LOST DISCOVERIES

Lost:

Homecoming

Created by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof

Story by:  Kevin Hooks

Air Date:  Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Long Night's Journey into Day?

By Becky H. - 24-Mar-2005

A Soulful Spike Society Review

www.soulfulspike.com

We're used to being told where to focus by now.  The close-up of the open eye of the protagonist of the week tells us where to look.  But we're thrown a change-up this time.  Instead, we're shown Charlie, eyes closed in sleep, pupils only dilating awake with the hubbub of Claire's return. What are we supposed to see when we start out in the dark?

Claire, pregnant as ever, is carried into camp in the middle of the night, collapsed from nervous exhaustion.   When she awakens, it's only to scream, "Who are you?"  Good question, Claire.  Now that you're home, let's see if we can start to get some answers. And let's begin with Charlie.  Here's the girl for whom he suffered, with whom he'd thought he'd bonded, and she doesn't even remember who he is.  It's a dark night of the soul for our Charlie.  He returns her journal as if that could restore her memory of him but we're left to wonder what memories he'd give away.

Pre-flight flashback, we see junkie Charlie and friend begin what seems to be a practiced con.  Saying "carpe diem," Charlie seduces Knightsbridge girl Lucy by playing on his Driveshaft fame.  But is he really seizing the day or just continuing in darkness?

Back on the island, he lies point blank to Claire about what's going on.  He keeps her in the dark about Ethan's threats.  Then Shannon spills the beans to Claire who immediately demands of Charlie in those exact words, "Why did you lie to me?  Why would you keep me in the dark?  I'm already in the dark."  Charlie has no answer for her.

Back in London, he's in a different kind of night.  It's a world of smoke-obscured pubs and candlelit dining rooms.  He appears to rise to Lucy's father's challenge that "a man has to provide, take care of his family" by agreeing to take the copy salesman job.  But is he really being honest or is he just buying more time to make the con that much more authentic?  We'll never know because, when push comes to shove, Charlie has a day that puts Willy Loman to shame.  It's shades of The Office or perhaps The Office in Hell when smackless Charlie, wearing the suit of a kept-man, finishes his sales presentation by vomiting into the copy machine.

Out in the sunshine of the beach, our intrepid band of heroes plots to capture Ethan.  Left alone in the shadows of the trees, Charlie can just watch, impotent.  His only weapon has been deceit; why should he be allowed a gun?

In the dank, wet, shadows of the jungle, Claire-the-bait waits for Ethan.  It might as well be night-time in the murk of the trees.  Ethan appears but, pummeled by Jack, is taken captive.  Suddenly, our Charlie appears out of the shadows and executes him.  Is it accident that the next scene takes place in the sunshine?  Sitting at the edge of the cave, just where the rays of light can illuminate their faces, Jack asks Charlie, "Why did you do it?"  Charlie's reply is "I wasn't gonna let that animal anywhere near her again.  Ever."  Which "animal", Charlie?  You or Ethan?   Which "her," Charlie?  Lucy or Claire?

We segue to Lucy saying, "I believed you and you lied.  Why did you take the job, Charlie?"  Charlie responds, "I guess..I…wanted to be respectable.  I wanted you to think that I could take care of you."  Lucy closes a dark door in his face with this epitaph:  "You'll never take care of anyone."

It's an easy leap to say that Charlie is trying to atone for his actions with Lucy by trying to take care of Claire.  We've seen the gradual rehabilitation of Charlie already.  He tossed his smack into the fire, he went into the cave after Jack, and now he's shot Ethan for Claire.  It's as if the long night of the junkie is over and he's finally entering the clean light of day.  But is he really?  In Charlie's final scene with Claire, the torchlight is bright on Claire's face when she tells him, "I want to trust you."  But it's not yet the full light of day.  It's still just a "good night."

What Worked:

• Jin and Sun.  These two didn't get a lot of screen time but they made it count.  Jin asks Sun about Claire's health, adding as if it were an afterthought:  "And the baby?"  Is he wondering if he and Sun are ever going to be able to be parents? 

