Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with Caution.

The Charmed Reboot delivered a character-driven episode on the Charmed Ones’ love lives and how being witches might condemn to live out their days alone. We got Mel trying to protect Niko from the supernatural forces, Maggie dealing with the fallout of kissing Parker and telling Lucy, and Macy is threatened by Galvin’s new girlfriend Summer. This is a classic “normal life” dilemma that the OG Charmed Ones had to deal with on a regular basis.

A ruthless shape-shifter, a demon assassin, almost kills Niko in hell-flame, a powerful fire that Mel can’t even freeze. This demon is also working with Alastair Caine, the man who stole the paint can from Charity in the last episode. Furthermore, they are father and son.

Their next target is Macy.

Maggie and Macy team up to figure out whether or not Summer is a succubus. A succubus is a female demon who feeds on men using sexual congress. Macy, filled with jealous, is convinced and tries a vanquishing spell on her, which does not work. Summer turns out to be a normal girl, but something magical is marked on Galvin. It’s a red mark that Macy can only see…

Niko and Mel’s relationship is literally erased in this episode. The Power of Three enacts a history-altering spell that reverses time, a temporal shift, and ensures they never meet. I thought the existence of this spell was a stretch, but the ground rules are established to answer all the logical questions: Why can’t they save their mom or Trip?

This spell cannot reverse death.

I didn’t like how they removed Niko. This queer relationship was one of the stronger points of the reboot, but they got rid of it to give Mel something to cry about. The sequence of their scenes was not needed either… It was too silly and their love for each other was built enough from the start for us to feel the heartbreak.

I thought focusing on the unintended consequences first was a strange choice. Mel lost her job as a result of changing time. I think this definitely needed to be addressed, but the emphasis should’ve been put on Mel losing Niko, which she’s not as sad as I thought she’d be. Facebook Stalking seems like a “jealous” or “break up” tactic rather than a “erasing the relationship” one.

Maggie ends up telling Lucy that she kissed Parker. This ends their friendship and causes Maggie to feel shame for what she did. No shocker here, but Maggie also loses any hope of becoming a Kappa Sister.

We learn more about Harry in this episode too. He doesn’t have any memories of his past life and only recalls being recruited to become a whitelighter after that life ended. I think this will become a bigger part of the story later on, but for now, welcome to the manor, Harry. For some reason, you’re living in the Attic.

I think we rushed the end of the “Niko-Mel” relationship and the decision to get there was also borderline break-necking pace. We needed more time to process, maybe have Niko dive into the mystery more, but everything was done and wrapped before it could even begin.

Niko isn’t gone forever. Right?

Overall, what an episode they pulled off. The Reboot is slowly picking up on the drama, and the first heartache has ran us over. I hope Niko finds a way back to Mel down the road because she’s one of the best characters, but we didn’t get nearly enough time with her.

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