Charmed: Power Outage (3.7)

Can we talk about Jason Carter? Lord is he embarrassingly awful in this episode! Did the directors on Charmed actually tell its guest actors to be as hammy, theatrical and melodramatic as possible? Carter chews up, spits out, re-chews and then once again spits out the scenery throughout this episode, looking like he's in physical pain whenever he talks. Poor Julian McMahon, who always portrayed Cole with a hint of subtlety, sharing scenes with both this guy and the increasingly annoying Alyssa Milano. I guess Carter's performance is something to be laughed at. It's like he saw everybody in The Wedding from Hell and just thought "Hey! I'll do what they're doing!". Shudders.

Power Outage is actually pretty great, another sign that the show has an actual direction right now. The sisters are in more ways than one falling apart, leading incredibly separate lives which clash when they still rely on others to help them out constantly. Cole, being the Machiavellian dinosaur that he is, plays on this increasing anger, and the big, dramatic yelling match the sisters have with each other is a doozy. Screaming, fighting, using their powers on one another. It's a great moment, the sisters finally unloading all the pent-up hostility that has been building all season.

There isn't anything particularly new about this episode, and in some ways it's difficult to distinguish it from the various similarly-themed hours around it, but it's still an entertaining hour, helped by some great acting work from practically everybody. Julian McMahon, in particular, is stealing the show again. B

Crimes of Fashion This is just getting ridiculous, Pheebs. That giant brown coat is at least three sizes too big for her. And what's with that ugly flamenco corset gown thing she's wearing while going to dinner in a Ricky Martin video? Double ugh.

Credits
Guest stars Jason Carter (Andras); Amir Aboulela (Triad #1); Shaun Toub (Triad #2); Rick Overton (Triad #3); Fastball (Themselves)
Writers Monica Breen, Alison Schapker Director Craig Zisk