The 10 Most Emotional Moments on LOST

7. Not Penny’s Boat (Through the Looking Glass)

Charlie has had to fight a lot during his time on the island, and kicking his heroin addiction was only one fraction of the personal evolution we witness him undergo during this period. He is eager to rid himself of the junkie stigma and grow into a man who can take responsibility for his own life and that of others, but it’s not always easy. Certain members of the island gang do not fully trust him yet, often causing Charlie to act out in an attempt to prove his worthiness.

When he finds out that he is destined to die, and will do so by doing a great deed, Charlie has a hard time coming to terms with his death but doesn’t question his fate for a second. He is ready to grant his final gift to the world and secretly hopes it may make up for all the people he has failed during his heroin days. His mission is to swim into the underwater Looking Glass station and turn off the jamming equipment that is stopping Jack and the others from emitting a signal from the communication tower. This proves to be a lot more complicated than he anticipated but he finally succeeds and, as a result, finds himself speaking to Penny, who informs him that she did not send the freighter they all believed to have come to their rescue. Minutes before Charlie is about to drown, he manages to locate a pen and writes “Not Penny’s Boat” on his hand and ensures Desmond sees it. He then makes the sign of the cross, closes his eyes and dies.

All Charlie ever wanted was to feel loved and respected. He wanted to do right by Claire and Aaron, the two people in his life he felt most responsible for and, in doing so, dies a hero. Though many people have died during their stay on the island, Charlie’s death hit home particularly hard, seeing as Charlie was a big part of our Lost journey.