Parts of this episode were fresh and interesting, notably the idea of government experiments and demonic viruses. It was like Charmed meets X-Files, and I kind of enjoyed it. It did stick out like a sore thumb, though, and I don't think it's a coincidence that this is a script from a new writer. Even though Hulkus Pocus falls back on ridiculous costumes and butch stuntwomen, there were actual 'ideas' here that felt pretty inventive, clearly something from the mind of a writer who hasn't been rapidly lobotomized from spending too long in the Charmed writers room.There was a lot of Billie this week, but she wasn't as horrible as in her other appearances. I wish one of the sisters had noticed the danger of her Hulk scratch, though, considering they've all been 'turned' after similar events in the past -- Wendigo, anyone? Then again, I forget that everybody on this show is more likely to trip over their own cleavage than remember anything from the past.
Phoebe continues to be a selfish hag. So she's abandoning her powers because they don't benefit her? Seriously? How did this story make it past the development stages? And why did Alyssa Milano, as a producer, willingly perform something that makes her character appear so repulsive? I also didn't understand the logic of her flash-forward interactive vision at the end, and I still don't like seeing any character being so driven by their need for a baby and a husband. It's like nothing else matters at this point.
Hulkus Pocus is one of the better season eight stories, but still has that tired feel to it that makes even the less-awful episodes this year so forgettable. Blah. C
Credits
Guest stars Ivan Sergei (Henry Mitchell); Brandon Quinn (Agent Murphy); David Dayan Fisher (Margoyle); Andres Saenz-Hudson (Ernesto); Chad Allen (Emrick); Nigel Gibbs (Jonah); Morgan Rusler (Soothsayer)
Writer Liz Sagal Director Joel J. Feigenbaum
Hahah trip over their own cleavage. You keep outdoing yourself with this utterly hilarious reviews Max. I'm going to feel so depressed when your Charmed reviews are over!
ReplyDeleteAnd you asked questions that I always wondered myself. How did certain storylines (mostly all of the season 8 episodes so far) even get accepted as fit for TV? And didn't the actresses themselves particularly Milano who was a producer CARE about the integrity of the character? I would hope she at least had a smidgen of common sense! Oh lord such a pity...
Thanks, Nad.
ReplyDeleteOn your second point, I imagine the "producer" credit was more vanity than anything, so I doubt Alyssa could wield any real power. Then again, she was probably so eager to get off the show that she wasn't hugely interested in making the character authentic anymore.
I should also add, in fairness to her, that it's a lot harder for an actor to keep track of their character than us at home, since they're constantly shooting and learning lines for the next episode, as well as the long hours and the non-show commitments. I imagine every episode winds up merging into one after a while. And I guess after eight years, she was sort of over the show anyway.