A Call to Arms

"This is not the first time we have been hijacked by gods. So you just have to fight it."

- Paige to Piper and Leo

A Call to Arms is the season 7 premiere and the 135th overall episode of Charmed.

Summary
A worried Piper and Leo attend a Hindu wedding, where they inadvertently receive the powers of two Hindu gods, and it's up to Phoebe and Paige to keep them from consummating their love in order to save the universe. Leo faces some inner demons and the sisters finally vanquish Barbas, apparently for good.

Characters
Characters in bold appear for the first time in the series.

Shakti / Shiva

 * Shakti, the Hindu GoddessShaktiAndShivaPage.jpg
 * of Creation and Shiva,
 * the God of Destruction
 * are commonly invoked at
 * weddings because they're
 * reconsidered to be the
 * Ultimate Lovers.
 * Shakti, also called The
 * Ultimate Mother, and
 * Shiva, together created All
 * Things, and if they
 * consummate their love
 * again, All Things will be
 * obliterated and the
 * Universe will be reborn.

To Remove Gods From Mortals
Paige found this spell to remove Gods from mortals in a Magic School book. She cast it, and Shakti and Shiva were removed from Piper and Leo's bodies.
 * We call upon the mortal ways,
 * And Gods who guide but may not stay.
 * We seek those of divinity,
 * To separate from and set them free.

Powers

 * Telekinetic Orbing: Used by Paige to orb Chris' diaper into the trash can.
 * Orbing: Type of Teleportation used by Leo, Zola and Paige.
 * Astral Projection: Used by Barbas to manipulate Leo.
 * Suggestion: Used by Barbas to prey on Leo's fears.
 * Flaming: Type of Teleportation used by Barbas.
 * Electrokinesis: Used by Leo to attack and later on kill Zola. Piper (as Shakti) used it to vanquish some of Barbas' minions and to attack Barbas.
 * Illusions: Used by an Unseen Force to make Leo and Barbas see the Creature Head.
 * Sensing: Used by Wyatt to sense Leo in the attic.
 * Energy Balls: Used by Barbas to vanquish the Demonic Healer. Minions attacked Piper with Energy Balls as well.
 * Lightning Teleportation: Type of Teleportation used by Leo (as Shiva).
 * Dark Cloaking: Used by the unseen force to cloak Barbas' lair.
 * Shimmering: Type of Teleportation used by Barbas' minions.
 * Fireballs: Used by Barbas' minions to attack Piper.
 * Molecular Combustion: Used by Piper to blow up Barbas' minions and deviate attacks.
 * Telekinesis: Used by Leo (as Shiva) to fling Inspector Sheridan across a room with high force.
 * Fear Projection: Used by Barbas to read Phoebe and Paige's fears.

Magical Beings

 * Barbas - The Demon of Fear. Leo was still after him to get revenge for Barbas helping Gideon to hurt his sons. Barbas used his powers to trick Leo into killing Zola. Phoebe and Paige used a vanquishing potion to vanquish Barbas for the last time onscreen.
 * Zola - An Elder. Barbas tricked Leo into attacking him and later killing him. After he was attacked by Leo the first time, he orbed to the Manor to tell Phoebe and Paige about it, and also warned them there was a big threat coming.
 * Demonic Healer - He healed Barbas' wound. He thought that there was something wrong with Barbas (because only Barbas saw the Creature Head) and he was vanquished by Barbas therefore.
 * Mrs. Winterbourne - The nursery teacher at Magic School. She told Paige that the school was shut down now Gideon died.

Mortals

 * Elise Rothman - Phoebe's boss. After Phoebe said she wanted a break from work, Elise suggested to go on sabatical for a couple of months. She then hired a ghostwriter for Phoebe's column.
 * Leslie St. Claire - The ghostwriter Elise hired for Phoebe's column.
 * Inspector Sheridan - Darryl's colleague. She wanted to find out what happened to adult Chris, how he mysteriously broke out of jail,... . She later busted in in the Manor, where Leo (as Shiva) flung her against a wall.
 * Sophie - Phoebe's assistant. She told Phoebe Paige was on the phone.

Notes and Trivia
thumb|300px|right|A Call to Arms WB Trailer
 * The title is a reference to a quote used when soldiers are called to fight for their country. This could also be a reference to a book by Thomas K. Martin called "A Call to Arms" and it refers to the fact that Piper grew multiple arms.
 * Paige has a tan in this episode.
 * Leo kills another elder in this episode, Zola. Previously, he killed Gideon in the season 6 finale.
 * This is the first one hour season premiere after three years of the two hour format.
 * In some parts, you can see that the extra hands were digitally added.
 * Every cast member in the opening credits gets a new title clip. Also in this season, no new characters were introduced into the opening credits.
 * Paige mentions "The Big Bang Theory" (an event which is believed to have led to the formation of the universe). Kaley Cuoco, who portrays Billie Jenkins in Charmed's eighth season, portrays a main character in a sitcom of the same name.
 * The first of the six demons blown up by Piper is the 400th evil being to be vanquished on the show.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of Nick Lachey as Leslie St. Claire.
 * This is the second time Piper has been turned into a Goddess. The first time was in "Oh My Goddess Part 2". She has also been a Demi-Goddess in "Valhalley of the Dolls".
 * This is the fourth and final time Barbas, the Demon of Fear, has been vanquished and therefore is the final appearance of actor Billy Drago as Barbas. He is, however, mentioned in "Run Piper, Run".
 * When reading fears in this episode, Barbas' hand glows (unlike in previous episodes).
 * Beginning with season 7, the Charmed set moved from its previously smaller Canoga Park, California studio lot to the more grand scale Paramount Studios lot.
 * Piper called little Chris "Peanut."

References to other movies, books, mythology, etc.

 * Leslie and Phoebe have a conversation about Dr. Phil in this episode. Dr. Phil McGraw is a TV personality who has a self-help talk show, as well as several successful books, focusing on self-confidence and positive self-image.

Glitches

 * Just after Paige casts the spell to rid Piper and Leo of the Gods inside them, the tip of the boom mike is just in shot above Paige's head.
 * At the beginning of the show when Piper comes into the kitchen to help Paige, she is wearing slippers. In the next shot, when she is by Wyatt's chair, she is wearing flip flops.
 * Right after they return from the wedding. Elise calls, and we see Piper answering the phone and extending her arm with the phone towards Phoebe but in the next pannel (with Piper) the phone is still next to her ear and she holds her arm out once again.

International Titles

 * French: Ensorcelés (Enchanted)
 * Czech: Volání do zbraně (A Call to Arms)
 * Serbian: Poziv na oružje
 * Spanish (Spain): Una llamada a las armas
 * Spanish (Latin America): Un llamado a las armas
 * Serbian: Poziv rukama
 * German: Blinder Zorn (Blind Rage)

Arrival of Shakti and Shiva


The final vanquish of Barbas in the series
