GREATEST HITS

Or, The Countdown

[Originally Aired May 16, 2007]

Karl runs to the shore and puts his canoe in the water. He paddles into the sea around the island. Elsewhere the survivors follow Jack and Juliet through a field. No one knows where he is taking them. Dez may or may not have had a vision. He tells Charlie he didn't. Jack stops and everyone gathers around. Rousseau appears, wire in each hand. She touches the ends together and there is a huge explosion. "When Juliet told me they were coming, the first thing I thought was, Where the hell are we going to hide this time? But hiding is pointless. They're just going to keep coming back. So I went out and I found some help. And for the past few days she's been bringing dynamite back from the Black Rock. For the very first time we know exactly what they want, when they're coming to get it, and they have no idea that we're going to be waiting for them. So Juliet's going to mark the tents with the white rocks just like she was told to, but there's not going to be any pregnant women inside; there's going to be plenty of what we just used on that tree. So tomorrow night we stop hiding, we stop running, we stop living in fear of them, because when they show up, we're going to blow 'em all to hell." Fuck yeah! Flashback and Charlie and Liam and the rest of Drive Shaft are stuck in their van on a rain wet road. Charlie is unable to fix their flat tire. He quits the band, saying the album's a flop and they're a joke. Then "You All Everybody" comes on on the radio. The band cheers. On the beach Charlie writes on a piece of paper: "#5 The first time I heard myself on the radio." Naomi asks him who they're going to war with. He says it's a long story. He tells her he's from Manchester too, and says he was in a band. She recognizes him, and tells him there was a huge memorial for him after Oceanic 815 was found and there was a greatest hits album. Charlie seems a bit stunned. Naomi tries to cheer him up by telling him at least he's not really dead. Elsewhere Juliet and Jack stack dynamite into neat little piles near the tents. Rousseau tells them she'll need more wire to trigger the dynamite from a safe distance. Jack will get people to start stripping wire from the plane wreckage. "Good," Rousseau says. "I should be able to finish rigging these tents in the next twenty-four hours. We'll be ready by tomorrow night." Sayid tells Jack they can't use the sat phone to call out because Rousseau's distress call is blocking the signal, but if she can take him to the tower they can disable it and radio for help. Juliet tells them it wouldn't matter because the Others are jamming all outgoing signals anyway. She tells them about an underwater station called the Looking Glass, where the jamming equipment is, but she doesn't know where the station is located. Sayid thinks he does. Dez asks to speak to Charlie alone and tells him he did have a vision and he saw Claire and Turniphead getting onto a helicopter and leaving the island. Charlie is thrilled that they'll be rescued. Until Dez tells him he'll have to die or it won't come true. Flashback and young Charlie stands at the edge of the pool. His father tells him to jump in. Charlie is afraid dad won't catch him. "I promise, Charlie, I'm gonna catch ya." Charlie jumps, splashes and dad catches him up. "You're swimming, Charlie, you're swimming!" On the beach, Charlie writes "#4 Dad teaching me to swim at Butlins." Then he asks Dez to tell him about the vision. "You're inside a hatch. A room full of equipment. There's a blinking yellow light. And a switch. You flip the switch, light goes off, and then you drown." Dez asks if he's sure about Claire and Turniphead. Dez is. Where's the switch at then, asks Charlie. Sayid, Juliet and Jack look at the maps Sayid took from the Flame a while back. There's a moon pool on the bottom of the station. Someone should be able to swim under and get to the equipment. Juliet tells them the place is flooded. Jack thinks someone could swim in but they've never make it out. Sayid says he'll go, or they'll never be rescued. Jack refuses to send him on a suicide mission. Charlie interrupts and volunteers. "I was junior swim champion in Northern England. I can hold my breath for four minutes," he lies. Jack still says no, he wants to deal with the Others first. Sayid argues. Jack defends himself, saying, "For ninety days I've been asked to make decisions for this entire camp. There you go. I just made one." Down the beach Rose and Bernard (nice to see you two again!) playfully argue over tying knots with wire. Jin