Call me crazy, but is Christy Jenkins rapidly becoming the one shining beacon of interest on this show? I've always loved that television trope of a secretly evil character insidiously manipulating folks from within a group of good guys, and Christy is filling that role really well. The story was filled with a surprising amount of shocks, from Mom and Pop Jenkins turning up in a pile of their own innards to that awesome moment with Christy punching through the Triad dude's chest. It's all just surprisingly impressive watching her various attempts to divert attention from her own secret evilness and fill Billie's head with hooey. Marnette Patterson also deserves special credit for being mildly convincing all the while acting against somebody who looks like she's been living in a trash can for six weeks. What is up with Billie's hair?? Nesting crows would think it was too frazzled...My enjoyment in the Christy saga is also derived from how weak everything else is at this point on the show. Piper's subplot is particularly annoying. I've never especially liked Charmed's 'next generation magical kids' storylines (Aaron Carter firestarter Tyler, Kyle and his magic stick, Wyatt and his daddy issues, etc.) and this one similarly fits into that bubble. I also didn't understand the timeline, the show implying that Leo was prepping field trips and assignments right before he was frozen, despite Magic School being occupied by demons for what must have been almost a year now. And I know I always say this, but I can't believe the writers are still employing the generic Charmed motif of doomed demons in dank caves plotting to kill the Charmed Ones. Eight long years, people!
While we're on the subject of tired storylines, I'm so over Phoebe's quest for love, and I dislike this theme that's been running through her character for the last two seasons that she's some huge goddess of love who's always been about love and therefore deserves amazing love. I never really understood where that came from, considering she never previously exhibited any greater inclination to settle down and find love than, say, Piper or Prue. Now she's become this anonymous cipher driven by her need for a husband, and it's ridiculously regressive and horrible.
The episode sees Coop taking her on a flashback trip of her old romances, so cue clips of her various love interests over the years (girl got around!), some Cat House riffs with Coop and Feebs hiding out in the background of old shots, and a Cole vanquish that Phoebe never actually experienced because it happened in a whole different reality. All the story did was make me wish I was watching Pardon My Past instead. Snore.
As an episode, Generation Hex is crazily disjointed, with storylines appearing infrequently with little rhythm or cohesion. Paige also appears in just three brief scenes, but I'm assuming Rose's Grindhouse schedule explains her absence. Not that I'm complaining, because I can't stand Paige. But it only adds to this episode feeling a little 'off'. When Christy Jenkins is suddenly Charmed's saving grace, you know something has gone terribly awry. D+
Credits
Guest stars Marnette Patterson (Christy Jenkins); Barbara Niven (Helen Jenkins); David Starzyk (Carl Jenkins); Leland Crooke (Candor); James Immekus (Ryan); Kimberlee Peterson (Jen); John Rosenfeld (Pator); David S. Lee (Rondok); Victor Webster (Coop)
Writer Rob Wright Director Michael Grossman
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