The Truth is Out There... and It Hurts

The Truth is Out There... and It Hurts is the eighth episode of The WB's Charmed.

Summary
Prue stumbles across a Truth spell while searching the Book of Shadows for information about a demon Phoebe saw in a premonition. The spell binds all three sisters to hear and tell the truth for 24 hours. Piper uses it to get close to Leo Wyatt and tell off her overbearing boss Martin, while Phoebe tracks down the demon’s next victim. Prue learns the demon is a warlock from the future who is killing those responsible for creating a vaccine against warlocks. Phoebe protects the mother of the child who’ll one day create this vaccine, while Prue and Piper send the futuristic warlock back through a swirling tunnel of time. With time running out on the spell, Prue tells Andy she’s a witch and finds the truth is too much for him to accept. The spell ends, and no one but the sisters remember the truths as consequence of cast a personal gain spell.

Plot
A strange man meets Dr. Oliver Mitchell in a parking garage. The man, Gavin, speaks fulsomely about Dr. Mitchell's work – and then opens a third eye on his forehead. A ray comes from the third eye and burns through Dr. Mitchell's skull, killing him.

The sisters are getting ready to see a movie when Piper's boss at Quake, Martin, calls her in–on her day off. A convention is in town and Quake is short-staffed. Prue and Phoebe are worried; Piper's been working a crazy schedule of late. She was supposed to talk to Martin about it weeks ago, but never got around to it. Phoebe happens to bump into Gavin and gets a premonition of a woman being killed. The police arrive and the sisters find Dr. Mitchell's dead body. Phoebe thinks her vision was of the next murder.

Piper and Phoebe continue to argue over Leo. Prue thinks Phoebe only likes Leo because Piper does. Prue is unwilling to talk to Andy, feeling it's too soon after they broke up. Phoebe goes in her place to ask about Dr. Mitchell's murder. Prue looks through the Book of Shadows, but can't find anything. As she leaves, the Book flips on its own to a truth spell. Prue is skeptical and closes it back, only to see it reopen to the spell.

Martin overworks Piper, and she doesn't complain.

Phoebe has talked to Darryl about the case. She passed Andy in the parking lot and tells Prue that he still cares about her. Phoebe also suggests that Prue tell Andy that she's a witch, if only to see how he handles it.

Prue casts the truth spell, not knowing that Phoebe and Piper are in the house and will also be affected. She calls Andy, but only reaches his answering machine. Piper asks if Phoebe can see a pimple on her chin. Phoebe is initially reluctant to answer, but just then the spell takes effect and to her shock says she can see it after all. Piper admits she didn't tell off Martin.

Gavin walks into a laboratory and finds Alex Pearson working there. He kills Alex with the third eye, but not before Alex rips a button off of Gavin's coat.

Phoebe and Piper notice that they are unable to lie. Phoebe admits that she only likes Leo because Piper does. Prue admits to casting the truth spell, to determine if Andy is okay with her being a witch. For the next 24 hours, anyone who comes in contact with them will have no choice but to tell the truth.

Phoebe goes to Andy and asks him about the murders. Andy tells what he knows. Both of the victims had the same burn mark on their forehead, and it looked like all the life had been sucked out of them. He mentions the button, and says it's made of a strange alloy never seen before. She leaves, and Andy calls Prue. He offers to meet after interviewing a witness.

Just as Prue gets off the phone with Andy, Tanya Parker, the sandwich girl, stops by her office. Hannah follows, and snatches a sandwich Tanya was saving for Prue. Under the influence of the spell, Hannah admits that her mission in life is to destroy Prue. Rex pulls her aside and warns her to keep quiet. Hannah lights Rex's cigar, apparently with a magical power, by blowing on it.

Piper is called into Quake yet again. Leo comes in, asking to use the washing machine. Piper asks if Leo thinks of her; he does, and thinks Piper has beautiful eyes. She asks, "What do you think about women who make the first move?" Leo says, "I’m still waiting for it to happen" and Piper kisses him.

Rex stops by the elevator to check on Prue. Under the influence of the spell, Prue nearly blurts out that she's a witch, but Phoebe cuts her off. Just as Phoebe despairs of finding the woman in her premonition, she sees Tanya walking by and recognizes her as the woman. Phoebe rushes down to stop Gavin while Prue calls security. Phoebe finds Gavin and Tanya struggling, with Gavin getting the better of it. Just as Gavin starts to blast Tanya, Phoebe smashes a bottle over his head. They drive off to the manor. Phoebe explains that the man who attacked her was a demon. Tanya tries to run, but Phoebe convinces her to stay.

Piper is overworked. Martin, under the spell, admits to overworking her to keep from spending money on more employees. Piper angrily quits.

Andy goes to Prue at Buckland. Prue demonstrates her power and explains that she is a witch. Andy becomes uncomfortable.

A biogenetics professor at Stanford has been killed. Three of the victims work in the biotech field, Piper and Phoebe don't see how they're connected to Tanya, a sandwich girl. Phoebe touches Tanya and gets a premonition of Tanya holding a newborn baby. Phoebe realizes that Tanya is pregnant, and also remembers the button the police found wasn't made of anything the cops had seen before. Phoebe suspects Gavin is from the future--and isn't after Tanya, but her baby.

Gavin comes into Prue's office. Under the influence of the truth spell, Gavin admits that he is from the future. He was sent to kill Tanya to keep her baby from being born, since he will someday create a vaccine. His other victims will help with the research that creates the vaccine. Gavin realizes something's up and charges at Prue, but she pins him against the wall with her desk and escapes.

