1.07 - The Moth

Title’s significance: Locke uses a moth cocoon to demonstrate to Charlie why struggle is essential to survival; if the moth is helped out of the cocoon, it won’t be strong enough to live. It’s also a moth that leads Jack and Charlie to freedom.

Recap: Flashbacks reveal that Charlie was troubled by the temptations being a rock star offered him and by the corrupting influence that fame has on his brother Liam; Charlie wanted to walk away because things got too intense, but even he slipped into drugs like his brother, who eventually reformed. On island, Charlie’s having problems going through withdrawal and demands his drugs back, but Locke says that choice is all that separates us from animals – he gives Charlie two more chances. Kate wagers that Sawyer doesn’t have anything off-island to return to. A cave-in traps Jack, and the cave-dwellers have to band together to save him. Charlie dives in to extract Jack, which Jack says proves Charlie isn’t a useless junkie. While the others are digging, Charlie finds an alternate route out of the cave. Just as his triangulation plan works, someone clubs Sayid over the head. Charlie asks for his drugs a third time but chucks it into the fire.

Thoughts: Even though Paul Dini (one of my personal favorites ever) co-wrote this episode, it didn’t really do much for me. We had a good way of wrapping up Charlie’s conflict, but the cave-in felt uninspired and a little boring, almost like the writers were stalling for time.

Favorite moment: Sawyer comparing himself to Jack (“Give me a bottle of peroxide, and I’d be running this island”) and accidentally slipping that “Saint Jack got himself buried in a cave.” That, and the ultra-catchy “You All Everybody.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• LIAM, Charlie’s rocker brother

What we learned:

• Jack is not a man of faith. (Watch for more on this one.)
• Michael did or has done construction work for eight years.
• Charlie wasn’t always a corrupted junkie rocker, but his brother turned him into one.
• Kate seems to have strong feelings for Jack.
• Charlie was en route to a Driveshaft gig on Flight 815.

Questions:

• Who attacked Sayid?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Nothing of mythological significance in this episode.