After this episode aired, ABC announced that the show had been picked up for the full season.
This episode reiterates a lot of scenes from the pilot, featuring the mayhem immediately after the crash. These are not the original scenes but were all actually economically recreated for this episode.
During the flashback scene (approx 9:40 mark), after Randy indicates he wants the TPS reports by noon, Locke begins punching the electronic paper calculator as Randy walks away. The resulting "ticka-ticka" sound is the same sound the Smoke Monster makes throughout the series.
This episode's original title was "Lord of the Files", a reference to the revelation that John Locke was nothing more than an office drone and an allusion to the book "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. The book is about a group of boys who are stranded on an island and explores similar themes of civility and the breakdown of society. The title was ultimately rejected as it was deemed too glib.
Jack Bender tried to keep blue and green out of the flashbacks to contrast with the beachside scenes.