Lost Recap #4: The Moth
Season 1, episode 7
Hero of the episode: Charlie and Michael. Zero of the episode: Sawyer
Quote(s) of the episode: “I think you’re a lot stronger than you know Charlie.” – Locke
Music vibes: kind of plain until the end when we get hopeful, uplifting music.
Little things: Sun defies Jin by wearing a tank top because it’s hot.
Episode notebook:
Charlie’s hands are shaking badly. He’s trying to play that guitar, but withdrawal symptoms are kicking in.
Jack doesn’t understand how Kate got to be the way she is. He also doesn’t understand chasing a 16-year-old distress call. Did that French woman ever get off the island? Probably not.
Locke using Charlie for bait almost felt like a hallucination, but Charlie running through the jungle squashed that idea.
Charlie was really into the groupies when he was in Driveshaft. Confessing his signs to a priest felt like a comedy of errors when it really shouldn’t have.
“Muhammed” is yet another nickname for Sayid from Sawyer.
Charlie’s brother, Liam, wants to take the band to the next level. Charlie worries they’ll lose themselves in the hype and forget about the music. It’s always been about the music for Charlie.
On the island, Charlie feels like people don’t see him. They don’t look to him for help. In the band, Charlie also started to feel lost. When stardom hit, people saw Liam, not the whole band.
Sayid with another plan, this time he wants to triangulate the French distress call by placing antennae in three spots on the island. If he can find the source, maybe they can broadcast their own signal.
Jack gets stuck in a cave-in. Michael leads a group to dig him out.
Locke tells Charlie about the struggle of a moth. A moth must struggle to get out of a cocoon before it can break free and blossom. Charlie has to do the same before he can begin to heal.
Driveshaft broke up, but Charlie wanted to get the band back together. But was still struggling with addiction. Liam is better and happy with his family.
The radio plan works…almost. Someone hits Sayid on the back of the head and destroys the equipment. Hmmm? I can’t recall who hit Sayid, but I think it’s the dude who kidnaps Claire (this happens a few episodes after The Moth).
Charlie gets stuck in the cave with Jack but eventually finds a way out. Charlie is stronger than he knows.
Episode recap: It’s going to be a long day for Charlie. Every attempt he makes to help set up camp in the caves, results in a bit of a mess. His new buddy, and defacto rehab counselor, Locke has a great way for Charlie to contribute and keep his mind off drugs. How about some time in the jungle running from boars? Convincing Charlie to be bait for their dinner is one way to keep the adrenaline flowing. But it’s not enough, Charlie asks Locke for his drugs back. Of course, Locke doesn’t give them up, but he says he will if Charlie asks him three times. Why not just destroy the drugs? That’s the easy way out. By knowing the drugs are still there, Charlie has a choice. He can choose the drugs or choose to get sober. There is no easy way out.
Nothing has been easy for Charlie, in the past or the present. Starting Driveshaft with his brother, Liam, came at a cost. For Charlie, the band was always about the music, but along the way, Liam and Charlie succumbed to one of the many pitfalls of rockstar stardom – drugs.
On the island, Sayid thinks he’s found a way to locate the source of the distress call. He needs to triangulate the signal, with some help from Kate and Boone. Yeah, no plan on this island goes perfectly. Someone foils the plan, but who and why?
Jack and Charlie get trapped in a cave-in, and Charlie’s withdrawal symptoms aren’t getting any better. He’s also feeling lost, just like he was when Driveshaft broke up. Without the band, Charlie didn’t know his place in life. Who is he without the band? On the island, it’s no different. Who is he without the drugs? Everyone who was on flight 815 was “lost” in some way, and the island is the key to being “found.” Charlie is at the beginning of his journey. He manages to find a way out of the cave. Charlie needed the win this episode. When he asks Locke for his drugs for a third and final time, it is so satisfying to see Charlie throw them in the fire. He’s not magically cured, but it’s a start in the right direction. Please keep reading my recap for episode eight is posted.