The 2000s drama Lost explores the mysterious plane crash that lands several survivors on an island, and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) is one of the most compelling and popular characters who die early. Charlie is a musician and when he boards Flight 815, he is struggling with his addiction to heroin, which continues on the island itself. Charlie dies in the emotional season 3 finale while trying to help Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) communicate Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger) about an escape, which cements his character arc as a kind-hearted and loyal person who will do anything for those he cares about.
Charlie’s death is harrowing and Charlie writing “Not Penny’s Boat” on his hands before he dies is unforgettable. While several characters pass away in heartbreaking ways, from Boone Carlyle (Ian Somerhalder) in season 1 to Jin-Soo (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) in season 6, Charlie is aware that dying is part of his destiny, and that sets this moment apart. Along with the flashbacks, flashforwards, and flash-sideways, Charlie’s Lost demise is still one of the most discussed parts of the series. It’s also one that isn’t just sad but it important to the overall story and there are reasons why the character was written off.
Charlie Drowns In The Season 3 Finale “Through The Looking Glass”
In the final episode of season 3, Charlie dies when he tries to help Desmond make contact with a boat that seems to belong to Penny. Charlie perishes in the Looking Glass station, which is part of the DHARMA Initiative and which signals to nearby boats. Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), the leader of the Others on the island, wants Mikhail Bakunin (Andrew Divoff) to kill Bonnie (Tracy Middendorf), Greta (Lana Parrilla), and Charlie, but Desmond is able to shoot Mikhail. However, Mikhail doesn’t die just yet and floods the station with a grenade. Meanwhile, Charlie ensures that Desmond will live by turning the lock on the station door.
Before Charlie dies, Penny is able to let him know that the boat isn’t hers and Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason) is a stranger to her. Charlie writes this on his hand so Desmond is aware. While the deaths on Lost are upsetting, this one is more meaningful because of what Charlie learns beforehand. Desmond can time travel and is intuitive and perceptive, and after he stops Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin) from drowning, Desmond explains that Charlie will die because he had a vision of it. Charlie’s belief that his death is the natural order of things is brave and heartbreaking and he goes out by saving his friends.
Charlie’s “Not Penny’s Boat” Scene Proves His Desire To Change
Charlie’s Lost death is emotionally affecting because it speaks to the show’s theme of fate, destiny, and life unfolding the way that it’s supposed to. When Charlie uses the code and hears Penny’s message through video transmission, he is motivated by his friendship with Desmond and his desire to help the couple find each other. Charlie often writes on his fingers and since he is used to relaying important information this way, it works perfectly that he writes “Not Penny’s Boat” for Desmond to see. Before crashing on the island, Charlie is lost, frustrated, and in pain, and he would never have predicted that he could be there for anyone.
Now, Charlie proves to himself that he can be there for other people and that his life and death can mean something. The fact that Penny hasn’t arrived on the boat to save everyone is frightening. The survivors have no idea how long they’re supposed to stay on the island or if they will ever be able to leave. Charlie’s death scene speaks to how the Ocean 815 plane crash survivors were meant to meet each other and spend this important time together. It’s his time to go, and he appreciates the lessons that he has learned from the island and the friendships he has formed.
Monaghan Left Lost To Pursue Other Projects
Monaghan was happy to hear that he was leaving Lost because he wanted to take on other roles. The actor also said that he felt that Charlie ‘s screen time had dwindled sine season 1. Monaghan said, “I’ve been kind of frustrated for a while. I’ve wanted to do a little bit more. The difference between how much the audience got to see Charlie in Season One as opposed to how much they got to see Charlie in Seasons Two and Three was significant. It’s been kind of frustrating for me for a while. So I think it’s time for me to move on, you know” (via Digital Spy).
After Charlie writes “Not Penny’s boat” on his hands in the 2007 season 3 Lost finale, the actor turned to both TV and film roles. He starred in the 2008 horror comedy I Sell the Dead, played Chris Bradley/Bolt in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, and portrayed Simon Campos in the 2008/2009 TV show FlashForward. After playing Meriadoc Brandybuck in several Lord of the Rings films, Monaghan voiced him in a few early 2000s video games. While the actor has played different characters, FlashForward‘s main storyline echoes Lost, as characters see what their lives will look like in six months’ time, similar to the flash-forwards in the show’s later seasons.
Charlie Lives In The Flash Sideways World And Hurley Continues To See Him
While Charlie remains dead, he continues to appear on the show in two different ways: in the flash-sideways in Lost’s season 6 and in Hurley Reye’s (Jorge Garcia) mind. In the episode “LAX,” Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) stops Charlie from dying when he passes out with heroin in his mouth on Flight 815, which reaches its destination instead of crashing. Charlie, Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), and Claire see each other at a concert, and they have fond memories of being on the island, harkening back to their romance. This proves that the characters will always be in each other’s lives in different ways, even if they don’t always recall.
Hurley’s cursed numbers on Lost make him more perceptive and also frightened than some other characters, and it makes sense that he is the character who continues to see Charlie. Hurley goes back to the Santa Rosa Health Institute and Charlie appears to him, explaining that Jack will have a vision of his father Christian and that Charlie can let go of the feeling that he should be Claire’s son Aaron’s father. These moments speak to the magical connection that the characters have to each other and to the island and prove that even though Charlie dies, he is never disconnected from his friends.
