Lost (TV Series) Ab Aeterno (2010) User Reviews

Lost saves the best for last...

[dromichaetes86 · 10/10 · 25 March 2010]

This has everything you (the LOST fan) wanted all packed in 45 minutes:

• a definitive explanation of the island's purpose, - the answer to "who is good and who is evil between Jacob and the man in black?", - the answer to "is Hurley insane or does he really see dead people?"

and FINALLY...

• Richard's story in a full episode dedicated to him, arguably one of the most interesting episodic characters.

I won't be surprised if this will be remembered as one of the best or maybe even THE best episode in the series. (it will certainly be in my book)

The best episode of Lost ever?

[tim-bayliss · 10/10 · 24 March 2010]

The best episode of Lost... ever?

Even if others disagree with that statement - it is absolutely the most revealing episode in a long time, maybe ever.

For those of you who have stuck with this show since Season 1, you'll be pleased to know you finally get a full episode dedicated to Richard.

Obviously I have to be spoiler free, so there's not much more I can say.

I will finish by saying this is probably my favorite episode of Lost of all time - and i'm glad I didn't get bored and stop watching like many others.

The information delivery is staggering - and secrets are actually revealed for once - something that is very rare for Lost - which usually stretches things out for as long as possible in the most frustrating and pointless manner possible.

Incredible acting, best episode for a long time, maybe ever.

10/10 - MUST WATCH.

The best episode

[luli_58242 · 10/10 · 25 March 2010]

Richard Alpert has been my favorite character since I found out that he doesn't age. I've been waiting for this episode for years, and I have to say it didn't disappoint me in any aspect. The narrative was perfect. The story was perfect. The shoots, the cameras, the script, the performances, the clothes... Everything was perfect. Nestor Carbonell showed how good he is as an actor. And the bottle metaphor... Just amazing. This episode showed the essence of Lost. The most important answers that the series was carrying "What's this place?", "Who's Jacob?", "Why the Smoke monster kills people?", the most important questions have been answered. I wish I could vote this episode a 20 out of 10.

A masterpiece of storytelling lore

[amplifiedheart-2 · 10/10 · 24 March 2010]

So finally here it is ladies and gentleman... the enigma of Richard Alpert resolved in all the jaw-dropping-suspenseful glory. From me this is the best episode of Lost final season so far, and the writers really went head on to reveal much of the connecting story in the Lost universe.

Richard's fate is really heartbreaking, and his tragic love story will make you connect to his character like never before. We finally get the background, how he came to the island, how he met Jacob and our nemesis currently in Locke form. We also find out little details of shipwreck, how the colossal statue was broken and, of course - why Richard stays forever young.

This episode adds so much background lore to the world of Lost, you almost crave for more answers like how Jacob got to the island or was he always there and what's the true story behind "Man in Black" and how did he become evil incarnate. Perhaps all questions won't be answered but for now - we can enjoy this fantastic mystery slowly resolve... Lets hope they deliver more episodes like this!

outstanding.

[mikerowerush · 27 March 2010]

one of the standout episodes of the ENTIRE series..a truly stunning look back on the life of richard and his origins.i can not praise it enough.nestor carbonell's acting raised this above just a simple story and formed it into what i believe,will be a pivotal point in the entire lost story..remember when "locke" met richard on the beach and said "good to see you out of those chains" ?...precisely what the man in black said to richard when finding him in the bowels of the black rock....i can not remember that last time i watched ANY TV show and it gripped me as much as this episode did.the story was excellent and i really think it is going to be viewed as one of THE best episodes that have ever been transmitted.

Best Episode of the Final Season So Far (SPOILERS)

[McGeckoWilson · 10/10 · 23 March 2010]

We finally learn the secrets behind Lost's most mysterious character, Richard Alpert. Nestor Carbonell is fantastic, speaking mostly Spanish throughout the entire episode. We finally see his personal back-story, involving his wife Isabella and his enslavement, and also two very important questions are answered: How does Richard never age and what is his connection to Jacob? Even more interesting is how we see more into the rivalry between Jacob and The Man in Black. Also, we finally learn what brought The Black Rock to the Island (if you haven't figured it out yet) and what destroyed the Egyptian Statue. It reaches a bit of a slow point about halfway through when Richard is chained inside of the ship, alone, for about fifteen minutes of the episode's run-time but otherwise this is the moment that Lost fans have been waiting for. Especially in a fairly lackluster season, this is Lost at its finest.

