This straddles that annoying line between demon vanquishing hijinks and Touched by an Angel sentimentality, something I had assumed the show got over way back in season one. Little Monsters is a thin depiction of the whole 'nature vs. nurture' debate, with the sisters taking in a demon baby and figuring out what the hell to do with the little thing. Paige is all for keeping him safe and making sure he grows into a sane (if lizard-tongued) adult, Piper couldn't care less, and Chris wants him dead. Because he's gross and weirdly psychotic.The story eventually descends into overlong scenes of exposition and corn, with the Manticore demon explaining his plight while Piper looks on all sympathetic. Maybe I'm just dead inside, but this storyline bored me to tears -- although Seth Peterson and Holly Marie Combs did have a ton of chemistry in those last scenes, more so than she has with Leo. They really should have ran with these two. Plus, making them a couple would have fit into Piper's whole 'attracted to supernatural creatures' thing. But it wasn't to be. Blah.
Darryl's subplot was pretty lame. The concept of an 'invincibility spell' is ridiculous, pulled out of the writers' butts and in the process stomping all over the corpse of continuity. Then there's Darryl striding up to the gun-crazed criminal, satisfied that he'll be unharmed but seemingly unconcerned about all the terrified hostages with their mushy parts in the firing line -- so dumb.
Finally, Phoebe has another problem this week. Because she can't go thirty seconds without stumbling upon something new to whine about. Her wacky (and not at all annoying) new power made her tell Jason that she loves him, and what follows is tired sitcom schtick with Phoebe more obnoxious than ever. Drop the hag, Jason. It's good advice. Filler episode, generally. And one of the most forgettable Charmed episodes in its history. D
Credits
Guest stars Seth Peterson (Derek); Eric Dane (Jason Dean)
Writer Julie Hess Director James L. Conway
Great review, I'm with you on the side plot, but I found this this episode's demon stuff a nice change of pace. I liked the idea of Piper finding something in Derek (being parents) that she could connect with.
ReplyDelete"...Piper's whole 'attracted to supernatural creatures' thing..."
ReplyDeleteYeah, which is really bizarre considering that she's the one who Must Have A Normal Life. And yet she marries an angel who doesn't age and whose life is even more interrupted/run by magic than her's.
I think that Piper is just naturally masochistic - she's not happy unless she has something to whine about, which is probably why I hated having her and Leo's relationship the center of the series. Now had Leo been a man and either taken his sons and walked out on his shrew of a wife or taken her over his knee and given her a good paddling... But it was simply not to be.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why I liked this episode a bit more than you did, Max, due to the connection she had with Seth. You're absolutely right about their chemistry. Her walking out on Leo and taking up with Seth would've made the show much more interesting, especially because we wouldn't have had to put up with the yuck that turned Chris into a sorta-villain into Piper and Leo's son which turned him into the so-called perfect hero. Bah! I'm sure it's Holly's pregnancy that kept this from happening.
I agree with you, maybe you're dead inside. such a cute episode
ReplyDeleteHaha! That is my favorite comment ever, thank you ;)
ReplyDelete