Charmed Season 4 Episode 1 saw the return of the Vera sisters six months after the death of their oldest sister, Macy Vaugh. Still struggling to cope with the loss of their sister, they find themselves attempting to reconstitute the Power of Three when they meet a new witch.
A New Face
The episode opens introducing a new character, Mikaela (who is referred throughout the episode as Kaela), a mechanic 5 years in remission for cancer. Things are somewhat going well for Kaela, and she is in line to become the owner of her boss’ garage when he passes — or so she thought.
Things become difficult for Kaela when her boss tells her that the landlord of their building doesn’t appreciate her “graffiti” (a term she looks down upon) and tells her that she must chose between her art and the garage.
It’s a tough choice, but Kaela tells her friend that she will not give up her art therefore decided to leave her job. Her friends surprise her with a party to celebrate her 5 years in remission, but she isn’t up to it and goes to take a lie down during it.
When her friend comes to check on her, Kaela reveals that she has been having headaches and weird dreams for the past six months. She shows her friend her sketchbook and, wait for it, inside are drawings of the Vera Manor and also Macy and Mel. I’ve got to admit she is a pretty good drawer.
Mel and Maggie
It’s been six months for Mel and Maggie since the death of Macy and they’re each dealing in their own way.
Maggie and Jordan have become quite the dynamic duo and are acting as somewhat vigilante’s. They’re running around town killing demons and it seems as though their relationship is back on track.
Mel, on the other hand, is handling her grief a little differently. She has started hanging out at The Blue Camellia, a magical bar (although it seems like a brothel) and is actively flirting and making out with random women. It doesn’t seem like the best way to grieve, but she seems reluctant to tell Maggie about her actions.
The relationship between Maggie and Mel seems to have declined all together, too be honest, and the two hardly speak to one another. It’s weird to see the two drifting apart, they should be coming together in their time of need.
This episode makes a few throwbacks/references to the original Charmed. Fans of the original Charmed will be aware that Piper in particular struggled to cope with the death of Prue and this caused strain on her relationship with Phoebe.
The episode throws another spanner in the works when Maggie asks Mel to co-sign a lease for an apartment. Mel seems reluctant but the two eventually agree that living together isn’t working and something needs to change.
Kaela Meets the Vera’s
Maggie and Mel eventually come to an awkward meeting when they meet in Philadelphia by chance. Mel is returning from the bar she has been frequenting and Maggie has been forced there by the Command Centre.
It turns out it is not a coincidence, however, and Mel is nearly knocked down by Kaela and her bus. Kaela instantly recognises Mel and Maggie from her dreams whilst the latter to recognise the triquetra symbol on Kaela’s bus.
Kaela, Mel, and Maggie eventually talk and Kaela is brought somewhat up to speed with the whole witch thing. It turns out, Kaela has the ability to manifest things, and accidentally turns Josefina into a paper drawing and also summons a demon.
Lucy Barrett’s is definitely a welcome addition to the cast and brings a positive energy to the show. Her acting is authentic and it already feels like she belongs, even after one episode.
A New Demon
It wouldn’t be an episode of Charmed without introducing something evil to counteract the events and friendship building going on.
The episode introduces a new baddy, ‘The Tallyman’, who seems particularly powerful — especially from what we saw him do to a pixie just for writing down his name. I think it’s going to be interesting to explore this new evil over the coming episodes and see how it shapes up against the others we’ve seen before (yes, I’m thinking about you Parker and Abigail!).
Review and Questions Raised?
Overall, Charmed Season 4 Episode 1 was a solid episode. It didn’t feel too forced, and the writers did well to keep Macy’s memory alive. I feel like they’ve captured the essence of what grief is instead of simply glossing over it during the time jump.
I’m glad to be seeing the development between Jordan and Maggie, too. It’s about time these two got some screen time.
The ending scene between the three was quite warming, and saw the characters open up more. I feel as though this really reinforced their willingness to invite Kaela into their inner circle. It definitely makes it easier for the three to trust one another.
The episode did leave us with quite a few burning questions, though:
- Who is the Tallyman and what exactly does he want?
- What exactly is Jordan and how is he able to heal Maggie?
- What decision will Kaela make and how does the knowledge of the magical world effect her?
Original Charmed References
For those who were concentrating throughout the episode, you may have noticed there were quite a few references to the OG Charmed. This was quite a welcome thing for me and made it feel like I was somewhat reliving the original series (which will always be my favourite).
References include:
- Kaela’s power, Manifestation, is a reference to thought projection in the original show. You can read a bit more about it over at the Charmed Wiki.
- The song during the outro was “Something wicked this way comes“, this is a similar name to the first episode of Charmed, “Something Wicca This Way Comes”.
What did you think of the episode? Don’t forget to catch the second episode March 18, 2022.