asks Sun what was on the tape, he heard Juliet mention her name. Hurley freaks out when Karl arrives. Sayid knocks the intruder on his ass until Sawyer tells them he's cool. Karl spills the beans The Others are coming. Yeah, yeah, we know, says Jack. "When your people show up here tomorrow night, we're going be ready for them." Karl is all, dumbasses, they're coming tonight! Uh oh. Flashback to a few hours ago and Ben returns to camp and gives Alex her gun back and tells his crew to launch their mission right now. Alex runs into the jungle, finds Karl and tells him he has to warn the survivors. He's hesitant until she reminds him that they saved his life. Back on the beach the survivors wonder whether or not they can trust Karl. To prove himself he rats out Juliet. Heh. Go Karl! A plan is hatched: They'll hide the dynamite near the tents. Three shooters will stay behind to set off the explosions. The rest will follow Rousseau to the radio tower. In the meantime Charlie will head down to the Looking Glass and disable the jamming equipment. It's a crazy plan. So crazy it just might work! Flashback and Liam wakes Charlie, who is a big rock star now and in bed with two groupies. Classy, Charlie, really classy. Liam pulls Charlie aside and gives him his DS ring. He explains it is a family heirloom (and not a Drive Shaft ring like previously assumed) and it is grandpappy Dexter Stratton's initials, who the band was named after. Oh, okay. Liam wants Charlie to keep it safe, since he's not a fuck-up like Liam. On the beach Charlie adds "#3 The Christmas Liam gave me the ring" to his list. Claire asks him why he didn't tell her about his trip to the Looking Glass. He didn't want her to worry. He puts Turniphead to bed, telling him, "I love you." He asks Claire not to worry about him while he is gone. Flashback and Charlie plays "Wonderwall" on a street corner until the rain starts pouring down. He heads down the street and as he passes an alley he hears a woman scream for help. Charlie runs to her aid and fights off a mugger. Charlie pounds the punk with his guitar case and the man runs away. The woman thanks him. It's Nadia! She calls him a hero. Charlie shrugs it off. Back on the beach he writes down "#2 Woman outside Covent Garden calls me a hero." Dez hands him a homemade weight belt to help him descend faster. He asks how long Charlie can really hold his breath for. "Does it matter?" Across the beach Bernard shoots cans off a log while Sayid and Rose watch. Sayid thinks he's proven his point. Rose reminds him he won't be shooting pheasants, that birds don't shoot back. Jack arrives and tells Sayid and Rose to go meet up with Rousseau so she can lead them to the tower. He'll stay behind and be the second shooter. Sayid asks "What are you more concerned about, killing the Others, or getting our people off this Island? This afternoon you said you were our leader. It's time for you to act like one. Lead them to the radio tower, Jack. And then take us all home." Up the beach Hurley joins Charlie and Dez, asking to come along with them. Charlie tells him he's too fat to fit in the boat and tells him to go with Rousseau. Hurley is hurt, and Charlie gives him a big hug, saying "Just remember I love you, man." Oh, hell, that was really sweet. Meanwhile Jack preps everyone for the trip, making sure they've water, etc. He asks Kate if they've found a third shooter. Jin, formerly of the Korean military. Claire picks up Turniphead and as she walks away, the camera holds on Charlie's DS ring in the crib. Flashback to the first night after the crash. Charlie approaches Claire and offers her a blanket. They introduce themselves and Charlie tells her everything will be okay. He tells her "We're alive, we're on a beautiful Island. We'll sleep under the stars, and before you know it the helicopters will come and take us home." On the boat, he finishes his list with "#1 The night I met you." He folds up the paper and hands it to Dez, asking him to give it to Claire. What is it? "It's the five best moments of my sorry excuse for a life. My greatest hits. You know, memories. They're all I've got." Dez tells him he doesn't have to go. Maybe the reason he keeps seeing Charlie die is because he's meant to take his place. So Charlie bonks him over the head with an oar and tells him "You and I both know you're not supposed to take my place, brother." Charlie jumps into the sea, sinks down and finds the moon pool. He pops up into the Looking Glass. It's not flooded at all. He gasps and yells "I'm alive!" Two women stumble run out onto the deck with guns drawn.