From Lostpedia

Rachel Carlson

Portrayed by

Robin Weigert

Savannah Lathem (child)

First seen

"Not in Portland"

Last seen

"The Incident, Part 2"

Appeared in

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Mentioned in

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Episode count

3

Centric episode(s)

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Name

Rachel Carlson

Also known as

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Date of birth

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Date of death

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Origin

Miami, Florida, USA

Profession

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In Australia...

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On the plane...

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On the island...

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Family members

Juliet's father - Father
Juliet's mother - Mother
Juliet Burke - Sister
Julian Carlson - Son
Edmund Burke - Brother-in-law

Connection

Juliet's sister

Season(s)

S1 - S2 - S3 - MP - S4 - S5 - S6

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Rachel Carlson is Juliet's sister.

Childhood

A young Rachel is upset upon hearing the news of her parents divorce. ("The Incident, Parts 1 & 2")

Rachel parents divorced when she was still a child. Her sister reacted badly to the news, while Rachel was upset yet calmer. ("The Incident, Parts 1 & 2")

Illness

Due to chemotherapy to treat cancer, Rachel was left sterile. Juliet was secretly treating her with drugs she has stolen from Edmund Burke's laboratory. She revealed that she was miraculously pregnant, apparently after infertility caused by cancer, indicating that the medications Juliet gave worked. ("Not in Portland")

Cured

Rachel with her son Julian.

Ben Linus reported to Juliet that her sister's cancer had returned and that she would die in less than a few months. However, he also swore that if Juliet stayed he would cure Rachel. When Juliet replied you will never bring her on the Island, he replied that Jacob said he will take care of it himself ("One of Us"). On Wednesday, September 22, 2004, Ben took Juliet to see a live video feed in the The Flame of Rachel playing on a playground in Acadia Park with her son, Julian. ("One of Us")

Trivia

• In her room, Rachel keeps an octagon with the yin / yang symbol in its center. This is part of the pattern of the bagua which inspired the DHARMA logos.
• Additionally, there is a copy of Carrie on the same bedstand.

Name

• Rachel is the name of Jacob's wife in the Book of Genesis. Rachel was disgraced because she had borne no children to Jacob, but her sister and second wife of Jacob, Leah, bore six children (Genesis 30). In the end, God grants Rachel children, one of whom is Joseph (essentially restoring her honor). Rachel died in childbirth with her second son Benjamin.
• Her last name appeared on the medical chart that Ben showed Juliet revealing that Rachel's cancer had returned. ("One of Us")
• The name "Rachel Carlson" is similar to Rachel Carson, who is the author of "Silent Spring", a seminal work that documented the harmful effects of pesticides on birds and on the environment as a whole. Carson's research showed that pesticides like DDT caused the egg shells of birds to become too thin, among other reproductive problems.

Additional casting

Savannah Lathem depicted the young Rachel in "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2". The casting call described her as "Young Donna, Caucasian. 12-year-old brunette. Natalie's older sister. Tries to act more grown-up and stoic. Can hide her feelings while Natalie acts out. Her parents tell her they are divorcing, and Donna is upset, quietly crying." ^[1]

Unanswered questions

• Did Jacob visit her off of the Island in order to heal her as Ben claimed?

References

Juliet Burke Portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell and Rylee Fansler Centric episodes "Not in Portland" • "One of Us" • "The Other Woman" • "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2" Non-centric flashbacks "A Tale of Two Cities" (Jack centric) Mobisodes The Deal" • "Operation: Sleeper" • "Room 23" • "The Envelope" Flashback characters 26-year-old woman • Adam • Airport guard • Richard Alpert • Amelia • Mikhail Bakunin • Edmund Burke • Julian Carlson • Mr. Carlson • Mrs. Carlson • Rachel Carlson • Diana • Tom Friendly • Henrietta • Benjamin Linus • Morgue employee • Ethan Rom • Sabine • Sherry • Goodwin Stanhope • Harper Stanhope Items Tape • Tape recorder • Test Drug • Carrie