When it comes to Lost, few characters are as tragic as Daniel Faraday, and his inevitable death shows exactly why. Premiering in 2004, Lost became one of the most talked about shows of its time, with viewers anxious to uncover the mysteries of Lost‘s island and of the fates of the Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 passengers. While Lost‘s twisty plot was a thrill itself, the show wouldn’t have been half as popular had it not been for its cast.
There is no shortage of phenomenal characters in Lost, from the villainous Benjamin Linus to the complex comic relief Hugo “Hurley” Reyes. However, given the perilous predicament these characters found themselves in, it was inevitable that some of them wouldn’t make it to the end of the show. Many of Lost‘s most tragic deaths were those of characters who had been with the show since the pilot, but for a newer addition to the cast, Daniel Faraday’s passing certainly made the series gloomier.
Daniel Faraday’s Tragic Backstory In Lost Explained
His Science Experiments On His Girlfriend Left Her Comatose
Lost is full of tragic characters, all carrying things from their past that shape their time on the island. Daniel Faraday, introduced in Lost season 4, episode 1, “The Beginning of the End”, is just one of many, with an incredibly tragic backstory that all leads to his inevitable death. Growing up, Daniel had an interest in music, but his mother pushed him into the sciences instead, which ended up being a significant plot point for his entire story. His studies on space-time helped him to understand time travel.
Related
Every Lost Character Still On The Island When The Show Ended
Many of Lost’s characters either died on the island or escaped it, but several characters were still there by the end of the show’s present-day story.
Daniel Faraday’s experiments with time travel eventually led to him forever changing the life of research assistant and girlfriend, Theresa Spencer. The experiment left her comatose, essentially an empty shell. Theresa was still alive physically, but she was mentally “unstuck” in time for the rest of her life. These experiments also permanently damaged Daniel’s memory, but he is healed when he arrives on the Island. In Lost, the Island can be seen as a place for people to have a second chance, confront and grow from their past, which gives Daniel that same opportunity. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last long.
Daniel Is Shot To Death By Eloise In Lost Season 5
Just one season after he is introduced, Daniel Faraday is killed at the hands of Eloise Hawking, who is actually his mother. Time traveling eventually leads Daniel to 1977, where his death happens in season 5, episode 14, “The Variable.” After storming the Others’ camp demanding to talk to Eloise, he was eventually shot by her, dying as a result. In his final moments, he understood that his mother knew this was going to happen.
He was always meant to go to the island, and die at the hands of his own mother.
The biggest tragedy of all is that Daniel Faraday was urged to go to the island by his mom, unknowing to him that she was actually sending him to his eventual death. It was inevitable: he was always meant to go to the island, and die at the hands of his own mother.
It was necessary to keep the Lost timeline in order, and Eloise knew that pushing her son towards science, away from his passions, and towards the island was what needed to be done. In the end, the story of Daniel Faraday was one of the most tragic on Lost.
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
- Cast
- Evangeline Lilly , Naveen Andrews , Henry Ian Cusick , Daniel Dae Kim , Harold Perrineau , Dominic Monaghan , Emilie de Ravin , Jorge Garcia , Josh Holloway , Michael Emerson , Terry O’Quinn , Matthew Fox , Ken Leung , Elizabeth Mitchell , Yunjin Kim
- Release Date
- September 22, 2004
- Seasons
- 6
- Directors
- Jack Bender , Stephen Williams
- Showrunner
- Damon Lindelof , Carlton Cuse
- Main Genre
- Mystery
- Creator(s)
- J.J. Abrams , Damon Lindelof , Jeffrey Lieber