Did she end up stealing someone's identity? Does surviving a plane crash clear you of your charges?

Somehow I can't see them going "Oh, well, since you survived a plane crash and the Marshall that was supposed to bring you into custody died and everything, we're just going to set you free." Even if someone is covering up the crash or what happened on the island, Kate would still be considered a criminal. And it seemed like she had settled down. So maybe it really is an alternate timeline where she never killed her stepfather and she settled down with one of her men.

She had to have stolen someone's identity.

She could have been pardoned. You never know, but this did surprise me as well. I figured that Kate, in the end, would want to stay on the island because as least she would be free there. Not only that, but she is living in L.A., and must not be on the run anymore if Jack is able to contact her and they automatically know where to meet.

She didn't seem hurried or nervous when she met Jack...So has her name been cleared - or has she assumed the identity of one of the other survivors left on the island?

Jack said something about the airline giving them unlimited flyer miles...I really doubt the law would just forgive Kate Austin 'cause she'd been a castaway!

I think she definitely changed her name, but then again I'm sure they got a TON of publicity after being rescued that someone would have to recognize her as a fugitive. Something's not right here.

I'm sure they'd be happy to clear her record--to ensure her silence.

I'm sure they'd be happy to clear her record--to ensure her silence.


Why not just silence them with a gun?

My theory, that I have posted in other threads, is that once the Losties are rescued off of the island, they are rescued into an "alternate future". Said fugure being one where Kate is no longer a fugitive, Christian is alive, and whatever else we don't know yet.

I believe that at least Jack is aware of the difference between his past and his "new" present and that's one reason for his instability in the future-flash. Obviously someone dies, a someone that upsets Jack to the point of suicide, which I think is a product of the altered future. Jack wants to go back to the island to correct the future.

As Locke said "You aren't supposed to do this" or something along those lines.

Maybe she was pardoned.

i like the idea of an altered future. That sounds like a good reason why jack would want to go back to the island. He feels he needs to correct something that went wrong during the process.
Why else would he be so desperate to return to the island? He has really has no reason to go back, yet.

I posted this before, but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe it was going up while the threads were merging...

I could see it going this way:

The major witnesses for the prosecution, Kate's mother and the US Marshall, Edward Mars, are both dead. The defense makes a case for justifiable homicide, saying Kate was protecting her mother from an abuser who tried to harm her as well. With no one to argue against that story, there's enough reasonable doubt. Then, the defense parades as many Losties as they can muster as character witnesses, to mitigate things by telling stories of all the good Kate did on the island. In light of what she's been through, the judge is even more lenient. The charge is plea bargained down to manslaughter, and she gets off with probation, or a suspended sentence.

I'm sure they'd be happy to clear her record--to ensure her silence.
I thought maybe this was the case or she had been pardoned due to some of her heroics on the Island.

I posted this before, but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe it was going up while the threads were merging...

I could see it going this way:

The major witnesses for the prosecution, Kate's mother and the US Marshall, Edward Mars, are both dead. The defense makes a case for justifiable homicide, saying Kate was protecting her mother from an abuser who tried to harm her as well. With no one to argue against that story, there's enough reasonable doubt. Then, the defense parades as many Losties as they can muster as character witnesses, to mitigate things by telling stories of all the good Kate did on the island. In light of what she's been through, the judge is even more lenient. The charge is plea bargained down to manslaughter, and she gets off with probation, or a suspended sentence.

This sounds very plausible too.

I also wondered the same thing about why Kate was not in jail. Another thing I'm curious about is how all of the Losties' actions on the island will be treated with regard to the law. If they killed someone on the island, will they get in trouble for it?

Am I the only one who noticed KATE WAS NOT IN JAIL FOR MURDER in the future????

You aren't the only one who noticed, but we have no idea. She was brought up very late in the episode, and her freedom wasnt mentioned at all.

I posted this before, but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe it was going up while the threads were merging...

