The CW's Charmed - Episode 1.08 "Bug a Boo"
While on the hunt for Jada, Mel scours The Book of Shadows as Harry and Charity search for any clues that might lead them to this new demon. As if that isn't enough, they discover that there is a demon on the loose that puts one of the sisters in danger. Maggie signs up for a job helping to market a new dating app which could land her a summer internship. Macy decides to go outside her comfort zone after a little encouragement from Maggie. Mel is given a task by The Elders that she was not expecting.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of The CW's Charmed.
"Bug a Boo" was written by Zoe Marshall and directed by Vanessa Parise
There are a lot of elements vying for attention throughout this episode. As such, it doesn't make it seem like every element is adding up to a satisfying whole. In fact, it seems like the show gets distracted with itself. It doesn't want to share too much information even though it opens with the tease that things are about to have a huge impact on the overall mythology for the season. It starts with the Charmed Ones chasing Jada as she prepares to unlock the demonic prison where the worst of the worst have been kept. She succeeds in that endeavor with Harry and Charity telling the sisters that they have some time before these demons regain their full strength. As such, it seems like the sisters spend the rest of the hour hunting the demon that Jada wanted to escape simply because of the supernatural attacks that occur in the same vicinity. However, that's not what's going on here which the show doesn't make absolutely clear. Instead, the sisters are hunting an entirely different demon. It's actually a cicada-like demon that raises every 17 years to kidnap people and lay legs in them. It's a story that only really has gravitas to it when Macy finds herself in harm's way. That only occurs after Maggie encourages her to put herself out there and go out on a date. However, it only provides more evidence for bad things happening when the sisters decide to have personal lives that are romantically rewarding. They haven't seemed to learn that lesson by now. Even when Macy admits that she still has feelings for Galvin, they don't actually meet for their date at The Haunt. Instead, he gets hit by a car. That's precarious even though his mark seems to have protected him. That's bound to be a story that spins off into some new kind of drama. The show has actually become quite good at spinning the wheels to ensure that the overall story of the season doesn't make too much progress too quickly. However, there are other aspects of the show that serve as pure information dumps. That is designated to Mel and Harry here. Harry outlines how he and Charity used to be in a relationship together but broke it off because it is forbidden by The Elders. Moreover, Charity had a sister named Fiona who exposed herself to the world as a witch and was labeled crazy while dying from suicide in an asylum. And finally, Jada works for another group of witches. A group that stands opposed to The Elders and their rules for how to use their powers to intervene with the world around them. This group sees value in saving human lives. The Elders believe that witches have their hands full already with saving the world from supernatural threats. If they focus on human affairs, then they wouldn't have time to do anything else. This all has the potential to be a very intriguing plot especially since The Elders want Mel to go undercover to see what Jada and her friends are planning. The Elders see them as a terrorist organization. And yet, Fiona is the witch that they broke out of prison. So, this is bound to get even more personal for all of the players involved. But it's also only one of the ongoing stories of interest. When it comes to Alastair's plans, he is forcing his sons to get the DNA of the Charmed Ones. At first, it seems like Parker can only get Maggie's by getting her a summer internship. Instead, he uses his illness to get plasma from both Maggie and Mel. It's a very boring subplot though that better start advancing things more quickly moving forward. Otherwise, it seems bound to run out of creative steam soon.
