All of the episode titles are quotes from "The Tempest." ("Oh brave new world that has such creatures in it"-in light of the play telling us at once that pretty faces disguise dark hearts.) One subplot of "The Tempest" is that Prospero the magician has a ship carrying a variety of noblemen and courtiers to his island and has them wander around thinking they are alone and tested by various illusions in order to find out if they are good people at heart, mediocre people, or bad people. That's what happens in this series, more or less. Prospero uses a spirit being named Ariel to make this happen, much as two people show up to guide or warn and to watch the survivors. At the end of the play, Prospero makes his decisions. Knowing this makes the series more fun.
Review of The I-Land
