Raised by Another

"Raised by Another" is the tenth episode of the first season of Lost. The episode was directed by Marita Grabiak and written by Lynne E. Litt. It first aired on December 1, 2004 on ABC. The character of Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin) is featured in the episode's flashbacks.

Plot

Flashbacks

Claire takes a pregnancy test with the assistance of her boyfriend, Thomas (Keir O'Donnell), and it's positive. Thomas reassures her that everything will be fine and they'll be good parents. Claire goes to a psychic, Richard Malkin (Nick Jameson), who knows she's pregnant, but becomes upset and refuses to tell Claire what he "saw". One day when Thomas comes home, he tells Claire he's leaving her, saying that he's not ready for the responsibility. Claire returns to the psychic and asks him for another reading. He automatically knows that Thomas left her and warns her that what he sees may not be pleasant. He says that Claire must raise the baby by herself, and that if it is parented by anyone else it will be in danger. The psychic repeatedly calls Claire, and she tells him she's going to an adoptive services agency. Claire is about to sign papers so a married couple could adopt her baby. However, none of the pens she tries works. After thinking it over, she walks out on the adoption agency, and goes to the psychic. He gives her $6,000 and a ticket on Flight 815 and says a couple in Los Angeles will adopt the baby and give her an additional $6,000. Initially Claire is skeptical about giving her child to complete strangers in Los Angeles, but the psychic assures her 'They're not strangers, they're good people'. Even though Claire finds this change of heart suspicious she accepts.

On the Island

On Day 15, October 6, 2004, Claire Littleton wakes up from dreams screaming two nights in a row. In the first, Claire wakes to find herself no longer pregnant. She walks into the forest and encounters John Locke at a table, playing cards with black and white chequered cards. She asks, "What's happening?" Locke tells her, "You know what's happening." She is asking him why he is there, but Locke interrupts, telling her "It was your responsibility, but you gave him away, Claire, everyone pays the price now." He looks up with one white and black eye. She hears crying and goes to a baby crib. After unfolding several layers of material she dips her hands into a pool of blood and then wakes screaming and has injured her hands digging her nails deeply into her palms. In the second dream, someone holds her down and injects something into her stomach, however, she has no wound. This attack persuades Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia) to take a census of the survivors to have a clear idea of who is actually on the island.

The next day, while conducting his census, Hurley talks to Ethan Rom (William Mapother), who seems concerned about giving his information to Hurley. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) suggests to Claire that she wasn't attacked and offers her a sedative. Claire angrily leaves the caves to move to the beach.

Boone Carlyle (Ian Somerhalder) tells Hurley that Sawyer has the flight manifest, and that could help him take the census. Sawyer surprisingly gives it to Hurley without any objection. While Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) is trying to help Claire move back to the beach, she starts having contractions. Charlie says he can deliver the baby, but after he accidentally confesses to Claire that he's a recovering drug addict, she yells at him to get Jack, which leaves her alone in the jungle.

Charlie finds Ethan and tells him that Claire is in labor and to get Jack. Charlie goes back to comfort Claire, who tells him the story about the psychic. Charlie suggests that the psychic knew the flight was going to crash, and this was his way of forcing Claire to raise the baby by herself. Claire stops having contractions.

A badly wounded Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) returns to camp and tells the others about Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan), and that other people are on the island besides the plane survivors. Locke looks on from the shadows with his arms crossed. Just as Hurley reveals to Jack that one of the survivors is not listed on the flight manifest, Claire's contractions begin to calm down. They are then met by Ethan, who looks on ominously.

Reception

17.15 million American viewers watched this episode live.^[1]

References

External links

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• "Raised by Another" at ABC
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