Apocalypse, Not

Apocalypse Not is the 43rd episode of Charmed.

Summary
Prue, Piper and Phoebe try to relax and enjoy singer Paula Cole’s performance at P3, but they soon find themselves back in action against the legendary Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who are causing violent fights and “road rage” incidents all over San Francisco. When Prue and the Horseman of the War are sucked into a vortex between good and evil, Phoebe and Piper are forced to choose between saving their sister and saving the world. Meanwhile, Leo infiltrates the “war room” of the Horsemen where he encounters organized evil.

Plot
The Charmed Ones return from a shopping trip and find a news report about a big street brawl. Phoebe has brought home a book full of deep questions and thinks that it might make a great bar game at P3. She finds one: "What if a building is on fire? Do you save five strangers or one sibling?" Prue says "one sibling" without a moment's thought and Piper agrees. Before Phoebe can try one, though, the doorbell rings and Leo is at the door. Leo wants to go with Piper an early dinner before the Paula Cole show at P3.

Returning from dinner, Piper and Leo are caught in traffic. The man behind them starts honking. In time, he pulls out into the opposing lane and makes a sharp left turn, hitting another car and causing a brawl. Piper and Leo get out of the jeep and Piper Freezes the scene. A man in a black shirt and green tie doesn't freeze and he runs from the scene. Piper chases him, and Leo chases Piper. In an alley, he conjures a horse and a green cloak and then vanishes. In a valley far from the scene, the man in the green cloak is joined by three others, in cloaks and riding horses.

The Paula Cole Band plays at P3. The bartender passes the book to Prue and Phoebe. Piper and Leo join them and tell them of the man in the green tie. The sisters go to check the Book of Shadows.

Green Tie tells the other horsemen that a witch saw him. The others decide to set a trap for her, that they may complete the Apocalypse by 7:00 the next night.

The sisters suspect the Demon of Anarchy. Over Leo's objections, the sisters go on this assumption and Piper mixes a potion. Prue calls Darryl, who reports chaos all over the city; there are fights and struggles in the police station. She asks for the current hot spot, and Darryl points her there. Piper spots Green Tie again and this time all three sisters pursue. Red Tie grabs Prue and the other three start chanting; Phoebe says the spell for the Demon of Anarchy at the same time. Both Red Tie and Prue disappear into a portal. The other horsemen vanish.

The other horsemen appear at something resembling a corporate office, with Omega as the logo. They turn out to be the Horsemen. All around the office, large screen TVs show scenes of strife.

Piper and Phoebe return to the attic. Leo has been through the entire Book and found nothing. Piper feels a chill and says Prue is "in the wind". Phoebe calls to Prue, but all she can do is spell HELP on the Spirit Board. Phoebe feels a chill as well, but evil and cold. A white bubble appears in the air with Prue's face in it, pursued by a red bubble with War's. Leo goes to his "bosses" to ask who the four suits are. One of the TVs starts showing one scene of war after another, and finally a scene of static. War tells the others to ask the Source how to find the witches.

Leo orbs in with a message from the "suits". They want to meet the witches, to free their partner. Phoebe decides to meet the "suits", over Leo's objections; he suspects a trap. The two suits meet the three "suits", and after a bit of bickering Piper shakes with Strife, to the crash of thunder.

The "suits" comes to the manor, where the witches think they'll be safest. They disagree on where they had been standing, and finally Strife places the five markers in the correct positions. The two witches and the three "suits" had formed a pentagram. Death goes back to the office, and Leo decides to orb after him. Piper mixes the potion again.

Phoebe has uneasy conversation with Strife. He explains the chant that they had used, a chant "to destroy the common witch". He offers a translation, but Phoebe interrupts him.

Leo, at Omega, punches a random employee and puts on his shirt and tie. He skulks about, and spots the names of the Horsemen, each in the color of his tie.

Piper notices Famine's Omega tattoo as she remixes the potion. Piper asks questions, but Famine gives no answers.

