2.07 - The Other 48 Days

Title’s significance: This episode takes a look at what the Tailies were doing during the first 48 days on the island.

Recap: When the Tailies crash-land on the island, their experience eerily mirrors that of the survivors on the other side of the island; Ana Lucia becomes the leader of the pack, and on the first night The Others abduct some of the Tailies but are killed by Eko. Later, The Others abduct children Zach and Emma, and Ana Lucia finds a list on one of the dead Others. She begins to suspect that The Others might have infiltrated the Tailies; Libby suggests Nathan might be to blame, so Ana Lucia digs a hole and tosses Nathan in to get him to talk, but he doesn’t. When Goodwin kills Nathan, he reveals himself as the infiltrating Other. The Tailies find a DHARMA station – The Arrow – and take up shelter there; Ana Lucia deduces that Goodwin is The Other and kills him while Bernard makes contact with Boone over a radio discovered in The Arrow, but Ana Lucia stops him because she believes it’s The Others trying to lure them out. When Jin washes ashore, the Tailies debate whether he is a threat; they capture Michael and Sawyer, and Ana Lucia plans the “fake prisoner” episode. On Day 48, Ana Lucia hears the whispers and follows them, killing Shannon when she believes her to be an Other.

Thoughts: This might be one of the best episodes of the second season, and my personal favorite Michael Emerson (who I believe saved Season Two entirely) doesn’t even appear in it, so that’s saying something. I keep saying how much I like this episode, but one thing I’m not quite sure how to feel about the fact that the Tailies are essentially the same characters as the survivors on the other side of the island; Ana Lucia is a female Jack-Sawyer hybrid, Eko is a black Locke, Libby is more difficult to place but seems to be Kate for the Tailies, Goodwin essentially IS Ethan, and Bernard might as well be Rose (others include Cindy=Pilot and Nathan=Sawyer). If it’s intentional, it’s clever; if it’s unintentional, it’s unimaginative. Since Damon and Carlton wrote this one, I hope it’s the former.

Favorite moment: It’s tough to pick; I just really liked this episode overall, but I’d have to give props to the scene where we finally learn that it was Bernard on the other end of Boone’s radio call.

Characters introduced (in order):

• ZACH, formerly known as Teddy Bear Boy
• EMMA, Zach’s sister
• GOODWIN, the equivalent of Ethan for the Tailies
• NATHAN, a suspicious survivor

What we learned:

• Libby broke her leg skiing in Vermont.
• Libby spent a year in medical school.
• Eko killed two Others.
• The Others have access to a list of the names of those on Oceanic 815.
• Nathan was sightseeing after a company retreat in Australia.
• The Arrow has a QUARANTINE sign, too.
• Bernard was the voice on the radio talking to Boone.
• Only “good people” are on the list.

Questions:

• How do The Others know the names of those on the plane?
• Who decides who a good person is to put their names on a list?
• What is the function of The Arrow station?
• Who claimed that the island was under quarantine, and why?
• Who does the glass eye belong to?
• Where did the U.S. Army knife come from?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Nothing of far-reaching mythological significance here, though I do have to wonder if the whispers led Shannon and Ana Lucia to each other on purpose.