What did you think? Rate it and then discuss the good and the bad. :)

Thought it was pretty good...not a jaw dropper or eventful like last weeks, but it was a crucial set up for the "explosive" action packed finale.
I think I might miss Charlie now...the bits about his five greatest moments and his touching scenes with Hurley and Claire were just "awww.."

great title for the episode.

great title for the episode.

It was an excellent title. I though it was a bit odd when I first heard it, but it really was perfect having the double meaning in the episode that it did.

I give this one an 8. Definitely a solid episode, and a great episode for Charlie. Definitely a bit of a tear jerker just from the Charlie- Claire- Aaron stuff.

Nothing would have topped the last two weeks, but this one was quite good for what it obviously was- setting up for the finale.

A definite 10 for me. I've been waiting so long for a Charlie episode that shows him as something other than a basket case, and this was everything I could've hoped for! (Now, to cling to optimism and hope he survives the finale as well)

5 for me, Ive been waiting for so long for Charlie to die and then they tease us and let him live. I would have given it an 8 if he did end up dead but its pointless to spend so much time on him saying goodbye and then he lives. It seemed like 30 minutes of this was filler.

It was pretty dull apart from the will he/wont he die. Of course no sign of what happened to Locke either.

I liked it. Lots of character story and no ghost. Yeah!

I felt sorry for Charlie though!

I gave it an 8. It's wasn't a great stand alone episode but it was a great lead in for the season finale.

Really good set-up episode. I gave it an 8, i think.

Thought it was a great episode! Cried through the whole thing! Really loved how in the first of the epi it was just all the original Losties minus Locke. And I really liked the Charlie story - especially the last FB! How sweet!! ***here come the tears again...*** Good writing!!

Excellent episode, gave it a 9. Great acting job by Dom, flashbacks were woven together nicely, and it definitely is a calm before the storm type deal.

Definitely had a lump in my throat during the scene with Charlie and Desmond out in the boat, great acting by both.

Bloody fabulous episode - I gave it a 9. Best Charlie flashbacks ever! I'm still a little teary-eyed though. I didn't think the possibility of Charlie dying would effect so much - but, the thought of it is very upsetting to me. Anyway, great episode, good script, acting A-plus!

An 8. Had me bawling (for Charlie) and nervous (for the losties). But we all know that the really GREAT stuff is coming NEXT week. So I'm saving my 9 or 10 for that! (I hope!)

Best Lost Episode Ever. But it was so gutwrenchingly sad that to kill him now woudl be cruel and heartless beyond belief. I have to believe they won't do that. I'm crying as I type this, this is so hard to take. This episode would melt the heart of even the biggest Charlie hater.

He's my hero.

After watching Heroes on Monday, it's so refreshing to see a show that understands that time must be taken to build characters and tender moments, but at the same time be an exciting lead-in to the finale. (Heroes accomplished neither) I loved Charlie writing down his greatest hits, I loved Claire having dialogue, I loved Sayid's continued distrust of Jack, I loved the random(?) appearance of Nadia, and I loved the moment when Karl washed up on the beach. I gave it a 9.

This was a beautiful episode. I gave it a 9. I hope it was everything you waited for and hoped for, pacejunkie.

Dom was fantastic in this episode.

I wish he'd told Claire he loves her, but it was amazing how he kept that list. Oh man, the Greatest Hits were just amazing.
I also loved the FB technique they used, even mixing in one Alex-centric FB moment. Very cool.

New station. Many tie-ins to S1 themes and actual plotlines.

The radio tower!!!!!!!! My dream comes true finally!!!

A couple things fell flat for me: Jack. Didn't care for him at all.
And why are Bernard and Jin shooters instead of Kate and Sawyer? That's just contrived. Normally Kate and Sawyer would be in that position, but for some other plot purpose that we don't know yet, apparently they need to be in another location.

No Locke. Interesting.... not upset about it though.
Bernard and Rose return. GREAT.

Gave it an 8. Solid episode, good lead-in for the finale. I was waiting for Charlie to die at the end, and when he didn't, I was actually surprised! Very cool development at the end of the episode.

Next week is gonna be nuts.

WE'RE GONNA BLOW THEM ALL TO HELL.

24 finale
Heroes finale
LOST finale

The best is saved for last! :grin:

I've never teared up this many times during a single Lost episode before, so im giving it a ten. Normally I can either take or leave Charlie, but after this episode I really don't want him to die. The goodbye to Claire was rough.

Other than that it was an above average set up episode. It was nice to see everyone back on the level after several episodes of tedious secret keeping. No complaints.

how can a 'set up' episode ever be considered an 8-10? The ep was all set up, no payoff.
Wasted opportunity to me.
So they are gonna put EVERYTHING in the finale?

That was the most 'personally-rewarding' episode since the Moth. Dom really had some great moments, as did Des. I loved the 5 most important things and the way he dealt with Hurley. The rest was a good setup for the finale.
Excuse me while I dry out my beard...

Oldwiz

5 for me, Ive been waiting for so long for Charlie to die and then they tease us and let him live. I would have given it an 8 if he did end up dead but its pointless to spend so much time on him saying goodbye and then he lives. It seemed like 30 minutes of this was filler.

It was pretty dull apart from the will he/wont he die. Of course no sign of what happened to Locke either.


My thoughts exactly.

After he lived I was like "......for fuck sake", and then after the A-Team burst out and had Charlie at gunpoint I seriously just lol'd. Next week looks good though.

6/10

Lost at its best. It's about the characters. You don't care about them and then the plot becomes flat.

I was spoiled rotten for this one but I cried nevertheless. Worse part was when Charlie said good buy to Aaron. Damn.