"The Constant" of Richard Alpert

[TheFirst01 · 10/10 · 22 April 2020]

I have never been more satisfied by an episode. It answered you everything you need to know without being entirely specific and leaving some questions with ambiguity. Overall, I never would have thought that "The Constant" would have competition for best episode of the show. The fact that this season has been very slow so far makes it have a 9.3 instead of like a 9.7. A masterpiece of storytelling. If any of you have seen Westworld, this episode reminds me of "Kiksuya" (J.J Abrams is also a producer.)

Finally!

[realtvhrdbfq-1 · 10/10 · 24 March 2010]

When I started to watch Lost and got into it, the first thing that I wonder was about the others. I always wondered that where they came from, why they believe in a guy which has never seen. Now like all of fans of Lost, I understood that. The island is there to give a second chance who suffered through their lives. I watched this episode twice and in the second time, I clearly understood the key sentence of this episode is "Their past doesn't matter." Jacob didn't care about their past and gave them a second chance to show the separation or conflict between good and bad. This is beyond great because it is not as genuine or unique as we expected. Actually I expected something mythological, something supernatural but it is just a simple demonstration of basic conflict of human souls.

But some questions still remain. We still don't know Jacob's and black smoke's past, we still don't know about Jacob's extraordinary "skills". I had doubts about the future of the show, I doubted that writers could not be able to answer our questions. But after this episodes, there is no doubt, sixth season is an answer to our questions and this quest, this puzzle will be completed and we can be sure of that Lost is one of the greatest TV shows of all times.

Amazing!!!!!!!

[mh6811 · 10/10 · 24 March 2010]

This weeks episode was indeed a masterpiece! I consider this episode along with the seasons premiere the two best episodes this season. When all is said and done I consider Lost as a whole a great series. Yes they have stretched things out for far too long. But it's episodes like this that make me long for the 20 plus episodes we use to be given. The show after the writers strike had great moments but tended to lag on. Enter Richards episode, a massive and wonderful recovery as well as very well acted. I hope the show now steamrolls its way towards finishing the series strong! Episodes like this make me sad the show is coming to an end.

The magical storytelling of Lost is at its best here

[karlmccorry · 10/10 · 4 April 2022]

I came to the Lost party in 2020, long after the show had aired while we were in COVID lockdown and got to see it all through a massive binge!.

The effort the writers went to while fleshing out peoples favourite characters has been epic.

I'm rewatching the series and this is my favourite episode. The mystery of Richard Alpert is one that carried throughout the show.....this episode is a masterpiece. I won't spoil any of it, but do yourself a favour and watch this one again and again.

There were so many great episodes of Lost, the ones that stand above all others are this and 'The Constant' in season 4. Both brought tears to my eyes and I wished I could write like that!.

"Now THAT I can do..."

[tudordanandrei · 10/10 · 7 February 2019]

Quite possibly one of the top 5 best episodes of Lost, and definitely the single greates scene in the whole show(the only one that comes close is the one in the Walkabout episode, when we discover Locke's past accompanied by the legendary words "Don't tell me what I can't do!") where Jacob tells Richard what the island is and we lear how Richard got on the island, and more importantly how he became immortal. This is every reason why Lost was so damn great.

Richard's enlightening story, intense Carbonell performance, immersive production, wicked dialogs and major Island puzzle piece

[igoatabase · 8/10 · 24 March 2010]

Who's the mysterious Richard Alpert ? As enigmatic as Desmond and Jacob his rare appearances have always been intense and unexpected. Played by Nestor Carbonell the actor managed to make the character even more puzzling as it often appears he has no idea what's going on nor what he should do next. It was even more obvious in Recon considering how desperate he was but Jack gave him hope, or not. So it was logical after all these seasons to finally dedicate him a strong and faithful episode.

