Charmed 5.20 'Sense and Sense Ability'

What made the later seasons of Charmed such a disaster was the writers’ inability to handle a straight up comedic episode, something that shows like Buffy and Supernatural were/are able to handle regularly, while still being able to put some sort of dramatic spin on it. So far, Charmed’s efforts have been an embarrassment (See ‘Lucky Charmed’ and ‘Nymphs...’) but ‘Sense and Sense Ability’ is one of those rare Charmed episodes that actually tackled something with such an easy light script while still establishing the villains involved as credible threats, the first episode of this kind that paralells season 3’s ‘Sin Francisco’. It's one of the few examples that prove that if Charmed had been run with writers that actually had a clue, then the "lighter" seasons could have actually been something pretty great...

In ‘Sense and Sense Ability’ the Crone uses a monkey totem to steal the Charmed One’s senses in order to gain access to baby Wyatt, to see first- hand the power he wields. The sisters must find a way to figure out who has robbed them of their senses before it’s too late.

Again, what could have so easily resulted in a mess, actually worked in a surprisingly entertaining way and fit right in with the new lighter take on things this season. All of the cast tackle the episode’s events with class and style, each girl’s performance speaking volumes for their comedic versatility. Even Alyssa Milano takes time out of her busy schedule of being an unbearable ditz, and is actually my favourite cast member here, not even her screeching got under my skin.

Charmed takes advantage of Rose McGowan’s beautiful voice too. It doesn’t feel like a cheap opportunity to exploit her talent, more a chance for her to showcase it in a way that benefits the episode too. Each girl lost a sense that is pivotal to their daily routines. Piper lost her sight, a necessity for a young woman taking care of a small child, Paige lost her voice after expressing her fear over performing in public, and Phoebe lost her hearing, something that made her job as an advice columnist impossible. The loss of each respective sense gave the sisters a chance to learn how to deal without them, like Piper who was able to get in touch with her inner Mom.

The simplicity of the idea works particularly well, too. Taking away the girls senses restored a sense of threat that has been lost since the early seasons. With every demon passing through getting killed without an afterthought, it’s great to see the girls use that all-important bond that they share to their advantage. It’s not too crazy to believe that the Charmed Ones have some sort of connection above the 5 senses making the Power of Three possible.

The Crone marked another of Charmed’s missed opportunities. She meets a sadly early demise, but there was such a fantastic opening for her to become a recurring ‘Seer’esque character, secretly plotting to take control behind the scenes. Ah, wishful thinking... She’s still effortlessly creepy here, and her connection with another demon clan reminded me of the secret demonic government stories of the previous two seasons.

‘Sense and Sense Ability’ still remains a personal favourite and an underrated classic all these years later. And to think this was Brian Krause’s idea...

9/10

P.S. It was nice to see Kill it before it Dies again. Hurrah for limited continuity!