I gave it an 8

The Charlie is gonna die thing was tearful. I was genuinely sad. I particularly liked the part were Naomi recognized that Charlie's music was special... so special that they (in the real world) paid homage to the dead rock star and released a greatest hits album. I think this gave Charlie strength to do the hard deed ahead of him.

Sometime artists would rather have their work acknowledged more than their being. BRAVO!!!!!

Gave it a 6. The Charlie stuff was good, but overall it just seemed more like a setup for the finale than an episode that could stand on its own.

Excellent episode. Nothing to really shock us like last week with Locke but excellent story for Charlie. The last flashback with Charlie and Claire was very sweet. This episode did well to set up next weeks finale. I give it a 9.

1 word:

AMAZING.

Random question, but does anyone know why I can't vote on this poll? It seems that every week the vote on the episode is blocked for me, and just wondering if only certain people can vote.

Sorry for the random question, but I don't know where else to ask.

I loved it! 9/10. I felt so bad for Charlie :(.

I agree w/ all the good things said about tonight's show. I was in tears, and I've always felt rather "neutral" about Charlie. But Dom really made me care about Charlie tonight.

I agree that it didn't seem like a lot happened, but it was cool to see:

* the true friendship between Hurley & Charlie
* Charlie "passing on" his family ring
* Charlie not letting Des take the hit for him this time
* Charlie's "Greatest Hits"
* Charlie telling Aaron that he loved him. :cry:

Yeah, it's all about the characters, and how we've grown to love them...sometimes even in spite of ourselves.
100%
Random question, but does anyone know why I can't vote on this poll? It seems that every week the vote on the episode is blocked for me, and just wondering if only certain people can vote.

Sorry for the random question, but I don't know where else to ask.

You have to have at least 10 posts before you can vote or have an avatar.
At least, I *think* it's ten. It might be
8 or 15....16? LOL j/k. I'm pretty sure it's 10.

This episode was Amazing!!
I loved this episode because

1) I felt sooo bad for Charlie and I acually teared a couple of times during the episode. The charlie-claire stuff was just so heartbreaking and yet oddly rewarding

2) Karl!! I feel he has so much potential as a character. He and Alex are just so cool and its nice to see two teenagers on the island, and its nice to see them in love.

3) seeing Ben make a rash decision and some of the others reactions of "wtf are you doing. you're mad" Also seeing ben use Jacob as a means of contro. It was cool

4) the Survivors!! We finally got to see all but one of them on the beach together. They character stuff between sun/jin (the look on suns face because she knows she's going to die) Rose and Benard!, Hurley's reactions, Sayid, and claire. It was refreshing to see them

5) Jack's the man. He was amazing and i'm mad i let myself not trust him..

6) the end was in true lost fashion. and I was so glad he didn't die.

NEXT WEEK LOOKS SO GOOD

Any episode that can make me actually cry gets a 10. And the non-crying moments were good too. :)

A definite 10 for me. I've been waiting so long for a Charlie episode that shows him as something other than a basket case, and this was everything I could've hoped for! (Now, to cling to optimism and hope he survives the finale as well)
I agree completely! Finally a heroic Charlie. Its great to see him stop being a victim. Here's praying he makes it through the finale.

Wow. Just wow. I loved it. It was the best of the season for me, and that is saying alot. Seriously, I usually like the mythology stuff, but this eppy knocked it out of the park for me. Dom was just fantastic.... I hope that TPTB will pass along out thoughts to him about how great he was tonight.

I saw alot of heroic symbolism tonight, as well as the underlying redemption theme... how can anyone think that this was a filler eppy?

9/10

So much emotion in this episode from Charlie/Claire to Rose/Bernard (great to see them back by the way).

Charlies top moments were great, I liked the Charlie/Claire Pilot flashback, it was really great. I hope he makes it out alive.

I know, I almost cried too! But the only reason I didn't give this episode a 10 because it was a setup episode for the finale so we didn't get any answers :(

But omg, this episode was really emotional and character driven. That's what I loved about this episode. They can't all be action packed. There has to be the emotional drama too and that was what this episode was all about.

I had a feeling Charlie wouldn't die when I saw that pacejunkie had posted in the "Loved it!" thread. :71: But man, I was still crying. I'm not a huge Charlie fan, but I don't hate him like some people do either, so I was surprised to be so moved. I loved it. *sniff*

But I am getting sick of half the time seeing Jack smack down anyone who dares question him, and the other half of the time having people tell him it's time to 'act' like a leader when he makes those dumb decisions he seems to make. Please, put Sayid in charge - he's the most reasonable of the bunch.

Well..it fell right in the middle for me...so much filler...the huge build up to Charile's noble heroic death...they have to walk into the hills so Jack can blow up a tree?? And waste that dynamite? Show Charlie saving Nadia? That made so little sense. The flashback in general...it was a set-up for the finale no question.

The list was great...him leaving the ring for Aaron was so touching...Charlie and Hurley, Rose and Bernard, Des and Charlie in the boat were great scenes...Rose and Sayid putting Jack in his place...funny stuff. Very emotional last few minutes.

Should be great next week...

5 for me, Ive been waiting for so long for Charlie to die and then they tease us and let him live. I would have given it an 8 if he did end up dead but its pointless to spend so much time on him saying goodbye and then he lives. It seemed like 30 minutes of this was filler.

It was pretty dull apart from the will he/wont he die. Of course no sign of what happened to Locke either.

I gave it a 4. I like Charlie. I don't want him to die. But the teaser was just too painful to watch. When Rousseau stepped out of the woods was the highlight for me. Desmonds flashes are starting to bug.

Wow. Just Wow.

I gave it a solid 5. I'm so tired of the "he's gonna die, no he isn't" routine. And the swat team -- yet more new characters -- at the end was exasperating. Phooey! I'm sure it's a set up for next week's finale, but it smacks of deus ex machina to me.

i gave it a 7.
as others have said, it was a set-up episode to the finale - but it was a good episode, even so. i don't tend to get into the emotional storylines as much as the mythology ones, but it was a real pleasure to watch dom - he acted the heck outta that role.

one thing i really didn't like is that his ring got left behind.

