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6. Kate, Claire, and Charlie Remember
Yes, believe it or not, it’s a scene that doesn’t involve Jack!
In my prior edition of Top Ten Cases, when discussing “Through the Looking Glass,” I commended Lost for scripting an exceptionally emotional death scene for Charlie without relying on his relationship with Claire. And while I stand by that assessment, the one downside of that decision (for lack of a better word) is that it left things between these two love birds unresolved. Claire never got to say good bye to Charlie, and for that matter, a great deal of the luster behind Aaron’s character had lost its luster. And as a result, this “Remembering” scene acted as a genuinely beautiful opportunity for closure.
And there are just so many reasons why this scene “worked.” By this point in the episode, the island story was beginning to wrap up, and viewers (I think) understood that the REAL resolution was going to occur in the sideways world. And as such, people became truly invested in having these characters become enlightened. In my initial review of the episode I credited the Jin/Sun “remembering” scene as the moment I began rooting for the sideways world, it’s actually this scene that has stuck with me as the finale becomes a memory. I think it’s because the scene played out exactly as we expected it to.
Another thing that struck me was how sentimental I got when I saw the old clips of Charlie and Claire together. I always liked these two, but I wouldn’t say I ever truly considered myself significantly invested in them. But Claire has been such a physical and mental wreck this season – after being off the grid for a year – that it was legitimately sweet and almost surreal seeing older clips of her cute, quirky smile. It almost felt like a completely different person. For that matter, almost every single time we’ve seen Charlie since his death, it’s either been as a damaged drug addict in the sideways world, or (I’d assume) a manipulative ghost. So it was equally sweet seeing fragments of his happy island romance. The look on Claire’s face when Charlie walked into the room with the blanket – the first time she’s really seen him since before leaving for the underwater Dharma station – was fantastic as well. But nothing beats the visual of Claire, Aaron, and Charlie embracing each other – finally getting that shot at being a family.
And finally, this felt like the first time that any of the characters, completely devoid of Desmond, “made” their enlightenment happen. After Claire and Kate retained their memories, Kate instructed Charlie to go over to Claire, and in turn Claire grabbed hold of his hand, forcing him to remember as well.
Leading up to the finale I noted that I hoped Jack was the one who forced Kate to remember her island life, but ultimately I think this was the right decision. I appreciate the fact that Kate’s character wasn’t defined by the men in her life – whether it’s Jack or Sawyer – and that her story ultimately concluded with her being motivated by her surrogate son. Kate returned to the island to find Claire, and she left with the hopes of helping her raise Aaron. And so it’s appropriate that Kate’s enlightenment was spurred by Aaron’s birth, and it was symbolic that both remembered when Kate handed him over to Claire and the two locked eyes as they welcomed “their” baby to the world.
I should also note that all three actors and actresses really did a wonderful job as well. They nailed it.
Yes, believe it or not, it’s a scene that doesn’t involve Jack!
In my prior edition of Top Ten Cases, when discussing “Through the Looking Glass,” I commended Lost for scripting an exceptionally emotional death scene for Charlie without relying on his relationship with Claire. And while I stand by that assessment, the one downside of that decision (for lack of a better word) is that it left things between these two love birds unresolved. Claire never got to say good bye to Charlie, and for that matter, a great deal of the luster behind Aaron’s character had lost its luster. And as a result, this “Remembering” scene acted as a genuinely beautiful opportunity for closure.
And there are just so many reasons why this scene “worked.” By this point in the episode, the island story was beginning to wrap up, and viewers (I think) understood that the REAL resolution was going to occur in the sideways world. And as such, people became truly invested in having these characters become enlightened. In my initial review of the episode I credited the Jin/Sun “remembering” scene as the moment I began rooting for the sideways world, it’s actually this scene that has stuck with me as the finale becomes a memory. I think it’s because the scene played out exactly as we expected it to.
Another thing that struck me was how sentimental I got when I saw the old clips of Charlie and Claire together. I always liked these two, but I wouldn’t say I ever truly considered myself significantly invested in them. But Claire has been such a physical and mental wreck this season – after being off the grid for a year – that it was legitimately sweet and almost surreal seeing older clips of her cute, quirky smile. It almost felt like a completely different person. For that matter, almost every single time we’ve seen Charlie since his death, it’s either been as a damaged drug addict in the sideways world, or (I’d assume) a manipulative ghost. So it was equally sweet seeing fragments of his happy island romance. The look on Claire’s face when Charlie walked into the room with the blanket – the first time she’s really seen him since before leaving for the underwater Dharma station – was fantastic as well. But nothing beats the visual of Claire, Aaron, and Charlie embracing each other – finally getting that shot at being a family.
And finally, this felt like the first time that any of the characters, completely devoid of Desmond, “made” their enlightenment happen. After Claire and Kate retained their memories, Kate instructed Charlie to go over to Claire, and in turn Claire grabbed hold of his hand, forcing him to remember as well.
Leading up to the finale I noted that I hoped Jack was the one who forced Kate to remember her island life, but ultimately I think this was the right decision. I appreciate the fact that Kate’s character wasn’t defined by the men in her life – whether it’s Jack or Sawyer – and that her story ultimately concluded with her being motivated by her surrogate son. Kate returned to the island to find Claire, and she left with the hopes of helping her raise Aaron. And so it’s appropriate that Kate’s enlightenment was spurred by Aaron’s birth, and it was symbolic that both remembered when Kate handed him over to Claire and the two locked eyes as they welcomed “their” baby to the world.
I should also note that all three actors and actresses really did a wonderful job as well. They nailed it.
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