HYDE SCHOOL REUNION VANQUISH OF RICK

[vandergraafk]

Some fans of Charmed have expressed their intense dissatisfaction with the conclusion to Hyde School Reunion. As one fan mused: Why didn't Paige just orb the darn rifle away? As little imagination as the writers perhaps showed, some of the most vociferous critics show an incredible imagination. They neither understand the criminal code nor do they see any nuances within the law. What do you think?

You may cast up to two votes in this poll!

[Fourever Charmed]

I'd like to vote for definitely yes and that Paige should've orbed the gun, but you've also conveniently placed "Who knows?" into that option, which devalues the the first option for someone who believes that both the plot was bad and that they're guilty.

Phoebe: You know, I'm thinking maybe you should use our nephew for inspiration?

And

Paige: Pheebs, watch out! This could get messy!

Followed with both of them hiding shows what they both expected to happen. They may not have killed Rick themselves, but they essentially hired the guns.

Paige: You know you had to, right?

Phoebe: I know.

I'm sorry, but I do not accept your claim that they're innocent on this matter. Paige could've orbed the gun, but instead, she and Phoebe decided on murder by demon. They practically admit as much with those last statements as if justifying it by trying to say it was their only course of action which is NOT true!

Also, many of these poll answers seem repetitive and unnecessary, as if only placed there to lean towards the view of innocence. For example, "No way! Rick got what he wished for!" and "Poppycock! Rick got what he deserved!" are really just two ways of saying the same thing, and like I already said, the "Who knows?" connotates a level of non-guilt in the Charmedverse when that answer should be pertaining only to the fault of the real world writers.

[vandergraafk]

Appreciate your thoughts. If you look at the choices, there are three negative choices - one stronger than the other - a neutral choice (Who knows) and three affirmative choices. Though you may not see a difference, I believe there is a difference between giving Rick what he wished for and stating emphatically that he (Rick) got what he deserved.

As for the Who Knows? followed by orbing the gun, etc., you may be right that this undercuts the thrust of the option. I included, however, the possibility of casting two votes since I believe it is possible to accept the recommendation that Paige ought to have orbed the rifle away yet not believe that either Paige or Phoebe is guilty of what you refer to as "murder by demon".

In the Charmed Cafe, we had a long debate about that. The main points are reprised in this site: see Hyde Park Reunion. Since the conclusion of this story is horribly written, it is almost impossible to assign guilt. At worst, they might be accused of reckless indifference. (Yeah, I watch too much Law and Order.) But, I will never go as far as ljones went and accused them of murder. Murder by demon at least qualifies it somewhat.

Feel free to cast two votes, as I did!

[Fourever Charmed]

I have read the debate at the Cafe, I just decided not to participate in it.

I just voted one, because I still strongly dislike the "Who knows?" Although I won't call it "murder," I absolutely refuse to accept the idea that they didn't know what was going to happen, when it was as clear as day that they did. It was only a step away, as far as I'm concerned, hence murder by demon.

In fact, I think that Paige and Phoebe are far more guilty of Rick's death than the demons that killed him were. Had Phoebe and Paige never intervened by inentionally giving him Chris's appearance when they knew that the demons were on a Chris-hunt (and anticipated they'd come after Rick once he turned into Chris), the demons never would have killed Rick in the first place. It all comes back to Phoebe and Paige and their decision to "summon" the demons.