Finally! A Charlie episode that actually made me care about him! This was Dom's best acting job since the series began! Personally - I just dont believe theyre gonna kill him - Desmond is gonna come to the rescue & that will change the whole scenerio he saw in his flash!

From next week's preview, it looks like EVERYBODY is a possible target to get killed! Let's not write Charlie off just yet! I'm thinking Bernard is done for...maybe Desmond too!

I gave it a 7. It was just too slow-paced (no pun intended) and filler-ish for the episode leading up to the finale.

It does set up the finale, but I was disappointed in what seem like strategic mistakes. Why not cut the cable to the station to get a signal back? Why haven't any of these preparations for an onslaught been made before?

Dom's acting was great; some very nice scenes. Great to have Danielle on board, and to have a new hatch to speculate about. But even with my love of the losties, I couldn't get caught up in the intense preparations. They've procrastinated for so long.

Definately deserved a 7. I expected so much from it. I mean, Rose and Bernard were coming back... and Charlie was gonna die (at least I thought he was, in the end he didn't). But this episode just fell flat. I mean, it was good, I loved the way they did the flashbacks (although I expected his father to be a freaky doll-head-chopping butcher). But overall, it just seemed like a pre-finale episode.

It was just setting up the events for next week's end.

'Greatest Hits' - 10/10

This episode finally brought back the ensemble, every regular apart from Locke (Terry O'Quinn) had dialogue and a role to play in this episode. We even got the return of Rose (L. Scott Caldwell) and Bernard (Sam Anderson) who have been conspiciously missing since the start of the season and the role they played in this episode was excellent.

It seems that so far in my review I have overlooked the fantastic Charlie Pace (Dom Monaghan) who finally has an episode centred around his struggle with being told by Desmond (Ian Cusick) that he is going to die. Both of these actors were incredible in tonights episode and their scene at the episode's climax reminded me very much of Kitsis and Horowitz scene from "Dave" in season 2 where Libby (Cynthia Watros) convinces Hurley (Jorge Garcia) that she is very real and seals her message with a kiss. I have often been a defender of Kitsis and Horowitz believing them to be two of the strongest writers in the LOST team... finally with tonight's episode I believe they have disproven the nay-sayers.
...Anyway back to Charlie and Desmond in the boat. This scene is probably the most emotional scene in Season 3 of LOST (and there have been plenty of those kind of scenes) perhaps even from the series as a whole - wonderfully downplayed by both of the actors.

For once the plot of an episode was not heavily based in the island's mythos but it was heavily invested in the characters. The two major events of the episode (Karl warning the Beachies of the Others' imminant attack and Charlie going to his "death" at the Looking Glass) were Island events lending themselves to the storylines of the particular characters involved - something which LOST has been missing for quite a while now. We see Alex's relationship with Ben, which has been spiralling out of control all season to have consequences which may ruin Ben's plans and his standing with the Others. Yet we also see the climax of Charlie's current storyline lending itself to the unblocking of the signal.

I do not disagree that a number of the events in this episode were to set-up the events of the finale, but the significant character interactions of this episode more than make up for it AND will make the finale much more intense. This episode reminds me a lot of "Exodus Part 1" where we had a message of hope at the end with the raft sailing away, mirroring Charlie's survival in The Looking Glass.

Tonights episode sends a number of very powerful messages. We are told be Nadia that Charlie is: "A hero. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise." This leaves a message of hope and perhaps realisation for some members of the audience that Charlie is a hero. We were told that Jack had to "act like a leader", a line full of foreshadowing from Sayid. This is the time for hope, for responsibility and to find a way to be rescued.

Gave it a 6. Why? It was above average but not very well edited imo.l It jump around to the point I didn't feel like they spent enough time on each segement. Like Danielle.....when did she and Jack decide this action? When did they set up and do the first blow-up? Why doesn't anyone hear it? If it was their first try why would they drag everone there if there was a chance it wouldn't work.

Why after Des told Charlie he was suppose to die why didn't he tell him the whole flash? Just "you die Charlie"?

Why did Ben decide to move up the schedule? Did something directly related happen or is it just fear about Locke & Jacob? To few answers.

This was the best episode of Season 3 so far. It felt like we were back in Season 1 again!

This was the best episode of Season 3 so far. It felt like we were back in Season 1 again!

Yeah, I loved it too! From all the people who've posted saying that they gave it a 6 or a 7, you'd think it was a real dumb episode. But when you look at the actual numbers of people giving it a 10 - well, it seems that every single person who has an axe to grind must post their grievances here to this thread, while others who are delighted with the episode do not.

9. I loved it. It was very emotional. Throughout the whole episode I'm saying out loud to my tv, "Charlie stop writing that list" because you know it doesn't look good to be writing that. Although I have the faith that Charlie won't die on his mission. Then at parts when it looked like he was about to cry I said at my tv "no, don't do it, don't cry"!!! I was getting misty eyed, Charlie has that power over me I guess. I really don't want him to die. Loved the fact that Des was going to take his place. Loved it even more the fact that Charlie knocked him out and did what he thought was right! I thought of the movie "The talented Mr. Ripley" after that scene. If you've seen the movie, you'll understand!! I knew that the number one spot on his list was going to have something to do with Claire, I just knew it. How adorable. I loved this episode.Can you tell?!!

I gave it a generous 7. If this episode was at the beginning of the season I might have ranked it higher. I love Charlie's FB's. But after following last weeks mega hit TMBTC, it fell a bit flat for me. I am so over this storyline of whether Charlie will die or not. I am just wanting them to get it over with and kill him (and heck maybe even my favorite character Desmond) or just drop the entire thing. Keep in mind I DO NOT want either to die, but with the continuation of this storyline, I will have to keep giving lower ratings.

