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"Homecoming"

Season

Episode

1

15

Airdate

February 9, 2005

Flashforward

{{{flashforward}}}

Flashback

Charlie

Day(s)

27-29

Written by

Damon Lindelof

Directed by

Kevin Hooks

Special guest star(s)

{{{specialguests}}}

Guest starring

William Mapother - Ethan Rom
Jim Piddock - Francis Heatherton
Sally Strecker - Lucy Heatherton

Co-starring

Darren Richardson - Tommy
Eric Griffith - Buyer

Uncredited

{{{uncredited}}}

Episode transcript
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]

Episode Images

"Homecoming" is the fifteenth episode of Season 1 of Lost. The happiness of Claire's return is short-lived as the survivors realize that she is suffering from amnesia. Ethan returns to the Survivors' camps, demanding that he get Claire back or he will kill the rest of the group, one by one. Flashbacks in this episode feature Charlie's new romance with Lucy Heatherton but Charlie is only using her to satisfy his drug addiction.

Synopsis

Flashbacks

Charlie ponders whether to steal from Lucy (promotional still)

Charlie and his friend Tommy use heroin, but discover that they are running low on money. In a bar, Tommy points towards a girl named Lucy and tells Charlie that her father is rich. Charlie walks over and makes conversation with Lucy, in order to form some kind of friendship.

Charlie later wanders Lucy’s home. Lucy shows him a cigarette case once owned by Winston Churchill.

Over dinner, Charlie tells Lucy's father that he once was part of a band, but that Drive Shaft now is “dead”. It seems like Charlie begins to like Lucy, although he cons her and her father. Charlie informs Tommy that he has taken a job working for Lucy’s father - selling copy machines. Tommy reminds Charlie of their addiction, and assures him that he would not survive a whole weekend without some "fix".

Charlie tries to sell a copy machine

Charlie eventually gives in to his addiction, stealing the cigarette case that belonged to Churchill.

His plans to become respectable have backfired as he suffers withdrawal symptoms. On his first day of work, he passes out after throwing up under the lid of the photocopier that he is demonstrating.

After he goes to see Lucy to explain, she refuses to hear his explanation, and informs him she knows about his con because of the cigarette case that was found in his jacket. Before closing the door in his face, she tells Charlie that he will never take care of anyone.

Real-time events

Claire doesn't remember anything

Charlie awakens to see Locke carrying Claire to Jack. Claire wakes up and panics, asking, “Who are you people?” The last thing Claire claims to remember is the flight from Sydney. Jack fills her in on the events since the crash, which was almost a month ago. Sun and Jin watch from the sidelines and Jin asks if the baby is okay. Sun looks thoughtful and says she's sure the baby is fine.

Charlie hands Claire her diary, saying he hopes it will help Claire remember what happened to her. When he tells her about the day they were taken by Ethan, she asks him who Ethan is. Charlie simply responds that Ethan is the bad guy. When Charlie suggests they stay awake together, Claire asks if they are friends. Charlie responds that they are.

Jack, Locke, Sayid and Charlie discuss the chances of Claire's memory returning. In the jungle, Charlie meets Jin and they walk together. As Charlie is sarcastically talking to Jin about how great it must be for him to not be involved with anything happening on the island, they hear something whooshing through the trees, and Jin is knocked out by a rock.

Ethan attacks Charlie in the jungle

Ethan confronts Charlie, telling him that he wants him to bring Claire back. Charlie tries to attack him, but Ethan grabs him by the neck, threatening to kill one castaway every day until he gets Claire back. And after he kills them all, he will come for Charlie last.

Charlie tells Jack and Locke about Ethan's threat, and suggests they all go after him and kill him. Locke says they should start thinking about defense. He makes four booby traps around the perimeter and puts some of the survivors on guard during the night. Boone volunteers to take the first shift. Meanwhile, Sun takes care of Jin's wounds, and asks him if everything is all right. Jin responds by saying he was attacked because of what the others had done.