It took me a while to get into it because they decided to twist the usual alternative stories. But changes are welcome when they're done so brilliantly. First Carbonell did an excellent job and learning more about Richard's past was quite interesting. It reminded me of educational novels like Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal and all these sentimental films where men and women have to save their love. Second the production was top notch, from the visual effects to the apocalyptic weather. At times the ambiance reminded me of Sundown and I even suddenly started at one point. Indeed the events were so unpredictable and the dialogs so strange that I wasn't sure until the very end where Richard really was.

Location, location. Yes because it was also a lot about the Island. What is it ? We got some answers to that question too as we already did with the "Where" one in season 5. My only complain would be that it didn't last long enough. It was more about the past than the present and future. But at least from now on we sort of know what's going on and I'm very intrigued about the Candidates next move. That's why I strongly don't recommend watching it to viewers obsessed with spoiler-free stuff ! In fact I'm not even sure I've seen it because it felt like designing a maze for a forbidden garden. Maybe my thoughts were just trapped between heaven and hell.

Ricardo and his story

[mysteroctober · 10/10 · 25 March 2010]

I really enjoyed this episode and Mirelly Taylor as Isabella. What a great story behind Richard and his way to the island. I was totally entertained and as my wife watched with me (she is totally disinterested in Lost and confused by what is going on) she commented on "who is that woman?" I just answered obviously she is some one that He cared about deeply...

OK so without spoiling the episode even though its the day later, I really like how they tied up the loose end about the boat. They have almost tied up all the loose ends, and even the statue being broken.

So I cried at the end with Richard and his wife... Though Hurly kind of got in the way. I have always thought in the back of my mind since the first season exactly what Richard said about where they were...

So I am wanting more Richard and less man in black...

The Best Episode of the Sixth Season

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 22 April 2013]

Ilana recalls when Jacob asked her to protect the six candidates to replace him. Ilana asks Richard what to do next and he leaves the group telling that he has no idea.

In flashback, in 1867, in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Richard, a.k.a. Ricardo travels in a stormy night to bring a doctor to help his beloved wife Isabella that is dying. However, the doctor does not accept the little money that he has and does not give the medicine for Isabella. They struggle and Ricardo accidentally kills the doctor. When he returns home, Isabella is dead and Ricardo is sent to prison to be hanged. However he is sold as slave and travels to the New World chained aboard of the Black Rock. There is a tsunami and the ship knocks in the statue in the island and stops in the woods. The smoke monster kills the survivors and the Man in Black releases Ricardo. Soon he learns that there is a fight between the Man in Black, who believes that mankind is evil, and Jacob, who believes that mankind is good. Jacon offers immortality to Ricardo to work for him. But the Man in Black tells that his offer is still open.

"Ab Aeterno", which means "from eternity" in Latin, is the best episode of this confused Six Season and one of the best of "Lost" ever. The dramatic and supernatural story of Ricardo, a.k.a. Ricardo, is engaging and with top-notch performances. The relationship between the Man in Black and Jacob is explained a little further. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Ab Aeterno"

Woah

[abortamir · 10/10 · 12 March 2021]

One of the best episode out there yet. This episode explain everything about the island.

My favorite Episode

[ciesum · 10/10 · 18 July 2020]

Love this episode as it's so unique. Almost like a short movie on its own. Love the back story and context that is given. Having 90% of the episode as a flashback certainly doesn't hurt

Best TV episode of 2010

[saintsman333 · 1 January 2011]

This is by far the best episode of TV all year (written on January 1st, 2011) and I've seen a LOT of TV. It gives background to my favorite character, the mysterious Richard Alpert and answers several questions about the island, such as: -Who is the Man in Black? -What is the connection between the MiB and Jacob? -How does Richard not age? And many others. Go download it on iTunes, even if you have NO idea what LOST is. There is no pre-required viewing for this episode, except for maybe the first 5 minutes or so. It's a great thing to own. I've seen it 6 times an I haven't gotten bored with it. You have to watch it, a definite 10 out of 10.

From eternity

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 27 September 2018]

When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.

