Something Wicca This Way Comes

General information

• Episode of the popular U.S. television series, Charmed
• Episode Number: 1
• Season: 1
• First Aired: October 7th, 1998 on The WB in the United States
• Production Code: 1498704
• Writer: Constance M. Burge
• Director: John T. Kretchmer
• Starring: Shannen Doherty as Prue Halliwell, Holly Marie Combs as Piper Halliwell, T.W. King as Andy Trudeau, Dorian Gregory as Inspector Morris and Alyssa Milano as Phoebe Halliwell.

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler In San Francisco, the three vastly different Halliwell sisters are reunited in the grand Victorian home of their childhood: Prue, the oldest, is driven to succeed and dislikes the free-spirited antics of the youngest sister, Phoebe. Piper, the earthy middle sister, mediates between her siblings. Phoebe discovers the Book of Shadows in the attic and their witchly powers are activated, igniting a bond that reaches beyond petty sisterly grudges. Prue has the power to move objects, Piper to freeze time and Phoebe to see into the future. The sisters must band together to battle dark forces of the supernatural world. Keeping their powers secret could prove a challenge, since Inspector Andy Trudeau, Prue's ex, and his partner Darryl Morris are closing in on a serial killer preying on local witches. Piper narrowly escapes death when she discovers her white-bread boyfriend, Jeremy, is the killer, an evil warlock. Sparks fly when the sisters try their first spell -- Jeremy is vanquished, and they discover the power of three.

Book of Shadows

Enemies

• Jeremy Burns: A low level warlock who romances female witches to get their powers and kill them. Jeremy posed as a reporter, tricking women into dating him. Jeremy was capable of changing the shape of his face, ignite flames from his fingers, telekinesis, disintegrate objects, and project energy bolts from an athame. He is also capable of adjusting. He is after the Charmed Ones' powers and knows that they will be released after Grams dies. He starts dating Piper Halliwell so he can keep an eye on the sisters. Once Grams dies and Phoebe returns, he makes his move and is vanquished by the Halliwell Sisters.

Spells

• To Break the Bond of Love: Use a basket, poppet, nine candles anointed with oils and spices, and a rose given from the lover. Put basket and poppet on a table, encircled by the candles. To make it stronger, bind rose to poppet and press thorns into it. Place poppet in the basket and burn while saying the spell. Your love will wither and depart From my life and my heart Let me be, (name) And go away forever.
• To Invoke the Power Of Three/Vanquish Evil: The power of three will set us free.
• To Call for the Powers: 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. I call upon the Ancient Power. Bring your powers to we sisters three! We want the power! Give us the power!

Guest Stars

• Eric Scott Woods as Jeremy Burns
• Matthew Ashford as Roger
• Chris Flanders as Chef Moore

Co-Stars

• Lonnie Partridge as Woman
• Charmaine Cruz as Admitting Nurse
• Hugh Holub as Pharmacist
• Francesca Cappucci as News Reporter

Trivia

• The series premiere of Charmed.
• Second pilot for the series. The original pilot never aired.
• The unaired pilot was shot in the actual manor that is shown on the show. After replacing Lori Rom, the show moved to a sound studio.
• Lori Rom left Charmed because of personal reasons. Executive producer Aaron Spelling asked Alyssa Milano, whom he knew from Melrose Place, to replace Rom as "Phoebe" and she accepted.
• Shannen Doherty was very sick while filming the first few episodes. That is why she looks so pale and drawn out.
• 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.
• The name of this episode is a play on words from Shakespeare's Macbeth. There are three witches, known as the Weird Sisters. The line is "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." The title was also used by author, Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked this Way Comes, and also the movie treatment 1983 movie of the book.
• 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 starring Susan Sarandon, Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer. 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.
• The inscription on the back of the family Spirit Board read, "To my three beautiful girls. May this give you the light to find the shadows. The power of three will set you free. Love, Mom".
• This is the highest rated episode of Charmed in the entire series.
• Phoebe gets her first premonition in this episode, about 2 roller bladers getting hit by a car.
• Phoebe gets her second premonition in this episode, showing that Jeremy is still alive and will come after them.
• 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.
• When Prue first used her telekinetic power, she did not squint her eye or wave her hand, she done by just asking 'where is the cream', which made the cream container moved to her by itself, and 'translocated' the cream into her coffee.
• After Prue says to Piper "We are perfectly safe here." Piper replies with "Don't say that. In horror movies, the person who says that is the next to die. "In the end, though not in that episode, Prue does die before Piper and Phoebe.
• Prue starts the show with a black 1991 Mazda Miata and Piper starts the show with a black 1993 Jeep Cherokee.

International titles

• French: Le livre des ombres
• German: Das Buch der Schatten
• Italian: Il Libro delle Ombre
• Spanish: Por aquí llega algo mágico

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