After so many close calls, should Charlie finally kick the bucket?

No. I like Charlie, but now I think his death would be too obvious. He isn't going to be one that dies.

He's going to die eventually.

Not yet. If he is truly meant to die, I would rather him die for a good cause. An example would be doing something very dangerous but at the same time could help everyone else out. Dying just to help Desmond isn't good enough.

I feel like if he died now, the writers would be denying a really cool plot device where all sorts of drama could happen if desmond is taken away from charlie (dies or leaves indefinately for some reason.) This would create great tension for Charlie's character wondering when exactly he is going to die and feeling like no one is going to save him.

No.

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!

Better that he should maybe go missing and appear dead. Plenty of drama, emotion from Claire and Hurley and then a wonderfully happy reunion when he reappears.

No, Charlie should not die... It would make for a much better story if these subtle little things Des is doing by saving Charlie actually do change the overall outcome of events...

I really hope the Charlie dying mechanism is just the world's largest red herring..

Pacejunkie, I wholeheartedly second that emotion!!

No because I like the character

Yes because I would like to find out what would happen to Des' visions after the universe "self-corrects"

Absolutely, unequivocally, NOOOOO!!!

To me, Charlie really brings the other characters together. I can't imagine the Jin ghost story scene without Charlie, or Hurley going for a joyride in the Dharma van without Charlie. He needs to stick around.

If Charlie is to die, then he needs to die heroically. He must sacrifice himself for the rest of the losties.
However, Lost will not be the same without Charlie. As another person said, he brings characters together. Without Charlie, something will be missing from Lost.

:huh:No way, I know his accent & personality irritates some, but I'd miss his unique way of speaking. I like when he says bloody, bollocks, etc. He gives the show some light humor.

I think they should do it in a way we don't see coming...for example, not until next year, after something happens to Des so that he can no longer see the future. Give us a chance to forget about it a bit (not that pacejunkie & others would ever truly forget!). But I don't want it to be every week, "will this be the week?" and then "Finally! I got tired of waiting for this to be resolved!" (one way or another, not saying Charlie has to die.)

Hurley would be devastated--he & Charlie need each other, cuz they're the ones with the best sense of humor.
100%
as a sidenote, I've started thinking that eventually we'll lose every one of the original Lostaways...and it'll just be the Others again.

Ouch.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3863/1176952197132qi8.gif

They can't just go on and on with Desmond devoting every day of his life to saving Charlie. (The poor guy already spent 3 years saving the world.) Something has to change, since the "save Charlie" routine is already getting a bit tiresome. Since Charlie cheated death on his own a multitude of times, (the hanging, the bridge, the death ride in the Dharma Bug...) I suspect if Desmond just chilled, they would find that destiny has changed.

Charlie's death would only be acceptable to me if it furthered the story. Having Charlie die, just to give validity to Desmond's visions is a waste. If that happened, Desmond's visions were introduced just as a way to kill off Charlie. With Charlie dead, Desmond would stop getting these flashes. What would the point have been of Desmond's flashes or Charlie's death then. A small sub-story that came full circle and didn't do anything else for the story.

If TPTB are determined to have Charlie die, fine. DO it in a way that honors his character. DO it in a way that doesn't leave fans thinking that his death was pointless. DO it with him as a hero. DO it to further the story in a meaningful way.

DON'T DO it just to say "look, Desmond was right"

On balance, I'd say yes. Monaghan is a very engaging actor and normally good for a giggle or two, but I think the character has run his course. We're (hopefully) getting towards the business end of the story now and I don't see any purpose for Charlie beyond operating as a foil for Desmond's sub-plot. As a character, I think he was neglected for too long to be redeemed and is now more or less irrelevant. Sooner Charlie died that Sayid, for sure (although I've got a terrible feeling both may get the bullet, which would be disastrous for the series.)

On balance, I'd say yes. Monaghan is a very engaging actor and normally good for a giggle or two, but I think the character has run his course. We're (hopefully) getting towards the business end of the story now and I don't see any purpose for Charlie beyond operating as a foil for Desmond's sub-plot. As a character, I think he was neglected for too long to be redeemed and is now more or less irrelevant. Sooner Charlie died that Sayid, for sure (although I've got a terrible feeling both may get the bullet, which would be disastrous for the series.)

Completely agree apart from the last bit. I don't think it would be disasterous, even though I really like both characters.

Charlie's death would only be acceptable to me if it furthered the story. Having Charlie die, just to give validity to Desmond's visions is a waste. If that happened, Desmond's visions were introduced just as a way to kill off Charlie. With Charlie dead, Desmond would stop getting these flashes. What would the point have been of Desmond's flashes or Charlie's death then. A small sub-story that came full circle and didn't do anything else for the story.

If TPTB are determined to have Charlie die, fine. DO it in a way that honors his character. DO it in a way that doesn't leave fans thinking that his death was pointless. DO it with him as a hero. DO it to further the story in a meaningful way.

DON'T DO it just to say "look, Desmond was right"

I agree but I don't think a heroic death is the answer either. That would just be Charlie resigning himself to his fate, not really choosing death, because only someone suicidal chooses death. Of course he would prefer to be a hero and live if he can.

The only truly satisfying outcome is for BOTH men to take a leap of faith and pass the test. Desmond has to follow his own path and stop stepping in to save Charlie, Charlie has to willingly go into a situation where he can perform some heroic act knowing it will likely lead to his death. When they both take that step together, divine intervention will step in and save them both. The visions will stop and Charlie will face his demon and live. That's the only satisfying ending there can be, or you can say that fate won anyway.

I have a feeling that the only way to break Charlie's loop of Death is by killing that one who is causing it: Desmond.