Something Wicca This Way Comes

Something Wicca This Way Comes is the Series Premiere episode of Charmed.

Episode Information

 * Season          1
 * Episode No.     01
 * Written By      Constance M. Burge
 * Directed By     John T. Kretchmer
 * Production No.  1498704
 * Original Airdate October 7, 1998

Guest Stars

 * Eric Scott Woods as Jeremy
 * Matthew Ashford as Roger
 * Chris Flanders as Chef Moore
 * Lonnie Partridge as Woman (Serena Fredrick)
 * Charmaine Cruz as Admitting Nurse
 * Hugh Holub as Pharmacist
 * Francesca Cappucci as News Reporter

Summary
Prue and Piper Halliwell are living in their grandmother's house after her death, and Phoebe joins them after leaving New York destitute. Prue quits her job at the museum after her ex-fiancé steals her project, and Piper gets a job at a restaurant. Led by their childhood Spirit board, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and reads the incantation that brings the three sisters their powers. Prue becomes reacquainted with her old childhood love, Andy. Just as they are learning that they are the Charmed Ones, they have to fight a warlock who has been killing witches all over San Francisco and stealing their powers... and the warlock turns out to be Piper's boyfriend Jeremy Burns. The three sisters get a cat from one of the murdered witches. Prue has the power to move objects, Piper to freeze time and Phoebe to see the future.

Plot
A stormy night and a full moon find a woman alone in her apartment with her cat. She has arranged a number of candles on an altar; she lights each candle merely by pointing at it. She chants an incantation as a man skulks outside. The man sneaks in and stabs the woman.

At the Halliwell manor, a chandelier has stopped working and Prue is trying to fix it. Piper comes in after a job interview and finds the Spirit Board that Prue has found. The pointer on the Spirit Board moves, unseen by Prue and Piper.

Inspectors Darryl Morris and Andy Trudeau investigate the woman's murder. Andy tells Darryl about witches. Jeremy Burns, a reporter, appears and asks them about the murder.

Piper tells Prue that Phoebe is moving back in. Prue is angry with Phoebe, a dispute over Roger, but Phoebe has nowhere else to go. Prue asks when Phoebe is arriving, and in that moment Phoebe comes through the door. The TV carries a report on the murder, and Jeremy turns out to be Piper's boyfriend.

Andy and Darryl find a triquetra tattoo on the murdered woman's neck. Darryl is skeptical about witches, but notes the "freak fest" that the woman was engaged in. All the lights in the manor have gone out. Piper and Phoebe play with the spirit board. The pointer, held by Phoebe, moves on its own, spelling ATTIC. Piper sees the pointer move, but Prue does not. Phoebe goes to the attic, but cannot open the door. As she walks away, though, the door opens on its own. Inside the attic, Phoebe sees a beam of light illuminating a trunk. She opens the trunk and finds a large book within. She opens the book and finds its title: the Book of Shadows. She reads an incantation from the first page. Light appears within the attic and a photo changes, bringing the images of the sisters closer together. Piper and Prue come into the attic and Phoebe tells them about the Book. Come morning, Phoebe tells Piper of what she read in the Book. They are descendants of Melinda Warren,a past Witch. Phoebe believes that the sisters are the prophesied Charmed Ones. Piper is skeptical.

Prue is working at a museum, and her boss Roger (who is also her ex-fiance) has taken her off an exhibit. Prue is angry and walks away, as a pen in Roger's shirt pocket leaks; he pulls the pen out and it sprays him in the face. Piper is seeking a job in a restaurant and has not completed a recipe when Chef Moore enters. Piper gestures and Chef Moore freezes; Piper applies a sauce to a sample that Chef Moore is tasting, and he is suitably impressed.

Prue goes to Roger and announces that she has quit. He taunts her as she walks away and she gestures; Roger's tie chokes him and he frantically grabs a pair of scissors to cut it.