• "The Others."  We've heard this phrase many times now.  Jin says he was attacked because of what "the others" have done.  Claire says "the others" are avoiding her.  We know it's not "the others" who are going to burn Michael's boat.  We have met "the others" and they are us.

• Locke and Boone.  There's a wonderful creepiness to this master-pupil relationship.  And just why does Locke tell Boone that he wants Sayid on "their" side?

• The amnesia discussion.  Who else groaned at the cheesiness of the convenient amnesia?  Who else cheered when the cheesiness was immediately acknowledged and thereby deflated?

• "The Protestant Reformation."  Imagine the T-shirts for this band.  I'm picturing Martin Luther wielding a Stratocaster, myself.

• Fun with numbers.  The Driveshaft track is number 34 on the jukebox.  I am ready to assume that any time we are shown a number, there's a reason.  Any guesses on the significance of this one?

What Didn't Work?

• Ethan's inconsistent strength.  He can strangle Charlie with his bare hands and then get his butt kicked from here to Borneo by Jack?  Something doesn't add up.
• Ethan and Charlie's fight.  It was déjà vu all over again with Charlie hanging toes down.  Didn't anyone else think, "Knee him in the balls, Charlie!"
• Not enough Hurley.
• A lot of backstory but not much forward progression.  I've already got plenty of questions and I'm ready for some answers.  Such as:

Questions:

• Who the hell is/was Ethan?
• What is Locke really up to as he builds his coalitions?
• Where did Charlie learn to shoot?
• When is Claire going to have that baby?
• Did Jack put everyone's guns back in the case or are the arms still out there?

THE MISSING: UPDATE

Jack Shepard – Matthew Fox

Okay, Jack, where did you learn to a. sharpen a knife like that and b. fight like that?  Did the military perchance pay for any of your medical school?

Kate – Evangeline Lilly

Yeah, go ahead and encourage Jack to open Pandora's Box o' Guns, Little Miss Armed and Dangerous.

Sawyer – Josh Holloway

How kind of you to share your toys and loan your gun to Kate. You had the best line of the episode:  "Help? Moi?"

Sayid – Naveen Andrews

How sweet of you to let Shannon tend your wounds.  Why don't you two just go get a room right now?

John Locke – Terry O’Quinn

Speaking of night and day, I just can't figure you out.  Unless I'm totally mistaken, I bet you didn't know the answer when Jack asked you if you knew how to use a gun and trusted to the Island mojo to supply the knowledge.  Smart move, as it turned out.

Charley – Dominic Monaghan

Haven't I said enough already?

Claire Littleton – Emilie de Ravin

Sweetie, you are one tough cookie.  You escape from a psycho, you demand to know the truth, and you're willing to be bait for said psycho.  And oh, by the way, you're about to pop.

Hurley (Hugo) Reyes– Jorge Garcia

Hurley, we hardly knew ye in this episode.  You can be my Speaker for the Dead any day, though.  "Amen, I guess."

Boone Carlyle – Ian Somerhalder

Don't close those pretty blue eyes on guard duty again.  You're not too good at this guarding thing, are you?  First the lifeguard fiasco and now this…

and Shannon Rutherford – Maggie Grace

How sweet of you to tend Sayid's wounds.  Why don't you two just go get a room right now?

Michael – Harold Perineau

and Walt – Malcom David Kelley

Not much Michael or Walt presence this week.  Don't you two have a boat to build?

Sun – Yunjin Kim

and Jin – Daniel Dae Kim

Maybe if Sun taught some Jin some English, he wouldn't think of everyone else as "the others."  And maybe he could demonstrate his own knowledge of firearms.

Vincent – The Dog

Did you trip the perimeter trap on purpose to distract Boone et. al.?  Bad dog!

______________________________________________

Please join in the discussion of this review at the Soulful Spike Society Message Board. Go there NOW!

If you enjoyed this review and are reading it from outside the Soulful Spike Society website (www.soulfulspike.com), then click the logo below to access the S3 in a new window. There you will find more great reviews, analyses, fanfiction and a link to our marvelous message board.