Season 1, Episode 3: Thank You For Not Morphing

"Thank You For Not Morphing"
Episode 3
Air Date: October 21st, 1998

I just don't like this episode, not just because Prue is appropriately bitchy throughout do to the return of the sisters' estranged father but because of Victor himself. Played with anything but likability by Tony Denison, Victor Halliwell comes off as this smug, cocky and unforgivable forgetful father that its no wonder by the third season of the series they had to reintroduce the character with a new last name and revise his history with his daughters to make him relate more to the sisters as well as more appeasing to the audience.  The only good thing to come out of this once again is the interaction with the sisters and the bitter history that Victor's presence brings back to them when he returns to their lives. My favorite scene is definitely when the sisters are arguing with their father about why he came back in the first place.  Prue of course is pissed and aggressive toward her father while Piper plays mediator as usual and Phoebe is uncharacteristically indecisive; mostly do to a premonition she had early with her father stealing the Book of Shadows.

As for the villains of the episode, the sibling shapeshifters....I'm sorry....were a joke!!! They come off as incompetent and non-threatening, especially the scene where one of them can't get the Book of Shadows out of the house. It just makes them look incapable of stopping the Charmed Ones and the moment they confront them, all they do is stand there and grawl; mainly Cynda who is the worst actor of the three and who's monster form looks worse than an episode of Power Rangers' monster make-up!!! Yeesh!! I mean it doesn't even help when it turns out Victor needs to help them steal the Book of Shadows. Makes them look weak and once again makes Victor look like a complete tool going after the Book with a bunch of demons??? Seriously, what were the writers thinking with the Father of the Charmed Ones??? O_O Like I said luckily, the character went through a drastic alteration by Season 3.

In other news, Andy was in this episode to give Prue some advice about her dad....that's about it. His character is already starting to wear thin. The manor attacks were mediocre when they should have been frightening! Since when is Prue afraid of dog??? O_o She's agruably the strongest witch of the three who can move things with her mind and she lets a dog get the best of her. She could of just moved it out of the house you know....WTF??? Plot hole just because the writing demand the cold opening to be all scary and tense when it made no sense and sucked! Also, who ever directed Phoebe's premonition of Victor stealing the Book of Shadows was terrible. The shot of him just casually turning into one of the shape shifting siblings and all three just walking away but stopping to awkwardly stare at the camera was just bizarre and really amateurish for a prime time series. But like I said, the cast of our main trio is keeping these early tragic episodes afloat. Love seeing the sisters interact throughout, especially Phoebe locking Prue in the laundry room! That's so realistic and something I would do to my own sister, lol! :) Also, we get our first introduction to Leo, the handyman! More on him later! ;)

Final Vanquish: D+