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Post by vandergraafk on Nov 17, 2006 13:05:55 GMT -5
Unlike many of the detractors, I found this episode to be quite entertaining. Certainly, an Elder getting hit with a pie is worth the five minute opening set up. That Paige gains the power to heal is absolutely fantastic. Now, why it took Paige 4 1/2 years to acquire an integral part of whitelighterhood when it takes a mere 11 episodes for Billie to acquire a major power, i.e., of projection, is beyond me. But, it clearly indicates that the series is heading towards a finale.
Phoebe finally has a role to play besides being love-struck. I don't mind it when Phoebe's spells backfire (sort of). At least, the writers thought about having Phoebe do something constructive for a change. As for Piper's friends, we already know from Desperate Housewitches that Piper has many acquaintances at the day care center, a place where she surely is going to meet other mothers with similarly aged children. That people can complain about our lack of knowledge about her friends (or lack thereof) seems truly petty to me. Now, I would like to know what happened to Eva (Thy Eyes Have It/Centennial Charmed). Did they just forget about her? Did Paige stop volunteering?
Exposure is an ever-present issue for the Charmed Ones. I am glad that not only was it acknowledged, but that Paige crafted her actions with that in mind. The naysayers will of course say that we have seen this all before: Phoebe being orbed in and out of the jury deliberation bathroom. Whatever! I wish Agent Murphy had appeared. A fine character was introduced, then discarded. Oh well!
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Post by Xenith on Nov 17, 2006 16:30:29 GMT -5
For the heck of it have been watching some of the S8 episodes that were on my computer or on YouTube, and one year later episodes like this aren't as bad as I remembered them. Although that could just be me missing new Charmed...
Anyways this is an episode that to me stands a lot better on it's own than as an episode in the Billie arc. When it aired the whole Billie gets the Charmed Ones in trouble...again plot was really stale. Now it's not so bad. Still it's nice to be able to skip past and ignore most things Billie without worrying you'll miss something important. That definitely makes this episode much better.
Next thanks to Smallville, I've better learned to ignore the laws of physics and stuff such as vehicles and large holes in walls where they crashed through dissapearing. (I'm improving, but I'm not there yet...because how does a vehicle that crashed through a wall vanish!)
What I can't ignore is the awful demon plot. What happened to demons not wanting magic to be exposed? And seriously if a demon WITH A GUN wanted the Charmed Ones or the Bimbo to expose magic is the best plan he could come up with...to just wait for Henry to bleed out when he wasn't even shot anywhere vital?!? Really???
Which brings me to my biggest complaint about this episode. The complete and total lack of any emotional impact when Paige heals Henry. Paige seemed about as upset about the wounded Henry as if her goldfish was sick, I'm not sure if I should blame Rose for that (Although otherwise I think this was one of her better S8 episodes acting) or if it was the director's choice.
But would it have killed them to put any kind of emotional oomph to it, to actually make it seem like Paige REALLY cared about Henry and that he actually wasn't going to last long. I wouldn't have complained if they mirrored Love Hurts a little with a tear activating the power, it would have been much better than this dull scene for such a major character development and would have better sold me on the strength of the relationship... Aaargh!
*takes morphine*
With all the issues I had with this episode, Paige orbing out of the bathroom definitely wasn't one of them. Sure it was done before, but that was about 3 seasons ago and it was still the smart thing to do. The glamour swap initially annoyed me as being over-used although looking back from a charmedverse standpoint it's a sensible solution, so I'm fine with that now. (Though I still want to know what was up with Baige's messed up voice?)
The Wyatt & Phoebe plot was also cuter than I remembered. Probably due to the lack of seething Billie rage distracting me...
So yeah I definitely still have issues with episode, though compared with what was to come to S8 I'm looking much more favorably on this episode now.
Maybe they did? After all weren't they calling her Eve in Centennial Charmed... *sighs*
Isn't someone who a room full of people having seen got shot and lay bleeding on the floor, suddenly not being wounded...isn't that sort of a magical exposure in its own way?
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Post by vandergraafk on Nov 17, 2006 18:58:57 GMT -5
Eva to Eve. I guess if you change the actress then the name of the character should change too. Goodness me, I'm glad they didn't do this when James Read replaced the first Victor Bennett. Would we have had him referred to as Victory?
Yes, it certainly would constitute exposure if and only if the room full of hostages (pressed back into a corner) had managed to see what had transpired. For all they knew, the shot might have only grazed Henry. I doubt that any one of the hostages was aware of the extent of the injuries.
Now, I think one reason why Paige is deliberately cool towards Henry is to confuse the demon. I don't believe she wanted him to know that she was deeply in love with Henry. Armed with such knowledge, the demon might have held even more leverage in the situation. Besides, I don't think Paige is the gushy kind of gal that Phoebe often was. Paige just did things coolly!
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Post by vandergraafk on May 13, 2008 14:45:42 GMT -5
An otherwise excellent episode that is marred by a tradition begun during Season 7 when all the desperate demons gathered round Zankou looking for guidance. There's no Zankou here, which is a tremendous pity, because who wants to listen to exposition, let alone demonic expositions from a group of escaped goths, draped in black and sporting dog collars and sundry other supplements, standing around in the former Magic School. It didn't work in Malice in Wonderland, barely worked in Still Charmed and Kicking, and won't work in other Season 8 episodes either: The Last Temptation of Christy.
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