Charmed – S1E10 – Wicca Envy
This was a great episode. The sisters have to face the possibility of becoming powerless again, but it seems that they have come to enjoy being witches. Plus, it turns out Leo is no ordinary handyman. There is so much good character stuff going on in this episode, and the story was exciting. I loved it.
Now, where to start? I guess we’ll start small and get to the main story at the end. So, Prue and Andy are in a slightly better place than they were last episode. Andy annoyed me much less, as he actually sticks up for Prue in this episode instead of trying to accuse her of everything under the sun. Morris is very confused by this, and can’t understand why Andy would go to such great lengths to prosecute Prue over nothing one day, and then when the stakes are high, he does everything in his power to save her. I’m not sure I get it either. The man needs to make up his mind.
I have to say, I was actually proud of Prue for being so cool about Phoebe dating Rex. It’s like the plot to 27 Dresses, only better. Plus this episode came before the movie, so there’s that too. In my opinion, she had every right to want to keep her work and home lives separate, and I would probably have reacted much in the same way. I love that Piper tries to keep the peace as much as she can without actually getting herself dragged into the middle of yet another war between her sisters.
Leo and Piper are pretty much a couple now. Maybe not technically, but all the relationship signs are there. Speaking of Leo, he is magical! We don’t yet know if he’s a witch, a warlock, or some other magical being, but he has powers. He appears to share Prue’s power of telekinesis, he can restore things and he can orb. The way the action plays out, we are kind of led to believe that there is a possibility that Leo might be evil, however, he does fix the book. So either he’s evil, and he restored the powers so that he can get them himself, or he’s good, and he helped the sisters because he’s a stand up guy. Phoebe does at one point question the possibility that Leo might be a warlock.
This marks the first time one of the sisters ends up in jail. Prue’s the oldest, so why not let her go first. Okay. Joking aside, it is interesting to note that it is Phoebe who comes up with, and in many ways executes, the plan to break Prue out. Rebellious youngest sister’s skills getting put to good use, or something to that effect. Even if Rex had the photo, were they able to get Prue back before the guards noticed, I’m not sure how they could have proven she she escaped. However, I guess a picture at that time held more value than it does in today’s world of Photoshop.
Hannah and Rex set their evil plan in full motion this episode. I have to say, despite the fact that I hate them for being evil, it was very clever of them to choose blackmail and framing over direct confrontation with the sisters. It proves that demons can be intelligent. I actually thought the two of them made for pretty good demons, but alas, their plan failed thanks to Leo, and now Hannah and Rex are gone.
Overall, this was a really impressive episode. Especially for it being from the first season. It easily could have been a season finale had they wanted to use it as such, though I’m glad they got a full 22 episodes. I actually like it better than a couple of the actual season finales later on. Anyway, good writing, good acting, good plot, good suspense. Just general positivity towards the episode.
Best Moment:
-Leo restores the book, saves the girls, and they have no clue what just happened
Best Sibling Moment:
-Piper poking Phoebe with the feather duster while she’s on the phone.
-Piper tells Leo something’s about to come up and that she needs to call him back as soon as Phoebe sees the flowers, and her then avoiding getting stuck in the middle of the Prue/Phoebe/Rex situation
Best Quote(s):
Piper: Why is it always someone I'm dating that gets accused of being a warlock? Don't answer that. (the phone rings) Answer that, it's safer.
Prue: Somebody is obviously trying to set me up, and they’re using magic to do it.
Piper: But who? And how?
Phoebe: Pick a warlock. Any warlock.
Leo: Well you know what Freud always said about leaving things.
Piper: That you secretly wanted to come back for it.
Leo: Guilty.
Prue: Oh, don’t use that word.
Piper: What the hell was that?
Phoebe: I think you just answered your own question.
Piper: Spells, incantations, demon stuff. It’s all here. Everything just like before.
Phoebe: Thank God.
Prue: But how? I mean, we certainly didn’t reverse the spell.
Phoebe: Maybe we screwed it up? (Prue and Piper look at her.) What? It’s not like it would be the first time.
