Penny Widmore

Last updated

Penelope "Penny" Widmore
Lost character
Penny Widmore from Lost.jpg
Sonya Walger as Penny Widmore
First appearance"Live Together, Die Alone"
Last appearance"The End"
Created by
Portrayed by Sonya Walger
In-universe information
Species Human
GenderFemale
Occupation Heiress
Spouse Desmond Hume
ChildrenCharlie Hume
Relatives Charles Widmore (father)
Daniel Faraday (half-brother)
NationalityEnglish
Former
residence		 Knightsbridge, London, England

Penelope "Penny" Widmore is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Sonya Walger. Penny is introduced in the last episode of the second season of Lost as the long-lost lover of Desmond Hume as well as the daughter of British tycoon and antagonist Charles Widmore. In spite of being only a recurring character, she made notable appearances in three season finales of the show: "Live Together, Die Alone", [1] "Through the Looking Glass", [2] and "There's No Place Like Home". [3] Penny and Desmond's relationship is generally liked by critics and fans alike. Commentators, such as those from Entertainment Weekly , have commended the writing of their storyline.

Contents

Arc

Penny was born to Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) and an unnamed woman in England. [4] She first met Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) sometime in 1994 at a monastery in Scotland and asked him to help her deliver wine to Carlisle, to which he gladly agreed. [5] Two years later, they were living together, in spite of her father's disapproval. Even though both were happy together, their relationship appeared to be unstable due to the disparity between the wealth of the two characters; Penny was an heiress while Desmond merely worked at a theatre company. It eventually turned the curve when Desmond was unable to pay for a photograph forcing Penny to pay for it. [6] Feeling ashamed by his inability, Desmond left Penny, regardless of what she thought, and joined the Royal Scots Regiment. [6] Penny was disappointed that Desmond left her without any notice. When he abruptly visits her in 1996 and asks for her number, she was confused because he told her he would call her 8 years later. In spite of her frustration, she allowed him to have her number so that he could call her later. [7] Despite these setbacks and heartaches, Penny continued to have feelings for Desmond. She wrote him a letter after she had learned that he was going to prison and hid it in the only book by Charles Dickens that he had not yet read, Our Mutual Friend. He, however, was unaware and didn't read it while he was there even after was released from prison and from the Army, and instead kept the book where it was. Desmond also wrote letters but her father intercepted them believing that Desmond was unfit for his daughter. He then persuades Desmond to join a round-the-world sailing race to prove his worth to Penny. Months after Desmond had begun his training for the race, they meet in Los Angeles, she assumed that he had read her letter but was startled when he asked her when she was going to be married. [1] She replied by saying "We haven't set a date". [1] They, however, would not end up getting married because Desmond would suddenly disappear later.

Years after Desmond's mysterious disappearance, Penny was still determined to find him. Her hope increased when her listening station was able to find the coordinates of The Island. [1] Days later, she made contact with Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan), who asked her if she had sent a boat to the island. She replied that she hadn't. Before she could speak to Desmond, who was there with Charlie, the communication failed. [2] On the Christmas Eve of 2004, she received the call Desmond had promised her and was elated that he was alive. This event marked the first time they had spoken to each other in four years. [7] Penny and Desmond would later be united at last when her boat, Searcher, was able to rescue him, along with the members of the Oceanic 6, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews), Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim), and Aaron Littleton, along with Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey). [3]

Penny and Desmond's first child, Charlie, was born somewhere in the Philippines, aboard the ship Our Mutual Friend , after they went into hiding from her father. [8] In 2007, Penny would face her father's nemesis, Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson), who threatened to kill her as a result of the murder of Alex by Widmore's men. However, when he saw their son, Ben hesitated allowing Desmond to stop him. [9]

Flash-sideways

In the alternate timeline Penny's last name is Milton and she never met Desmond. She is jogging in a stadium when Desmond comes to meet her for the first time. When Desmond shakes her hand, he collapses. When he gets back up, he asks Penny if she would like to go have coffee and she agrees to meet him in an hour. She and Desmond smile back at each other. Time notes the surname Milton connects her character to John Milton, the English poet famous for writing Paradise Lost , an epic poem about free will, good and evil. [10] In the finale episode of the series, the alternate timeline is revealed to be a purgatorial meeting place prior to the afterlife, after Penny's death sometime in her future. Penny and Desmond sit together in the church alongside the other main characters and "move on". For this episode, and in spite of scarce screen time, Walger was elevated to main cast status.

