Season 1, Episode 2: I've Got You Under My Skin

"I've Got You Under My Skin"
Episode 2
Air Date: October 14th, 1998

As second episodes go after a series premiere, "I've Got You Under My Skin" falls very short!!  Something feels so painfully 90s about Stephen aka Javna's attacks from the tacky studio set to the generic 90s rock music to the multicolored candles to finally, the cheesy, bad special effects. I mean the make-up for Javna is alright but my goodness, the SFX were not great...at all. The part where Javna is luring Prue to him with him with his laser eyes is just laughable and hard to take even remotely serious. The "Hand of Fatima" spell was a passable effect as I like seeing the animals being projected onto Prue's fingers. Also, this episode gets some flake from the fandom from stealing a plot point from Buffy's season premiere that year, "Anne", as it also featured a victim who became very old over night and could only be distinguished because of his noticeable tattoo.  I mean couldn't the writers, especially Brad Kern, who wrote this episode find another way for Piper to find out that was Brittney??? O_O Because of this glaring flaws,  the main plot just feels weak overall because of it and you are just pretty much waiting for the sisters to vanquish him in the end.

The sub-plots with each sister, mainly Prue and Piper are what keep the episode from being completely disposable. I loved Piper's storyline of thinking she was a bad witch after watching a documentary about witches being struck by lightning if they dare try to enter a church. It's completely in Piper's characterization already, even though that Pastor was laying it on a little thick about how witches are all evil. The scene that was really heartwarming and made the episode watchable for me was when Piper is in the attic; looking at the Book of Shadows when Phoebe comes in to have a sisterly moment with her. It's beautiful moment between them with Holly Maria Combs giving especially a good performance as you feel bad for Piper and just relate to her for feeling so extraordinarily out of place in the world and wanting so desperately to be normal again. I love Phoebe's advice to her and how she reassures her that they are good witches and are meant to help people, not to mention Piper being the sweetest and most helpful person; meaning there's no way she could be evil. I also love the following scene where Piper finally makes her way to the church to finally open the door and go in. Such a small, yet sweet moment.

In Prue sub-plot land, she and Andy literally heat things up in the bedroom after their first date in years. I like seeing the early stages of the rekindling of their romance. Shannon Doherty and T.W. King have some great chemistry as you can understand Prue's hesitation to start a relationship with Andy and Andy's curiosity of finding out why Prue is acting the way she is.  They make a good couple and I look forward to seeing more scenes of them struggling to make things work between them. Also, Prue gets a new job at Buckland's Auction House where we meet two new characters, first is Rex, who Prue mistakes as another worker in the building, who hilariously turns out to be her boss.  I like how Prue confidently handling herself with Rex as he makes snide comments about how she talked down about the Auction House in the elevator by showing that she is not only qualified for the job but can stand up for herself easily when need be. I also like when she meets Hannah, the second new character and Rex's assistant, who tries to spill some paint on her but Prue uses her powers to deflect it; ruining Hanna's shoes. LOL I like how it leads to the quick revelation that Rex and Hannah know she's a witch; but how they know that and who they really are is left a mystery...nice!!!

What also keeps the episode afloat from complete mediocrity are the moments between the sisters and their continuing very natural interactions from the morning after scene where they talk about everything from her one night stand with Andy to them not using their powers openly. Speaking of powers, I love the continued use of the sisters use their powers, as well as in everyday life like when Prue sends the alarm clock flying out the window not to wake up Andy as well as using it to get to the top floor at Bckland's on the elevator.  Also we have the hilarious moment when Piper freezes the entire kitchen at Quake, which she becomes the head manager of. It also features another entertaining sisterly moment with Prue and Phoebe arguing about their powers while Piper plays the mediator as usual. Also, Phoebe misusing her premonitions was fun, too from her vision of meeting a guy named Alec at the bar to trying to win the lottery. It leads to the first time we hear that the sisters aren't meant to use their powers for personal gain. Something that will continue to be a lesson for them to learn until that lesson goes out the window in the latter seasons for dumb hijnks and terrible sex jokes!! -_- Lastly, I like seeing Darryl and Andy's working relationship as well as friendship when Darryl keeps picking on Andy for how delusional his bizarre conclusions of their latest case could be. lol Evil Dead 2 really is an awesome movie, Darryl!!! ;)

Overall, a very meh episode that's only held up by the magical hijinks of the sisters, their moments between each other and the solid sub-plots. That's about it! O_O

Final Vanquish: C-