Was Richard Alpert a slave on the Black Rock?

That was an implication from the Lost season premiere, wasn't it?

Even if we accept this as true, of course, there are plenty of Richard-related questions on the minds of viewers, most notably: why doesn't he age?!?!?!

Fortunately, in a new interview with TV Guide, Nestor Carbonell says answers are ahead. A few excerpts...

On Richard's background: "We have gotten to that point where there is an episode that deals with the origins of Richard Alpert and the bigger questions about his character, as well as bigger questions about the island and the mythology of it. It's an episode that reveals a lot."

Any other character-related spoilers? "It's safe to say he's been around for a long time. Initially, in Season 3, when he appeared in the '70s to young Ben, he was described as a Hostile, an indigenous member of the island, so we will find out if that's true or not or what that means exactly. If he was a Hostile, what is a Hostile? Who is this man?"

On what Richard wants: "Redemption. At the heart of it, every character wants to be redeemed on some level. God knows my character has definitely committed some atrocities. If there's redemption, I think he wants to get it. He wants to feel empowered and a sense of a real identity and to know his place on this island and in the world. I think most of all, Richard just wants answers."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.