Ab Aeterno

"Ab Aeterno"
Lost episode
In his flashback, Richard (Nestor Carbonell) heads to the recently destroyed statue to kill Jacob.
Episode no.	Season 6 Episode 9
Directed by	Tucker Gates
Written by	Melinda Hsu Taylor Greggory Nations
Production code	609
Original air date	March 23, 2010 (2010-03-23)
Running time	47 minutes[1]
Guest appearances
Mark Pellegrino as Jacob Mirelly Taylor as Isabella Juan Carlos Cantu as Father Suarez Izzy Diaz as Ignacio Santiago Montone as Prisoner Titus Welliver as the Man in Black Steven Elder as Jonas Whitfield Jose Yenque as Doctor Davo Coria as Servant Sonya Masinovsky as Nurse
Episode chronology
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Lost season 6
List of episodes

"Ab Aeterno" is the ninth television episode of the American Broadcasting Company's sixth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 112th episode overall. The episode aired on March 23, 2010.^[2]

In an extended flashback, after the death of his wife, Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell) arrives on the island as a slave on the Black Rock in the 19th century. He then encounters the Man in Black (Titus Welliver) and Jacob (Mark Pellegrino), both of whom offer him different deals in exchange for his allegiance.

The title is Latin for "from eternity", a phrase used to mean "since the beginning" or "for long ages" (very loosely translated as "your life now will be either heaven or hell throughout eternity"); this references the agelessness granted to Richard by Jacob as a reward for his service. "Ab Aeterno" was watched by 9 million American viewers and received critical acclaim by critics and audiences alike.