Greatest Hits (Lost)
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"Greatest Hits"[1] is the twenty-first episode of the third season of Lost. It was aired on May 16, 2007, making it the 68th episode of the series. The character of Charlie Pace was featured in the episode's flashbacks.
Plot Summary
Template:Spoilers The Episode Begins with Karl running through the jungle and getting on a boat before sailing off in haste. In the next scene, several castaways are walking over a plain with Jack leading them. Along the way, Desmond has another premonition but refuses to tell Charlie what it is about. After Sayid asks why they were led there, Jack calls out to Danielle, who then causes a tree to explode, using dynamite she has collected from the Black Rock (which explains why she went there in The Brig). Jack explains that the Others are going to come to kidnap the pregnant women, but he intends to hide dynamite in their tents, and use it to kill the Others when they arrive.
In a flashback, Charlie's bandwagon has broken down. While Liam and Charlie try to fix it in the rain, Charlie states the band is going nowhere and he wants to quit. Just before a big argument erupts, the driver tells them to “shut up” and turns up the radio which is playing their song, "You All Everybody". The band jump around in glee. Back to present Charlie writes the memory on a bit of paper as memory number 5. Naomi talks to him about Manchester, then realizes he was the big "dead" rock star found on the plane crash, that caused a huge uproar. Charlie muses that they were only slightly famous, but Naomi tells him that a Driveshaft "greatest hits" was released after his death. During the chat, Charlie notices Desmond staring at him.
Meanwhile Jack and Juliet are preparing the dynamite when Sayid arrives and tells how he believes he can communicate with Naomi's boat with her satellite phone, though first he must disable Danielle's recurring message from the radio tower. Juliet tells him that this idea is not feasible because the Others disable all outgoing messages from a Dharma station she herself has never even been to, the "Looking Glass." This station, she reveals, is underwater. Sayid realizes that the cable that was found on the shore in Solitary must lead to this.
Charlie chats with Claire when Desmond comes up to him and asks Charlie to give him a hand. He tells Charlie that, in his premonition, Claire and Aaron get saved. However, in order for this to happen, Charlie must drown after toggling a yellow blinking switch underwater in or near the Dharma station.
Another flashback shows a young Charlie at Butlins being afraid to jump in the pool because he doesn't believe his father will catch him. When he jumps off in faith, his dad lifts him up as he said and proceeds to teach him to swim. Charlie writes this on his piece of paper as memory number 4. Back at camp, Sayid talks to Juliet and Jack about the Looking Glass station and how, if they get there, they can disable the jamming signal that is preventing outgoing messages so that they can call for help via Naomi's phone device. Charlie, accepting his supposed destiny, offers to Jack to be the one who goes on the underwater mission, however Jack refuses at first to let him go, knowing it would be near impossible to perform the task and live. Charlie wants to be the one to do it and save Claire, so he lies and says he can hold his breath for four minutes.
Meanwhile, Jin talks to Sun about the baby. Sun tells Jin she had an ultrasound and that the baby is healthy. They hug happily, although Sun is obviously worried, and she doesn't tell him the Others are after her. This is most likely tied to both the event of the Others’ coming (purportedly to kidnap the pregnant women) as well as Juliet's claim that no woman who has conceived on the island lives to see the child. Just then, Karl arrives on shore and is tackled by a watchful and precautions Sayid (who assumed Karl came with ill will, not knowing who he was). Sawyer tells Sayid to let Karl go, and Karl tells his story via flashback. It shows Ben arriving at his camp, telling a curious Alex that Locke had an “accident” (though Karl was not privy to this information). Ben then tells the rest of the camp that Jacob told him that they must go to get the pregnant castaways immediately. Alex runs in the jungle to tell Karl, who runs to tell the castaways as shown in the first scene. At first, Sayid and company claim they already knew this and were preparing for the Others. However, Karl reveals that the Others are not coming tomorrow, "They are coming here right now!" The castaways begin to panic and change their course of action. Sayid decides they can shoot the dynamite from the tree lines to set it off when the Others come instead of using wire, which would take longer to set up. Bernard, Sayid and Jin are chosen to be the shooters, much to the dismay of Jack (who was intending to stay), but Sayid tells Jack that to be the leader he has to lead the castaways to safety in the radio tower. Jack changes his mind and realizes that Charlie should go to dismantle the message if he wants to. Charlie and Desmond prepare to leave for the station using Karl's boat.
Another flashback shows Liam waking up Charlie who was in bed with 2 women. As it is Christmas, Liam gives Charlie, the clean rock star, the family heirloom of a ring with the initials DS. Liam says he wants the ring to stay in the family, and Charlie is more likely to have a son to pass it on to. The letters DS are their great grandfather's initials, and they came up with the name of their band, DriveShaft, as a tribute to him. Charlie writes this as memory number 3.
The next scene Charlie visits Claire and Aaron and has an emotional goodbye, telling Claire not to worry about him while he is gone because "he'll be fine.” They kiss, Charlie tells Aaron he loves him, and walks off.
Another flashback shows Charlie playing “Wonderwall” by Oasis on a street corner before it starts to rain. He walks past an alleyway where a woman is getting mugged (this is apparently Nadia, Sayid’s past love interest). He intervenes and scares the mugger off. The lady tells Charlie he is a hero. Charlie writes this as memory number 2. This also should have featured Desmond, if the flashback in Flashes Before Your Eyes was true.
Desmond gives Charlie a weightbelt, to pull him down underwater quicker. Hurley comes over saying he wants to go with them and Charlie says he can't because he's too fat to fit in the boat, then he feels bad about it and tells Hurley he loves him and gives him a hug. Back at the main camp Jack and the others are all set to go and Jack and Kate laugh together again. They all prepare to get ready and a shot shows Charlie's ring is left in Aaron's cot. Finally Charlie and Desmond set sail using the rope as guidance.
A flashback shows Charlies meeting Claire back on the night of the plane crash. They laugh together and introduce each other. Charlie reveals that he has been listing his happiest moments, his "greatest hits". When the rope starts to sink in the water, Desmond tells Charlie they are there. Charlie hands over the paper to Desmond and tells him to give it to Claire. Desmond offers to go himself, and just as it looks as if he is about to sacrifice himself instead, Charlie knocks him out with an oar, knowing this is what he himself has to do. Charlie dives underwater and reaches the station, however he can find no way inside. As he begins to lose breath, he finds an opening, and manages to get there just in time. He pulls up into the station relieved that he made it there alive, but just as he begins to relax, at least 2 armed women appear and hold guns to him.
Notes
- In Charlie's flashback when he is changing the tire in the rain the number on the car radio says 23, one of the numbers.
- When Nadia is calling Charlie a hero in the alleyway, she says that three other people walked past without helping her. This makes Charlie the 4th, 4 is one of the numbers.
- Charlie said he hasn't been in a fight since he was 8, one of the numbers.
- Charlie states he can hold his breath for 4 minutes.
