"Confirmed Dead" is the second episode of the fourth season and seventy-first episode overall of the ABC's serial drama television series Lost. It was aired on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada on February 7, 2008. The episode was written by co-executive producer Drew Goddard and co-producer Brian K. Vaughan and directed by co-executive producer Stephen Williams. "Confirmed Dead" was watched by seventeen million Americans and received positive critical reception with reviewers praising the introductions of the new characters. The episode marks the first appearance of main characters Miles Straume (played by Ken Leung) and Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader) and supporting character Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey). The actors were given fake scenes when auditioning to limit the leak of spoilers and each actor influenced their character's development. The narrative begins on December 21, 2004, ninety-one days after the crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. Flashbacks introduce the four people from the offshore freighter 130 kilometers (81 mi) who land on the island. John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) leads his group to the Barracks and begins to find out why Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) is afraid of the island's latest arrivals.