The white bubble appears again and Phoebe feels a chill. The Spirit Board moves and spells out IV-H-O- before the red bubble knocks the pointer off. Piper and Famine hear commotion and come in. By reversing their positions and the meanings of their spells, they can open the portal and bring the fourth "suit" back. Famine and Strife return to the office.

The man whom Leo attacked spots him snooping and points him out. Leo orbs away and tells the sisters that they are working with the Four Horsemen. The sisters still insist on freeing Prue -- one sibling over five strangers.

Phoebe and Prue meet the Horsemen just before 7:00. Phoebe has a vision of nuclear explosions. A Horsemen starts chanting, and then Phoebe starts, but then she stops. The Horseman finishes his chant, and now Piper refuses as well. The Source opens the portal anyway, and begins destroying the Horsemen. Phoebe finishes the chant, rescuing Prue.

The reunited sisters meet Leo at P3, and Leo offers a thanks from his bosses. Leo leaves the sisters together. The bartender comes up with the book and asks the five-strangers question. The sisters answer "five strangers" in unison.

Guest Stars

 * Geoffrey Blake as Strife (green tie)
 * Patrick Kilpatrick as Death (black tie)
 * Jeff Ricketts as Famine (yellow tie)
 * Brian Thompson as War (red tie)

Special Musical Guest

 * Paula Cole Band

Co-Stars

 * Kevin Ramsey as Bartender
 * Kenneth Cortland as Assistant
 * Gannon Brown as Worker
 * Peter Alse Holden as Worker

Featured Music

 * "Be Somebody" by Paula Cole Band
 * "Amen" by Paula Cole Band
 * "Compression" by Everything But The Girl

Quotes

 * Phoebe: We do have a list of six potential matches though.
 * Piper: But there's no picture so we're sort of shooting in the dark. My best guess is the demon of anarchy.
 * Leo: Hey, you can't just guess. Alright, you have to be sure. It's very dangerous to engage an enemy unless you know who he is and what he wants.
 * Piper: Leo, honey, we have done this a couple of times.
 * Leo: No, I didn't mean...
 * Prue: You know, Leo, it would be great to know every single thing about our enemies but that's not always the case.
 * Leo: I know, but...
 * Phoebe: And if this guy is causing riots we can't just hang out and wait for inspiration, you know.
 * Leo: Okay, three against one. I-I just, I was working that's all.
 * Phoebe: Okay, so no offense to the Whitelighter but we're going with the Demon of Anarchy, right?
 * Prue: Yes, the Demon of Anarchy.

:(War walks towards Prue. She tries to use her power but it doesn't work. He grabs her. Piper and Phoebe come around the corner.)
 * Phoebe: Prue!
 * War: Stop or I'll snap her neck. (to Strife) Start the chant.
 * (Strife starts a chant in a weird language.)
 * Prue: (to Piper and Phoebe) Start the damn chant.
 * (Phoebe and Piper get a piece of paper out of their pockets and starts the chant.)
 * Phoebe and Piper: "Sower of discord, your works now must cease, I vanquish thee now, with these words of peace."
 * (Piper throws a potion at Prue and War's feet and smoke rises around them. A bright light appears and then Prue and War disappear into a vortex.)
 * Piper: Prue?
 * Death: What the hell?
 * (The horsemen disappear.)
 * Phoebe: What just happened?
 * Piper: I think we just vanquished our sister.

:Death: We need War. He's the big gun. He's the one who's gonna set nation against nation and do all the heavy work.
 * Strife: Then we'll get him back.
 * Famine: By 7:00?
 * Strife: We have to. Now just listen to me, alright.
 * Death: Who got vanquished and left you boss?
 * Strife: I have a plan. Do you have a plan? Oh, of course you have a plan, the same plan you always have. Kill them all.
 * Death: You looking for a fight?
 * Strife: It's my specialty.