Plus I was also disappointed because there were not enough scenes with The Others. They are so fascinating I want to see them all of the time.

One other really good thing was seeing Rose and Bernard back again. Oh how I have missed them. They are truly the ultimate love story on that show. They saved that episode for me.

I gave it a 5. It was just meh for me and a bit of a let down after last week. However, it really did a great job setting up everything for next week, but it was a bit predictable to me. I was moved when Charlie said good bye to turnip head.

Good morning Gregg!!!!!!!! :wavey:

Never been a real Charlie fan... but this episode rocked my socks! I was literally moved to tears (#1 The day I met you... ) - so emotional! And the Des / Charlie exchange on the boat... goosebumps!

Gave it a 9... for the obvious absence of Locke and verrry little Ben (c'mon... the cliffhanger... the CLIFFHANGER!!) :)

Cannot wait for next week...

I gave it a complete 10. Not because it was action-packed or a major reveal. A 10 ep doesn't need that. What this ep really was ... full of double meanings, character development, excellent dialogue, but mainly...because it made me cry like a baby. For a television show/character to draw me in and make me THAT emotional is incredible. This ep was a reassertion of what makes this show great and a return to the quality of eppys of season 1, which I have only felt this season towards Sun & Jin and Des, really. Without people you really care about the show is worthless. I sooo hope Charlie lives!

An 8 from me, you could say the flashbacks were filler but they had a hand on pulling on the audiences emotional strings before what seemed like a suicide mission. I don't know why everyone is acting like we were cheated out of a death, the episode ended with Charlie being pointed at with 2 women with guns, and you think he is entirely safe?

I thought last weeks episode was better (for obvious reasons) but Charlie really was fantastic in this episode, sure i thought the #1 on his list was a little cliche, and i saw it coming from a mile away but oh well. Charlie did a great job. What made me give this episode an 8 though was that how every character had a part to play, it felt like a true ensemble, it was like being whisked back to season 1 (my favourite season). It was magnificent. The episode was quite like TTID, but better because the plot didn't come out of nowhere, it really moved the story forward. I thought the hatch underwater looked magnificient, and it was quite tense when Charlie was swimming down there.

The set up episodes for the previous season finales, Born to Run, and Three Minutes, well they were decent but the Greatest Hits surpasses those IMO - and that's all i really wanted this episode to do. Hopefully the finale will do too! Although i think Exodus Part 2 will be really hard to top. The jungle scenes in that episode were so atmospheric, so tense and well acted, it'll be hard to top.

Wow so Heroes finale, 24 finale, and the LOST finale next week? Ooooh good television, but i'm rooting for my favourite. I'm pretty confident LOST will be the best out of the three also. This set up episode was far greater than Heroes' set up episode on Monday anyway.

I liked it..but I wish the writers would have given us a reason why they just didn't cut the cable going into the water. Why risk drowning when you might just be able to pull the plug? :)

Great Episode! 9/10

Small points that took away from it, waste of dynamite, lack of questions/answers, lack of emotion from certain characters *cough* (claire) *cough*. Overall, it was a perfect setup for the knockout punch we are about to receive in the finale.

8

I see my "Less Kate, Better Lost" rule still stands. Whenever we're done focusing on her emotional rollercoaster of teenage drama and/or her boobs, the show can breathe and go back to telling interesting stories. I liked that everyone had their moment (Sun, Jin, Rose, Bernard), I absolutely loved Jack and Sayid working together and Sayid being the perfect right hand man for Jack (who ******* rocks! I loved the no more hiding speech). And Charlie. Let's give a big round of applause to Dom for he owned this episode. His love confession to Hurley was sweeter than all the moments he's had with Claire.

This was a good set up for the finale and an excellent character-driven episode, which I for one welcomed after last week's freakfest.

Excellent episode...and LOVED seeing Rosie and Bernie again!!!

Thought it was pretty good...not a jaw dropper or eventful like last weeks, but it was a crucial set up for the "explosive" action packed finale.
I think I might miss Charlie now...the bits about his five greatest moments and his touching scenes with Hurley and Claire were just "awww.."

Completely agree with all of that, bigK. Well stated.
100%
I liked it..but I wish the writers would have given us a reason why they just didn't cut the cable going into the water. Why risk drowning when you might just be able to pull the plug? :)

The reason is something we can assume (cutting the cable wouldn't have stopped the jamming signal, it would only have cut off the tower, which they probably don't want to do).

But the really important point of your statement is this is why I'm happy they're going to 16 epis a season for three years. It'll give the writers more time to think about the scripts and the minutiae. That minutiae is what's made Lost's best episodes so good. When they have not paid attention to those little details, the epis have suffered from blandness, IMO.

I gave it an 8. As someone who got really sick of Charlie in Season 2, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and I felt so bad for him. I can't imagine what will happen to him, but if he doesn't make it Claire will be so sad, especially if she gets to see that list. The scene with Aaron and Hurley were so touching. Good job writers!

Loved Sayid and Jack working together and kicking ***. Sayid convincing Jack to lead the others to the radio tower was a very good scene. Sayid seems to know the odds of anyone getting off the beach alive are slim and sent the leader/protector off to do what he does best, willing to sacrifice himself and smacking Jack in the face with the reality of the situation in order to get him to do what had to be done. Loved it!

I gave it a 9. I really liked all the emotional stuff with Charlie, and it was a really good episode overall, but not quite a 10 for me. Dom was brilliant in this eppy. I really hope Charlie doesn't die.

I gave it a 7, it was a build up to next week. I'm not sure about Jack yet, he's not yet trustworthy and Julia seems still shady.

