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Olivia (née unknown, previously Goodspeed) was a schoolteacher for the DHARMA Initiative on the Island in the early 1970s. She and Horace Goodspeed were implied to be a married couple in her only appearance, with both wearing wedding rings over a decade long period in the episode. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

In accordance with the casting call and eventual leaked script for "The Man Behind the Curtain", they were married for at least 11 years. "Cabin Fever-Enhanced" also refers to her as Horace Goodspeed's wife.

However, they separated sometime before or during 1974 when Horace was shown to be single. He later married a widow named Amy sometime between 1974 and 1977. ("LaFleur") It is not known whether Horace built the cabin for his former wife (likely Olivia) or Amy, when he mentions this to Locke in his dream. ("Cabin Fever")

Off the Island[]

Background[]

According to a semi-canon source, Olivia is originally from Portland, Oregon. (Mysteries of the Universe)

3x20 Olivia

Olivia and Horace stop to give aid to the Linus family.

1962[]

Olivia was the passenger in Horace's car, on a road 32 miles outside of Portland, when they saw Roger Linus carrying his dying wife Emily and their newborn baby out of the woods. They pulled over to offer their assistance when Emily suddenly died. What appear to be wedding bands are seen on left ring fingers of Horace and Olivia when they pull over outside of Portland to help the Linus family. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

After this, Olivia joined the DHARMA Initiative. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

According to a semi-canon source, she left for her job without telling anyone. However, her neighbor noticed she was interviewed for a new job position.[1] Her disappearance was then noticed by a documentary called Mysteries of the Universe (1982). Olivia's father was interviewed for the subject. According to her father, he sold her house after she disappeared; he believed she was just "gone" (possibly dead) because she already had a job as a grade school teacher. (Mysteries of the Universe)

On the Island[]

3x20 Olivia volcano

Olivia teaches Ben and Annie's class about the volcano.

1973[]

Olivia and Horace were involved with the DHARMA Initiative. Olivia worked on the Island as an elementary school teacher, and Benjamin Linus and Annie were two of her students.

One of the lessons she taught the class involved a scientific demonstration using a papier-mâché volcano. When Annie questioned if the eruption of the fake volcano was similar to what happened to the real one on the Island, Olivia responded affirmatively, but calmed Annie's fear by stating it happened a "long time ago." ("The Man Behind the Curtain")


ANNIE: Is that what happened to the volcano on this Island?

OLIVIA: Exactly Annie, but that was a long time ago.


When the Hostiles attacked, Olivia reacted as though it were a common occurrence, and had a plan for how the students were to lock the doors and take cover. Olivia matter-of-factly picked up a bolt-action rifle, and showed proficiency in how she carried it. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

Olivia spent three years on the island before she left under unknown circumstances. (Mysteries of the Universe)

1974[]

Horace Goodspeed no longer wears a wedding ring. If Olivia was his first wife, this would mean she had separated from him not long after the events of her only appearance in the series. ("LaFleur")

2004[]

In John Locke's dream, the ghostly Horace states he built The Cabin for his wife, though he does not identify which wife. ("Cabin Fever")

Off the Island[]

1982 or later[]

Sometime in 1982 or later, she allegedly made a reappearance which piqued the interest of the Mysteries of the Universe (1982) producers immediately.[1] As a result, they made a new episode based on her. In that episode, an employee from the documentary series called Olivia, and asked her whereabouts during the past 3 years. When a woman identifying as Olivia learned who the call was from, she hung up the phone and refused to talk about the DHARMA Initiative.

A few days later, a letter was sent to the producer. In the letter, the same woman identifying as the schoolteacher Olivia explained that for those three years she was missing, she was doing research in the South Pacific; she no longer wished to be contacted regarding the matter. (Mysteries of the Universe) Following this interaction, it is unknown what became of her, or whether the woman speaking was even Olivia herself (the voice actress was not portrayed by Samantha Mathis).

Trivia[]

  • On the DVD commentary track for "The Man Behind the Curtain", executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse describe Horace and Olivia as factoring significantly in the future "game plan" for Lost.
  • Olivia is referred to as Horace's wife in the episode's script.
  • Olivia's surname was never revealed in the show. Her married surname is listed as Olivia Goodspeed on ABC's Lost website and was referred to as Horace Goodspeed's wife in the casting call, script, and pop-ups in "Cabin Fever-Enhanced".
    • A wedding ring is visible on the ring finger of her left hand during the school scene and previously when she aids Emily Linus after she gives birth. Her wedding ring in one scene also appears to match Horace's (though he later remarries). Neither Samantha Mathis nor Doug Hutchison were married in real life at the time of the episode's production, so this was not a production error.

Unanswered questions[]

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Olivia/Theories
  1. 1.0 1.1 The fictional in-universe Mysteries of the Universe (1982) documentary based on the elusive nature of the Dharma Initiative's connection to people's disappearances is a Season 5 DVD extra considered canonical by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.
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