Phoebe is riding a bicycle when she has a vision, from her power of premonition, of two young men on roller skates being hit by a car. She then sees the car and the two young men and swerves her bicycle, diverting the two young men out of harm's way but taking a spill on her bicycle. Prue comes to the hospital to fetch Phoebe and bumps into Andy; he turns out to be an old boyfriend. Prue meets with Phoebe at a restaurant. Prue still doesn't believe she has powers, until she moves a cup of cream with her mind. Phoebe explains that witches can be either good or evil, and that warlocks are evil witches who kill good witches to obtain their powers. Prue complains of a headache and she and Phoebe go to a pharmacy. The two argue; Phoebe provokes Prue and she knocks half the bottles off the shelves.

Piper rides in a taxi with Jeremy. Jeremy suggests a change of course, promising Piper a good view. They enter a warehouse and board a freight elevator, promising her a "surprise"; but his surprise turns out to be an athame. Jeremy is the warlock who killed the witch at the start. Piper screams and raises her hands; Jeremy freezes. Piper tries to flee, but Jeremy unfreezes. Piper hits Jeremy in the head with a piece of wood.

Piper arrives at the manor and warns her sisters about Jeremy. Phoebe consults the Book of Shadows and the sisters cast a spell to make Jeremy go away. All it does, however, is sprout thorns from his skin. Phoebe touches a pot used in the spell and realizes, from a premonition, that Jeremy is still after them. Jeremy appears at the manor. The sisters bar themselves in the attic, but Jeremy uses telekinesis to unbar the door. Prue remembers an inscription on the spirit board. The sisters chant "The Power of Three will set us free". Jeremy taunts the sisters, but eventually explodes.

The cat has now taken up residence at the manor.

Jeremy Burns
A low level warlock who posed as a San Francisco Chronicle reporter and romanced female witches in order to get their powers and kill them. Although never truly explained where he gained all his powers Jeremy was capable of changing the shape of his face (though we are only able to see him change into a demonic looking face), ignite flames from his fingers (stolen from Serena Fredrick), telekinesis/psychokinesis, disintegrate objects, and project energy bolts from an athame. He is also capable of adjusting. Jermemy was fully aware that with the death of the Charmed Ones's grandmother, Penny Halliwell, the girls' powers would be released. Jeremy started dating Piper Halliwell so he could keep an eye on the sisters. Once Grams died and Phoebe returned, he made his move and was soon vanquished by the Halliwell Sisters.

Book of Shadows

 * The Book of Shadows -1693- is the title page of the book.
 * The woodcut of the three witches is after the title page
 * The Dominus Trinus spell is after the woodcut of the three witches.
 * The 3 essentials of magic: timing, feeling, and the phases of the moon. This is the best time to receive your powers.
 * Phoebe said that their ancestor was Melinda Warren and that she practiced powers. Three powers. She could move objects with her mind, see the future and stop time. Before Melinda was burned at the stake, she vowed that each generation of Warren witches would become stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters. These sisters would be the most powerful good witches the world has ever known.  They are the protectors of the innocent known as The Charmed Ones.
 * Sabaat? (Andy used the term to describe Serena's ritual)

Spells

 * 1) Serena Fredrick casts a Protection Spell in the first scene. (failed)
 * 2) Phoebe casts the Dominus Trinus spell when she discovers the Book of Shadows which results in releasing the powers of the Charmed Ones.
 * 3) Piper casts the To Lose a Love Forever spell once she discovers that Jeremy is after her. (failed)
 * 4) Prue, Piper, and Phoebe cast the Power of Three spell to vanquish Jeremy.

Protection Spell

 * ''Auger de gomay
 * Anceint one of the earth so deep,
 * master of moon and sun.
 * I shield you in my wiccan way,
 * here in my circle round,
 * asking you protect this space,
 * and offer your sun force down.

Dominius Trinus

 * Hear now the words of the witches.
 * The secrets we hid in the night.
 * ''The oldest of Gods are invoked here.
 * The great work of magic is sought.
 * In this night and in this hour.
 * We call upon the Ancient Power.
 * Bring your powers to us sisters three!
 * Give us the power.
 * We want the power.