I must say, I have spent most of this season and some of last season really disliking charlie and his actions, but last night he cleaned his slate for me. I was all ready to let him die and I was fine with that. Now I don't want him to go, I hope he can stay alive and get out of there to safty after flipping the switch.

Good ep. I concur with most here that is is laying the brickwork for the finale. I don't want Charlie to die. Some say he doesn't do anything on the island, but he is good for comic relief and no other character use the words "sodding" and "bollucks" quite as well as Charlie.

I think it was an excellent episode, one of the most touching this season and a great setup for the finale next week.

Just wished someone would've punched Jack in the face for being such a jerk the last couple of weeks.

A 9 for me. I'll admit I got misty-eyed more towards the end. It must be the music - I think Michael Giacchino wrote some really awesome score for this episode - what's stuck in my mind is the scene with Hurley/Vincent/Claire/Aaron when they walk away and the ring is left in the cradle. But I suppose it's everything and not only the music - I thought one of the final scenes when Charlie's shoe sinks was well done, and the Charlie - Desmond, Charlie - Claire, Charlie - Aaron and Charlie - Hurley interactions were superb. I also loved the sense of urgency as far as the rest of the episode went. When thinking of it it's not a surprise I cried - it truly was an awesome eppy.

A 10. Definitely. It had me in tears throughout most of it. I hope Charlie lives!

Charlie, really redeemed himself in this episode. In his struggle between is good and bad elements of his nature good has prevailed. His love for Claire and Aaron, and affection for Hurley was touching. Still, couldn't he just tell Desmond "No I'll do it. Its my destiny": type thing not smack in the noggin with a paddle? Ouch

Great episode, and excellent lead up to the finale. I haven't been this excited since we saw the light from inside the hatch.

I gave it a 10. Best episode this season, IMO. I don't think people are going to be killed off, because they have 3 more seasons to go, and I think they need them because they've killed off too many already. Can't wait til next week!!!

I gave it a 7. It was an interesting character study into Charlie and really made his character come full circle. The end felt a little strange, like they edited something out to save it for the finale. I guess if that's the case, it was a good setup for the finale episode.

Very enjoyable episode, and the ending was excellent. We are glad to see Charlie live another episode. That Looking Glass station is awesome!

The first Charlie-centric episode I've liked in a long time, maybe the first ever. Rate it a very strong 8, almost 9.

I rated it 7.

I did not enjoy:
The accents: UGH. Can someone tell the Lost casting director that there are real live English actors in the world beside Dominic Monaghan and Naveen Andrews! I've gotten used to Charlie's brother's take on Mancunian over the years, but throw in young-charlie, young-liam and charlie's dad, not to mention Nadia's version of Iraqi... I was cringing a lot.

The lack of continuity: CHARLIE CAN'T SWIM. That's why he couldn't save Joanna back in 'White Rabbit' and had to get Jack. Remember him staring out at Jack and the drowning woman in the water helplessly saying to himself "I can't swim... I can't swim..."? The writers sure don't.

Inserting new scenes into the season one timeline: only 90 days has passed on the island, but it's actually been almost three years. The actors have aged, the cinematography has changed, it doesn't look or feel the same. All that scene did is demonstrate how Emilie De Ravin's voice has changed over the years. (wasn't that odd? did anyone else notice?).


Things that make no sense:
Why not cut the cable instead of actually going to the underwatch "hatch"? Oh wait, I forgot. The cable isn't for power, it's just there to anchor the "Looking Glass" to the island... yet, it's extremely slack... and wouldn't it make more sense to anchor the station to the seabed instead of hundreds of yards into the jungle?

Why lead a group of people - including a pregnant woman, a man who doesn't speak english and an infant's mother - into the extremely dangerous monster-infested jungle and then blow up a tree??? WHY!?!?!? Is it not possible that the Others or a single Other on recon could have been near enough to hear that ENORMOUS explosion and be warned that the Losties have dynamite? Would it not have been possible to simply say "Hey, we've got dynamite! Cool, no?"? Did Jack not think the rest of the Losties would believe him? Did he think they didn't know what dynamite was for and that the explanation "it blows stuff up" would have gone over their heads?

Why did Charlie knock out Desmond? IT WAS HIS IDEA TO BEGIN WITH!! HE WOULD HAVE LET YOU GO!! ARRRGHGHGH!!!


Questionable long-term plot logic:
How in the hell did Danielle never see a single Other in her sixteen years on-island prior to the 815 crash? They had Dharma Vans driving around the place! On roads! There were big (and loud!) battles between Dharma and the Hostiles! There's a sizable village surrounded by a giant sonic-wave security fence! There's a farm house in the middle of the jungle with no security or camoflauge at all! Think of all the crap the Losties have found in three months!

Why are the castaways only now exploring the cable on the beach, the radio tower, etc..? It makes absolutely zero logical sense. It is purely for plot reasons. Imagine if Hurley had stumbled upon the Dharma van, or someone had actually followed the cable on the beach when they first found it and saw the Looking Glass, in mid-season one. There was absolutely nothing to stop it. We were all scratching our heads wondering why no one was even mentioning the cable on the beach. That isn't good long-term storytelling. In the Lost universe the writers are basically God. They can make anything happen. They could have given actual reasons for that stuff. It kind of bugs me that they didn't.

Phew! And now that I've vented my grievances...

I enjoyed:
Dominic Monaghan: realllly nice performance.

The "Greatest Hits" flashbacks: I like when they add a fresh spin to the flashback format. Nice idea there.

The Charlie/Hurley hug: I wish there was more stuff like this in the show these days. The castaways actually acting like friends, even when it isn't a special feel-good episode.

The underwater "hatch": They pulled that off really well, I think.

