When Desmond met Charlie

[flhrci]

Last week, after Desmond talked to Penny's father, he goes outside and sees Charlie playing his guitar. Desmond goes into his rant about knowing Charlie, the hatch, the button, etc. Charlie says to everyone "This is why we don't do drugs."
So, after all of that, why doesn't Charlie recognize Desmond when they are on the island? I don' think you would forget an encounter like that.
After all, Jack remembered Desmond from the stadium.

[Aaron's Mum]

Last week, after Desmond talked to Penny's father, he goes outside and sees Charlie playing his guitar. Desmond goes into his rant about knowing Charlie, the hatch, the button, etc. Charlie says to everyone "This is why we don't do drugs."
So, after all of that, why doesn't Charlie recognize Desmond when they are on the island? I don' think you would forget an encounter like that.
After all, Jack remembered Desmond from the stadium.

Dude. You just blew my mind. :dunce:

[Another Time]

It was a dream/vision. It didn't really happen.

[lostdog]

Good point I thought the same thing, but why doesn't Desmond seem to recognize Charlie on the island? Or did he and I just missed it. Why doesn't Desmond remind Charlie of that encounter? Maybe it didn't really happen.

[flhrci]

Good point I thought the same thing, but why doesn't Desmond seem to recognize Charlie on the island? Or did he and I just missed it. Why doesn't Desmond remind Charlie of that encounter? Maybe it didn't really happen.

True, but then again....how is it that Desmond and Jack remember each other?

[GoPanthers]

I think it did happen, just not the way it was portrayed in Des' flashback/flashsideways/flashsomewhere. I think back in 1996 Des walked out of the office, was pissy, threw down his tie, heard (maybe saw) a guy playing guitar but really didn't think twice about it. Probably just headed to the pub for a "pint of your cheapest." But, in the flash____ he has a chance to re-interact with what/who is there and he does. He initiates an interaction with Charlie because this time he recognizes him. In current day Craphole Island Lost, Charlie does not recognize Des because the former version is in Charlie's mind. Perhaps he remembers some guy come out of an office all pissy one day while he was playing guitar on a street corner, but the guy was so busy throwing his tie to the ground Charlie was not able to see his face. Just the ramblings of a guy who is still confused about the episode.

[lostdog]

True, but then again....how is it that Desmond and Jack remember each other?

My theory on that is Desmond stalked Jack out. I think Desmond needed to know more about Jack, based on past future experiences on the island, or is it future past experiences????? Anyway Desmond knew Jack would be important. Why is Jack important, I have no idea yet.

[John]

"This is why we don't do drugs."
So, after all of that, why doesn't Charlie recognize Desmond when they are on the island?

Turn that around, and you've answered your own question. Charlie did a lot of drugs after that encounter.

[Hodgepodge]

Moving this thread to the Characters Interactions forum. Please follow the link and continue the discussion there.

I actually do have a comment. But, it'll have to wait for another time. :nanabobo:

[Jack T Kirk]

I think it did happen, just not the way it was portrayed in Des' flashback/flashsideways/flashsomewhere. I think back in 1996 Des walked out of the office, was pissy, threw down his tie, heard (maybe saw) a guy playing guitar but really didn't think twice about it. Probably just headed to the pub for a "pint of your cheapest." But, in the flash____ he has a chance to re-interact with what/who is there and he does. He initiates an interaction with Charlie because this time he recognizes him. In current day Craphole Island Lost, Charlie does not recognize Des because the former version is in Charlie's mind. Perhaps he remembers some guy come out of an office all pissy one day while he was playing guitar on a street corner, but the guy was so busy throwing his tie to the ground Charlie was not able to see his face. Just the ramblings of a guy who is still confused about the episode.

Wow, you just blew my mind. I think you're pretty much spot on here. When you look at it this way the whole 'course correction' thing starts to make more sense too. There's two takes on the past, the original one where Desmond has no memory of the island and the one where Desmond is reliving everything. Some of the interactions change between one past to the other but eventually both perspectives of the past will join together and flow along the same course of events. Both variations lead to the same result, Demond joins the military, gets court martialed, meets Libby, enters the boat race and crashes on the island. Because the the end result is the same, both takes on the past are valid.

Its as if time is a piece of string, and at one end each variation of the past is a single loose thread, but eventually the threads come together to form the same piece of string.

[twilightsun]

I still stand by my coma dream interpretation of the Desmond-centric ep. I can go along with GoPanthers and agree that - in the REAL past - Charlie was indeed playing his guitar on the street corner when Desmond came down there, but it was a forgettable encounter for both of them, and neither would've had any reason to remember the other one. In Desmond's coma dream, he was able to recognize Charlie because he'd already met him on the island and was only dream-remembering their "meeting."

[Hodgepodge]

If you're a proponent of the time loop theory, maybe Desmond recognized Charlie this time. As in the short-lived series Day Break, maybe something changed the last time around, and made this trip different. OK, my head hurts now! :confused: