Season 1, Episode 7: The Moth

A Charlie episode. Poor detoxing Charlie. He's still pretty much a laughable wreck at this stage. We learn that he was a rock star before his drug-addled life, though, and see him emerge from his struggle even stronger.

Charlie is set up to represent atonement; our frailty but also our resilience.

MAJOR PLOT POINTS

Kate's fugitive past comes to light and Sawyer suddenly moves into Jack's place after the doctor moves to the caves. It's symbolic of the way Sawyer also tugs at Kate's heartstrings.

But this episode is all about Charlie, who begins his career as Drive Shaft's brainchild reluctantly only to fall headfirst for the wild scene. He makes a pact with his brother Liam that if things get out of control, the band will give up the spotlight. Things come to a head when Liam tramples Charlie's line in the chorus of "You All Everybody," the band's omnipresent hit song. The battles with his brother lead Charlie to begin using himself. Of course, Liam will get clean, become a family man and move to Australia, while Charlie becomes a burnout.

Back on the island, Charlie's fight with kicking heroin mirrors his love/hate relationship with fame. He and Locke reach an agreement that Charlie can have his heroin back, but only if he asks Locke three times for it.

In the meantime, a grumpy Charlie causes a cave-in that traps Jack while wailing about his life as a "rock god." Michael, with a background in construction, leads the effort to dig out Jack safely, but ultimately it fails and Charlie puts himself in jeopardy to try and atone.

Sayid, Boone and Kate are intent on triangulating Rousseau's distress signal. Shannon will be in charge of switching on the transponder on the beach, while Kate and Boone handle another. Of course, Kate bails quickly upon learning Jack is trapped. Boone gets the job done anyway, but Sayid fails when he's conked from behind by a self-serving Locke — he doesn't want his life away from the island back — before he can switch on his transponder.

Eventually, it's a moth that leads Charlie and Jack safely from the cave. Once out, Charlie finds Locke and asks a third time for his heroin, disposing of it in Locke's fire after it's returned as promised. Another moth flies away in the firelight, symbolizing Charlie's metamorphosis.

QUOTABLE
"Struggle is nature's way to strengthen the moth." — Locke in a parable to Charlie, who is trying to kick a heroin habit