Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2.12 - Fire + Water


Title’s significance: I disliked this episode so much that I don’t even care what the title means. Lostpedia says it has something to do with Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” so there.

Recap: Merry Christmas, Charlie – you’re getting flashbacks about trying to save your brother Liam from drugs, getting a piano for Christmas, and appearing in a diaper commercial. Charlie has dreams about Aaron in moments of peril (usually involving drowning), and sparks fly between Hurley and Libby as Sawyer goads him on. Locke confronts Charlie about using heroin again, and after consulting Eko Charlie decides that Aaron must be baptized. Addled, Charlie sets a fire to con Claire into thinking that Aaron is in danger. We learn that Charlie is growing jealous of Locke’s burgeoning role as a foster father for Aaron, which Locke counters with a few punches. Despite Charlie being humiliated in front of the camp, in the end Eko baptizes Aaron – and Claire, for good measure.

Thoughts: Wow, talk about an epic detour. I honestly had trouble paying attention during this episode because there wasn’t an interesting plotline in the whole thing: the drugs issue was handled sloppily, Charlie’s backstory shares nothing new and is inconsistent with respect to Charlie’s history of drug use, Locke’s violence is completely out of character, and the baptism thing hasn’t even been so much as mentioned since Season Two. It’s as though the writers wanted a Charlie-centric episode but didn’t quite know what to do with one. When the only redeeming scene in an episode is Hurley and Libby getting their flirt on and not a cryptic dream sequence that could have had so much going for it, you know you’re in trouble. Unless you’re a diehard Charlie fan, this is one of the worst episodes of Season Two. When the heck does Michael Emerson show up?

Favorite moment: After Hurley asks Sawyer about Libby, Sawyer responds, “Whoa, you got a little love connection brewin’ over there, Jabba?” That, or the downright hysterical “You All Every-Butties” commercial. What’s absolutely priceless, though, is Ana Lucia’s abrupt “You hittin’ that?” to Jack about Kate (“You’re hot, she’s hot...”).

Characters introduced (in order):
  • MEGAN, Charlie’s mum and also the name of his niece
  • KAREN, Liam’s wife

What we learned:

  • There’s a love connection between Hurley and Libby.
  • Charlie says he hasn’t been using.

Questions:

  • Are the washer and dryer in The Swan really newer than everything else down there?
  • Does Hurley know Libby from somewhere?
  • If Hurley got on the plane late and Libby was sitting in the back of the plane, how did he manage to step on her toe?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

  • Why is it so important that Aaron be baptized?

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