The Moth
- Episode aired Nov 3, 2004
- TV-14
- 43m
Charlie begins a journey of withdrawal from drugs aided by Locke, whose true motive is a mystery. Jack is buried alive in a cave collapse.Charlie begins a journey of withdrawal from drugs aided by Locke, whose true motive is a mystery. Jack is buried alive in a cave collapse.Charlie begins a journey of withdrawal from drugs aided by Locke, whose true motive is a mystery. Jack is buried alive in a cave collapse.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Charlie snorts heroin, Dominic Monaghan is actually snorting brown sugar.
- GoofsIn the flashback scene where Charlie visits his brother's home, the boom mic is reflected in the top of the window on the left side of the screen as Charlie knocks on the door.
- Quotes
Locke: [to teach Charlie, who is struggling through heroin withdraw, a lesson] What do you suppose is in that cocoon, Charlie?
Charlie: I don't know. A - a - a butterfly, I guess.
Locke: No, it's much more beautiful than that. That's a moth cocoon. It's ironic - butterflies get all the attention, but moths, they spin silk. They're stronger. They're faster.
Charlie: That's wonderful, but...
Locke: You see this little hole? This moth's just about to emerge. It's in there right now, struggling. It's digging its way through the thick hide of the cocoon. Now, I could help it - take my knife, gently widen the opening, and the moth would be free - but it would be too weak to survive. Struggle is nature's way of strengthening it. Now this is the second time you've asked me for your drugs back... ask me again, and it's yours.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2005)
- SoundtracksYou All Everybody
(uncredited)
Written by Jude Christodal, Chris Seefried and Dominic Monaghan
Performed by Drive Shaft
Expanding on the pilot episode's revelation that Charlie is a heroin addict, The Moth shows him trying to kick the habit, with some encouragement from the customarily helpful Locke. In fact, he gets a chance to prove himself when Jack is trapped in a cave-in and he tries to rescue the good doctor. Unfortunately, he gets stuck as well. As for the other survivors, Kate, Sawyer and Sayid try to triangulate the origin of the freaky French radio message.
Flashback-wise, it's all about Charlie, more specifically his glory days with Drive Shaft back in Manchester, the hit song "You All Everybody" (later heard in the Season Four premiere of that other J.J. Abrams hit show, Alias) and his first contact with drugs, initiated by his brother Liam and other shady characters.
Sure, it all might look like a standard "troubled musician" thing, but what really makes a difference, both in the flashbacks and the present day scenes, is Monaghan's fun and simultaneously affecting work. It's no surprise to learn the part was originally meant for an older actor (though unnamed, a special feature on the Season One DVD suggests it was someone who had worked with Abrams in the past), nor to find out that Monaghan's audition was so convincing they retooled it to suit him. Much like in the Rings trilogy, he does charming and vulnerable with equal ease, sometimes in the same scene, and his interaction with Terry O' Quinn and Matthew Fox ranks as the episode's top moment.
Proving that there's more to it than just polar bears and a mysterious killer entity, Lost is perfectly capable of great character studies, as long as it's the right people, like Locke or Charlie. Why else would the series have such a large ensemble?
- MaxBorg89
- Oct 20, 2010