I am mulling over how the writers ( which I hope are not the team behind S8) can bring Charlie back
Now I am no fic writer per se, I tried back in the days when the Angel/Buffy forums were a thing. I get easilly embarrassed by writing any dialogue. So Instead I just try to convey the main ideas
Charlie wss lured to Belize by Mankywit.He has set up one of his victims he lures into his web of crime, via a dating app or site that his brother Jack went on. There he gets to know and fall for "maria" Jack ends up going out to meet her, he gies missing.
Mankywit had used her for drug smuggling via the cartel which he has connections with.
Maria had been promised some retribution and feedom from their clutches which is why Mankywit lured her to do his bidding
Charlie is then lured to mexico to find his brother, as he went missing , when in fact both Jack and Maria were hiding and looking to escape. He had helped Maria to escape and hopefully get out of Mexico, esp after he fibds out she was a victim of both, and knew neither woukd keep any bargains drawn
Charlie caught up with them, then realized they had to pull an elaborate escape plan, after they fill him in, one of them has to "die" and that's Charlie.
They then see they are about to get ambushed, the person he hired the boat off had given them away. Charlie tells them to keep going, while he distracts their pursuers with gun fire, both his brother and maria get into a small dingy that was in the boat, Charlie gives a fair few rounds, before one shot is fired in his general direction, making that an opportunity to fall into the water, he dives off the boat, he then holds his breath before swimming or moving to another area out of sight, comes up for air underneath a pier nearby Sees the cartel move away thinking they hit their target, he sees his brother get to safety.
Two fishermen see what ocurred but not realize what happend as it was dark later they recall Charlies "death" to Mark
Charlie waits till it is clear then goes into hiding
Later that night after Mark had told the team the " bad news" He texts Sarah and tells her he has to stay away for a while, and explains why, he has to deal with both the cartel and Mankywit, working covertly with interpol. He wants everyone safe.
Sarah has to remain quiet. Which explains why her grief was not shown in S8. She took "compassionette" leave to keep up the pretense.
When Charlie returns, he has his giant ace up his sleeve and executes it causing a knock on effect.
He then has to work with Mark albieit with some friction to regain his working relationship with Rex.
Charlie is stunned when it is Sarah who proposes
Now this is not great, but then the plots,writing are not above a hallmark mystery show, and the writing team are not the best. But it is one way I think they can explain why everyone thinks Charlie had gone, they love mankywit as their main antagonist and recurring villian. Also why Sarah was not showing grief like we expected.
Then Mark goes back after helping out with the carnage to hallifax
I would hate Mark to be some kind of double agent mole in SJPD as LR has had enough of bring caught "piggy in the middle" amongst the mess Shaftsbury created. Then I want the show to get back to getting the team working together again
