Raised by Another

"Raised by Another" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American drama series Lost. It first aired on December 1, 2004, on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Directed by Marita Grabiak and written by Lynne E. Litt, the episode was the first to reveal the backstory of Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin). It also represented a shift from previous Lost backstories by being one of the first to emphasise the series' mythology – a decision that made the network nervous at the time.

In this episode, flashbacks depict the story behind Claire's pregnancy. Rejected by her boyfriend when he refused to raise their child, Claire decides to go to an adoption agency out of a belief that she will struggle to raise it alone. Claire visits a psychic (Nick Jameson) who warns her of a dangerous future for her unborn child if she does not raise it. In the present, Claire experiences terrifying nightmares and begins to suspect that somebody is trying to harm her unborn child. In response, Hurley (Jorge Garcia) decides to start a census of all of the survivors.

"Raised by Another" marks the revelation that Ethan (William Mapother) is not among the remaining survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 and is instead an outsider, revealed to be one of the Others alluded to in the previous episode. The final scene involving Claire and Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) being approached by Ethan was lauded by television commentators.