Piper can't reach Prue at work, and heads to Buckland's to check on her. Prue flees into a warehouse and hides from Gavin. Piper finds Prue's office empty. Prue asks Gavin what the vaccine is for and he admits that the vaccine will destroy warlocks like him. Gavin finds Prue and grabs her by the neck. He's about to blast her when Piper rushes in and freezes him, freeing Prue. Gavin unfreezes and the two shove a crowbar into his third eye, killing him.

Prue goes to Andy and asks how he feels about her being a witch. He is still uncomfortable. The truth spell expires in that moment and Andy doesn't remember what they were talking about, nor that Prue is a witch. Prue walks away.

Martin, likewise, doesn't remember that Piper quit her job and orders her into the kitchen while she is having dinner with Prue. She demands that Martin hire some more people or she will quit. He agrees, to Piper's surprise, and she walks out of the kitchen. As she leaves, she smacks the door into Leo, who apparently does not remember the kiss. Piper offers to buy Leo a drink. Prue enters Quake and tells Phoebe about the rejection from Andy. Phoebe hugs Prue to comfort her.

Trivia

 * The title is a combo reference to the sci-fi TV series The X-Files because of the quote "the truth is out there" attributed to it, and the common phrase "the truth hurts".
 * Darryl does not appear in this episode.
 * In this episode Piper and Leo share their first kiss.
 * Prue says that if she or her sisters have daughters, that they'll be witches. Piper's children are boys and are witches too but since no male was born into the family, Prue, just like her grandmother, believes only females would receive powers.
 * This is the first time the "Truth Spell" is used on one of the Charmed Ones' boyfriends. Paige later uses the spell in the season 5 episode Necromancing the Stone on her boyfriend Nate to see how his reaction would be to her being a witch but Paige modificated it to make it just affect Nate..
 * This is the first episode where a demon or warlock is vanquished by a non-magical method: the bar through Gavin's third eye. It is an uncommon occurence on the show, but it does sometimes happen, such as when the Wendigo is killed by a flare gun and the Succubus is killed by being set on fire.TTIOTAIH_01.jpg
 * This is the first episode to introduce time travel, a character from the future, and the only truly evil time traveler. It also introduces the tradition of the time traveler usually getting killed unless they're the Charmed Ones. Chris and Bianca from the future both die, although thanks to Leo's actions, Chris' attempt to change the future works. Bacarra never travels through time as a result of Piper's meddling in time and the time traveling Piper is erased from existence due to her changes. Later, in Forever Charmed when Piper time travels again, she merges with her past self as does Future Billie, but later Future Dumain and Christy are killed after they travel through time by Piper and Billie.
 * This episode scored 4.6 million viewers.

Quotes

 * (Phoebe and Piper are fighting over the coffee cup.)
 * Prue: When are you two gonna stop fighting over him and grow up?
 * Piper: When Phoebe realizes that she doesn't have a chance with him.
 * Phoebe: Well, that doesn't matter now because I have to go protect the innocent.
 * Piper: So, we'll call it truce... temporarily. I'll just take this to Leo. (She does so.)

:Phoebe: How am I suppose to figure out who the girl in my vision is?
 * Prue: Well, what did she look like?
 * Phoebe: Well, she was about 5'3", hair was lightish.
 * Prue: That's it?
 * Phoebe: It's not on video tape. I can't just rewind it.

:(The sisters are under the truth spell)
 * Phoebe: I'm game. Prue, what do you think of me?
 * Prue: Well, I admire your confidence and your fearlessness, your utter lack of responsibility frustrates me to no end. Oh God, that is so enough.
 * Piper: Oh my God, this could be very dangerous.
 * Phoebe: I'm kinda diggin' it. Piper, what do you really think of your boss?
 * Piper: I think he's a self serving jerk who must have a very small penis. Oh my God, I'm gonna be so fired.

:Piper: Leo, wait.
 * Leo: Yeah?
 * Piper: Can I ask you a question?
 * Leo: Sure.
 * Piper: Do you need another shirt?
 * Leo: No, I got one in the truck. Thanks.
 * Piper: Leo, wait that wasn’t my question.
 * Leo: It wasn’t.
 * Piper: No. I was just wondering…do you ever think of me?
 * Leo: Yeah.
 * Piper: In what way? As a friend sort of way or…
 * Leo: You have beautiful eyes.
 * Piper: That’s a good way.
 * Leo: I’m sorry. (They laugh.) That was totally inappropriate wasn’t it?
 * Piper: No, not at all. Ah, what the hell…Leo, how do you feel about women who make the first move?
 * Leo: I don't know. I’m still waiting for it to happen.
 * Piper: Goodness.
 * (Piper kisses him.)
 * Leo: Ahh…how do you feel about guys who make the second move?
 * Piper: Love 'em. (They kiss again.)

:Phoebe: Piper, we both know the only reason I like Leo is because you do.

:Prue: I'm late for work. I gotta go.
 * Piper: Prue!
 * Phoebe: What's up? Spill it.
 * Prue: I cast a truth spell!
 * (She runs out of the kitchen and Phoebe and Piper follow her)

International Titles

 * French: Menace du Futur (Threat from the Future)
 * Polish: Prawda leży daleko i boli (The Truth Lies Far and It Hurts)
 * Czech: Pohled z budoucnosti (View from the Future)
 * Serbian: Istina je tamo,i boli (The Truth is Out There, and It Hurts)
 * Italian: Il terzo occhio (The Third Eye)
 * Spanish: La verdad es dolorosa (The Truth is Painful)
 * Slovak: Pravda je vo hviezdach... a bolí (The Truth is in the Stars... and It Hurts)