Chris Dobson is a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 who resumed authorship of the diary during season 2 after it was apparently lost by the first author, Janelle Granger.
The tone of Chris's entries were often introspective and cynical, commenting on faith and human nature, and grew increasingly paranoid. When the character of Henry Gale was introduced in the show, Chris began referring to the "suspected 'Other'" being held captive in the hatch as his "brother." At the time, his name had not been disclosed, and fans began to speculate that he was one of the Others who had infiltrated the main group — a theory corroborated by the fact that he didn't know Janelle and by other statements:
- Fixation on children: "We of course to are taught to understand the vital importance of children" (He also seemed to admire Charlie for his efforts to protect Aaron.)
- Ownership of the island: "Who do these people think they are? ... This is not their island"
- Defeat in conflict: "...nothing can come to them [from a conflict with the Others] but their own destruction"
In the final entries of the season, he revealed that his brother was actually Steve Dobson, another passenger of Oceanic 815 who died in the crash, crushed by a piece of ceiling that fell when the plane broke apart. Chris had persuaded Steve to make the trip to Australia and even traded seats with him on the plane — meaning he should have died in the crash. Perhaps because he felt responsible for his brother's death, Chris suppressed the memory until Jack, who helped with the burial, showed him the grave.