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"The Other 48 Days" is widely regarded as one of the best "Lost" episodes ever written, and although I certainly saw it as a masterpiece when it first aired, probably because of how exciting it was and also due to the quality of the production and direction, and the score by Michael Giacchino. It's basically something like the entire first season of "Lost" except with the tail-enders rather than the fuselage folk condensed to one 43 minute episode.Having gotten a lot of character development in for these characters in the past few episodes the episode is allowed to move at a fast pace and show us all the important events from the tailies' perspective without feeling too rushed, but there are some outstanding character moments as well. Certainly it's a better 'Others take people' episode than "Homecoming" from the first season.Sadly, there's one thing that deflates this episode- Michelle Rodriguez. Note that I say Michelle Rodriguez and not Analucia. I used to think I hated Analucia but the more I watch these episodes the more I realize that although I find certain aspects of how she was written unsatisfactory ("you hittin' dat?") it is Rodriguez's performance that completely ruins the character. The only scene where the writing is done justice here by Rodriguez is towards the end of the episode when Eko finds her crying by a pond. It's both one of the best-written scenes in the episode and one of the best-acted. The rest of the time Rodriguez pulls her typical nonsense:- "Huh, huh what you lookin' at? I'm tough!!! I'm tough!!!!" - *flirtatious smile to show vulnerable side* - "I is takin' charge!!!!" - *phony and affected 'devastated' look* - "Huh, huh what you lookin' at? I'm tough!!! I'm tough!!!!"Repeat ad nauseam. Analucia is actually a character with some scope and depth, and not a particularly clichéd one either, but Rodriguez betrays the writers' hard work with annoying, pathetic one-note performances."The Other 48 Days" is tremendously well-acted for the most part, though, and director Eric Laneuville is second only to Jack Bender on this show, and some of his shots are absolutely breathtaking, including the magnificent opening. The script by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof here accomplishes a lot and is really very good, it's also one of only two episodes not to feature on-island and off-island stories, but one on-going narrative (in this case technically a flashback, in "The Constant" a weaving-together of flashbacks and 'current' events into one narrative). An excellent episode but not an outstanding one, mainly due to Rodriguez's one-note acting.8.5/10
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