Revenge of the Island

Episode 9: Déjà Vu

The episode opens with the group, now worried about Julia’s prolonged absence, splitting into two search parties. Chef leads Caleb and Bowie in one direction, while Axel takes Wayne and Damien in the other. Their plan is to cover as much ground as possible and meet back at the beach in an hour. Chef, with his Navy SEAL training, keeps track of the time expertly, and Caleb’s working watch adds extra assurance. Axel, with her survival instincts honed from years of training, keeps a close eye on their surroundings.

Chef’s group isn't having much luck, moving through the forest quietly but without any signs of Julia. Axel’s group, however, finds themselves in a more precarious situation. As they walk, a louder-than-usual rustling comes from the trees. They’ve been ignoring most of the noises, chalking them up to the wind, but this one is different—louder, more deliberate.

The group freezes, looking up into the trees with growing tension. Suddenly, a familiar and chilling sound echoes through the forest.

“AAII AAII AAAIIII!”

Confessional - Axel:
"What the shit?!"

MK comes swinging toward them on a vine, mirroring her entrance from a year ago. The sight triggers instant deja vu, but Axel’s quick reflexes save the day. She tackles Wayne to the ground, dragging Damien down with them just in case. MK narrowly misses Wayne, swinging past them and quickly disappearing back into the forest.

For a moment, everything is silent—except for Damien, who’s screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Sh!” Axel hisses, and Damien immediately quiets down. The group is left stunned, sitting on the forest floor, trying to process what just happened. Axel takes a mental note of MK’s appearance: she’s wearing completely different clothes, though they’re ripped and dirty, as if she’s been surviving in the wild for months. Which--to be fair--she has, longer than a few months actually. The only part of her original outfit that remains is her signature beanie.

What puzzles Axel most is MK’s hair. Unlike Scary Girl, whose hair has grown much longer during her time on the island, MK’s hair is shorter than before, now a messy, tangled black bob spilling out from under her beanie. It makes no sense—how could MK have new clothes and a fresh haircut after being trapped here for so long?

Her thoughts are interrupted when Chef, Bowie, Caleb, and Julia emerge from the trees, rushing toward them. They had found Julia sitting on a log earlier, their conversation with her cut short when they heard Damien’s distant screams.

As Chef’s group arrives, Caleb quickly asks, “What happened? We heard screams!”

Axel, Wayne, and Damien are still catching their breath, shaken by MK’s sudden appearance.

“MK…” Axel blurts out, her voice filled with disbelief.

The camera zooms in on Julia’s face as her eyes widen in shock, and the screen cuts to black, ending the episode abruptly.