I could see it going this way:

The major witnesses for the prosecution, Kate's mother and the US Marshall, Edward Mars, are both dead. The defense makes a case for justifiable homicide, saying Kate was protecting her mother from an abuser who tried to harm her as well. With no one to argue against that story, there's enough reasonable doubt. Then, the defense parades as many Losties as they can muster as character witnesses, to mitigate things by telling stories of all the good Kate did on the island. In light of what she's been through, the judge is even more lenient. The charge is plea bargained down to manslaughter, and she gets off with probation, or a suspended sentence.

Okay, but what about the bank robbery? The marshal knew about that, so it must have been part of the charges against her.

If they killed someone on the island, will they get in trouble for it?

Good question for a lawyer to answer. The island is presumably not part of any nation's jurisdiction. The U.S. certainly couldn't prosecute.

I agree with the earlier post basically saying that the moment that Jack let the phone call go through, he's altered the future (hence Locke saying "You aren't supposed to do this.") I think Season4 could seriously be significantly off-island and dealing with Jack trying to set the "future" right.

If Kate made it back like we saw last night, she would have to be a fugitive. She is probably in hiding and it might explain why she seemed so secretive and wouldn't go to a funeral. I bet she has assumed another alias as well.

Actually I was thinking since Jack mentioned his father more then once, that the present time they are in is different then what it should be.
Jacks dad is alive and Kate is no longer wanted. She has a phone he could call and a nice car. Makes me think she isn't in hiding.

My theory is that everyone who gets off the island gets one Gold Pass from Oceanic Air and one wish granted. Kate's wish would be to be free and not in prison.

It seems to me that as part of getting off the island alive, the Losties made some sort of deal that apparently includes not contacting each other and not telling anyone about the island. That would explain Kate's secretiveness.

It might stand to reason that as part of this deal, those with shady pasts were allowed to escape them. Kate and Sawyer might have been given new names and their criminal histories eliminated. Sun and Jin might have been allowed to remain "dead" so her father would not look for them, etc. Jack, would have wanted to go back to his old life, as he didn't have anything so obvious to espace.

This still leaves open the possibility of things being different. I'm on board with that idea, but its not neccessarily part of the explanation for Kate not being a fugitive.

I was thinking it wasn't so much a flash of the future as the kind of vision that Desmond had. The reality of Desmond's visions change anytime an element of the vision changes.

Maybe Kate still has Joanna's ID or maybe she was never officially wanted at all but the marshall was obsessed with catching her and proving she killed Wayne.

It seems to me that as part of getting off the island alive, the Losties made some sort of deal that apparently includes not contacting each other and not telling anyone about the island. That would explain Kate's secretiveness.

It might stand to reason that as part of this deal, those with shady pasts were allowed to escape them. Kate and Sawyer might have been given new names and their criminal histories eliminated. Sun and Jin might have been allowed to remain "dead" so her father would not look for them, etc. Jack, would have wanted to go back to his old life, as he didn't have anything so obvious to espace.

This still leaves open the possibility of things being different. I'm on board with that idea, but its not neccessarily part of the explanation for Kate not being a fugitive.
I really don't think the authorities would just GIVE Kate (and possibly Sawyer) a new identity. The only way she would be free (aside from wishes and different time lines) is if she pretended to be a dead passenger. And even then, I'm not sure she would be able to get away with it because there's no way she could know which passengers might have huge families and tons of friends waiting back at home.

Maybe Kate still has Joanna's ID or maybe she was never officially wanted at all but the marshall was obsessed with catching her and proving she killed Wayne.

That theory makes no sense at all. Kate's mother ratted her out. It wasn't just one rogue Marshal who was after her. If that had been the case, she could have just reported him.

I really don't think the authorities would just GIVE Kate (and possibly Sawyer) a new identity. The only way she would be free (aside from wishes and different time lines) is if she pretended to be a dead passenger. And even then, I'm not sure she would be able to get away with it because there's no way she could know which passengers might have huge families and tons of friends waiting back at home.

unless it wasnt the authorities that gave her a new identity. my opinion is that perhaps some major organization (like the Hanso foundation) helped them get settled into their lives in exchange for their silence about the island.