To Lose a Love Forever

 * Oil of Tansy, Oil of Thyme,
 * Oil of Roses, Oil of Pennyroyal


 * Anoint Nine Candles with
 * oils and herbs.
 * Place in a cauldron to burn.
 * Holding poppet over flames.
 * Press Roses' Thorns in belly.


 * Chanting:
 * Your Love will wither
 * and depart from my life
 * and my heart.
 * Let me be (name)
 * And go Away Forever.


 * When the Flames die
 * the Spell is complete ...


 * Note: This spell did not vanquish Jeremy Burns, as intended, instead causing him to erupt in thorns. He was not properly vanquished until the Charmed Ones recited the Power of Three Spell.

Power of Three Spell

 * The power of three will set us free.
 * Repeat this spell until the evil being is destroyed.

Background Notes

 * The title of the episode could be a reference to the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983).
 * This is the series premiere of Charmed and the second pilot for the series. The original pilot never aired.
 * As Piper walks up to the front door in the rain, her umbrella is black with a single ring around it. But when she enters the house, it is covered in flowers.
 * When Prue first used her telekinetic power, she did not squint her eye or wave her hand, she simply asked 'where is the cream?', which made the cream container move to her by itself, and 'transported' the cream into her coffee.
 * Eric Scott Woods was uncomfortable with saying "bitch" on the show. So, the sound crew dubbed the word in with a different actors voice. Jeremy says the word three times throughout the episode, if you notice, every time it sounds exactly the same.
 * When Piper comes running into the manor after Jeremy attacks her, she locks the front door. But after the sisters used the poppet and said the spell, Prue came running down the stairs and opens the front door without unlocking it.
 * The sequence featuring the girls using a puppet to curse Jeremy and the latter running back to the manor to avenge himself is reminiscent of the sequence used in the movie The Witches of Eastwick. In that movie, the girls cursed the character of Jack Nicholson, who came running back (in his car) injured by the witches' spell using a magical puppet. He then chases them around their mansion and traps them in their kitchen where they made their potions and spells.  He uses telekinesis and strong winds (like Jeremy) to corner the witches, and then circles the girls with fire (like in the pilot episode). After that, Nicholson's character changes into a powerful demon who explodes at the end when the witches burn the puppet while slumped together.[[Image:Doubt Fire paper.jpg|thumb|right|Prue holding newspaper]]
 * The newspaper Prue holds at the end of the episode is the same from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
 * Shannen Doherty was very sick while filming the first few episodes. That is why she looks so pale and drawn out.
 * Allusions: Chicken Little and the Excorsist.
 * This is the highest rated episode of Charmed in the entire series.

Quotes

 * Prue: Piper, the girl has no vision, no sense of the future.
 * Piper: I really think Phoebe's coming around.
 * Prue: Well, as long as she doesn't come around here I guess that's good news.




 * Andy: Let me ask you something, Morris. Do you believe in UFO's?
 * Darryl: Hell no.
 * Andy: Neither do I. But do you believe that there are people out there who do believe in UFO's?
 * Darryl: Yes, but I think they're crazy.




 * (There's a loud clap of thunder and the power goes out.)
 * (Cut to the foyer. Piper is walking towards the door. Prue is following her.)
 * Prue: Don't you think you're overreacting? We're perfectly safe here.
 * Piper: Don't say that. In horror movies, the person who says that is always the next to die.




 * Phoebe: According to the Book Of Shadows, one of our ancestors was a witch, named Melinda Warren.
 * Piper: And we have a cousin who's a drunk, an aunt who's manic, and a father who's invisible.




 * Prue: I'm calling the cops.
 * Piper: And tell them what? That we're witches? That some freak with powers beyond comprehension is trying to kill us? Even if the cops did come, they'd be no match for Jeremy, and we'd be next.