Who Is Richard Alpert From Lost? The story of Richard Alpert in "Ab Aeterno," certainly one of the most mysterious characters on the series, since he doesn't age and has been endlessly loyal to Jacob. (It's questions and mega answers, so spoilers ahead!) Forget flash-sideways. This flashback-heavy story took us once again to Jacob visiting the injured Ilana in the hospital, before showing our survivor candidates Jack, Sun and Hurley discussing the candidate business around a campfire, while Illana explained that the guy who knew what to do next was indeed the disillusioned Richard Alpert. With Richard about to make a deal with the devil (or the Man in Black/Smokey/the Locke-ness Monster), we headed back in time to 1867 to find Ricardo (or Richard) in the Canary Islands desperately trying to save his sick wife, Isabella. Ricardo accidentally kills the doctor, wifey dies, and Ricardo is sold into slavery aboard the Black Rock rather than be hanged. During a terrib