I like this idea. I've been speculating about how Kate could have gotten acquitted, or had her sentence suspended, but it makes more sense that some powerful organization might have just set her up with immunity in exchange for keeping her mouth shut. After all, there are any number of groups with vested interests in keeping the island a secret. If you don't want it's power to be abused, you don't want people to know about it. If you want to abuse its power, you don't want anyone else to know about it. So I like the concept that the Losties aren't allowed to tell anyone about what happened on the island, and they're not allowed to associate with eachother, so Jack and Kate had a secret meeting spot. In return, they're given new lives to whatever extent they need them, including new identities and immunity from prosecution.

I doubt that being stranded on an island is enough to get Kate a pardon for her crimes. She would most likely have been taken into custody upon their rescue and then imprisoned for life. But it certainly doesn't seem like she is in hiding any more, with Jack calling her on her cell phone and all. And when she arrived to meet with him she was well dressed and primped and certainly didn't have the appearance of someone "on the run". How is this possible?

I definitely think that Kate's ability to change her name, appearance, etc. coupled with the revelation that there was a staged plane crash labeling all the castaways as dead will play into this revelation that she is not in prison.

thats what i was thinking modoc!!!!
add this with the "golden pass" jack mentioned (i guess they can fly wherever now)
maybe the people who have ties with oceanic airlines also have ties into the government.....maybe immunity was offered for silence about the island....hmmmm...
100%
I definitely think that Kate's ability to change her name, appearance, etc. coupled with the revelation that there was a staged plane crash labeling all the castaways as dead will play into this revelation that she is not in prison.


ah, but what about jack?? he was back at work at the same hospital before his flight o' doom....so that right there show people in the outside world that some DID survive the plane crash

You just have to use your imagination. That was so far from the point of the flash-forward.

Maybe she was talking about someone looking for her when she said, "He'll be wondering where I am."

Maybe she was talking about someone looking for her when she said, "He'll be wondering where I am."
Maybe she's out on conditional parole in the care of a revivified Edward Mars (who's been calling weakly for assistance since the island healed his GSW in season 1.)

Seriously though, I think it's likely that a vast conspiracy is going to unfurl which will eventually see the Losties (or just Jack and Kate) pardoned of their crimes in return for keeping schtum about the island. Not sure how I feel about that.

Maybe she got a fair trial and was released on probation?

Seems odd especially as Jack was still using his real name and working etc.

She may well still be on the run for all we know.

Perhaps its some legal loophole - if a person is declared legally dead, can they be tried for crimes they have committed?

Perhaps some legal buffs can aide us.

Whomover rescued her gave her a new identity. Maybe the people who try to go back to their old lives go crazy, but peole who literally start over do well?

Yes, I noticed. I was wondering the same thing. I don't have a definitive answer unless everyone agreed to give her a new identity and say the real Kate was killed in the crash. Of course fingerprints would be a dead giveaway. But yes, this bothered me as well.:undecide:

I agree that Kate's freedom doesn't necessarily mean the charges against her have been dropped. The fact that she met Jack in a secluded place could mean any number of things. Kate wasn't exactly in disguise, but maybe if she's seen in public with Jack somebody might put two and two together.

maybe when you 'Die' your criminal history gets wiped clean, because you can't be taken to prison when your dead. So she just starts a "new life" AGAIN, there are alot of New lifes on LOST and slate wiping so this is probably just another view on that.

Jacob must have taken care of it personally

I'm thinking along those same lines, but one step further. Let's say the survivors left their own timeline when the plane crashed - not that they died - but that they simply ceased to have ever existed. Therefore, if they had never existed, what impact would that have on those around them and on the world in general?

