S02.E02: Things to Do in Seattle When You're Dead

[Lady Calypso]

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SAVE US — The Charmed Ones must learn to navigate the new world they now inhabit. Macy (Madeleine Mantock) tries making sense of some very intense dreams and Mel (Melonie Diaz) and Maggie (Sarah Jeffery) try to accept their new roles. Harry (Rupert Evans) isn’t quite himself ever since his encounter with the hooded villain, forcing he and Mel to go on an old-fashioned road trip in search of the demons attempting to bring about the extinction of all witches. A personal loss strengthens the bond between Maggie and Mel. Also starring Jordan Donica. Nick Gomez directed the episode written by Joey Falco (#202). Original airdate 10/18/2019.
 

[AnimeMania]

Still not liking this, it is too dark. Now the ladies have no powers and have forgotten how to fight.

[GaT]

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Still not liking this, it is too dark. Now the ladies have no powers and have forgotten how to fight.

And I don't like the whole thing of them being stranded at this company with the strange room, I hope the entire season isn't going to be there.

[Mikay]

I thought this was okay if a bit sluggish. I had to laugh at the minutes long exposition that one demon guy did defining demons, demonic history and the demonic prophecy. All of that should have been introduced in the first season as there were demons popping up all over the place and they felt rather aimless. Like what demon class is Alistair? Would he not have ruled the demons if he got access to the Source? All that complaining aside, one thing I have appreciated is that the show has at least gamed out the consequences of some of its more destructive choices. Taking out all the Elders by the hand of one not so clever demon in a single episode with almost no fanfare, still comes off as clumsy to me, but the effects of their death have clearly been felt in the Charmed world. I probably wouldn’t have been able to accept a return to the status quo after such a choice. 

There were good character moments this episode, particularly with Maggie and Mel. Last season I found Mel to be a somewhat grating character lost in a subplot I could barely understand and care about. But this year I’m surprised at how much I really like her. Her line about not being the B team, but the A team made me smile. Also, maybe because I was horribly burned by Parker, but I like Maggie and her new love interest? My biggest problem with the Parker romance was the super speed at which it moved, but also the fact that the actor who played Parker felt really uneven to me. I never bought much of his dialogue or his story. 

Macy writing down the names of the dead witches, so that she would remember them in their entirety is a nice callback to the harbinger exorcist episode where she treated Angela Wu as a statistic rather than a human. I like that her and Real!Harry relationship’s is built on the fact that they like and respect each other. He knows the favorite foods of the charmed ones, he hugs them in a certain way and he looks at them with affection. 

I also actually like that they don’t have their powers(for now) and aren’t MMA-level fighters with no training like last season. I mean something that made me smile this episode was the way that Mel was so excited about disappearing the apple with her cloaking potion. She’d definitely done more impressive things, but she had this happy glee at being able to do simple magic that I didn’t feel was in the first season enough. I’m hopefully that they build up their skills on screen and we get more moments like that. But don’t drag the no powers thing out too long show. 

Mel also had this line about recreating the book of shadows. Hopefully when it returns, it’s not just used as the Siri of spells. For the OG show, the book was this important historical heirloom passed down the bloodline. The sisters loved and grew to respect the book. I’d like to see that here too. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Mikay

[iMonrey]

This show's biggest problem last season was pacing. It tried to do too much too soon, and it looks like they are still having that problem. I don't understand the rationale of stripping them of their powers (except for Macy and her fire power). Who the hell wants to watch a show about witches that don't have any powers? What's the fun in that? Plus the idea of throwing the Charmed Ones into the role of Sole Saviors of Witches, with all the Elders and other Whitelighters dead, and them in hiding, feels like a Season 8 story, not a Season 2 story. (Indeed, the OG Charmed Ones went through something similar in their eighth season).

The writers also seem to be reacting to the fans saying they saw chemistry between Macy and Harry last season. I think that was due more to her lack of chemistry with Galvin than anything else, but they're really going at it this season hard and fast and it feels like it came out of nowhere.

I'm not sure where the house is supposed to be - cloaked on a rooftop somewhere? In Seattle? And they have to keep going to this Safe Space Shopping Mall or whatever the hell it is to access the secret door to the Elder Control Room? That's so convoluted and weird I can't believe I just typed it. What drugs are these writers on?

I did get a kick out of Harry finally being able to orb into the club only to get knocked down by the brawling demons. Heh.

[Featherhat]

The new direction is different to last season and in some ways that's a good thing, less hamfisted issue of the week and ill fitting love interests but in others it feels just a generic supernatural show now, nothing that ties it to Charmed, either the original or it's own take on the mythos. I wish they'd either started the show with the premise that they were the "Only you can save witchkind" ones or saved it for at least S3 so we got to know more about the world before it burned down. It's not the only show to completely retool in it's 2nd season but if I didn't already have an interest in the sister bond and Harry I'm not sure I would have bothered beyond 10 minutes of the premiere. 

Not a fan of the new LIs at the moment, for all 2 minutes we've had of them but I guess we'll see. I like Harry and Macy, certainly better than Galvin but I foresee a lot of angst ahead. 

[Primal Slayer]

The show did what they do best...they've moved through 5 seasons worth of storylines. Now the sisters are thought to be dead....so how are they supposed to have any kind of semblance of a regular life while playing dead in their invisible house? 

And it appears that they've already got a budget cut because now we are just back to "demons=guys/gals in black" which is something they did well last season with having demons be demons and not men in suits.

[Pepper the Cat]

I’m confused. They saved Layla then ... sent her back home?? Won’t the demons just go back for her? Shouldn’t she be now hidden in safety at the command centre?

The only way to access the command centre is through the mall? Shouldn’t there be a portal from the house some where? And where exactly is the house now?

so confused

[Featherhat]

11 hours ago, Pepper the Cat said:

I’m confused. They saved Layla then ... sent her back home?? Won’t the demons just go back for her? Shouldn’t she be now hidden in safety at the command centre?

The only way to access the command centre is through the mall? Shouldn’t there be a portal from the house some where? And where exactly is the house now?

so confused

The house "Came through the portal with them" so it's "part of them" somewhere outside of reality or Neverland? It's just an excuse to have one familiar set I guess. Speaking of, I really don't like the random Seattle Safe Space. It feels just stupid, not quirky enough to be interesting or a feature. This show isn't quirky enough for that either. It seems like an excuse to have them meet random normal people who are recurring with no further explanation needed. 

[Camera One]

I do give the show kudos for changing up the formula entirely, so it does feel fresh and not retread.  I'm surprised they were willing to let Parker go.

On the other hand, there are enough plotholes bigger than that giant portal they jump through.  

As said above, it's ridiculous that they would just send the young witch home now that she has zero protection since all the Whitelighters are dead.  The whole situation is so ridiculously hopeless.  Technically, there should be multiple witches in danger every hour.  But it's so nice of the demons to capture one or two witches every couple of days so their workload is manageable.  

The big bad (I'm assuming that's EvilHarry) knows the Charmed ones aren't alive - he saw them enter a portal, clearly not dead.  So why would his sidekick giving the speech at the club announce that the Charmed Ones had died?  

I know their bank accounts are locked at this point, but you'd think they had some cash left in their wallets or their house, so Mel wouldn't need to shoplift.  If they're broke, shouldn't they have been applying to work at Safe Space from the start of the episode?   Or they would be pawning off belongings to buy groceries?  

The whole premise is that the world thinks they're dead, but their cover has already been blown by Episode 2.   The pacing issues are still very evident.  It shouldn't take too long for demons to figure out they were in Seattle.

Shouldn't Harry have apologized to all of the sisters, instead of only Macy?  He put them all in danger.  I was surprised that Maggie knew right away... good on her. 

However, it was super stupid of her to go to her father's funeral, without even a disguise.  Would EvilHarry would have been tricked by that anyway?  We don't know the limits of his power.  Watching the protagonists act in stupid ways that get themselves into danger is no fun.  

I did like Mel making the cloaking spell and figuring something out on her own.  But testing the potion out in the public kitchen area was super stupid.  Why didn't she just go back to the mansion, or in the bathroom, or in command central?  It was a totally unnecessary risk.  

The positive of the sisters not having their powers and making Harry's power being so unreliable is that it makes the characters have more obstacles and overcoming them (like with making the cloaking spell).

I haven't warmed to any of the new characters yet.  

[quazimodo]

40 minutes ago, Camera One said:

The big bad (I'm assuming that's EvilHarry) knows the Charmed ones aren't alive - he saw them enter a portal, clearly not dead.  So why would his sidekick giving the speech at the club announce that the Charmed Ones had died?  