Claire is uncomfortable about what seems to be going on around her, and feels like the other survivors are avoiding her. Charlie lies and assures her there isn't anything going on.

Scott's dead body

That night, Locke, Sayid, and other survivors stand on guard. Boone falls asleep during his shift, and wakes up after he hears a booby trap that was activated. He rushes to see who has triggered the alarm and hears a rustling noise from the tree line. He runs toward the noise but falls. It is discovered that it was only Vincent who tripped it, but Boone, Sayid, and Locke hear screaming and return to the beach to find that Scott has been murdered. His neck, both arms, and all the bones in his fingers had been broken. According to Kate, Ethan has probably come in from the ocean.

After the burying ceremony, Claire finds out (with help from Shannon) why everybody avoids her. She yells at Charlie, who says he only wanted to take care of her. She responds that she takes care of herself.

"Moi?"

With the guns from the briefcase and Claire as (willing) bait, Jack, Locke, Sayid and Sawyer set a trap. Charlie wants to take part, but when John asks Charlie if he ever fired a weapon, Charlie does not respond. Kate also wants to come, but Jack explains they are out of guns. Sawyer gives her the gun he found on the Marshal's body, "back in the old days," and claims that five guns are better than four.

Ethan's dead body

Sayid instructs everyone, and says they want to capture Ethan alive, to interrogate him and maybe get some information. In the jungle, the five of them hide in the trees, while Claire stands on the path, waiting for Ethan to arrive. Ethan finally shows up and starts to chase Claire. Jack tackles Ethan, and after a quick fight holds him to the ground. Suddenly, a vengeful Charlie shoots into his chest and kills him, using the gun Jack dropped while fighting Ethan.

"Good night, Claire"

The next day, when Jack asks Charlie why he did it, Charlie tells him that Ethan “deserved to die, and that he was not going to let that animal anywhere near Claire again. Claire comes to Charlie and tells him she remembers peanut butter. Charlie corrects her, saying that it was actually imaginary peanut butter. She tells Charlie that she doesn't know what happened to her, and she's scared, but she "wants to trust him." They wish each other good night.

Trivia

Production notes

A promotional image which shows Ethan and Locke in hand to hand combat. (promotional still)

• This is the first time since "White Rabbit" that all cast members appear.

Recurring themes

• Ethan kills Scott. (Life and death)
• Charlie says that Ethan is "the bad guy". (Good and bad people)
• Charlie kills Ethan. (Life and death)
• Locke says they should have 4 booby traps around camp. (The Numbers)
• The copy machine model Charlie tries to sell is C815. (The Numbers)
• When Claire waits for Ethan to arrive, rain starts to pour. (Rain)
• Charlie tried to steal from Lucy Heatherton. (Deceptions & Cons) (Relationship Issues)

• When Jack takes Locke to the suitcase full of guns, he is wearing a black T-shirt, Locke is wearing a white one. (Black and white)

Cultural references

• The Office. Lucy mentions her father "buying some paper company in Slough." This is a reference to the Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant BBC series. (TV and Movies)
• Winston Churchill was a noted English statesman, orator and strategist (1874-1965).
• Bonanza. Sawyer calls Jack "Hoss". Eric “Hoss” Cartwright was a big man, the warm and lovable middle son of Ben Cartwright in the TV cowboy show that aired from 1959 to 1973. (TV and Movies)

Literary techniques

• Charlie looks out for his own interests by trying to steal from Lucy, while he does everything he can to look out for Claire on the Island. (Juxtaposition)
• Lucy tells Charlie that he'll never "care for anyone"; Charlie cares for Claire by killing Ethan and looking out for her.
• Charlie utters the Latin phrase "Carpe diem" to Tommy, which translates as "seize the day". It is the same thing that he says to Claire, much later in Par Avion. (Foreshadowing)

Storyline analysis

• Charlie keeps the truth from Claire; she tells him that she wants to trust him. (Relationship Issues)
• Jack, Locke, Sayid, Sawyer and Kate, with Claire as bait plan to capture and interrogate Ethan. (A-Missions)