Charmed: Magic Hour (3.2)

The conceit of this episode is ripped straight from Ladyhawke, Piper even referencing the fact that she's sure she's seen it all before in a movie somewhere. Admittedly, the idea of two lovers cursed to exist separately in both night and day is an interesting one, especially if the lovers concerned are fascinating people. However, the guest characters here are so shallow that any sympathy you have for them is quickly dismissed. Throw in a sleep-inducing Piper and Leo subplot, Magic Hour is pretty darn awful, the nadir of the hour being that hilarious moment where Brooke weeps over her owl lover, stuck to the floor with an arrow through its chest. Hah!

Piper and Leo's whiny relationship continues to bug, the two of them unsure of whether they should get married or not. I still don't understand the logic in why the Elders would want to punish all three sisters (leaving the Elders themselves open to repeated attack), but I guess we're not supposed to seek any truth in this story. There are some interesting elements to the story, in particular Phoebe's suggestion that Piper getting married is a little selfish in these circumstances, but it's all drowned out by a script which is shamelessly slow-moving.

While the show tries to tie together both main storylines here, Brooke and Christopher's plague-ridden relationship contrasting well with Piper and Leo's coupling, there isn't really enough meat to this particular episode, forcing the characters to stand around mostly talking in circles. Another snoozefest, but this season eventually gets better. F

Credits
Guest stars Michael Dietz (Christopher); Elisabeth Harnois (Brooke); Erik Passoja (); Jennifer Rhodes (Penny 'Grams' Halliwell); Amir Aboulela (Triad #1); Shaun Toub (Triad #2); Rick Overton (Triad #3)
Writers Chris Levinson, Zack Estrin Director John Behring