It feels a lot like the writers stretched the season premiere to two hours because they thought it should be two hours based on the subject matter, not because they had a story that needed to be two hours. Charmed Again Part 2 has a couple of interesting moments, but in general it's pretty badly paced, too much time spent on stories that feel kind of silly. The most obvious is the idea of a forty eight-hour 'window' after a witch discovers her abilities, where she supposedly can choose between good and evil. It feels a lot like something casually pulled out of Brad Kern's butt to create some conflict, and it's never truly realized and has little effect.Similarly redundant is the conclusion to the Inspector Cortez subplot. His presence isn't necessary at all, while the repeated cuts to Leo, Cole and Darryl trying to convince him to drop the investigation majorly slowed down the pace of the episode.
However, the sisterly interaction here is expertly scripted. Like part one, it feels surprisingly authentic, especially when you consider this is an Aaron Spelling show. Spelling series so often have new actors casually replacing other actors, and he could have easily gotten some personality vacuum '90s brunette like Susan Ward to take over and play Prue instead of Shannen Doherty. But you should at least appreciate that the show is trying a little.
Intriguingly, the two-parter doesn't end with the sisters hugging it out... as that's still a work in progress. Paige is a newcomer, Piper is uncomfortable with her, and Phoebe is hesitantly trying to bridge that divide. I love the direction the series is going in at this point. Prue's absence is hard to deal with, but it's clear that Charmed isn't over just yet. C+
Credits
Guest stars Finola Hughes (Patty Halliwell); Jordan Bridges (Shane); Yancey Arias (Inspector Cortez); Krista Allen (The Oracle); Ben Guillory (The Source)
Writer Brad Kern Director Mel Damski
It's funny, I actually agree with almost everything you've said (48 hour window came out of nowhere and the Cortez part was the only sucky part of the episode) but I actually gave the episode a much higher rating that you did (albeit I'm using a different numeric scale to you).
ReplyDeleteTo be honest though, I almost consider the two parts as separate episodes. Part 1 is Prue's goodbye, and part 2 is Paige's 'initiation'.
Great reviews as always. I'm looking forward to more =)
That's a great way to describe the two-parter, totally get that. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteYou said that the show changed after this season, I disagree, the show changed in this episode, or at least the way the characters in it act.
ReplyDeleteIt starts here with Paige trying to kill an innocent. In every meaning of the word, mortal and not at fault for the child's abuse. Both important cause she doesn't only use her powers against someone who cannot defend himself and is not magical, but she doesn't even try to know all the facts before murder him. She doesn't murder him only cause her powers weirdly don't orbitate a still warm beating heart into her hand.
It shows that she is a person who just want someone to blame and punish even as a normal mortal. And in a violent and bloody way, moreover.
Then she tries to kill everyone else, Leo and the sisters who have done nothing against her or someone else.
And all that we have at the end of this is "we all have dated a demons, don't worry"?
The episode specifies that the evil/the source cannot put her under a spell, or possess her or even influence her. It can only tempt her. So she has no excuse. She is just an attemp murderer. But well, who cares...
In fairiness the actress acts as she was possessed, maybe noone has given her the entire episode's script where it's said that it's not the case? It's just very bad acting from someone who doesn't know how to show nuances? (To me it seems this way) Or the source cheated and noone addressed it in the entire episode leaving us asking why they accepted a murder as their own?
Still there is not even a spark of guilt for what she has done. No remorse. No attemp reparation. Or maybe a conflict whit her evil side, like Phoebe. Or more understanding going forward for Cole. Or at least a reminder of her actions from her sisters, now or in the future.
We are suppose to believe that she is a good person who wants to help others.
It's double down in the next episode with the behavior of Piper. Till now the girls were, almost everytime, victims who tried to survive. There where situations were they acted more like aggressors than victims, but noone was so obvious as how it would become now. I don't dislike it, they evolve, they take their active place in the magic world, but it changes what witches and demons are. How many wiches are out there acting as aggressors? Some demons don't even kill innocents, they just influence mortals to hate each other or are after economic power, that aren't capital offences. We no longer have a good side against an evil side. But two side of killers/murders. Even if the "good" side seems more appealing than the "evil" one, since the demons stab one another in the back and "don't know love", the Halliwells are not more victims/innocent than how much are innocent/victims the demons who want to survive them or preemptive attack them.