Exhausted and near breaking point as they try to cope with the constant influx of creatures from the Tomb of Chaos, the Charmed Ones are confronted with a new threat the like of which they cannot comprehend. Josefina is frustrated at the lack of faith her newfound family have in her abilities.

Having delved into some genuinely interesting issues last time out, Charmed this week once again does a lot of good things, even if some elements of the episode’s plot are familiar.

Strung out by a constant, 24/7 rotation to intercept the various creatures portalling out of the Tomb of Chaos, the girls are not in a good way. Macy once again is confronted with the sort of microaggression she could do without (this one not related to her race so… yay?). Maggie is struggling to balance the requirements of her course with the lack of sleep and constant monster-fighting, but seems to have found a solution which may be more trouble than it’s worth. Mel is dividing her time between the monster hunting and trying to watch over Josefina, which is obviously frustrating for the latter.

Things go sideways however when Mel’s turn at going forth to vanquish a creature sees her run into a couple of mysterious beings who are off the charts in terms of power but who don’t communicate and have no obvious agenda.

This is the point wherein Josefina gets to – in her own way – ‘prove her worth’ in the episode’s most obvious sub plot. Mel not listening to someone and assuming she knows what’s best for them better than they do isn’t new for this incarnation of Charmed, and neither is the core concept of said person proving her wrong with her eventually being forced to acknowledge they’re better than she’d imagined/assumed. It helps that Josefina is an interesting character, and not just for the fact that we have a visible trans character played by a trans actress who addresses a lot of relatable struggles for that particular minority (her family insisting that only a ‘biological female’ can become a witch). Mareya Salazar brings a genuinely fresh energy to the role which enlivens the show as a whole, her slightly naïve enthusiasm matched to genuine talent and skill in terms of the self-taught magical learning she has. That she also represents, in her backstory, some intriguing questions about Marisol and her past just adds to the flavour she brings, and I hope that she gets to stay on as a permanent fixture in the show going forward.

For everyone else, there’s a mix of the usual beats and some interesting twists. An incident which leaves Harry temporarily robbed of his powers leads to a bittersweet moment in which he and Macy are able to be physically close to one another for the first time in ages, but also with the awareness that his magical helplessness isn’t really all that useful to the gang as a whole in that moment. Mel gets to realise (again) that she needs to put a little more faith in others and Maggie learns (again) that she can’t necessarily do things on her own all the time, nor should she try shortcuts to do so.

The reveal with regards to the new threat they encounter is… well, it’s odd. It’s starting to feel a little kitchen-sinky with all the new ‘never before encountered’ stuff that the writers keep finding for the Charmed Ones week after week but on the other hand expansion of the history and magical lore of the show is welcome, even if it isn’t the most thrillingly original set of ideas. The charisma of the actors used for the roles helps them and it’s clear that they won’t be straightforward to understand for a while, however apparently open they may be about their origins and intentions.

Verdict: All in all, a decent episode which I’ll only mark down slightly for an absence of Abigael. 7/10

Greg D. Smith