Well after our third Charlie-centric episode we certainly see the recurring theme of Charlies need to take care of someone.

The last Charlie episode (Homecoming.) heavily hit upon this theme With charlies need to take care of the then very-pregnant Claire. His flashbacks also played upon that fact as Charlie was trying to (for a very brief time) go the straight and narrow and get a real job for the girl he was dating.

This time, Of course we have Charlie protecting the baby from what he perseived to be imminent mortal peril, but in the flashbacks, they pounded on the particular theme again.

In the opening flashback, we have charlies memopry of his Mother giving him a piano. she explains it's so he can be famous one day nand get them all out of the unfavorbale situation they were in. I believe she even says something to the effect of "you'll take care of us"

then throught the rest of the Episode We have charlie trying to take care of his Brother who had obviously gone way way further down the road with the herion that Charlie had.

Anyway, Something I notice, feel free to discuss. . .

In the past flashbacks, you learned that Charlie felt the need to take care of someone (his brother, Lucy) but you didn't really know why. At the time I assumed it was because he felt useless on the island and needed the validation of being responsible for another because he was insecure.

But this flashback added something. It showed you how deep and dysfunctional his feelings of responsibility went. No way should a young child of a family have to feel responsible for taking care of his mother and older brother. They should have taken care of him. That was alot to heap on a kid and borders on abuse. Charlie, having a very responsible streak by nature, took that burden on very seriously and it shaped the person he became. I have a much better understanding of Charlie now than I did from his previous flashbacks.

. . . but you didn't really know why. At the time I assumed it was because he felt useless on the island and needed the validation of being responsible for another because he was insecure.
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Excellent point. In "The Moth" he DID feel useless and that coupled with the fact that he had to DO something b/c he was sufering from withdrawal led to his "taking care of" Jack by saving him.

Interesting dynamic. Charlies obsession is similar to Jack's but very different.

Jack has the need to fix everything and be all heroic and noble like.

Charlie just wants to feel useful and to have someone that relies on him.

There's also the connection of Charlie saving people, and being the only person who could do it. He saved Jack in the cave-in (he was the only one who could fit and was alone) and he was supposed to save his family. He also was the only one who could convince Claire to get Aaron baptized.

There's also the connection of Charlie saving people, and being the only person who could do it. He saved Jack in the cave-in (he was the only one who could fit and was alone) and he was supposed to save his family. He also was the only one who could convince Claire to get Aaron baptized.

If this trend continues, then Charlie will be faced with another situation where he will be the only one who can help and possibly through that redeem himself. Maybe there will be a real danger to Aaron and again no one will believe him so he will have to act.

you know i was thinking about this whole charlie dream thing. if you remember while claire was pregnent she was having "dreams" that someone was trying to hurt her/her baby. and no one believed her except charlie. and her dreams turned out to be true. now the roles are reversed and charlie is have the "dreams" and no one believes him, not even claire.

I noticed that. Claire also went sleepwalking. Maybe as time goes by she will remember her 'dream'.

I've said this before. Charlie has spent so much time taking care of other people that he doesn't have the first clue as to how to take care of himself. That's the crux of most of his problems.

I've said this before. Charlie has spent so much time taking care of other people that he doesn't have the first clue as to how to take care of himself. That's the crux of most of his problems.

If that's the case (and I think it is) than Locke for all his misunderstanding of Charlie's situation actually got it right when he said that Charlie is trying to save the baby because he can't save himself.

One thing I've noticed about the Charlie episodes is that they don't seem to deal much with the mystery of the island and don't really introduce any new peril. I think that's why a lot of people complained about Fire + Water.

One thing I've noticed about the Charlie episodes is that they don't seem to deal much with the mystery of the island and don't really introduce any new peril. I think that's why a lot of people complained about Fire + Water.

I agree those were the complaints, but for me, character development is why I care about these people. If it weren't for episodes like these, I don't think we would care about the big island mystery episodes so much, although we may not realize lack of character development would be the reason.

I don't need "answers" every week. I like a buildup. I believe this will later be seen as one those great buildup episodes in which the groundwork has been laid for many important plot developments that are to come. We may not even recognize all the signs now but clearly Charlie's non-drug induced island visions, Locke's bizarre behavior, Claire and Aaron's purchase of "spiritual insurance" and Libby's discomfort at being recognized are but a few.

I totally agree; without the groundwork, without the character building, what makes the whole island development episodes worth watching? We watch them because we feel connected to the characters, due to the groundwork layed in such episodes like fire+water. To me this was another great episode. Many people have complained about it, but i feel it gave us a much more deeper look into charlie, and why he is who he is. Without such well planned episodes like this, we would sit back and not even care when sawyer was shot, when walt was taken or the countless on screen interactions with the others we have seen thus far. Episodes like fire and water make the island development ones that much more sweeter. We know the characters, thats what gets us hooked, we yearn to know how they will react in such situations. It keeps us comming back for more.

I totally agree; without the groundwork, without the character building, what makes the whole island development episodes worth watching? We watch them because we feel connected to the characters, due to the groundwork layed in such episodes like fire+water. To me this was another great episode. Many people have complained about it, but i feel it gave us a much more deeper look into charlie, and why he is who he is. Without such well planned episodes like this, we would sit back and not even care when sawyer was shot, when walt was taken or the countless on screen interactions with the others we have seen thus far. Episodes like fire and water make the island development ones that much more sweeter. We know the characters, thats what gets us hooked, we yearn to know how they will react in such situations. It keeps us comming back for more.

Well put. there are basically two types of LOST fans I think, those that LOVE the flashbacks, and those who are completely annoyed by it. For me it's what makes the show.