Reception

Sonya Walger Sonya Walger cropped.jpg
Sonya Walger

Penny and Desmond's relationship has been received positively by critics. In Entertainment Weekly, Alejandro Garay wrote, "One of my favorite episodes of 2008 was Lost’s 'The Constant.' It was a beautiful episode that made us fans fall in love with the show even more. The creators managed to build momentum with smart narrative, by using the romance card to develop such a complicated topic as time traveling. [11] Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune praised Penny and Desmond's phone call in "The Constant", saying "a classic Lost moment" in Desmond and Penny's phone call. [12] Verne Gay of Newsday called it an emotional release, "I actually cried when Penny and Desmond finally... connected" and "there wasn't one, single, solitary false note". [13] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly named the phone call between Desmond and Penny the best moment of the season excluding any moments from the then yet-to-air season finale. [14]

Erin Martell of AOL's TV Squad said that "The Constant" strengthened her love for Desmond and Penny's story, saying "my heart won't break if none of [Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Juliet] end up together [but] if Desmond and Penny don't reunite, I will be devastated." [15] Jay Glatfelter of The Huffington Post said Penny and Desmond had "the best love story on the show and dare I say on television today". [16] Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that "[I was] almost as touched and relieved by the[ir] reunion as Desmond and Penny are"; however. [17] Ben Rawson-Jones of Digital Spy wrote that "a refreshing shift in Lost's tone enabled loyal viewers to have their hearts warmed by the long distance smoochfest between Desmond and his beloved Penny". [18] IGN''s Chris Carabott praised the on-screen chemistry of Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) and Sonya Walger (Penelope), stating that "their on screen chemistry makes the love between the two characters real and makes their inevitable breakup that much harder to handle.". [19]

Key:   = Recurring
Key:   = Guest
Key:   = No Appearances
ActorCharacterAppearances
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Total
Sonya Walger Penelope "Penny" Widmore2325214

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sayid Jarrah</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Sayid Hassan Jarrah is a fictional character from the ABC show Lost portrayed by Naveen Andrews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Pace</span> Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

Charlie Pace is a fictional character on ABC's Lost, a television series chronicling the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island. Played by Dominic Monaghan, Charlie was a regular character in the first three seasons, and continued to make occasional appearances until the final season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Littleton</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Claire Littleton is a fictional character played by Emilie de Ravin on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Claire is introduced in the pilot episode as a pregnant crash survivor. She is a series regular until her disappearance in the fourth season finale. The character returned as a regular in the sixth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Rutherford</span> Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

Shannon Rutherford is a fictional character played by Maggie Grace on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicled the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Shannon was introduced in the pilot episode as the stepsister of fellow crash survivor Boone Carlyle. She was a series regular until her funeral in "What Kate Did". For most of her time on the Island, she was unhelpful and spent much of her time sunbathing. She formed a relationship with another survivor from the plane crash, Sayid Jarrah. Shannon was accidentally shot and killed by Ana Lucia Cortez, who mistakes her for an Other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jin-Soo Kwon</span> Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

Jin-Soo Kwon, better known as "Jin," is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Daniel Dae Kim.

John Locke (<i>Lost</i>) Fictional character of the TV series Lost

John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. The deuteragonist of the series, he is named after the English philosopher of the same name. In 2007, O'Quinn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Locke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Hume</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Desmond David Hume is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick. Desmond's name is a tribute to David Hume, the famous empiricist philosopher. Desmond was not a passenger of Flight 815. He had been stranded on the island three years prior to the crash as the result of a shipwreck. Desmond eventually leaves the Island with the Oceanic 6 and is reunited with his love Penny Widmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Linus</span> Fictional character from Lost

Benjamin Linus is a fictional character portrayed by Michael Emerson on the ABC television series Lost. Ben was the leader of a group of island natives called the Others and was initially known as Henry Gale to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. He began as the main antagonist during the second and third seasons, but in subsequent seasons, becomes a morally ambiguous ally to the main characters. Other characters frequently describe him as loyal only to himself, though it is also often hinted that he may be driven by some higher purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliet Burke</span> Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

Dr. Juliet Burke is a character portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell on the ABC television series Lost. Created by J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, the character was introduced in the third season as a member of the hostile group referred to as "the Others" by the crash survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Flashbacks reveal Juliet's past as a research specialist recruited to solve the Island's fertility problem where pregnant women die after conception. Prevented from leaving the Island and seeing her sister again by Ben Linus until she finds a solution, she quickly betrays Ben and the Others when she is sent as a spy to the survivors' camp. Juliet initially grows close to the castaways' leader, Jack Shephard, but ultimately falls in love and forms a relationship with James "Sawyer" Ford, with whom she moves on to the afterlife in the series finale. The character has also appeared in several spin-off webisodes of Lost: Missing Pieces, with Mitchell reprising her role.