This was a great episode. The sisters have to face the possibility of becoming powerless again, but it seems that they have come to enjoy being witches. Plus, it turns out Leo is no ordinary handyman. There is so much good character stuff going on in this episode, and the story was exciting. I loved it.
Now, where to start? I guess we’ll start small and get to the main story at the end. So, Prue and Andy are in a slightly better place than they were last episode. Andy annoyed me much less, as he actually sticks up for Prue in this episode instead of trying to accuse her of everything under the sun. Morris is very confused by this, and can’t understand why Andy would go to such great lengths to prosecute Prue over nothing one day, and then when the stakes are high, he does everything in his power to save her. I’m not sure I get it either. The man needs to make up his mind.
I have to say, I was actually proud of Prue for being so cool about Phoebe dating Rex. It’s like the plot to 27 Dresses, only better. Plus this episode came before the movie, so there’s that too. In my opinion, she had every right to want to keep her work and home lives separate, and I would probably have reacted much in the same way. I love that Piper tries to keep the peace as much as she can without actually getting herself dragged into the middle of yet another war between her sisters.
Leo and Piper are pretty much a couple now. Maybe not technically, but all the relationship signs are there. Speaking of Leo, he is magical! We don’t yet know if he’s a witch, a warlock, or some other magical being, but he has powers. He appears to share Prue’s power of telekinesis, he can restore things and he can orb. The way the action plays out, we are kind of led to believe that there is a possibility that Leo might be evil, however, he does fix the book. So either he’s evil, and he restored the powers so that he can get them himself, or he’s good, and he helped the sisters because he’s a stand up guy. Phoebe does at one point question the possibility that Leo might be a warlock.
This marks the first time one of the sisters ends up in jail. Prue’s the oldest, so why not let her go first. Okay. Joking aside, it is interesting to note that it is Phoebe who comes up with, and in many ways executes, the plan to break Prue out. Rebellious youngest sister’s skills getting put to good use, or something to that effect. Even if Rex had the photo, were they able to get Prue back before the guards noticed, I’m not sure how they could have proven she she escaped. However, I guess a picture at that time held more value than it does in today’s world of Photoshop.
Hannah and Rex set their evil plan in full motion this episode. I have to say, despite the fact that I hate them for being evil, it was very clever of them to choose blackmail and framing over direct confrontation with the sisters. It proves that demons can be intelligent. I actually thought the two of them made for pretty good demons, but alas, their plan failed thanks to Leo, and now Hannah and Rex are gone.
Overall, this was a really impressive episode. Especially for it being from the first season. It easily could have been a season finale had they wanted to use it as such, though I’m glad they got a full 22 episodes. I actually like it better than a couple of the actual season finales later on. Anyway, good writing, good acting, good plot, good suspense. Just general positivity towards the episode.
Best Moment:
-Leo restores the book, saves the girls, and they have no clue what just happened
Best Sibling Moment:
-Piper poking Phoebe with the feather duster while she’s on the phone.
-Piper tells Leo something’s about to come up and that she needs to call him back as soon as Phoebe sees the flowers, and her then avoiding getting stuck in the middle of the Prue/Phoebe/Rex situation
Best Quote(s):
Piper: Why is it always someone I'm dating that gets accused of being a warlock? Don't answer that. (the phone rings) Answer that, it's safer.
Prue: Somebody is obviously trying to set me up, and they’re using magic to do it.
Piper: But who? And how?
Phoebe: Pick a warlock. Any warlock.
Leo: Well you know what Freud always said about leaving things.
Piper: That you secretly wanted to come back for it.
Leo: Guilty.
Prue: Oh, don’t use that word.
Piper: What the hell was that?
Phoebe: I think you just answered your own question.
Piper: Spells, incantations, demon stuff. It’s all here. Everything just like before.
Phoebe: Thank God.
Prue: But how? I mean, we certainly didn’t reverse the spell.
Phoebe: Maybe we screwed it up? (Prue and Piper look at her.) What? It’s not like it would be the first time.