told Kate about her and Jack's kiss, and Kate is initially upset. Juliet then tells 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 loves Kate. Relieved, Kate thanks Juliet, and then again for saving Jack's life. ("Something Nice Back Home")

Kate is 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. During their trek, they encounted tracks that did not belong to Jack or Sawyer, and appeared to be following them. Kate and Sayid drew their guns, at which Richard Alpert emerged from the jungle, along with a group of armed Others surrounding them. Kate and Sayid were disarmed and lead off into the jungle. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

The Oceanic 6 arrive on Sumba island. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2") (promotional still)

Some time later, Kate comes running out of the jungle toward Keamy and his men, claiming that she is being chased by Ben's people. After telling Keamy her name, she is ordered to put her hands above her head and stay beside Ben. After the Others take out the mercenaries, Kate and Ben run while being chased by Keamy. After Richard shoots Keamy and saves Sayid's life, Kate cuts Ben's bonds. Ben tells her and Sayid that the helicopter is theirs and they're free to leave the Island. When Kate and Sayid are joined by Hurley, Jack and Sawyer at the helicopter, they lift off and head for the freighter. When there was a fuel leak, Kate and the other survivors toss things out of the helicopter to reduce weight. Sawyer turns to Kate and whispers something into her ear, kisses her and jumps 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 goes to get Jin but Jack stops her and tells her he's not leaving without her. Kate and Jack board the helicopter and it leaves the freighter with Sun, Aaron and Desmond. Kate and the others witness 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 liferaft. They were later found by the Searcher and rescued. Kate and the rest of the Oceanic 6 departed for the island of Sumba on a life raft. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

After the Rescue

2005

Kate at the press conference.

Kate landed in Hawaii with the rest of the Oceanic 6. 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. Later, Kate attended Hurley's surprise birthday party, where she stated that Jack was running late, but soon would be there. She also later attended Christian Shephard's funeral, where she met Carole Littleton who complimented Aaron, with neither realizing that Aaron and Carole are blood related. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

2006

Kate embraces Aaron after resolving her legal past. ("Eggtown")

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 favour. 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.Flattered, she invited him back to her house for a "visit" but he declined, asking her out instead. It dawned on her the real reason Jack didn't want to come back to her house, and told him that she understood why he didn't want to see the baby.

Kate agrees to marry Jack. ("Something Nice Back Home")

She told him that until he did, 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")

2007

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 seem to be thoroughly and genuinely happy together. After what appears to be a short period of time, Jack asked her to marry him, and she happily accepts. Their trust issues followed them off the Island; however, and erupted in a confrontation about Kate's comings and goings (revealed to be missions relating to Sawyer), though she denied that it had anything to do with them and their relationship. ("Something Nice Back Home")

Sometime after Kate and Jack breakup, Kate has a dream in which she receives a phone call from an unknown voice. The person's message is unintelligible, as they seem to be speaking backwards. Played backwards, the message seems to be something along the lines of "The island needs you. You have to come back before its too late." As Kate hangs the phone up, she hears something coming from Aaron's room. She grabs a small handgun from her closet and proceeds to the baby's crib. She sees someone hunched over the crib and screams for them to stay away from her son, with gun in hand. The person turns around and it is Claire. She warns Kate not to bring Aaron back to the island, saying "Don't you dare bring him back, Kate." She then wakes up, goes to check on Aaron, and begins to apologize to him profusely.

An indefinite amount of time 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. They both seemed happy to see each other - Kate seemed concerned about his appearance. 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, Part 2")Kate then stops the car, gets out, and proceeds to talk to Jack. She condemns Jack for wanting to go back to the Island and for showing her the obituary for Jeremy Bentham. When Jack reveals that his reason for believing Jeremy Bentham is because it is the only way to protect Kate and Aaron, Kate slaps Jack - illustrating her anger and resentment for him abandoning her and Aaron. Jack then tries to calm her down, but she refuses to listen. She gets back in the car and speeds away - leaving Jack to himself.

Kate meets up with a distraught Jack. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 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. By boarding with Edward Mars on Flight 815, Australia became the end point of her escape journey.
Missouri	Kate's license plate in "Left Behind" is 40N DVB

Trivia

An Easter egg from the official ABC-created site Oceanic-air.com revealed Kate's assumed name while she was a fugitive, in the form of a fax transmission of her mugshot.

• 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 flashforward.
• Kate's episode count so far is 75 (as of "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3").
• Kate has met all of the main characters.
• There are a total of 16 letters in her name.
• She is tied with Locke for the second-most flashbacks, with 8.
• 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 her first three flashbacks.
• 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 seven known DHARMA Initiative stations: the Swan, the Staff, the Hydra, the Flame, and the Tempest. This is more than any other of the survivors.
• 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.
  • In this depiction, Kate was written as an older woman traveling with her husband, whom she is separated from after he goes to the bathroom right before the crash. This idea was still employed, but with the characters of Rose and Bernard.
• 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")
• Kate seems to be a fan of or have some connection with the 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) and "Left Behind" (in the tow truck).

Additional casting

• Skye McCole Bartusiak was the voice of Young Kate on Kate and Tom's tape. ("Born to Run")

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

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 they know that she was in Australia?

Post-Island

• What favor is she doing for Sawyer that she can't tell Jack?

See also

• Jate
• Skate