Crimes & Witch Demeanors (25 Apr. 2004)

The Cleaners implicate Darryl in a murder after Phoebe and Paige accidentally expose their magic to the world. Trying to save Darryl reverses the problem and the sisters find themselves on trial for murder.

Director:

John T. Kretchmer

Writers:

Constance M. Burge (creator), Henry Alonso Myers

Stars:

Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Holly Marie Combs

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Alyssa Milano	...	Phoebe Halliwell
Rose McGowan	...	Paige Matthews
Holly Marie Combs	...	Piper Halliwell
Brian Krause	...	Leo Wyatt
Drew Fuller	...	Chris Halliwell
Dorian Gregory	...	Darryl Morris
Billy Drago	...	Barbas
Kirk B.R. Woller	...	Cleaner One
Sandra Prosper	...	Sheila Morris
Ian Abercrombie	...	Aramis
Ken Page	...	Adair
Christopher Cazenove	...	Thrask
James Horan	...	Crill
Jenya Lano	...	Inspector Sheridan
Keith MacKechnie	...	PD Clayton

Storyline

The Cleaners implicate Darryl in a murder after Phoebe and Paige accidentally expose their magic to the world. Trying to save Darryl reverses the problem and the sisters find themselves on trial for murder.

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Plot Keywords:

wiccan

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 2004 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Spelling Television, Viacom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first appearance of Inspector Sheridan (played by Jenya Lano)

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Quotes

Gideon: So then, despite what Barbas would have you believe, regardless of outside influences, the sisters have always managed to protect magic, and therefore based upon all the evidence, we ask the tribunal, no, we demand that the cleaners be forced to reverse what they have done, that Lieutenant Morris be freed, and that The Charmed Ones be allowed to do what they have always done so well... cover their own tracks. Respectfully.

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Connections

References Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

User Reviews

Trial and errors

This episode is important because it introduces some changes for the characters, but it feels odd on all accounts. First, the fact that it is presented as a trial is original, but it ends up as very high-winded and talkative. It is nice to re-watch some past events, but a large portion of the episode is spent just reminiscing, which seems cheap. It is also rather difficult to believe that a mystical jury would use such fishy procedures. Besides, it's hard to believe they would actually blame the sisters for what they did years ago, when at the end of season 4 they wanted to reward them for their accomplishments.

Then there is Darryl. I don't know what to think of his plot. I really like the character a lot, especially as he has such bad luck with spells. But his treatment here seems incredibly harsh and too realistic for a light-hearted series. Granted, the trial needed a high stake, but the execution scene freaked me out, so it seems normal that Darryl will not go back to normal as he usually does. As for the sisters, they don't really get to do much except wait for others to save them. Piper in particular barely has a cameo. But Phoebe's punishment is well deserved : she's had it coming for a long time now, and I guess her lack of empathic powers and foresight will come as a relief for the scriptwriters.

Other nice things are the returns of many familiar faces, including the Cleaners and Barbas. The latter is becoming a fixture of the underworld, which is good because he's a cool character. Then the lava pit. Seeing Leo and Chris argue there reminded me of the good old days when it was Leo and Cole. I must say, as a team, they really rock.