"The Greatest Hits" recap/review

Charlie’s Greatest Hits


#5. The first time I heard myself on the radio.
#4. Dad teaching me to swim at Butlins
#3. The Christmas Liam gave me the ring
#2. The woman outside Covent Gardens calls me hero
#1. The night I met you

Charlie was never a character that I paid much attention to. He was not my favorite, but neither did I hate him. Like Boone, as far as I was concerned, he was just there. There to help the story go along, but if he weren’t there, the story would go on anyway. So when I heard rumors that Charlie would die this season, I didn’t feel bad. If anybody needs to die in this show–although, I wish nobody had to–Charlie would be a good choice. Claire, had she not been Aaron’s mom, would be another character that I could deal to be without. Charlie’s death would cause a big buzz. The former hobbit has enough fans to mourn his passing onto Redemption Island.

This episode was a Charliecenric episode. We learned a bit more about Charlie that we did not know before. I found that as far as flashbacks were concerned, the way they were handled in this episode was just perfect. They were short and sweet. They definitely showed that it was Charlie’s’ memories that we were missing. It was not the long, drawn out flashback that bore us to tears when we witnessed yet another Jack flashback.

We start by seeing someone running like crazy in the forest, getting a canoe, and rowing out to sea. Then we see our castaways trekking through the fields where Jack shows them how they will be defending themselves: They will be dynamiting the tents in which Juliet will mark as the tents wherein the pregnant women are supposedly in and hence killing off the Others once and for all. (This would be the castaways way of doing a purge.) While trekking, Desmond seems to be getting a flash of the future. Charlie notices it, but when he questions Desmond, he denies it. In order to be able to detonate the Others, everyone will have to strip wires and attaching it to the dynamite. The whole procedure is to take about 20 hours. Plenty of time before the Others are to arrive.

The first time I heard myself on the radio
Our first flashback was Charlie remembering the day he first heard his “You all Everybody” song on the radio. The band seemed to be going nowhere, and suddenly there they were on the radio.

During island time he finds out that Naomi heard of him. When the plane wreckage was found, a huge deal was made out Charlie’s death. There even was a “Greatest Hits” album. I find that funny. Drive Shaft, a one-hit-only bad, had a “Greatest Hits” album.

Dad teaching me to swim at Butlins
Meanwhile on the island, Desmond once again foresees Charlie’s death. He is to drown while flipping an underwater switch that will enable Claire and Aaron to be rescued. First time in his life, Charlie does the selfless thing. He volunteers for the suicide mission. Apparently, signals to the outside world from an underwater hatch are being jammed by Ben. Charlie needs to switch to allow the signals from the island to reach the outside.

As Charlie remembers his past and jots down his memories on a piece of paper, we learn that he once was a champion swimmer, which started with his father teaching him how to swim while they were on vacation.

This flashback is strange. In season 1, Charlie told Jack that he was not able to swim. Desmond saved Claire because Charlie was going to drown if he were to save Claire. How could a champion swimmer not be able to save Claire? Also, Charlie’s father seems to b a caring man. Not the man we saw in season 2, “Fire and Water.” Did Desmond alter the future when he back into the past in “Flashes before Your Eyes”? Or was the future altered each time Desmond saved Charlie from death?

At the camp, the canoe peddler reaches the beach. It is Karl. Sayid captures him, but Sawyer vouches for him. Karl informs them that the Others are coming for them. Sawyer tells him that they already know. Then Karl tells them that they are not coming the next day; they are coming at night. There is no time to prepare.

Back at the Other’s campground, Ben comes back to the camp looking like a crazy loon. He moves up the schedule to attack the LOSTies camp. His daughter is no longer (if ever) is on his side. Ben is quite angry at her and gives her back her gun: The gun that she gave Locke hours before. Ben claims that Locke had an accident and starts assuming his leadership role. Alex goes to Karl’s hiding place and asks him to warn the LOSTies about the eminent attack.

The Christmas Liam gave me the ring
Charlie’s other great moment is the time his brother gives him the DS ring. DS stood for Dexter Stratton, their grandfather. I wonder whether we will learn more about him F
We find out that the ring is to stay in the family. Liam gives Charlie the ring, because Liam felt that he would not live long enough to pass it on to his child. The irony of it all is that Liam got sober and ended up a family man. Charlie became a drug addict, lost on an island without a family, had it not been for Claire and Aaron.

Just before Charlie is to leave with Desmond to face his suicide mission, Charlie leaves the ring to Aaron, by discretely leaving it inside Aaron’s crib.

The woman outside Covent Gardens calls me hero
We see Charlie buskin in London once again. The scene is similar to the one in Flashes before Your Eyes. However, Charlie is wearing another shirt, the location is slightly different, and Desmond is not there. It starts raining, and Charlie leaves the premise. As he walks away, he hears a woman crying for help in an alley. She is being attacked. Charlie fends the attacker off. She calls him a hero. She is also Nadia, Sayid’s girl.

Back on the beach, Desmond and Charlie are on their way to find the Looking Glass hatch. Hurley comes by and asks to go with Charlie. Charlie refuses him by saying that he is too big. Why are they constantly harping on Hurley’s weight? I think it is insulting to Jorge. I am insulted by the constant reminder that he is fat.

The castaways decide that as they cannot rig all the tents with TNT, they will rig 3 tents and shoot the tents to start the dynamite to explode. Bernard, Sayid, and Jin are elected to be shooters. Jack and Danielle are to lead the people to the radio tower. Charlie will flip the switch and Jack will use Naomi’s phone to call for help.

Hurley, holding onto Vincent’s leash, helps Claire to start the walk to the radio tower. Aaron smiles at Hurley. If Charlie is to die, will Hurley be his new surrogate father?

The night I met you
Out at sea, Charlie writes his last memory, his greatest hit. He remembers the day he met Claire right after the crash. She was pregnant and he gave her his blanket. That to him was his best memory. (And I cried like a baby.)

When Desmond finds the place the underwater hatch is, Charlie asks him to give the note he just finished writing to Claire. Desmond offers to go in his place. Charlie pretends to accept, knocks Desmond with an oar, and jumps into the ocean. He swims to the moon pool and realizes that he did not drown. He climbs onto the pier, and his happiness is burst as two women run out with guns in their hands aimed at him.

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Screen captures courtesy of michael.emerson.net