"Charmed" Charmageddon (2005)

Director:

John T. Kretchmer

Writers:

Constance M. Burge (creator) and
Henry Alonso Myers (writer)

TV Series:

"Charmed" (1998)

Original Air Date:

30 January 2005 (Season 7, Episode 13)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

The utopia brought on by the Avatars comes with a price too high for Leo who joins with Zankou to stop the Avatars. |

Plot Keywords:

Wiccan | Sisters | Demon | Witchcraft | Power Of Three

Cast

  (Episode Cast overview, first billed only)

Alyssa Milano	...	Phoebe Halliwell
Rose McGowan	...	Paige Matthews
Holly Marie Combs	...	Piper Halliwell
Brian Krause	...	Leo Wyatt
Oded Fehr	...	Zankou
Max Perlich	...	Laygan
Joel Swetow	...	Avatar Alpha
Ian Anthony Dale	...	Avatar Gamma
Rebecca Balding	...	Elise Rothman
Jeremy Kent Jackson	...	Minion
Tom Virtue	...	Angry Man
Kerr Smith	...	Kyle Brody
Jordan Murphy	...	Patron #1
Laura Kelly	...	Patron #2
Gino Montesinos	...	Van Driver

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

Mexico:B | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The season 7 villain "Zankou" is named after a small chain of middle eastern takeout restaurants near the Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California called Zankou Chicken. (Hence Phoebe's Spaceballs-inspired quip "What's the matter, Zankou... Chicken?")

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the episode, Phoebe and Piper are preparing food in the kitchen. While Leo is talking to Phoebe, Phoebe pours something she has mixed together into a pie crust. Seconds later, when she goes to put the crust into the oven, the crust is empty.

Quotes:

Leo Wyatt: Good. I mean that's normal. You don't want to go around just having it all be glossed over, you know.
Paige Matthews: No. But still... I am happy for him. I mean, he is in a better place. And the thing is, he would really want me to enjoy this new world.
Leo Wyatt: Well, he died trying to stop it.
Paige Matthews: Well, that's why I owe it to him to be happy.

Soundtrack:

This Is Your Life

Gone to a better place

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Lots of episodes in this 7th season have left me slightly disappointed, but this one certainly doesn't. It seems that, unbelievably, the Avatars were genuine. Their brave new world is perfectly happy now. Even Paige seems to cope with her loss very, very well, and only Leo seem worried... and switches sides again, now allying himself with the hilarious Zankou, who honestly doesn't look like much of a threat except for his own sidekicks. At first it is a bit difficult to see what has Leo so distraught. Granted, Paige isn't grieving as she should be, but this isn't the creepy happy world of It's a Bad, Bad, Bad World. Gradually though, the realization that the Avatars are actually cheating by literally *removing* conflict becomes scary.

I find it beautiful that the only sister Leo can turn to in his despair is Phoebe, the former empath. His self-sacrifice is a poignant moment in the season, so moving that, sincerely, I was disappointed that he was brought back by the end of the episode, which negated his altruistic move. And since we're talking about comebacks, yay for Kyle. It's a pity he couldn't stay, though, he was an interesting character.

So the only flaw that really keeps this episode from getting a 10 is the final confrontation with the Avatars. You know, that big, astonishing fight after the Avatars refuse to bring the old world back ? That major, brilliant scene when the sisters have to fight for their lives ? The one that is *totally missing* from the episode ?!! Seriously, what kind of power is that ? Three girls barge in on the big meeting, say they liked it better before, and the Avatars just go "OK" ?? Apart from that, this would have been worthy of a season finale, but come on !