Forward plot momentum!!!: I'm LOVING the fact that the Losties have finally been motivated to get off their ***** and DO something! For a story like this to work the protagonists need to have a goal that they're working towards. I'm very happy that we're moving again.

Danielle and Alex: I love these two. Danielle has been a favourite of mine since season one and Alex is worthy to be her daughter.

Almost no Sawyer: even though I like Josh Holloway, it's always nice to have a break from the nicknames and scowls and love-quadrangles.

I thought Charlie absolutely owned the episode. He was outstanding. His farewell with Aaron, Hurley, and Desmond were all so touching. The only thing that was a little flat for me was Claire, but that was Claire, not Charlie. About the ring being left unnoticed in the cradle: nothing, nothing, nothing is insignificant on Lost. Someone will come back for that ring, either Claire, Hurley, or a still alive Charlie.

I gave it a 9. It wasn't as great as last week's episode, but we got to see the inside of anther hatch. It'll be interesting to see what happens in there. My one major complaint is that they didn't show anything with Locke; Im guessng we won' find out anything about him until after the next season returns which SUCKS!!! But that's just a guess hopefully something happens in the finale with him.

i loved it. It was a real tear-jerker. It set a lot up for the season finally

I gave It a seven I thought it was a good lead in to the finale I also wondered why not just cut the cable but ok..whatever ...Is Charlie the first Lostie without a "Daddy Issue"? I can't remember all off Charlies flashbacks but his dad seemed pretty cool/friendly and he made Charlies "Greatest Hits List"

I gave it an 8. It would have been a 10 except for the ending. I wasn't thrilled with the results of Charlie's dive. Other than that, great episode.

Ok,that was definately a 9!They made us laugh,the made us cry!That was quality tv!i just cant wait for next weeks episode!im afraid well get an information overload in such an extent ,it ll be hard to breathe!my head is spinning,,,

I would have to give this epi a 7 or an 8. It just wasn't all there, for me at least. It was good and I think a ton better than the begining of this season but still not back to LOST Season1 calibure like the previous two episodes in my opinion.

I loved the whole episode. The interaction between Des and Charlie, Charlie and Claire and Aaron ... I was crying like a baby when Des and Charlie were in the outrigger and was elated when he made it inside the Looking Glass and stunned when those ExGoldfinger girls popped out. This was a 10 hands down! It's one of my top 4 faves so far. If I end up adding the finale in then it'll be in my top 5.

I loved this episode! I gave it a 9. It was the first episode in a very long time - the entire season, in fact, - since all the Castaways worked together as a cohesive team. There was no yelling, no mistrust between them. They shared information, they came up with plans together, and when necessary, changed those plans.

Charlie (Dom) was wonderful. I've always liked Charlie so I never paid attention to the Charlie griping. I adore his friendship with Hurley and his devotion to Claire and Aaron. He has owned up to his mistakes, and he is truly trying to become a better person. His pure courage at facing his death head-on in exchange for the rescue of the woman he loves is one of those chick flick moments that I happen to really enjoy. Desmond was getting a little annoying throughout most of the episode. His constant "watching" of Charlie must be horrific for him. To constantly have someone tell you "You're gonna die, Brotha." In the end, however, Desmond redeemed himself by offering to go in Charlie's place. For the first time, I think I may actually like Desmond.

I was very happy to see Rose and Bernard again. (I don't blame the writers for their absence. I believe the actress who plays Rose was doing a several month long play.) Either way, it's good to see them back on the beach - which also makes me nervous for next week's episode.

LOVED seeing the old intense, kick butt Jack back on the beach! I didn't realize how much I missed him until last night. It was also nice to see him and Sayid working together. Jack took EVERY one of Sayid's suggestions. He bristled at the idea of Sayid sacrificing himself to go on a "suicide mission." He then refused to allow Charlie to go either. This wasn't Jack trying to impose his will on anyone. This was about not wanting his friends to die. It was also typical Jack not allowing any of the women to stay behind. Some may see it as sexist; I see it as chivalry. Whatever. I really enjoyed that final moment between Sayid and Jack. I didn't realize until the second viewing that Jack was going to stay behind and confront Ben and the others and Sayid was suppose to lead the Castaways to the tower. Jack's mission was far more dangerous, and Sayid called him on it. A leader is suppose to lead, not take all the risks. He's suppose to delegate, even if it means putting those he cares about at risk. Jack and Sayid exchanged a long look, and then Jack did as Sayid advised - as he did the entire episode. I was happy to see a level of respect between them again.

I loved the ending. Why? Didn't expect it at all. It's a big underground station, and it makes sense that it would be guarded. Loved it or not, at least it kept Charlie alive.

Lastly, is it me or is Naomi suspiciously "Otherish?" Talk about someone I don't trust at all, it's her. Everything is just too convenient, and I'm not sure I believe that there is any rescue vessel offshore. It's probably another trap.

Either way, last night was a fantastic, nail-biter of an episode. Lots of suspense and anticipation for the season finale next week.

10/10


This was definetly the most emotional episode of Season 3. Charlie's farewells to Claire, Turniphead, and Hurley were very sad. As the show was getting ready to finish, and Desmond and Charlie were out in the boat, I was thinking how much his character had progressed. At the beginning of Season 1, he was a dark humored, cowardly junkie, but by Season 3 he is a good humored, heroic man.


As Charlie dove down to The Looking Glass, I was nearly bawling. When he swam up, I was smiling my head off the rest of the night. Charlie had survived!!

I have a feeling that a certain Scot's girlfriend is in the Looking Glass, and I know I'm going out on a limb here, but could Walt also be down there??

10, cause it was just great. Loved the fact that Desmond was willing to trade places with Charlie. What a good man that Des. But I was really hoping that something would stop him, little did I expect that Charlie would knock him out. Poor ol Des has got to have a major headach. lol.

