Even though their friendship is strained, Charlie is loyal to Patrick in the Nutrition Center showdown. But it takes an extreme situation—like Patrick getting destroyed by Brad and his buddies—for Charlie to be prompted to act.

…and start getting real. Oh, sorry, it's "stop being polite and start getting real." We're still thinking about the glory days of The Real World. In any case, Charlie finally gets real and understands that the drugs are hurting him way more than they're helping him.