LOST: Down the Hatch | Season 1, Episode 15: “Homecoming”

LOST: Down the Hatch | Season 1, Episode 15: “Homecoming”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) dig into “Homecoming,” and… really? This is Damon Lindelof’s least favorite LOST episode?

In “Homecoming,” Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) takes center stage in the past with a weird little ditty about puking into photocopiers or something, and okay, it’s not great, but! What about everything happening on the island? With Claire (Emilie De Ravin) back at camp, questions abound about Ethan Rom (William Mapother) and the Others he represents, leading to one of the tensest hours in early LOST history — forgiving the flashbacks, at least. With an ending that was very frustrating to some in the moment, “Homecoming” may warrant a new perspective and evaluation. Josh and Mike are here to do exactly that.

“Homecoming” was directed by Kevin Hooks and written by Damon Lindelof. It originally aired on February 9, 2005.

About Down the Hatch …

LOST: Down the Hatch is a full-tilt spoiler-filled rewatch of LOST. Every week, Josh and Mike break down an episode of LOST with the benefit of knowing the series’ full trajectory, using the following structure as a guide:

• We Go “Fourth” – Josh and Mike begin each podcast with a deep-dive into the story both in front of and behind the camera, and they do so with the assistance of…
• 8 Sounds – The events of LOST pop right off the camera and straight into your ears with eight memorable moments replayed on the podcast, helping us guide through the story;
• 15/16 Others – Josh and Mike answer questions and comments sent their way through the official e-mail address: downthehatch@postshowrecaps.com
• 23 Points – Each week, Josh and Mike hand out points for the best and worst characters of the episode in question, in a foolhardy attempt to determine the most and least valuable players in the LOST pantheon.
• 4.2 Stars – Josh and Mike will attempt to create an official Down the Hatch ranking of every episode of LOST, by rating them all on a scale from 0 – 4.2. Josh and Mike will offer their individual scores, listeners’ scores will be averaged as a third data point, then the three points will be combined for the podcast’s official score on each episode.

Each episode of Down the Hatch clocks in at no less than 108 minutes. If the podcast falls short of that runtime, Josh and Mike have triggered a crisis! Consequences may (and almost certainly will) ensue thanks to the Frozen Donkey Wheel.

Additional reading/listening/viewing from the podcast:

• The Lost: Down the Hatch Wikipedia Page
• Josh’s Lost Episode Rankings (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Lost Will and Testament (Javier Grillo Marxuach)
• Soundtrack Analysis: “Homecoming” (Jim Fels)
• Damon Lindelof on “Homecoming” (USA Today)
• William Mapother on the Deleted “Homecoming” Battle (The Tail Section)
• The Scott/Steve Struggle (Lost Tree House)
• LOST: We Have to Go Back from Michael Giacchino (Mondo)
• James “Sawyer” Ford, Illustrated (Sami Cappa)

The 23 Points Character Tracker, as of “Homecoming” …

• Kate: 8
• Locke: 5
• Jack: 4
• Sayid: 4
• Charlie: 4
• Claire: 4
• Sun: 4
• Monster: 2
• Hurley: 2
• Jin: 2
• Walt: 2
• Rose: 1
• Peach Man Ray Mullen: 1
• Lucy: 1
• Bpo Bpo the Dog: 1
• The Moth: 1
• Danielle Rousseau: 1
• Nadia: 1
• The Stewart family: 1
• Trucker: 1
• Michael: 1
• Scott: -1
• The Polar Bears: -1
• Seth Norris, Brother of Chuck and John: -1
• The Marshal: -1
• Margo Shepard: -1
• Chrissy the Oceanic Agent: -1
• Allison Janney: -1
• Liam Pace: -1
• Driveshaft: -1
• Anthony Cooper: -1
• The Family Sawyer Conned: -1
• Omar: -1
• The French crew AKA the Blowfish: -1
• Richard Malkin: -1
• WTCMB Bank Robbers: -1
• Mr. Manager: -1
• Bryan (Hearts & Minds): -1
• Ethan: -2
• Brian (Special): -2
• Susan: -2
• Da Boars: -2
• Gawkers: -2
• Sullivan AKA Rashole: -2
• Randy Nations: -3
• Thomas: -3
• Shannon: -4
• Boone: -4
• Sawyer: -4
• Christian Shepard: -4

The 4.2 Star Episode Rankings, as of “Homecoming” …

1. “Walkabout” (Season 1, Episode 4)
2. “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1 + 2)
3. “White Rabbit” (Season 1, Episode 5)
4. “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues” (Season 1, Episode 11)
5. “Solitary” (Season 1, Episode 9)
6. “House of the Rising Sun” (Season 1, Episode 6)
7. “Confidence Man” (Season 1, Episode 8)
8. “Raised By Another” (Season 1, Episode 10)
9. “Tabula Rasa” (Season 1, Episode 3)
10. “Hearts and Minds” (Season 1, Episode 13)
11. “The Moth” (Season 1, Episode 7)
12. “Homecoming” (Season 1, Episode 15)
13. “Special” (Season 1, Episode 14)
14. “Whatever the Case May Be” (Season 1, Episode 12)

Previous Down the Hatch Episodes:

• In Which We Go Back
• Last Call Before the Rewatch
• Season 1, Episodes 1 + 2: “Pilot, Part 1 + 2”
• Season 1, Episode 3: “Tabula Rasa”
• Season 1, Episode 4: “Walkabout”
• Season 1, Episode 5: “White Rabbit”
• Season 1, Episode 6: “House of the Rising Sun”
• Season 1, Episode 7: “The Moth”
• Season 1, Episode 8: “Confidence Man”
• Season 1, Episode 9: “Solitary”
• Season 1, Episode 10: “Raised by Another”
• Season 1, Episode 11: “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues”
• Season 1, Episode 12: “Whatever the Case May Be”
• Season 1, Episode 13: “Hearts and Minds”
• Season 1, Episode 14: “Special”
• RPG Episode #1: “Autopilot”