9/10. Bit of everything - good opening, good relationship stuff, good reveals. Best finale setup of all 3 seasons.

This episode was great! A solid 9 on the 1 to 10 scale. I thought for sure that Charlie was going to "get it" and I had my crying towel out and ready...I just knew that when he made it into the hatch that someone was going to be there though.

I gave it a 7. There were some touching moments, but after last week's episode, it didn't have that "blow me away" effect.

10, cause it was just great. Loved the fact that Desmond was willing to trade places with Charlie. What a good man that Des. But I was really hoping that something would stop him, little did I expect that Charlie would knock him out. Poor ol Des has got to have a major headach. lol.


Not sure Desmond really was willing to trade places with Charlie. Not that I'm saying that he saw that knock to the cranium coming. I mean he knew what was going to happen in the hatch. So he knew that those two women were going to show up(if you saw the episode preview it's not a spoiler)and he knew he was going to have to fight them to save Charlie, at leat long enugh for Charlie .to get the button.

Loved it! I "prepared" myself for Charlie to die...TPTB say 5 will die and I guess he will...and then he didn't!!!!! Great!!! If the helicopter comes and saves Claire...he may be in the port for a while, and not alone....he has company! Cool! Thought the scenes w/Claire were really good and baby too...hope Jack's group find Locke....in time to save him...

Loved it! I "prepared" myself for Charlie to die...TPTB say 5 will dieand I guess he will... and then he didn't!!!!! Great!!! If the helicopter comes and saves Claire...he may be in the port for a while, and not alone....he has company! Cool! Thought the scenes w/Claire were really good and baby too...hope Jack's group find Locke....in time to save him...


WHHAAATTTT???? 5 people are going to die????? Shouldn't that be in spoilers??? I had no idea!!!! DANG!

I gave it a nine. I felt thoroughly satisfied yet again--there is no doubt that the last part of this season is 100 times better than the first half. I found myself reasoning out people's reactions and responses. The only--and I mean, only, little glitch for me was at the end: 1)Why did Rockstar boy have to knock out Desmond?! All he had to do was say he was going, adamantly. And, would one hit knock someone out? 2)Weren't you thinking, as he climbed up insde the Looking Glass, that there was nothing to suggest that he'd be alone? All of that screaming and hollerin' served as an invitation to the Amazon twins to light him up.

It'll be fun.
AMEN
IC

I gave it an 8...using my new rating system, regardless how good I think the ep is, I take off a point for each time I smack myself in the head, at the end, when it goes 'boom' and LOST appears on the screen:mad: .

Gave it a 9. First epi that brought tears. I'll miss Charlie! Love where the show is going. It's going to be a long wait for January!

It was a great one, I voted 10. I was crying almost the whole episode, 'cause I also expected to see Charlie's death...I don't want to lose him!:sob:It was the most emotional episode ever.

Great episode 10/10. Dominic Monaghan prooved again why they need to keep him on the show.

I gave it a nine. I felt thoroughly satisfied yet again--there is no doubt that the last part of this season is 100 times better than the first half. I found myself reasoning out people's reactions and responses. The only--and I mean, only, little glitch for me was at the end: 1)Why did Rockstar boy have to knock out Desmond?! All he had to do was say he was going, adamantly. And, would one hit knock someone out? 2)Weren't you thinking, as he climbed up insde the Looking Glass, that there was nothing to suggest that he'd be alone? All of that screaming and hollerin' served as an invitation to the Amazon twins to light him up.

I think Charlie knocked Desmond out so he wouldn't have to bear the guilt and responsibilty of seeing Charlie go to his death. This way, Desmond could go back to the beach and tell Claire he had no choice, that he wanted to go in his place but Charlie knocked him out and went. Claire wouldn't blame Desmond like she might if he had just let him go. Similar reasoning to why Kate drugged her husband before leaving him so they wouldn't think that he was involved. She was protecting him from her decision. This was Charlie's decision, and he was protecting Desmond so he shouldn't be blamed.

As for shouting in the LG, they were led to believe the station was flooded, and that he would only have enough air to reach the switch and then he would drown. He was so surprised to find the station was not flooded that he just cried out in relief. Juliet said the place was abandoned. He had no reason to think there would be anyone down there, and anyway he's no commando.

I can't believe how much people are over-analysing Charlies "I'm alive!" Charlie had not expected to draw breath ever again so when he got that lungful of air it must have felt so gooood. It was just a very human reaction to that momentary relief.

I really liked this episode. Though I wish we could've learned Charlie's fate now, I was really pleased how the Lost team managed to work minor characters like Rose Bernard, and Rousseau into the story usefully. Even characters I don't enjoy watching as much like Jack or Karl got good scenes.

I rated it 7.

I did not enjoy:
The lack of continuity: CHARLIE CAN'T SWIM. That's why he couldn't save Joanna back in 'White Rabbit' and had to get Jack. Remember him staring out at Jack and the drowning woman in the water helplessly saying to himself "I can't swim... I can't swim..."? The writers sure don't.Questionable long-term plot logic:.

Because Charlie was probably lying for some reason of his own! There is no way the writers have forgotten that.

I rated it 7.
How in the hell did Danielle never see a single Other in her sixteen years on-island prior to the 815 crash? They had Dharma Vans driving around the place! On roads! There were big (and loud!) battles between Dharma and the Hostiles! There's a sizable village surrounded by a giant sonic-wave security fence! There's a farm house in the middle of the jungle with no security or camoflauge at all! Think of all the crap the Losties have found in three months!


She did! She was the one who first mentioned them as "The Others" when she captured Sayid, in her first appearance.

Brilliant episode! Especially Charlie! Dominic gave an outstanding performance and to lose him now would just be plain stupid!

Great episode, it just felt short. I think they have been skimming too many minutes for commercials all season. The true length of the finale will probably be around 80 mintues at most. thats 1/3 fo commercials which is 20 minutes for an hour episode - 40 min episodes - pretty much what they have been giving us all season - just not enough.

10 for me. One of the best ep I've ever seen. :heart:

I gave it a 10. I thought it was a truly fantastic episode and the perfect set up for the finale next week. It put me on such a emotional rollercoster like no episode of television ever has before. I cried several times and even after it was over, the tears kept coming. They really pulled at the heartstrings on this one. Great writing and great acting throughout the entire episode. I loved the way they did the flashbacks. Instead of just getting one story we got 5 and they were exactly what Charlie was thinking about, which is what the flashbacks are supposed to be. The scene between Des and Charlie on the boat was extremely well done. That's the part that got to me the most. Charlie saying goodbye to Aaron, Claire and Hurley was so heartbreaking as well. The whole episode was just a major tear-jerker, and I loved it!

On the "lighter" parts, Sayid was so kick-***! I love it when he gets that way. His interactions with Jack were fantastic. I thought Jack was great too. Especially when he wanted to stay becuase "I owe them". I guess he finally realized that he should have listened to everyone about Juliet. Bringing Danielle, Alex and Karl into the picture was fun too! It was such the perfect set-up while still having great character development, which is what I love most. It really felt like season 1 again to me. When I watched it the second time and still cried and got emotional, even though I knew what was going to happen, I knew it was worth the 10.

ETA: Oh, I forgot to add that Rose and Bernard are back!!! I was so happy to see them, but if they only brought them back so that one can die, I'm going to be very upset. And I also wanted to say, that if Charlie dies later, it will be even more disappointing, becuase it should have happened in this episode. What a great send off it would have been. (But I'm overjoyed that he's not dead yet :biggrin:)

this episode was soo good. Although charlie has never been my favorite character i found my self symphatizing with him. They also set up the finale very well, I can't wait

I gave it a 8, nice episode that paves the way for the season finale!

I must admit I enjoyed this episode enough that the complete lack of Charlie death I was hoping to see didn't dampen my mood afterwards. 8/10

I'd give it a higher score, but the completely daft..'let's blow a tree up for no good reason' bit dragged it down somewhat. Also I couldn't quite understand why it was the Claire got dragged along to that little exhibition either...

I was dreading this episode, not because I thought Charlie was going to die, but because I thought the Charlie flashbacks were going to suck. I liked them, a lot, especially the one where his dad catches him after he jumps in the water. I thought Mr. Pace was going to be the usual Bad Lost Dad and let him sink or swim. :D Ben is totally on to Richard's game and I loved Ben's "Here's your gun back", hahahaha. Silly Alex, way to help facilitate John getting shot and ending up on top of a mass grave. [shakes fist at Alex for killing a bunny] Nice to see Karl again, too, loved the Alex/Karl smooch. Awwwww....... Nothing earthshattering in this episode but a very nice setup to next week.

It earned a 10 from me (wow, 3rd straight 10 and all for different reasons). An emotional ride. Charlie saying goodbye to his friends was extremely moving. Great set up for the season finale. Plus, we saw Rose, Bernard and Vincent. I liked how they didn't force a close up of Vincent, just a casual shot of him in the background walking with Hurley. Subtle, like season 1 casual. Not forced or plot driven. And the Karl running intro scene was excellent (better than Patchy's and Nikki's), even though they didn't really need to show it twice. Very well directed episode.

EDIT: Oh, almost forgot.... finally: happy flashbacks! :smile:

I'll give this one an 8. It was an excellent episode but I dropped a few points because it was mainly a set up for the finale - we didn't get nearly enough answers... is Locke dead? But I loved the interactions between Charlie and the other characters. I really don't want him to die :(

8/10 Good episode.:biggrin:

9/10 loved the eppisode to bits and the ending was great!!!

Wow, this is the first time I've been here since last March, but I hope to be a regular now.
Ok I gave this one a 9. I loved all the Charlie stuff, both in the present, and in the past. The other characters also got some great moments, including Rose and Bernard who are finally back. The whole epi was a great set up for this week. I'm deffinitely curious to see what is up with the very last scene, that was deffinitely unexpected.
Tomarrow's ep is gonna ROCK!

6 Would have liked it better if Charlie actually died. Not that I particularly want to see him go because he wasn't bad in the first season, but from season 2 on, it's been nothing but Claire with him. Also, there are only so many times I can stomach "Charlie, you're gonna die" and not have him actually die.

GREAT EP. i am very involved now with lost characters and i dont want them to die. but i hope the answers to "who are really the bad guys?" will be answered in the finale

8/10

I thought it was a terrific episode, a really nice setup for this weeks Finale. I really enjoyed the interaction between Charlie, Desmond, and Claire. I thought the moment with Hurley and Charlie on the beach was really touching. It was really nice to see Nadia in another flashback and I loved the dialogue between Rose and Bernard. I can't wait for tonights episode! :grin:

I may of been slightly harsh but I gave it a 6, definetly one of the weaker episodes fairly boring till the end... Claire and Hurley were great otherwise... meh

I spent the entire episode about to burst out in tears. By the end, I was SURE Charlie wasn't really going to die.

BOOOOO you guys. Then of course, my hubby was conviced Des was going to die instead and when the finale came along I thought for a minute maybe he was right. :undecide: Ya'll are just TOOOO funny.

10. my favorite episode of the season and one of my favorite lost episodes ever.

This episode had a nice balance between the sentimental and suspenseful aspects of it. It was sad to see Charlie say goodbye to Aaron, Claire, and Hurley (and then knock Desmond out with the paddle), but it was also intense to see Alex turn to Carl and tell him that he needed to warn the others. Also enjoyed the Rose/Bernard dynamics. Cannot wait to watch the finale!