Charlie Andrews
| Charlie Andrews | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Jayma Mays |
| First appearance | Seven Minutes to Midnight |
| In-story stats | |
| Known ability | Enhanced memory |
| Formal name | Charlene Andrews |
| Nickname | |
| Gender | |
| Date of birth | April 24th |
| Home | Midland, TX |
| Residence | Charlie Andrews's apartment |
| Occupation | Waitress |
| Significant other | formerly Hiro Nakamura |
Charlene "Charlie" Andrews is a waitress at the Burnt Toast Diner in Midland, TX. She has an advanced enhanced memory, with the ability to clearly and quickly understand what she memorizes. Charlie's ambition is to take a trip around the world, during which her third stop will be Tokyo, Japan. She was also dying from a blood clot in her brain, but was healed by Sylar in Once Upon a Time in Texas. Prior to the Once Upon a Time in Texas, Charlie was killed by Sylar for her ability.
Character History
Seven Minutes to Midnight
After a conversation with Hiro, where she shows perfect control of the Japanese language, Charlie states that she is "remembering a lot of things lately". While opening a can in the restaurant's kitchen, she hears a movement from behind. She ignores it, but then drops to the ground with the top of her head sawed off, the work of Sylar.
After Charlie's death, Hiro decides he will travel back in time to save her. He tells Ando he'll be back in five seconds, but fails to return. However, a photograph of Charlie's birthday party, which earlier showed only Charlie, now shows Hiro beside her.
Homecoming
Hiro travels back in time six months ago to April 24th and meets Charlie on her birthday and takes the photograph with her. He tells her that he is from the future.
Six Months Ago
Hiro travels back in time six months ago to April 24th and meets Charlie on her birthday and takes the photograph with her. He tells her that he is from the future.
Some time later in the past Hiro gives Charlie a Japanese phrasebook as a birthday present. He comments on how she learned Japanese quickly and she responds that "lately [I've] just been able to remember everything". He tries to explain to her that both she and he have powers. She doesn't believe him and dismisses his giving of flowers and serving her order as a magic trick. Hiro ends the conversation by saying "tomorrow the swallow will slay the dragons."
The next day Hiro shows the Japanese newspaper which she reads flawlessly that shows the Tokyo Swallows defeated the Junichi Dragons in baseball yesterday. She still doesn't believe him until he makes one thousand origami cranes appear instantaneously. He shows her two plane tickets to Japan that he has bought for them in order to escape Sylar and she agrees to go on the trip with him.
Some time later Hiro tells Charlie about a 24-hour samurai film festival in Austin and wants to take her to prepare for their trip to Japan. She then reveals to him that she has a blood clot in her brain, she is inches away from a brain aneurysm, and that she is dying. She tells Hiro that he saved her by making her feel alive and filling her life with more joy than she could imagine. She confesses to him, "Ai shiteru," which is Japanese for "I love you." When Hiro goes to kiss her, he disappears, returning back to Japan six months later at Yamagato Industries during calisthenics.
Fallout
Hiro laments that he could not save Charlie, despite his best efforts. Later, at the Burnt Toast Cafe, Isaac shows Hiro a picture he drew of Charlie and Hiro, sitting and eating together. The sketch, of course, came true.
Graphic Novel:Road Kill
In a flashback, Sylar watches Charlie greet Hiro and Ando at the Burnt Toast Diner. He later uses the power he stole from her.
How to Stop an Exploding Man
Charlie appears in Sylar's eyes, after he is stabbed on Kirby Plaza, as one of his victims.
Villains
Charlie's name is on Gabriel's list.
The Eclipse, Part 2
After losing his memories to Arthur Petrelli, Hiro reads through back issues of 9th Wonders! at the Sam's Comics store in Lawrence, KS. He sees the panels of several events, including meeting Charlie, then declares that he doesn't want to grow up.
Graphic Novel:The Natural Order of Things
Charlie is remembered as a victim of Sylar's.
Tabula Rasa
While in the House of Mirrors at the carnival, Sylar remembers cutting open Charlie's skull to gain her ability.
Later, Hiro tells Emma about how Charlie taught him to stay strong, even in the face of death. Hiro then accidentally teleports three years back in time to the Burnt Toast Diner, seeing Charlie through the window.
Evolved Human Abilities
Charlie had an enhanced memory that began to develop about six months ago. She was easily able to retain and recall what she read. She learned minutiae, languages, and complex information quickly, and without the need for repetition. Charlie was unaware of why she had this, or even that it was a special ability -- she only knew that her brain began working faster than it used to.
Memorable Quotes
"She was real. She was fleshy. She had a smile that could melt butter like a hot waffle."
Notes
- Saving Charlie is a book about Hiro's relationship with Charlie. According to the book, both of Charlie's parents are deceased and she was raised by her aunt.
- The full extent of Charlie's powers have yet to be confirmed. Some normal humans possess an eidetic memory, but Charlie states that hers only developed recently. This indicates her extraordinary memory is more likely to be an evolved human ability.
- Charlie's abilities seem somewhat more advanced than an eidetic memory. She appears to have total understanding of the information she absorbs. For example, she not only memorized Japanese, but had a near-fluent ability to use it.
- Charlie's birthday was "about six months ago" (April 24). When Hiro went back in time in an attempt to save her, he gave her a Japanese phrasebook as a birthday present. However, Charlie had also received a Japanese phrasebook for her birthday in the original timeline. Since Hiro was not at Charlie's birthday party in the original timeline (see picture), it is unknown who gave this phrasebook to her (it is possible that this is a Predestination Paradox, although this would raise the question of why Hiro did not appear in her birthday photo until he went back in time).
- While Charlie's formal name is not fully shown on the list, Mohinder says that "Charlene Andrews" was killed "two days ago, Midland, Texas." (Fallout)
- Sylar uses the enhanced memory he stole from Charlie to memorize a truck's instruction manual. (Road Kill)
Trivia
- All episodes that prominently feature Charlie thus far--Seven Minutes to Midnight, Six Months Ago, Once Upon a Time in Texas--have numbers and references to time in their titles.
See Also
- For other uses of Charlie, see Charlie (disambig).
- For other uses of Andrew, see Andrew (disambig).
Fan Theories
Please refer to Theory:Charlie Andrews for fan-created theories and other speculation.