So why would Shaft take orders from Ana Lucia? He seems like he might be capable of handeling most situations that may arise in a jungle setting, however he lets AL boss him around?

Now, if he was on the plane with the rest of them perhaps he is just scared and even though he is a tough guy perhaps he not the wilderness man he looks to be. However, if he was here on the island before the plane crash then I assume he survived just fine with the helpfullness of Ana Lucia telling him to be quiet. He could knock her out flat with one punch but yet she persists in being the "leader". Her little speach to Sawyer about how he should listen to what she says and do what she says was really just sad as soon as Sawyer and Shaft have chance to talk AL is going DOWN!!!!!

But seriously folks, why would Shaft take orders from her?

They're Marines and she's his sgt.???
Just a wild stab....

-NotPurgatory

Maybe because during whatever killed the rest of their group she showed she should be the one in charge. Got herself a "combat comission".

Maybe because during whatever killed the rest of their group she showed she should be the one in charge. Got herself a "combat comission".

My thoughts exactly!
Lets not forget that she has been on the island for over a month and have had enough time to show her skills and leader abilities

I can understand picking a leader to listen to on general issues, let's fish here, let's set up a shelter here, you get firewood, you go get fresh water. Yes the group would need a leader like that. However, the way she was speaking to him was rude to say the least. Jack is in charge of our other group and we never hear him talking to our castaways in such a manner. Who does she think she is?

Maybe she just stepped up and took charge right away...
haha. I love the marines thing!! :biggrin:
She's clearly one tough chick and doesnt seem to be afraid to beat the crap out of ppl... or just Sawyer.

I want to know why Shaft doesnt get to have a shirt. Everyone else has one... Doesnt he feel left out?

Ana Lucia seems to be in charge of this group. The way she handles herself and handles a gun certainly suggests either military or law enforcement training or maybe both. I'm betting that when they show her backstory, we'll see that she has this training. I think that Shaft does what she says because he's somewhat afraid of her, knowing she can kick his a** at any time!

Um, maybe because she's psycho? :biggrin:

Really, did you see the way she turned around and told them "no talking" like they were a couple of second graders on their way to the bathroom?

I'm wondering if he is just backs off, because he knows that when she is like this there is no reasoning with her.

Man, I wish I had an answer to that. Shaft definitely looks like he could take Ana-Lucia out with just one smack on the side of her head. Maybe he's one of those guys that look tough, but is a real softy on the inside? Dunno.

They are definitely NOT Marines. SHE could have Marine training, but she definitely never got into the upper echelon of the ranks. Maybe if she was a PFC or a LCpl before being discharged and going into a law enforcement profession. She's got too much of a superiority complex to take orders from those that would be higher than her in the military...it would take YEARS before she'd even stop being treated like s**t ... and if she'd been in for that many years, she'd be a better leader than someone who feels the need to beat up on someone (Sawyer) who is, in essence, defenseless because of Shaft.

I don't really care for her at this point....my mind might change later on but I agree with Princess V, she might be the leader like Jack is....should be interesting when they all come together. Will Ana or Jack lead them all? I guess whoever has the stronger personality.....

What I see is that Ana-Lucia IS the leader of the tailies.....
What brought her to that position is yet to be shown.

I don't really care for her at this point....my mind might change later on but I agree with Princess V, she might be the leader like Jack is....should be interesting when they all come together. Will Ana or Jack lead them all? I guess whoever has the stronger personality.....

She seems to me what the writers first envisioned for Kate. Jack was supposed to die in the first episode and Kate was supposed to be the leader. They changed their minds about killing off Jack, but it looks like the writers still wanted a female leader. BTW. I love Ana!

this is simply my theory, but i'll put it in tags anyways, to save those who want saved...

I personally believe:

that ana lucia is another Air Marshall... the way she got so riled up when Saywer mentioned he had a gun from a Marshall, really leads me to believe that she was his (dead marshall's) backup, for transporting Kate... There was 4 guns, in the case, and even customs in AUstrailia thought that was excessive... but dude only has 2 hands... so extra guns has to equal extra people... also, the way her crash story, is eeirily similar to the marshall (case out of overhead, split my whig, knocked me out) that it's a clue... this would also be why big man, listens to her ***....she prolly is tough as nails... add in that a phone call, from your parnter as you're waiting for him at the airport, is more than enough reason to leave Jack at the bar.. and i think i may be onto something...

I'm guessing that she kicked his a**, just like she did to Sawyer. Either that, or they're allied because he's not a leader, but a really good second-in-command. (Sorta like Zoe is to Mal on "Firefly".)

Guys.. perhaps she is irate cause they have spen the last 44 days hiding from the others, and watching many of the tailies perish at their hands. There are only about 8 left it seems. Perhaps she wants them to shut up cause she doesn't want to attract attention when they are out and about.

They have probably established protocols for behaviour when they are not in the hatch, and Shaft was in direct violation of them by talking with Sawyer. Notice she doesn't seem as on edge when she is in the Arrow Hatch.

MarineOne- Just been wanting to say thanks for your inside view of the "military mind" and how it relates to Ana-Lucia and some of the other characters in question on the show.

For the record, I agree with you. I think she is just on an ego-trip and doesn't want anyone bucking her authority. She is power hungry and expects and demands everyone to jump at her bidding.

I understand that she has been through a pretty stressful 44 days, as they all have, but the malicious and unnecessary torturing shows her true self. It was evil and was done for no other reason then to get her rocks off and cause him pain. A true leader wouldn't due this.

Now, for all the times I have busted on Jack for some of the stuff he has done or for his God complex, I do have to say, he his tons better of a leader then Ana-Lucia could ever hope to be. I was actually liking him towards the end of the epi last night. :o It was nice to see him relax, laugh and smile for a change.

Amongst the midsection survivors different characters have 'led' differnt expiditions. IE, Jack is a leader, but Locke has led Jack and others at times. On the trip to tyhe Black Rock Danielle was leading both Jack and Locke.
That could be of little significance as AL does seem to be more in charge than the examples I gave.

From a mere practicle storytelling angle:Jack the Dr is the leader of the original survivors we are introduced to. The actor playing "Shaft" has been spoilerd as being a Dr. How lame would it be to have two groups with the Dr as their leader?

I think that AL character and the airport introduction of the Jack and AL sets up a nice conflict in leaders and leadership style.

I would only hope that AL is somehow trained as a Marshall/Military etc. It would take something along those lines to bring her charcter to life.. as is she's almost too tough to be real IMHO.

You're all overlooking the real reason Shaft is listening to Ana Lucia:

Because the writers want her to be in charge.

Unfortunately, this flies in the face of ever common sense fiber in all of our beings. A nine foot tall black bohemoth does not take orders from a diminutive 'tough girl', period. Oh, sure, she may try to make him her submissive follower, but he'd eventually beat her down. He's not afraid of a fight, he absolutely wrecked Michael and Sawyer without a second thought.

They've put Shaft in an unrealistic position of submission to Ana Lucia and everyone here can feel it, and it doesn't feel right at all. That's what's causing the rub with AL. If there were no Huge, muscular, powerful intimidating black man taking orders from her, no one would think twice about why she was in charge - clearly everyone else is a submissive type. But when you've got two 'alphas' (which shaft and Ana are), the more powerful one is the one in charge. And Shaft, until we are shown otherwise, could easily bury Ana without a fight. Sorry.

But, the writers want AL to be in charge, so they make Shaft take orders. There's no other explanation, and it's annoying.

Vertical, it's possible that all the other Tailaways could be voluntarily submitting to Ana Lucia's leadership - for reasons unknown to us. Example: she could be the only one able to find her way around, if all the others are hopeless "city people" with no survival skills, so they would depend on her completely in that regard. Or maybe she is their food provider. Who knows? But the essence of what I'm getting at is their submission is not gained by force, but given voluntarily.

I wonder if Ana figured out what was happening to the other tail section losties and tried to get the remaining ones to listen to her so that they wouldn't suffer the same fate. If they didn't listen and continued to disappear - dying or taken - she might have just decided that she had to get her message through to them somehow. So she became the hard-a**.

When they finally realized she could save them if they would listen to her, they did. They listened, they survived. Somehow those few have survived and it appears it may be because they are the only ones who paid attention to what she said. She seems to have a handle on when and where to move; when to talk and when to stay silent.