Simple example: Jack. Jack would not have been around to report his father's drinking to the disciplinary board, the consequence of which speed along his father's demise. But now, what if by mistake, you were brought back into the current timeline. Time would have to instantly create a history for you - but not the same history you had "previously". Jack would still be Christian's son, but Christian would still be alive because in this newly created existence, Jack did not report him. The hard part would be that Jack would have a memory of living both lives. Another example using Jack: Sarah can walk today simply because Shannon and Boone had never existed. Their father's car wouldn't have run into her car (his life would be altered because Shannon & Boone had never existed). Sarah was still his wife in this current existence but not as a result of the surgery.

Now for the bigger picture - something else has to be at play. I'm wondering if the people on board were chosen for a reason (like most of us think); meaning, perhaps some organization was trying to identify the individual that would change history. If every one of the 47(?) survivors ceased to have ever existed, the world would change at large. Most of our surviors had crossed paths in their previous existence, so this 'research' group had narrowed their candidate list down to those individuals. Now, with all of the survivors wiped from history (by having the plane crash in a time warp of some sort), this group could measure the impact on history. Perhaps this group was trying to find a way of stopping something from happening (end of the world, etc), by indentifying the right person. Now, everything is screwed up because of the rescue ship (which wasn't supposed to happen). I don't know, but I think I'm giving myself a headache.

I suspect that the 'He' that Kate was referring to was Charles Widmore. He would likely have the influence to get Kate a new identity and persuade the authorities to stop looking for Kate Austen. He'd also certainly have the wealth to set Kate up in the lifestyle she appears to be accustomed to in the future. What he would want from Kate in return for these actions I shudder to contemplate.

In addition, it seems likely that Widmore has something to do with Naomi's expedition, since she had a picture of Desmond and Penny, and we know that Penny didn't give it to her. Who else would have an interest in those two?

kate> "he'll be wondering where i am" could that be a refferance to sawyer?

That wasn't really Kate.;)

http://thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=81387

My theory, that I have posted in other threads, is that once the Losties are rescued off of the island, they are rescued into an "alternate future". Said fugure being one where Kate is no longer a fugitive, Christian is alive, and whatever else we don't know yet.

I believe that at least Jack is aware of the difference between his past and his "new" present and that's one reason for his instability in the future-flash. Obviously someone dies, a someone that upsets Jack to the point of suicide, which I think is a product of the altered future. Jack wants to go back to the island to correct the future.

As Locke said "You aren't supposed to do this" or something along those lines.
I like your thinking DeeEast!

I thought that she was probably still on the run. That's why Jack apologises for calling her, they meet at night by the back of the airport service entrance, she is edgy and says she has to go. I assumed she still was 'wanted.'

She may still be a wanted woman, but she has to be living a pretty decent life - like when she was married to the cop dude. When she meets Jack, she has a nice car and looks all made up and clean. She definitely didn't seem on the run - not going from place to place anyway.

she has to be living a pretty decent life - like when she was married to the cop dude.
Right, just look at the Volvo - the prototypical family car - she's driving.
Isn't she technically still married to the cop?
Maybe she "just" returned to him and he exonerated her?
I'd like that! :smile:

Do you really think they are going to show us what is going to happen in the future? What they are showing us is what WOULD happen if the Losties were really rescued due to the call, which is what the Losties THINK is going to happen. But they aren't gonna be rescued..so that future is not what is going to happen. Jack a drug addict-alcoholic? Give me a break. Kate being tied down to someone and worried about being away for too long? Yea right. This is the future that isn't SUPPOSED to happen. THey aren't gonna show us what is going to happen. And of course Kate wouldn't be free. She would leave the island and go straight to jail. So no, this isn't what is going to happen.

Seems odd especially as Jack was still using his real name and working etc.

She may well still be on the run for all we know.


Doesn't seem that odd to me. Kate NEEDED a new identity to live free once off the island. So that was part of her deal with Dharma/Widmore when they are rescued and given their lives back. Jack wouldn't have wanted a totally new identity and life. He would have wanted to go back to his old life.