Spoilers

Having identified that the Whispering Evil is not yet vanquished, the Charmed Ones set their best efforts to finding a solution, but the cost may be more than they are willing to pay.

If there’s one thing worse than the age of social media spoiling relevant plot points in our entertainment, it’s studios announcing news that gives massive clues/spoilers ahead of time. An overexcited actor tweeting about their new role is easier to forgive than a studio effectively spoiling an ending, after all.

So when the studio behind Charmed announced that Madeleine Mantock would not be returning for Season 4 of Charmed, I was a little gutted on several levels. For starters it meant that however hard the writers tried to maintain suspense in this instalment, all signs pointed in one direction. For another thing, I’ve long felt that not only has Mantock been consistently one of the stronger elements of the show but also that she’s often been given storylines that undermined and sidelined her character. In fairness this season did a lot to repair that, with Macy taking much more of a central role and being given some truly epic storylines, which just made the news sting that little bit more.

Anyway, we aren’t here to talk about all that. Having established that the Whispering Evil was not in fact destroyed, the girls search for an answer, which Macy believes she has found in the form of an ancient poisonous lichen which grows in the mystic caves – the same place they found the tablet remnant Inexplicably, she elects to o and get a sample from the caves on her own, only she isn’t the only one there, she gets into trouble and…

It’s impossible to escape the feeling that this is a farewell episode for the character. The format of that farewell – by dint of some complex magical goings on – ends up mostly being an extended sequence of ‘dreams’ shared with her sisters as Macy gets to do all the things that she ever wanted to do with her siblings and with her life, including extreme sports, a road trip and a big wedding day.

Meanwhile, as her sisters try to buy her time, back in the real world Harry decides that there is only one solution to the current crisis which involves literally throwing away all he work he’s done over the past half a dozen or more (I lose track) episodes and returning to the only kind of life he’s ever known. Literally five minutes after he got away from it. This is where it starts to feel rushed, like perhaps Mantock made her decision very late in the day and the writers had to scramble to tie up loose ends left by her departure as best they could.

Of course, Harry can’t accomplish this dramatic reversal alone, and whose help should he require but Jordan’s? That also requires a fairly lousy memory for the show, given that fairly recently Jordan was very much done with all these mad requests and magical doings, but here is very easily persuaded. There’s also a shining neon light (effectively) pointing at exactly what the Unintended Side Effect of  his participation will be, but the show makes sure to smack us in the face with it later just in case any of us were asleep.

I won’t lie though – janky and rushed as this odd conclusion to what’s been a weirdly inconsistent season for the show is, it still had me emotional at parts. Mantock has always been one of the show’s strongest assets, and her farewell to this character is genuinely affecting. No spoilers from me as to exactly how things play out but the studio was being truthful when they said that they have left the door very much open for Mantock to return at some point if she so wishes.

For now, we are left with a lot of questions, not the least of which is how the Charmed Ones will continue with just the two of them (though there’s a slight Empire Strikes Back-esque moment on that score) and where exactly the show can go from here. For my part, I can’t say I have ever been a huge fan of the show since its earliest days, but it’s even harder to feel enthused going forward, knowing that one of my favourite characters won’t be there next season.

Verdict: Rushed, clunky and at times plain odd, saved mostly by a bravura performance from its departing cast member. 7/10

Greg D. Smith