Charmed - Air Date October 7, 1999

I know, I've already done a general review on the WB network show "Charmed", but for this episode I felt I needed to write a personal review. 
     First, I will say that over the course of the first season, I became a "Charmed" fan.  It's a good show, and the writing and character development has been improving steadily- but that still did not prepare me for the episode that aired Thursday, October 7 (I don't know the title of the episode, but when I figure it out I'll let you know.)
    The show opened with Alyssa Milanos' character, Pheobe, having a premonition from ten years in the future.  It showed her dying a most grisly death- being burned at a very modern stake.  This terrifying premonition sends the Witches Halliwell on a magical trip through time, where they find out the future has been taken over by overzealous right-wingers who have made Witch burning not only accepted, but a kind of spectator sport.  As Piper and Prue try to free their imprisoned sister, they learn a lot about their future selves- they are selfish, consumed with work or self, have failed marriages, and all around not the nice people we loyal fans know and love.  Much to their dismay, they discover that Phoebe was, in fact, guilty of the crime she was convicted of- she murdered a man with her witchcraft powers.  To do the right thing, they must let their sister face the consequences of her actions.
     Of course, no one really dies and the girls are transported back to their own time after having learned their lesson- and this is where the episode went from good to incredibly great- especially from a real Witches' standpoint.  The entire episode was focused on a single moment in the sisters' present day- a neighbor had been walking his dog and regularly messing up their front walk with dog droppings.  In a petty act of vengeance, the sisters' use their powers to get even with the man.  This single act, the use of Magick in a way it wasn't intended, was the catalyst for all their future woes.  The simple act made it easier for another simple act, then another, until the climax of Phoebe actually using her powers to kill- the act that began a new Burning Times for all Witches in the future. 
    I honestly believe that this episode was written, at least in part, by a true Witch, or at least someone who has done a lot of study into the true Craft.  Granted, real witches don't freeze time or levitate things with their minds, but we can, and do, access natural forces to aid us in our spells and rituals, and this requires a certian level of responsibility for what we do with these forces, how we direct our spells and energies.  Amazingly enough, this TV episode, with it's make believe Witches and special effects, was an EXCELLENT lesson for all true Witches regarding the ethics of Witchcraft... 

Blessed Be!!

Chad A