I doubt Sawyer sees it this way, though :)

exactly my thoughts although your post Vertical was very good. Just because AL is in charge does not necessarily mean Shaft is a cowering "beta"... I saw it more as complimentary...we don't know everything about what she did to gain the position..and I don't see their personalities clashing, he's an enforcer type...I'm just saying they probably didn't get in a cage match to find out who would lead.. all positions of leadership aren't taken by force... I see them more as working together....whatever's happened she's shown her worth, maybe she saved his life...I don't think she's as bad as everyone else does, we're supposed to hate her...so:biggrin: ...that means she'll probably be a favorite by the end of the season...

Why shouldn't and wouldn't a woman be in charge, especially if she is a competent leader? I can guarantee that if I were shacked up with the Lostaways things would be a bit different, because in many ways I believe Jack has been an incompetent and disorganized leader and I would have been challenging him left and right. (Whether or not people would have followed me is another question, as I don't have the arse kicking power that AL has, but I'd at least have formed teams to dig latrines and set up an armed guard).

I agree with Vertical to some extent though, Shaft is following her orders to highlight the fact that she's the leader.

I'll add to the mix though that she and the whole Team Tail Survivor strike me as very Lord of the Flies with her falling into the role of the bully in that book (was his name Jack or was it the other kid?)

well, what if Michelle rodriguez has other movies todo? what will they do with her character?

well, what if Michelle rodriguez has other movies todo? what will they do with her character?

Sawyer might just get his revenge after all.

BTW...
That bloody song from Shaft is now stuck in my head.

Serenity (http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=Sorne&linkID=36)

I'm not sure if the whole doctor thing is true of Shaft or not, but it seems doubtful he is a medical doctor. Wouldn't he at least try to look at Sawyer's shoulder? Assuming he has a doctorate in some other field, that implies he has some brains and decided to follow AL's lead. Just because he is physically intimidating doesn't mean he wants to be in charge. Locke (and definately Sayid) could probably whip Jack's butt and take total control, but he is smarter than that. They both seem to be using their talents to their best advantage. Granted, little tail section info has been given, and this is just speculation.

BTW - anyone place Shaft's accent?

Man, I wish I had an answer to that. Shaft definitely looks like he could take Ana-Lucia out with just one smack on the side of her head. Maybe he's one of those guys that look tough, but is a real softy on the inside? Dunno.

Did you catch how he said her name when she hurt Sawyer again. Softly, like he didn't want to pee her off.

To me, Shaft's accent sounded French. Maybe Ana somehow saved his life and he owes her.

Did you catch how he said her name when she hurt Sawyer again. Softly, like he didn't want to pee her off.

YES, i noticed it too!!!
Thought it sounded kind of someone speaking to a very good friend or partner. Soft and begging, not the way you talk to just anybody in a group.......

Just because Shaft COULD wrest control via force doesn't mean he SHOULD. He appears to be intelligent enough to realise this himself. We don't know enough about the tail section folks yet to know what the situation is. Not everyone has the skills or desire to lead people, and there is certainly more than 1 style of leadership. Also, while people may like to criticise Jack's leadership skills they may want to keep in mind that Jack didn't want to be the leader, he was made the defacto leader by the other Lostaways. Jack is learning to lead, and motivating and inspiring a group of people while having no actual authority or power to insure complience is no easy task for a beginner.

It seems that The fuelagers had an easier time morphing into a nicely organized and peaceful community due to minimal harrassment by the others (perhaps that security system keeps the others away)

Whether the tailenders have been harrassed by "The Others" or former members of their own group who have become "Island sick" (mentally deranged) they appear to be surviving under extremem duress. Since that is the case they haven't had the luxury of
establishing a sensible rational community because they are always reacting to whatever unpredictable violent situations fall upon them with some kind of consistency. In this situation, the fiercest fighter and quickest thinker would be the center of the group. Those who remain may very well be alive (or not "island sick") because they followed her rules.

There could have been a situation where a Boone like character first seized control. "I run a business...I can run this group!" and while he might have been a good CEO he was hopeless with survival skills.. with Ana challenging his decisions at every turn becuase they were bone headed and people were dying.

She finally had enough and either took control..or unknown character whom I shall call Bonehead was offed by the others and every one else in the group realized that her decisions had been the right ones all along and that she should be the one in charge.