It, Season 6 that is, started promisingly enough with "LA X", both parts, before reaching disappointment with the still watchable "What Kate Does", which had great moments but a dull and soap-heavy central story. "The Substitute" was a step up and one of the best of the episodes up to this point of the season (second best), but not one of the best 'Lost' episodes, did find a couple of issues with it but can understand why critically it has been positively received. "Lighthouse" to me was uneven but decent, and "Sundown" and especially "Dr Linus" were excellent.

"Ab Aeterno" is easily the best of Season 6 up this point of the season. Would go as far to say it's the high point of the season, one of the best episodes of the latter seasons and one of the show's best even, certainly one of my personal favourites and the only episode up to this point of the sixth season to not have anything wrong with it.

Pace is tight and none of the writing is taut and not soapy. There are even more shocks and the answers and revelations to the mysteries provided are wholly unpredictable. There is more story clarity than the previous episodes and character motivations are not as vague as some of the previous Season 6 episodes.

Of all the episodes of the show, up to this point of the season, of the season overall and ever, "Ab Aeterno" is the most illuminating in terms of revelations and twists. It all makes sense and in no way feels disjointed. The story is utterly gripping, full of suspense and has emotion. The story and character development feels advanced rather than going backwards, being reiterated or ground to a halt. Richard Alpert always intrigued but not quite as much as he did here, this is the most developed he's ever been up to this point.

Acting can't be faulted, with Nestor Carbonell giving his best performance of the show. The visuals are slick and stylish, the music chilling and understated, the writing tightly structured and the direction showing ferocity and control. The more action-oriented parts are unpredictable and superbly choreographed.

In summary, outstanding. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Superior episode

[gridoon2024 · 9/10 · 25 March 2010]

There was a lot of hype surrounding "Ab Aeterno" before its TV premiere, partly because it would be the first Richard-centric episode of the series, and partly because it would be a (refreshing, to be honest) break from the frustrating flash-sideways of the rest of season 6. Does it live up to the hype? Largely, YES. There is some awkward dialogue at the start, particularly between Jack and Ilana, and Ben's "If it's any consolation he's not exactly Locke", but as soon as we embark (no pun intended) on the extended flashback (ala "The Other 48 Days", "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham") of Richard's life, "Ab Aeterno" gets on the right track. Sure, there are parts of his story that had already been made pretty clear (he arrived on the island as a slave on the Black Rock), but it's nice to have some closure on such questions as how old he really is (by my estimations, around 170!), when Jacob granted him his immortality, how the Statue was destroyed, etc. Of course we get new info (mostly about his wife, beautifully played by Mirelly Taylor), and new questions as well (are there more than one smoke monsters on the island? Because, at one point, Richard's dead wife appears to him and you think the only reasonable explanation is that MIB is impersonating her; but then the smoke monster is (clearly) heard and (not so clearly) seen in another place!). The Jacob-MIB conflict has never been more intriguing since "The Incident"; both show little regard for human life, but I must admit that Jacob's hypocritical self-righteousess, deliberate obscurity, and lack of rewards (even Richard's immortality is given to him mostly to keep him as his "slave" for eternity) make me side more with MIB right now. Nestor Carbonell gives by far his best performance on the series so far, Tucker Gates' direction is very cinematic (just like it was in "The Substitute" - is he taking Jack Bender's crown this season?), and Michael Giacchino proves his genius once again with a powerful new music theme for Richard. ***1/2 out of 4.

One of the greatest episodes to ever grace tv

[dafyddmorris-91440 · 10/10 · 28 August 2020]

Big up my man Ricardo, he's been through the trenches and come out on top 💪🏻💯

Regarding the Spanish spoken in this chapter

[chiaviah · 8/10 · 4 February 2012]

Regarding the Spanish accents which were discussed by another person earlier in this forum, I'd like to add a couple of points. I'm Spanish myself, and always listen very carefully to people speaking in Spanish in foreign productions, since in many cases they make horrible mistakes (I have published a couple of reviews about this subject in IMDb). In this case, the Ricardo character does a very good job of it: please remember he's not supposed to be Castilian, he's from Tenerife!! People down there have an accent that can be easily mistaken for a Caribbean or Southamerican accent, and which is totally different to that of mainland Spain, and sounds very exotic. So, everything is fine in that regard. As a matter of fact, I went into IMDb to find out about his nationality, since it is not easy to find a Spanish actor speaking such good Englich. What poses a slight problem is his wife's accent, which can probably be Mexican (she sounded a bit like Selma Hayek), although I really can't determine it; in any case, it wasn't from the Canaries or Spain. Since she only speaks a couple of lines, it is no great deal.

