The Charmed Ones scramble to find a solution to the Whispering Evil and save Jordan, forcing them to turn to various sources of help, some friendlier than others.

The revelation that Jordan was possessed by the Whispering Evil at the end of the previous episode was perhaps one of the few surprises in an otherwise fairly humdrum instalment, and this week the girls are confronted with the issue of how to rescue Jordan and vanquish the ancient evil – not the easiest of tasks.

This means that they are forced to bring in outside assistance from various sources – consulting the Perfecti, before bringing in additional support in the form of Josefina and Abi, the former to help bolster the Power of Three given that Mel is in no condition to actively participate and the latter to help them gain an unexpected edge on their formidable adversary.

And it’s always welcome to see Mareya Salazar and Poppy Drayton, both of whom bring an energy to the show that is often lacking in their absence. Drayton in particular has seen her character navigate an interesting arc over the course of this season, and I hope that the writers have more planned for Abi in future.

Harry meanwhile is starting to finally reach the end of the process of becoming mortal, which is of course a little inconvenient given the challenges currently facing the group. It also acts as a way for the writers to inject a little bit of tension into a scenario that we’ve basically already seen the group go through several times this season, let alone over the course of the entire show.

Honestly, it rather ping pongs from one extreme to the other over the course of its runtime. Elements of the episode are genuinely engaging, with harsh truths lurking beneath fragile surfaces and some great character work. Others are less so – the dragging out of the conflict between Maggie and the possessed Jordan being a particular low point because we’ve seen this whole cycle of torment between the two over and over already.

Still, with a finale on the way next time out, the episode does its best to give us a cliffhanger, albeit a fairly predictable one given the way events resolve (easily). It’s been an uneven season for the Charmed Ones, and I can’t say I’m filled with optimism for the big finish.

Verdict: A mixed bag of an episode that rather reflects the season as a whole. 6/10

Greg D. Smith