So, with only three hours and two nights left, ABC’s ‘Lost’ is looking like it might lose a few main characters. Since tonight’s all about Charlie, the man whose death Desmond has seen visions of, will the strung-out rocker be the first to go?
We start with someone running frantically through the jungle and stopping at the shore, taking out an old-style kayak and paddling his way into the water. Of course, we don’t see who this is. Elsewhere, we follow Jack, Juliet, Charlie, Desmond and some others walking through the jungle. Jack’s leading them to...something. Charlie’s wondering why Jack should be trusted and all, but is worried when he sees Desmond stop and wonders if it’s a new vision. Desmond says it’s nothing. Jack stops the group, and explains that he knew about Juliet’s tapes, because they were plants to throw off Ben and the Others.
Jack then calls for Danielle, who comes out of the trees, carrying some dynamite and two fuses. She puts the fuses together, and suddenly some of the trees explode. Jack says that since he heard about the Others’ plan to come get the castaways the next day, he decided it was time to stop hiding and start fighting. He enlisted Danielle, which explains her random appearance in the Black Rock two weeks ago. His plan is to “blow them all to hell.” Ooh, action!
The flashbacks are Charlie’s this week, and the first opens with him, Liam and the rest of Driveshaft stuck in the middle of a rainy day, with their car broken down. Charlie’s pissed off about the prospects of the band, so he quits. Well, he would have, until their song “You All Everybody” starts playing on the radio for the first time, which means that this is pre-fame. Charlie cheers with Liam about the success.
Charlie, on the island, is writing something on a sheet of paper, when Naomi comes up, wondering who the castaways are going to war with. He doesn’t want to go into it, and after a reference to ‘Extras,’ she recognizes him from Driveshaft. They chat for a bit, when Charlie notices Desmond watching him suspiciously.
At Jack’s tent, he, Juliet and Danielle are setting up their tent o’ bombbs, and Danielle says that things will be ready tomorrow night. Sayid wants to talk to Jack about Naomi’s phone, and says that the distress call that Danielle made 16 years ago is interfering with the signal he wants to transmit; moreover, if that signal is cancelled out, the new signal will work. Juliet says it won’t, because the Others have been jamming the signal, from an underwater station she doesn’t know much about. Sayid, however, thinks he does.
Claire and Charlie are talking about the possibility that the Others, in their hunt for pregnant ladies, are also hunting for her kid again. Charlie shrugs it off, when Desmond comes around asking for Charlie’s help on something. They walk off, and Desmond confirms that he has a new vision: Claire and Aaron getting into a helicopter that leaves the island. Charlie’s thrilled at the prospect of being rescued, but Desmond gives him the punchline: if Charlie doesn’t die this time, there won’t be a rescue.
We’re now even farther in the past, as we see Charlie as a ten-year old. He’s with his father in a local swimming pool, unwilling to jump in, since he thinks his dad’s not going to catch him. After some hesitation, Charlie jumps in and his dad doesn’t catch him, but this time, he’s really happy that he can swim.
Charlie’s sitting with Desmond on the beach, writing down this memory after the radio memory, but won’t tell him why he’s doing it. However, he does want to talk about the circumstances of his death. Desmond says that Charlie’s in a hatch with a yellow light and a switch that turns the light off. This is followed by Charlie drowning. So, not a pleasant death, but better than an arrow in the neck. Desmond doesn’t know when this will happen, which isn’t really that helpful. Charlie makes sure that Claire and Aaron do get rescued in this vision, then clarifies that all he has to do is flip a switch to die.
Sayid, Juliet and Jack are looking over the blueprints of a new hatch, the Looking Glass, an underwater hatch. According to Juliet, no one’s been down there since an apparent flood. Hmm...wonder if it’s the same hatch. Sayid says that once they follow that mysterious cable, they can swim down a whirlpool, go into the flooded hatch, and turn off the switch that will stop the jamming of signals. Jack’s not happy that it’s a suicide mission, but Charlie and Desmond walk up, and Charlie of course volunteers his services. Jack decides to say he’s making a decision, and says that no one will be going on this mission.
Hey, remember Rose and Bernard? They were castaways too, and they were on the island last year, and then mysteriously...oh, well, anyway, we see them banter for a few seconds before we focus on Sun and Jin. Jin wants to know if the Others are coming about the baby, and Sun says she saw the ultrasound of their kid. Jin makes sure that their child is A-OK so far, but Sun purposely forgets the part about her dying real soon.
Meanwhile, Hurley spies that mystery man who was rowing through the sea, since he’s stopping on their side of the island. The man runs up to the castaways, and Sayid tackles him. Sawyer pulls Sayid off the mystery man, who is Karl. Karl is there to reveal that the Others are coming...tonight. Well, that’s not good.
In the Others’ camp, Alex is cutting up a rabbit, when Ben, fresh from possibly killing Locke (I will not give up hope!), walks in. He snottily hands Alex her gun back, and tells Alpert that Locke had an accident. He also wants to get the castaways that night. Moreover, all the women are to be taken, and if any guys try to fight, they’re to be killed. Everyone, for the most part, seems worried about this, especially Alex, who hightails it to the jungle, where she meets up with Karl, and tells him to go warn the good guys that Price (the new version of Danny) and his crew are coming. We then follow Karl on his journey to the main island.