"Flashes Before Your Eyes" is the 8th episode of the third season of the American drama television series Lost, and the show's 57th episode overall. The episode was written by the series co-creator, show runner and executive producer Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Drew Goddard, and directed by Jack Bender. It first aired in the United States on February 14, 2007, on the American Broadcasting Company. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Lindelof and Goddard were nominated for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Rousseau</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Alexandra Rousseau is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Tania Raymonde. She was born 16 years prior to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, but was taken from her mother, Danielle Rousseau, by Ben Linus. She was raised among them, believing her mother to be dead. She has helped the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on many occasions, and is reunited with her mother at the end of the third season. Not long after however, she is shot and killed by Keamy after her adoptive father, Ben, would not listen to his demands. Her death scene was received positively by critics, earning it a spot on multiple "top moments of the season" lists.

Through the Looking Glass (<i>Lost</i>) 22nd and 23rd episodes of the 3rd season of Lost

"Through the Looking Glass" is the third-season finale of the ABC television series Lost, consisting of the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the third season. It is also the 71st and 72nd episodes overall. It was written by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, and directed by executive producer Jack Bender. When first aired on May 23, 2007, in the United States and Canada, it was watched by an average of 14 million American viewers. Like the previous two season finales, it was two hours long with advertisements, twice the length of a normal episode. It was edited into two individual episodes when released on DVD. The season finale is considered by some to be one of the best episodes of television ever broadcast. The episode garnered a number of awards and nominations, including three Primetime Emmy Awards nominations and a Directors Guild of America Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Faraday</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Dr. Daniel Faraday is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeremy Davies. Faraday is introduced in the Season 4 premiere as a physicist from the Queen's College, University of Oxford. He suffers from short-term memory loss, possibly due to his experiments with radioactivity. He is part of the team aboard the freighter Kahana that is offshore the island. Throughout his time on the series, Faraday plays an important role by sharing his knowledge of time travel. After time traveling to 1977, Faraday is shot and killed by Eloise Hawking who is unaware that he is her son.

"The Constant" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) serial drama television series Lost, and the 77th episode overall. It was broadcast on February 28, 2008, on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada. It was written by executive producer Carlton Cuse and co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and directed by executive producer Jack Bender. "The Constant" was watched by 15 million American viewers and is widely regarded as one of Lost's best episodes, and arguably the best episode of television produced in the 21st century. It was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Directors Guild of America Award, and a Hugo Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Widmore</span> Fictional character from the TV series Lost

Charles Widmore is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific. He is primarily portrayed by Alan Dale; Tom Connolly and David S. Lee portray him as a young and middle-aged man, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lapidus</span> Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Frank J. Lapidus is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeff Fahey. Frank is introduced in the second episode of season four as a pilot hired on a mission to the island where Oceanic Flight 815 crashed. He aids the survivors of the crash against mercenary Martin Keamy and helps to rescue a group who become known as the Oceanic Six. Three years later, Frank encounters the group again while working as a commercial airline pilot. His plane lands back on the island, and he is forcibly taken in by a group of his passengers headed by Ilana and Bram, who are working for the island's highest authority figure Jacob. In the series finale, he ultimately escapes the island with a few of his fellow inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilana Verdansky</span> Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

Ilana Verdansky is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Zuleikha Robinson. Ilana is introduced in the sixth episode of the fifth season of Lost as an officer boarding Ajira Airways Flight 316, with Sayid in her custody. However, as her storyline progresses, it is revealed that she is someone deeply connected to the Island and to Jacob, the Island's highest authority figure. Ilana is killed when a bag of dynamite she is carrying explodes when she sets it on the ground too roughly.

Man in Black (<i>Lost</i>) Character from the American mystery fiction television series Lost

The fictional character and the main antagonist on the American ABC television series Lost is most frequently referred to as The Man in Black. He appeared primarily as a cloud of black smoke until the final episode of season five where he appeared as a middle-aged man dressed in black. In season six, he primarily appeared in the physical form of John Locke. He exhibited the ability to "scan" the minds and memories of others, allowing him to confront characters such as Mr. Eko and Ben Linus, with "judgment", and to assume the forms and memories of the deceased, starting with the original Man in Black himself, his brother Jacob, or Christian Shephard, Yemi, Alex Rousseau, and Locke. According to Jacob, who explains this to Richard Alpert, it is the incarnation of evil, and its primary goal—to escape from the island—would be the "end of everything good".

