Episode Report Card Demian: B- | 1 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT Shape of...a smackdown!
By Demian | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.20.1998
Outside, Prue hurries across the street and up the Manor's front steps as the camera tracks her from behind. Her gait slows when she notices that the front door has been left ajar. She enters the Manor silently with a look on her face that's caught somewhere between puzzlement and annoyance, and eases the door shut behind her to wander through the front hall. Bad move. Snuggles the Demonic Mastiff has taken up residence on the stairwell landing, and slobbers rabidly foamy doggy drool all over the carpet while barking ominously at her. Prue freezes where she stands, then slowly begins to back towards the front door. Snuggles, with the barking. Prue, with the backing away. Barking. Backing. Bark. Back. Ba. B. Prue finally drops her purse on the floor, spins on her heel, and darts out the door. Snuggles scampers after her on his jaunty little doggy legs. Aw. Snuggles is precious. And he's also the worst excuse for a canine thespian I've ever seen. You're supposed to be scary, you freak. Cuddly Snuggles stops on the threshold like the obedient little animal actor he is to arf and yip and whatnot as his eyes glow yellow and we fade out into the opening credits.
Opening travelogue. The city is awfully pretty at night, but why do they have to ruin the view by superimposing Brian Krause's name all over it? I knew it was too good to last. Over at Halliwell Manor, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe discuss the doggy invasion while puttering around the kitchen. Prue notes that Snuggles was "huge" and that he left "scratches on the attic door." Ruh-roh! Yeah, I know. Sars can fire me at will for that one. Piper wonders how the mutt got inside in the first place. Prue shoots an accusatory glare at the Feebs and snarls, "Someone must have left the door open again." Phoebe protests her innocence, and demands to know why Prue never accuses Piper of such things. Piper glances up from her futzing to shout, "Not it!" Snerk. Prue admits that she told Andy of the invasion, so he'll be checking up on them from time to time. "How convenient," her sisters snigger between themselves. Prue orders them to cram it, adding that a security system's out of the question given the cost, "so, we could rely on our vicious guard cat to protect us," she tells them, "or we could remember to lock the doors." With this final admonition, Prue heads off into the pantry to stack dishes. "That is a good idea, Prue," Phoebe calls after her, then hops from her perch on the center island to lock Prue out of the room. God! I ask you, would you tempt fate by pulling that sort of crap with Prue? You know she'd rip off your head and whiz down your neck if you did, so why bother?