"Charmed" The Bare Witch Project (2004)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

John T. Kretchmer

Writers:

Constance M. Burge (creator) and
Jeannine Renshaw (writer)

TV Series:

"Charmed" (1998)

Original Air Date:

19 September 2004 (Season 7, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

When a Magic School student summons Lady Godiva, the entire status of women changes in the Charmed Ones' reality. The sisters must keep Lord Dyson from killing her before she can return to the past and complete her famous ride. |

Plot Keywords:

Wiccan | Sisters | Witchcraft | Demon | Power Of Three

Cast

Alyssa Milano	...	Phoebe Halliwell
Rose McGowan	...	Paige Matthews
Holly Marie Combs	...	Piper Halliwell
Brian Krause	...	Leo Wyatt
Nick Lachey	...	Leslie St. Claire
Kristen Miller	...	Lady Godiva
Maury Sterling	...	Lord Dyson
Blake Bashoff	...	Duncan
Elizabeth Dennehy	...	Sandra
John de Lancie	...	Odin (as John De Lancie)
Trey Ellett	...	Ray
Kenneth Schmidt	...	Simon
Bru Muller	...	Policeman
Lyne Odums	...	Female Elder (as Baadja-Lyne Odums)
Christopher Breslin	...	Customer (as Chris Breslin)

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

Mexico:B | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Title based upon the movie The Blair Witch Project (1999), the second show to used this reference.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Paige is talking with Lady Godiva, and looking through the history book Paige moves her hair behind her right ear. In the next shot her hair is not behind her ear anymore.

Quotes:

Piper Halliwell: Uh, look, we're kind of in a hurry, so cliff notes version. Demon killed Lady Godiva which changed history, we gotta fix it, so are you with me or what?

Movie Connections:

References The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Feminism and repression

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

First I have to mention that Lady Godiva does not belong to my cultural folklore, so I'm probably missing a lot of the shock of actually seeing her appear in front of a gaggle of bored students. To me she's only a naked blonde riding a horse, which doesn't exactly strike me as a feminist emblem -rather the opposite, if you take my meaning. Fortunately, the script actually notices the paradox several times : as a woman, the less you wear, the more attention you get.

So as a whole the episode works, and it is fun. Paige's attempts to save the school fail to really move me, since the students look like a bunch of brats and Paige herself is a very unlikely headmistress, but the rest it good. There is a particularly good twist when you realize that by solving their problems the sisters have actually created a real disaster. While no one could believe that Godiva was solely responsible for the emancipation of women, the alternate reality is well done, in a frightful way. The best little detail is Leo's new persona : just as nice and not the least sexist no matter what, but more balanced. I like that because it is unexpected, it doesn't contribute anything to the main plot, but somehow it seems coherent. And what about him overdosing Dyson with his pain and rage ? In one instant, you go from laughing at Leo's dismay to feeling for him.