I think there are two separate bad guys here. EvilHarry who seems to be acting solo and the “heir” who was watching the cctv with the club henchman and is yet to be revealed.  EvilHarry’s agenda atm is trying to find the Charmed ones but the heir is trying to unite the demon factions and kill witches. How/if these two plots are connected remains to be seen.

Edited October 20, 2019 by quazimodo

[iMonrey]

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 If they're broke, shouldn't they have been applying to work at Safe Space from the start of the episode? 

And if they're supposed to be dead, how are they going to apply for a job? Wouldn't a simple background check turn up the fact that they're dead?

[Pepper the Cat]

19 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

And if they're supposed to be dead, how are they going to apply for a job? Wouldn't a simple background check turn up the fact that they're dead?

This was my thought too.

[Camera One]

On 10/21/2019 at 8:47 AM, iMonrey said:

And if they're supposed to be dead, how are they going to apply for a job? Wouldn't a simple background check turn up the fact that they're dead?

Hopefully, they're not going to ignore this very valid point and then a few weeks later have the boxing coach find out that Maggie was reported dead to cause drama.

[tennisgurl]

Yeah the sisters being supposedly dead is really going to be an issue if they want to get jobs and meet new love interests and be out and about in the world. Not only do they look like themselves, they have no ID and paperwork and no apparent past, so how could they actually apply for anything? They couldn't even try a start up! Can they magic those up?

I give the show credit for really being open to trying something new, but I hope that they get some new locations besides (black room with sparkle board) which is going to get old very soon. The college at least gave them a decent sized supporting cast and a consistent location that also had a lot of variety of specific locations and plots, which I dont see happening here. 

The plot with Mel and Maggie was pretty good, it had some good emotional beats at least, even if I thought that the death of their father, even their estranged crappy father, would have been a bigger deal. 

So glad that Harry told the truth about Dark Harry and that everyone knows whats up. So we are going full on with Harry/Macy huh? I am not complaining, not even in the slightest. 

[Rahul]

The house moving to a new location makes no sense. I get that it's "magick," but how is the plumbing, electrical and rest of the wiring connected to the rest of the Seattle grid? How do they have running water, electricity or telecom services without this plot being accounted for (let alone paid for)? These are the things that run through my head while watching this reboot.

[mammaM]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:48 AM, Rahul said:

The house moving to a new location makes no sense. I get that it's "magick," but how is the plumbing, electrical and rest of the wiring connected to the rest of the Seattle grid? How do they have running water, electricity or telecom services without this plot being accounted for (let alone paid for)? These are the things that run through my head while watching this reboot.

I was thinking similar things and I have a feeling "it's magick!" is all the explanation we're going to get. 

[TobinAlbers]

Nice moment in the cemetery when Maggie hugged Darklighter Harry and for a moment his face shifts into shock and maybe longing and welcoming of being wanted and embraced before his head shifted back to his mission of killing the Charmed ones. DarklighterHarry’s got some internal demons/angels he may be battling as Harry’s feelings/memories for the Charmed ones upsets whatever dark mission he’s on.  

[Keywestclubkid]

The way the rating have been going unless they have a major uptake this show Isn’t gonna make it ... they have alienated the fans of the old show and they seem to be abandoning it in droves 

[MeThinkMeNot]

1 hour ago, Keywestclubkid said:

The way the rating have been going unless they have a major uptake this show Isn’t gonna make it ... they have alienated the fans of the old show and they seem to be abandoning it in droves 

It's actually been doing well with ratings. Episode two had an increase of viewers compared to episode one. It's also on CW, so they do things differently there. With Supernatural ending this season, the CW will probably keep the show running for a bit.

[Keywestclubkid]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:30 PM, MeThinkMeNot said:

It's actually been doing well with ratings. Episode two had an increase of viewers compared to episode one. It's also on CW, so they do things differently there. With Supernatural ending this season, the CW will probably keep the show running for a bit.

ummm no it hasn't this was the 4th lowest rated episode to date ... I mean Im not trying to split hairs here but this show esp wtih the reviews and fan reaction isnt great

[Rahul]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:30 PM, MeThinkMeNot said:

It's actually been doing well with ratings. Episode two had an increase of viewers compared to episode one. It's also on CW, so they do things differently there. With Supernatural ending this season, the CW will probably keep the show running for a bit.

Not sure where you're getting your information from, but it hit the dreaded 0.1 in the demo last week: Charmed Eyes Series Low.