The priest and doctor, from a native-speaker point of view, were not from Tenerife, but from mainland Spain; their accents are not Canarian. It wouldn't be strange to imagine the elites in the XIX century as emigrants from the mainland. Nowadays, everyone in the Canaries, be it doctor, priest etc, would have a strong accent very different from mainland Spanish if born & raised there (listen, for ex, how our Minister for Industry and Tourism speaks).

As a professional translator and linguist, I find though very unbelievable that a humble Canarian peasant in the XIX century could teach himself the kind of English Ricardo speaks at the beginning of the chapter just by reading the Bible (and, even more difficult to believe, that he could understand the English and American accents without difficulties such as he does)! People in XXI century Spain, who have access to all kind of media in English, speak much worse English than that...

Very good

[diego1222 · 10/10 · 27 December 2020]

The only good episode of this season along with the last episode

Definitely a unique and likely a stand-out episode for the series

[elchileverde · 8/10 · 7 April 2010]

With so much praise for the episode, I want rate it a little more critically. I'd almost give it a 9 or 10 if it wasn't for the story dragging a little in the beginning with Ricardo's tragic fate on the Spanish island of Tenerife. We're also left to wonder if the season 5 finale had Jacob and the Man in Black looking at the Black Rock or was it another ship? And how did stormy waters drag a ship all the way into the jungle and throw it at the Island statue with enough force to destroy it completely (and if that's so, shouldn't the Black Rock been reduced to smithereens? wood hitting rock???)?

Nestor Carbonell indeed did a decent job portraying Ricardo in the 19th century. His Spanish accent was not bad (I've certainly heard worse, he kinda had more of a foreigner doing a Caribbean/Latin American accent rather than anything near a Castillian accent) though keeping a well- done Spanish accent when speaking English lines was a great touch! I was much more impressed by the casting of the other Spanish characters, with the doctor and the priest having near perfect accents for Spaniards (and I believe both are American-born actors of Spanish/Latin American descent). Hurley also fit perfectly I think as a Chicano character relating and translating Spanish. And kudos to the writers as well for keeping it historically accurate with the 1867 date for the story...the same year dynamite was invented. I really thought they might flub it, setting the story earlier in time, but no!

And I think the episode really pays off at the end, thanks to the writers, director, and Nestor's acting in the final scene. Very heartfelt (something that was missing when Richard's wife dies of TB, too rushed in getting to the prison scene) and leaving everyone now wondering what is the deal with the island based on the wine bottle analogy made by Jacob to Richard.

Characters Spanish speaking

[acatala · 9/10 · 14 August 2012]

The accents of Ricardo and Isabella are American. This is a fact. I don't think they could tell they are Canary Islands citizens. But I don't see any problem with this: Nestor Carbonell is not from there, so he does not speak as they do. Period.

The only people who can notice this is Spanish speaking people, or even only Spaniards, because I don't know if Spanish speaking American (south and central America) can distinguish among accents from Spanish regions.

The point that is hard to believe, as noticed by another fellow before me, is how he can learn English by reading a Bible. But, after all, this is fiction it is not the real world.

Coming back to the episode.... superb !!. I love it.

Finally a good episode in this season

[agen006 · 10/10 · 7 August 2010]

Up until this episode it was almost painful to watch how uncreative extremely predictable everything was in Lost this season. I could literally predict a lot of the "dialog" and events in the previous episodes. I sometimes found myself forcing to continue to watch season 6 just to see how Lost ends. However this episode, along with The Constant, was a masterpiece and definitely an episode to remember. The episode actually gives some more insight to Lost instead of just raising more questions and does in in a really creative way.

I would say that Ab Aeterno redeems Lost for its failed first half of season 6.

Hope the next episodes will be decent too.