"LOST" Retrospect: "The Wrong Promise"
"LOST" RETROSPECT: "THE WRONG PROMISE"
While going over old "LOST" articles and forums, I had come across a post that asked members how they would have ended the series. After reading several other sites and articles, I had my answer. There were two things I would have changed. I would have included two other original characters in that final scene inside the afterlife church. And I would have removed one line from the transcript for the series finale, (6.17-6.18) "The End".
But I am here to discuss the second change. I wish that showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had not allowed Kate Austen to promise Claire Littleton that she would help raise the latter’s three-year-old son Aaron after reaching civilization. Following the demise of the Man in Black aka the Smoke Monster, Kate and fellow castaway James "Sawyer" Ford made their escape from the island, while the latter was crumbling. Dr. Jack Shephard and Desmond Hume had unplugged the island's electromagnetic energy in order to make the Smoke Monster mortal. Kate and Sawyer used Desmond's boat Elizabeth to travel to the nearby Hydra Island, where the patched up Ajira 316 plane awaited them. Near the shore of Hydra Island, Kate and Sawyer found Claire, distraught over being abandoned again. Kate convinced Claire to follow her and all three made it aboard the Ajira plane. During the flight away from the island, Claire had expressed her fear of being a bad mother to her son Aaron, whom she had not seen in three years. To reassure Claire, Kate promised to help the former raise her three year-old son. And here is where Lindelof and Cuse made their mistake.
Now, I realize that Kate was simply trying to assure an agitated Claire that everything would be all right, once the latter was reunited with Aaron. Especially since Claire had been stuck on the island for three years and had not seen her son. Yet, a part of me suspected there was more at play. Because as far as I am concerned, Kate’s promise to help raise Aaron struck me as the wrong one to make. Why? It was not possible for her to meet this promise.
In the Season Four episode (4.04) "Eggtown", Kate's attorney had made a deal with prosecutors to allow her to take a probation deal, instead of face more trials over other crimes like insurance fraud and bank robbery. He used Kate's reputation as one of the Oceanic Six - one of the few Oceanic survivors who managed to return to their respective countries back in January 2005 - as a reason they would find it difficult to convict her. Personally, I found this argument ridiculous, but Cuse and Lindelof allowed it to stick. The probation forced Kate to remain in the United States and California for at least ten years. When she had departed Los Angeles on the Ajira Flight 316 in Season Five's (5.06) "316", Kate had broken the terms of her ten-year probation after two years.
According to the show’s canon, the period between "316" and "The End" spanned roughly two weeks. Chances are, Kate had left the country under an assumed name. And since Ajira 316 had been missing for two weeks, I suspect a great deal of publicity would have generated from the plane's return to civilization. I would not be surprised if not long after her return to civilization or U.S. territory - the plane was originally destined for Guam Island, Kate ended up in prison for breaking her probation. And once the authorities also learned she had lied about being Aaron's biological mother, there is a chance they would have prosecuted her for the New Mexico bank robbery and other crimes. Worse, Kate's mother - if she was still alive - might consider testifying against Kate over Wayne Jenssen's murder. After all, Kate had never been cleared or convicted for that crime.
Even if Kate had simply decided to follow Claire to Australia, I do not see the chances of her playing a future role in Aaron's life. One might consider the possibility of Kate moving to Australia after serving time in prison for breaking her probation. That is another possibility I do not see happening. Why do I have doubts about both possibilities? I doubt very much that the Australian government would have allowed Kate to re-enter the country. Before Oceanic 815 had departed Sydney, Australia; Kate had entered the country under a false name and as a fugitive from the law. Which means she had entered Australia illegally. I just cannot see the Australian immigration authorities allowing her to set foot on the country's soil again.
Also, why would Claire need Kate’s help in raising Aaron? Kate had left the three year-old in custody of his biological grandmother, Carole Littleton, less than a day before leaving the United States. Ms. Littleton had custody of Aaron by the end of the series. And to be honest, I believe she would be the best person to serve as Aaron’s guardian, considering the tenuous nature of Claire’s mental state in the series finale. I certainly cannot see Ms. Littleton allowing Kate, a criminal who had deliberately kept her grandson away from her for nearly three years, near Aaron while he remained a minor. In fact, I do not even see Claire allowing Kate to be anywhere near Aaron. Hell, I would never allow a child abductor with a series of crimes hovering around her, near my offspring again . . . even if that person had helped me get off the island.
All I can say is . . . what were Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof thinking when they had allowed Kate to make that promise to Claire in "The End"? They could have found another way for Kate to ease the young Australian woman’s fears other than with a promise she had very little chance of fulfilling. And for the past thirteen years, many "LOST" fans have automatically believed that Kate had helped Claire raise Aaron. Without Carole Littleton’s help. Now that I think about it . . . what were they thinking?