Post by Scott on Mar 3, 2007 23:51:14 GMT -5
A truly hilarious episode that introduces us to Melinda Warren's mother, Charlotte, teaches us about the true meaning of Halloween, and demonstrates how little the Charmed Ones know about witchcraft. The dialogue is crisp and occasionally extremely witty. However, major plot elements are fraught with contradiction and extreme implausibility. Time and time travel are both problematic, and the actors at times present both omniscience and profound misperception that challenge believability. Worst, though, is the failure of the strengths of this episode to be used later in Charmed.
Who cannot but laugh when Phoebe delivers her line as she is about to "embrace the cliche" by mounting her magic broom and striking terror into the posse of witch fearers and dark magic fanatics chasing after the Charmed Ones? And, it is very touching when the Charmed Ones learn that Piper has midwifed the matriarch of the Warren/Halliwell lineage of witches.
Yet, problems abound. As the climax approaches and the Charmed Ones are about to rescue Charlotte, mother of the soon to be born Melinda Warren, we are told that it is near 6 pm. This news amazes us since it is - after all - All Hallow's Eve - and daylight savings time has yet to be invented. Indeed, time zones have yet to be established. Individual towns measured time in idiosyncratic ways that make us difficult to accept that 6 pm, when the sky is still bright and the lengthening shadows of dusk seem nowhere in sight, is the correct time even in this colonial Virginia village.
Time travel is equally problematic. Apparently, the Elders can initiate time travel for others. The skill, as we will learn during Season 6, can be learnt by witches. Chris masters the skill, while his more powerful brother Wyatt seems impotent in the matter. Yet, how does Cole acquire this ability and maintain apparently his powers as he ventures backward in time?
Finally, the denouement is utterly ridiculous. Let's stipulate that it took time to ferret out the traitor Micah. Why, though, is Charlotte left unattended, especially as she is about to give birth? Of course, just such an oversight on the part of dark magic is necessary if the powerless Charmed Ones are to liberate Charlotte from the clutches of incipient evil. Suppose further that it takes an hour - perhaps the Charmed Ones must wait for Charlotte to be abandoned by her guards - for the liberation to occur. True, Charlotte has broken her water, and it will be a task to get her back to the safety of the coven. But, 11 pm? Seriously, this makes absolutely no sense, especially when one considers that the posse pursuing the Charmed Ones are horsebound. Exactly how long does it take to track down the Charmed Ones?
But of all the weaknesses in this otherwise enjoyable episode, it is absolutely astounding that the knowledge the Charmed Ones acquire about the natural elements of witchcraft are cast aside as just another plot element. True, the eventual loss of Prue created the need for another source of oomph. And, Piper delivered as she came to grips with her ability to not only slow down the motion of particles, but also accelerate them to the point where atomic stability is ruptured and tremendous energy is released. Yet, this episode demonstrates that there is much magic to be found in nature: the apple, the other herbs and fruits employed to create a protective force, the pumpkin that exposes Phoebe as a witch and the broomstick which allows Phoebe to "embrace the cliche". Why was this intrinsic knowledge of nature's possibilities not used again? Indeed, why did it take until Season 8 when Billie is exposed to Chinese magic and the power of nature's bounty to even exploit this vein ever so minimally?
Who cannot but laugh when Phoebe delivers her line as she is about to "embrace the cliche" by mounting her magic broom and striking terror into the posse of witch fearers and dark magic fanatics chasing after the Charmed Ones? And, it is very touching when the Charmed Ones learn that Piper has midwifed the matriarch of the Warren/Halliwell lineage of witches.
Yet, problems abound. As the climax approaches and the Charmed Ones are about to rescue Charlotte, mother of the soon to be born Melinda Warren, we are told that it is near 6 pm. This news amazes us since it is - after all - All Hallow's Eve - and daylight savings time has yet to be invented. Indeed, time zones have yet to be established. Individual towns measured time in idiosyncratic ways that make us difficult to accept that 6 pm, when the sky is still bright and the lengthening shadows of dusk seem nowhere in sight, is the correct time even in this colonial Virginia village.
Time travel is equally problematic. Apparently, the Elders can initiate time travel for others. The skill, as we will learn during Season 6, can be learnt by witches. Chris masters the skill, while his more powerful brother Wyatt seems impotent in the matter. Yet, how does Cole acquire this ability and maintain apparently his powers as he ventures backward in time?
Finally, the denouement is utterly ridiculous. Let's stipulate that it took time to ferret out the traitor Micah. Why, though, is Charlotte left unattended, especially as she is about to give birth? Of course, just such an oversight on the part of dark magic is necessary if the powerless Charmed Ones are to liberate Charlotte from the clutches of incipient evil. Suppose further that it takes an hour - perhaps the Charmed Ones must wait for Charlotte to be abandoned by her guards - for the liberation to occur. True, Charlotte has broken her water, and it will be a task to get her back to the safety of the coven. But, 11 pm? Seriously, this makes absolutely no sense, especially when one considers that the posse pursuing the Charmed Ones are horsebound. Exactly how long does it take to track down the Charmed Ones?
But of all the weaknesses in this otherwise enjoyable episode, it is absolutely astounding that the knowledge the Charmed Ones acquire about the natural elements of witchcraft are cast aside as just another plot element. True, the eventual loss of Prue created the need for another source of oomph. And, Piper delivered as she came to grips with her ability to not only slow down the motion of particles, but also accelerate them to the point where atomic stability is ruptured and tremendous energy is released. Yet, this episode demonstrates that there is much magic to be found in nature: the apple, the other herbs and fruits employed to create a protective force, the pumpkin that exposes Phoebe as a witch and the broomstick which allows Phoebe to "embrace the cliche". Why was this intrinsic knowledge of nature's possibilities not used again? Indeed, why did it take until Season 8 when Billie is exposed to Chinese magic and the power of nature's bounty to even exploit this vein ever so minimally?