The Wilds – Season 1 Episode 3 Recap & Review

Day Three

We begin episode 3 of The Wilds with Dot dancing as she heads down to the interview room. It’s clear now that she too has survived this ordeal. As rumbles of thunder growl overhead, we cut back to the island as Dot gathers the group together as they huddle under the tarp from the plane. It’s been three days and with no food, the group lie around on the beach discussing food.

As Dot tells them they need to make shelter, most of the girls decide against this and would rather just lie around on the beach. However, Shelby agrees to goes with Dot to find a cave or somewhere they can take refuge in. On the way, Dot admits that she used to deal drugs.

Eventually the pair find a small cave but Shelby comments how it’s not quite big enough to go in. After joking around, she coughs and accidentally drops her retainer on the ground.

Flashbacks help fill in more about Dot’s past, including selling drugs to different students while looking after her Father back home. He’s on medication and the VA aren’t paying for his treatment. A boy called Mateo happens to be helping look after him. Mateo mentions casually that what Dot’s doing is dangerous but she simply tells him to clock out and go home.

It’s a hard life for her, one that sees Dot helping her Father to the toilet on account of his injuries. As Christmas rolls round, her Father gets Dot a gift in the from of this retreat away. She scoffs at the notion and heads off to do the laundry instead.

When the washing machine breaks, Dot vents to Mateo about her current situation. When the pair kiss, Dot pulls away and tells him she can’t do this because of her Father.

Back on the island, Dot saves Shelby from a snake and stabs it. Instead of keeping the animal for food, they leave the dead reptile on the ground and eventually walk on and find a cave.

Leah, Nora and Rachel meanwhile, swim for the plane wreckage. Once there, Rachel and Leah head down and find a whole stack of cans hidden away in the fridge. They even find the black box too. They struggle to pry it off and despite numerous dives find that it just won’t budge.

Rachel becomes frustrated at Leah’s weak lung capacity and nearly drowns the girl after holding her underwater as she struggles to head up for air.

Meanwhile, Gretchen speaks to Leonard about the island and how well the girls are doing. They’re apparently already at milestone 8 and Gretchen is determined to see what these girls can do.

On the island, the girls bring back the black box to the beach as they contemplate what it means and how they’ll get it to work. Everyone bickers and argues, eventually leading to a democratic vote over who deals with the black box. Dot wins the majority and plays around with the computer chips. As the box crackles to life, they listen to the last radio broadcast from the pilot as he cries out for mayday.

Packing up their things, the girls head for the cave. As they do, another flashback reveals that Dot’s Father asked his daughter to do the impossible – help ease his passing from this life. Afterward, Gretchen briefs Dot and tells her about the retreat. Dot asks what the catch is and sits ready to listen to her offer.

The Episode Review

So with no food and the kids moaning about not being able to eat, Dot manages to kill a snake… and just leaves it lying around. However, we do have more cans now but with little food beyond bags of nuts (according to the fragments of dialogue we’ve heard) It’s amazing they’ve made it this far to be honest.

Dot’s story is pretty tragic though but she seems to be the only survival-minded one on the island and now we seem to see why. It appears she may have been planted on the island like Jeanette. And that’s just as well given the girls need all the help they can get.

Rachel holding Leah underwater is never mentioned again for the rest of the episode while Fatin lounging around does her character absolutely no favours. Hopefully she has an arc similar to that of Shannon from Lost. For now though, The Wilds continues to tick by but it’s becoming difficult to really warm to a lot of these characters. Hopefully their back-stories will change that.