Jacob is a fictional character of the ABC television series Lost played by Mark Pellegrino. He was first mentioned as the true leader of the Others by Ben Linus and was described as a "great man" that was also "brilliant", "powerful" and "unforgiving". He made his first appearance in the final episode of season five. Despite being killed in that episode, he continued to appear as a spirit, as well as in flashbacks in the episodes "Ab Aeterno" and "Across the Sea".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Friendly</span> Character from the American TV show Lost

Tom Friendly, often referred to as Tom, Mr. Friendly, or Zeke by Sawyer is a fictional character portrayed by M. C. Gainey on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television series Lost. The series follows the lives of around forty survivors from the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. The survivors find themselves on a mysterious tropical island, and interact with a group they dub the Others, who appear to have lived on the island since long before the crash. Tom is an influential member of the Others, introduced in the season one finale "Exodus: Part 2", where he kidnaps one of the survivors. The character makes another fifteen appearances before being killed in the season three finale "Through the Looking Glass". Tom appears twice in season four in the flashbacks of other characters. Gainey was initially credited as playing "bearded man" and then as "Mr. Friendly" throughout season two before the character was given a first name. In a montage of deceased characters shown at Comic-Con in 2009, the Lost producers present the character's full name as "Tom Friendly".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Jack Bender (director); Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse (writers) (2006-05-24). "Live Together, Die Alone". Lost. Season 2. Episode 23. ABC.
  2. 1 2 Jack Bender (director); Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (writers) (2007-05-23). "Through the Looking Glass". Lost. Season 3. Episode 22. ABC.
  3. 1 2 Jack Bender & Stephen Williams (director); Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse (writers) (2008-05-29). "There's No Place Like Home: Parts 2 and 3". Lost. Season 4. Episode 13 & 14. ABC.
  4. ↑ Stephen williams (director); Brian K. Vaughan & Elizabeth Sarnoff (writers) (2009-04-08). "Dead is Dead". Lost. Season 5. Episode 12. ABC.
  5. ↑ Stephen Williams (director); Jeff Pinkner & Brian K. Vaughan (writers) (2007-04-18). "Catch-22". Lost. Season 3. Episode 17. ABC.
  6. 1 2 Jack Bender (director); Damon Lindelof & Drew Goddard (writers) (2007-02-14). "Flashes Before Your Eyes". Lost. Season 3. Episode 8. ABC.
  7. 1 2 Jack Bender (director); Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse (writers) (2008-02-28). "The Constant". Lost. Season 4. Episode 5. ABC.
  8. ↑ Stephen Williams (director); Elizabeth Sarnoff & Paul Zbyszewski (writers) (2008-05-29). "Jughead". Lost. Season 4. Episode 13 & 14. ABC.
  9. ↑ Stephen Williams (director); Brian K. Vaughan & Elizabeth Sarnoff (writers) (2008-05-29). "Dead is Dead". Lost. Season 4. Episode 13 & 14. ABC.
  10. ↑ Poneiwozik, James (April 7, 2010). "Lostwatch: Would You Believe In a Love at First Sight?". Time.com .
  11. ↑ Alejandro Garay, "Long Lost Love," Entertainment Weekly 1030 (January 16, 2009): 2.
  12. ↑ Ryan, Maureen, (March 19, 2008) "Lost is Back to Being an Unmissable Addiction", The Chicago Tribune . Retrieved on June 7, 2008.
  13. ↑ Gay, Verne, (February 29, 2008) "At Least it was a Bloody Military Dream Archived 2008-05-03 at the Wayback Machine ", Newsday . Retrieved on March 9, 2008.
  14. ↑ Jensen, Jeff, (May 29, 2008) "The 15 Best Moments of Season 4", Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  15. ↑ Martell, Erin, (February 29, 2008) "Lost: 'The Constant'", TV Squad. Retrieved on March 9, 2008.
  16. ↑ Glatfelter, Jay, (February 29, 2008) "On Lost: 'The Constant'", The Huffington Post. Retrieved on June 7, 2008.
  17. ↑ Peterson, Karla, (February 29, 2008) "My Constant Archived 2008-08-29 at the Wayback Machine ", The San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved on June 7, 2008.
  18. ↑ Rawson-Jones, Ben, (March 2, 2008) "S04E05: 'The Constant'", Digital Spy. Retrieved on June 7, 2008.
  19. ↑ Carabott, Chris (2007-02-15). "Lost: Flashes Before Your Eyes Review". IGN . Retrieved 2008-07-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.