He’s obviously just told this to Jack, who wants to know if Kate trusts Karl. Karl is shocked about this with Juliet there, and after she bitchily thanks him for revealing that she was bad, Jack wonders what needs to be done on such short notice. There were three tents that Juliet marked for the Others to take, so three guns will have to be used. Also, everyone who won’t be directly part of the ambush is being taken to the radio tower. Jack then asks Charlie if he’s up for the swim, and Charlie says he is. However, Desmond says he’ll go with Charlie.
In a new flashback, Liam walks into a fancy hotel room, where Charlie is sleeping with two beautiful women. Liam drags Charlie out of bed, as they sit down and have a few drinks. Liam gets to the point, which is him giving his little bro their family heirloom, a ring with the initials of their ancestor, Dexter Stratton, hence the name of their band. Liam begs Charlie to take it, so he’ll know it’s safe from himself. Charlie reluctantly takes the ring but only to watch it.
Cue Charlie, in the present, writing that memory down. He fingers the ring, which he’s still wearing, when he walks over to Claire’s tent. She’s worried about Charlie, which is why he didn’t tell her about the plan in the first place. He asks her to promise that, while he’s gone, she won’t worry. I’m sure that won’t be too difficult, what with the whole firefight and all. After he coos with Aaron, he says goodbye to Claire, with the last part in the form of a kiss. It’d be more bittersweet if the relationship was in more of the show, I think.
Our next memory of Charlie’s shows him in the middle of a square, singing Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Didn’t Desmond imagine that? It begins to rain and Charlie closes up shop, stopping when he sees a young woman being mugged. He runs over and scares off the mugger, and talks to the young woman, who calls him a hero for doing what he did. Am I wrong, or is that young woman Sayid’s long-lost love?
Charlie and Desmond are prepping for their mission, after Charlie finishes writing down his memory, of course. Charlie again makes sure that all he has to do is flip a switch to help everyone and then die. Desmond wonders how long Charlie can hold his breath for, but Charlie says it doesn’t matter.
Bernard shows off his shooting skills to Sayid and Rose, and Sayid says that he’ll be one of the shooters. Rose demands that she stays, but Jack, appearing out of nowhere, says that no one stays with the shooters. Moreover, if the Others aren’t killed, it won’t matter if Bernard’s OK. After they leave, Sayid tells Jack that he will take the rest of the castaways to the radio tower. Though Jack protests, Sayid convinces Jack that in doing so, he’ll help everyone get home.
Charlie and Desmond are still waiting for their underwater dive, when Hurley runs up, asking to hang around with them. He’s tired of “trekkin’...and explosions,” and wants to help. Charlie denies him, saying he’s too big to be in the boat. Hurley walks off, pissed, when Charlie runs up and hugs him, saying he loves Hurley and so on. Hurley’s still annoyed, and if Charlie bites it, boy, will his face be red.
Everyone else is getting ready for the hike up to the tower. Jack and Kate commiserate about doing this whole thing again. Juliet says that the shooters are ready, as we find out that Sayid and Bernard will be joined by Jin. Hurley comes up to Claire, asking if he can help, but mostly just makes goo-goo eyes at her baby. As they leave, we see that Charlie’s ring was left behind in the crib.
Charlie and Desmond are just about ready to go, as Desmond grabs that oh-so-mysterious cable from the shore. Then, they push the boat in and start sailing. Desmond continues to hold the cable, moving the boat along.
In the final flashback, we’re on the island, in the earlier days. The wreckage is still there, and Charlie’s in his hoodie. He’s walking along when he sees Claire, still very pregnant, struggle to sit down. He walks up to her, offering her his blanket. He sits down, and they actually manage to have some charming banter for a bit, and then he reassures her about their chances for being rescued (ah, good for a laugh) and introduces himself.
And then he manages to write it down, even though he and Desmond are sailing on a boat! What dedication. Desmond says they’ve arrived. Charlie gives him the sheet, saying he needs to give it to Claire. Charlie says that the memories are his best moments, his greatest hits. Goody, another obvious title mention.
Anyway, Desmond says that he should go in Charlie’s place, since maybe the flashes are there so he can take Charlie’s place in the end of it. It looks like Charlie’s going to let Desmond go, after some sentiment, but Charlie tricks Desmond into getting something behind him, so he can whack our psychic with one of the oars, knocking Des unconscious. Charlie gets his gear, looks again at Desmond and dives into the water. He swims towards the underwater hatch, heading as far down as he can. He finds an opening and comes up for air. He surveys the hatch, which doesn’t look flooded. At all. So, good news on that. Charlie’s happy as hell, screaming that he’s alive. Then, two very angry-looking women walk in, holding guns at him. Well, he’s alive for now at least. Next week, the season finale’s up, a two-hour spectacular.
