Charmed – S1E16 – Which Prue Is It Anyway?
This is an exceptional first season episode. There is a decent demon story and some good humor. Plus, there is some groundwork laid for elements that will become very important to the series in the future.
So, basically, a demon is after Prue to get the powers of a firstborn witch. I actually thought the Gabriel story was fun to watch. He’s just enough of a threat to keep the story engaging. What makes the story most interesting though is the bit with the three Prues. It was kind of a cool choice, I think, to make the clones essentially be Prue’s ID and ego. We, as an audience, get to see different sides of Prue, and the differences between the clones and the original created some of the more comedic moments of the episode. I speak particularly to the scene at quake with Blue Prue, which was possibly the funniest bit. This story also incorporates Phoebe’s new “power” so to speak, which is that of martial arts fighting. This becomes a significant skill set for her as the series progresses, and to see it in its beginning stages is fun to watch. It’s not quite at the point of being second nature yet, but it will get there. That much I can say without spoiling anything. It was nice, in that opening scene with the sisters, to see them kind of goofing around with one another and just having fun. I feel like it isn’t that often that we get to see that side of the sisters’ relationship. Being that they are adults, its often more verbal joking and that sort of thing that we see. Of course the fun moment gets interrupted by a shocking premonition. I feel like the moment is emphasized even more, because had they not been goofing around like that, Phoebe may have never received the premonition, which she gets from touching Prue. I guess the metaphor present with that might be something along the lines of the importance of them being close as sisters, and physically close as well as emotionally close maybe. It is there proximity to one another, i.e. living in the same house, that makes them the strongest. That last part just kind of randomly came into my head as I was writing, and it is not necessarily something I thought about while watching the episode, but I do think it is an interesting concept to think about.
Andy really gets put through the ringer in this episode. He goes to identify a body in the morgue, only to find that it is Prue, and is completely devastated. Then when he goes to talk to Piper and Phoebe, not only does he get a somewhat bizarre, though as we know completely relevant, response from Phoebe, but he also discovers that apparently Prue is still alive. I thought the response of the sisters to his incredulous reaction to discovering Prue was still alive was somewhat callous. I don’t think it was intentional, as they were kind of put on the spot, but Phoebe’s remark of “why do we have to find an explanation for you” just felt a little harsh given the situation. In the end Blue Prue does soften the blow by telling Andy that it means the world to her that he cared enough to come over, but it still was just a kind of poorly handled situation in some respects. If anything, I think it made him more determined to figure out what was going on. He’s a smart guy. He’s not just going to let it go without explanation.
Overall, I really enjoy this episode, and have watched it quite a few times. The slam man and triple Prue parts are really fun to watch, and, as I said, the demon story isn’t half bad either. This is definitely one of the stronger season one episodes.
Best Moment:
Sisters and slam man, and Blue Prue and Piper at quake.
Best Sibling Moment:
Sisters and slam man
Best Quote(s):
Phoebe: Well, if somebody tries to impale my sister is gonna have to get through me.
Piper: Alright, that’s enough, get out of my kitchen before my cooks overheat.
This is an exceptional first season episode. There is a decent demon story and some good humor. Plus, there is some groundwork laid for elements that will become very important to the series in the future.
So, basically, a demon is after Prue to get the powers of a firstborn witch. I actually thought the Gabriel story was fun to watch. He’s just enough of a threat to keep the story engaging. What makes the story most interesting though is the bit with the three Prues. It was kind of a cool choice, I think, to make the clones essentially be Prue’s ID and ego. We, as an audience, get to see different sides of Prue, and the differences between the clones and the original created some of the more comedic moments of the episode. I speak particularly to the scene at quake with Blue Prue, which was possibly the funniest bit. This story also incorporates Phoebe’s new “power” so to speak, which is that of martial arts fighting. This becomes a significant skill set for her as the series progresses, and to see it in its beginning stages is fun to watch. It’s not quite at the point of being second nature yet, but it will get there. That much I can say without spoiling anything. It was nice, in that opening scene with the sisters, to see them kind of goofing around with one another and just having fun. I feel like it isn’t that often that we get to see that side of the sisters’ relationship. Being that they are adults, its often more verbal joking and that sort of thing that we see. Of course the fun moment gets interrupted by a shocking premonition. I feel like the moment is emphasized even more, because had they not been goofing around like that, Phoebe may have never received the premonition, which she gets from touching Prue. I guess the metaphor present with that might be something along the lines of the importance of them being close as sisters, and physically close as well as emotionally close maybe. It is there proximity to one another, i.e. living in the same house, that makes them the strongest. That last part just kind of randomly came into my head as I was writing, and it is not necessarily something I thought about while watching the episode, but I do think it is an interesting concept to think about.
Andy really gets put through the ringer in this episode. He goes to identify a body in the morgue, only to find that it is Prue, and is completely devastated. Then when he goes to talk to Piper and Phoebe, not only does he get a somewhat bizarre, though as we know completely relevant, response from Phoebe, but he also discovers that apparently Prue is still alive. I thought the response of the sisters to his incredulous reaction to discovering Prue was still alive was somewhat callous. I don’t think it was intentional, as they were kind of put on the spot, but Phoebe’s remark of “why do we have to find an explanation for you” just felt a little harsh given the situation. In the end Blue Prue does soften the blow by telling Andy that it means the world to her that he cared enough to come over, but it still was just a kind of poorly handled situation in some respects. If anything, I think it made him more determined to figure out what was going on. He’s a smart guy. He’s not just going to let it go without explanation.
Overall, I really enjoy this episode, and have watched it quite a few times. The slam man and triple Prue parts are really fun to watch, and, as I said, the demon story isn’t half bad either. This is definitely one of the stronger season one episodes.
Best Moment:
Sisters and slam man, and Blue Prue and Piper at quake.
Best Sibling Moment:
Sisters and slam man
Best Quote(s):
Phoebe: Well, if somebody tries to impale my sister is gonna have to get through me.
Piper: Alright, that’s enough, get out of my kitchen before my cooks overheat.