Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Get Down! Woogy Oogy Oogy!
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 15 | Aired on 02.23.1999
Which is still going on. Downstairs, the gas man turns to face the wall. His shadow turns randomly from one side to another, as if Alfred Hitchcock were trying to capture his better side or something. The gas man asks the shadow which one he wants. Phoebe hollers down that she'll be upstairs if he needs her. The shadow breathes, "Phoebe." Cole, is that you? No? Credits.
Some alterna-testicle shouts something about the boogyman over the daytime opening travelogue. Said testicle drops us off at Buckland's, where Prue is cleaning up her office from the effects of the earthquake. She uses her telekinetic power to fix one of the pictures that's gone crooked, in another example of the horribly tired ritual of demonstrating the sisters' powers at the beginning of each episode. The only thing stopping me from grinding my teeth in frustration is the thought of seeing the orthodontist I had as a teenager again. Brrrr. But seriously, (a), of all the sisters, Prue would know not to use her powers in a place where she could easily be spotted, and (b) if she did, she certainly wouldn't use them badly. Claire neatly demonstrates both my points my walking in a second later and noting that the framed print in question is crooked. Kudos to the writers for pointing out their own inadequacies so prettily -- I didn't know they had it in them. (The "prettily" part, that is.) Anyway, Claire has the "guest list" of "clients important to Buckland's," but since no one shows up at the house other than said Professor, Claire, and the Professor's assistant and possibly slampiece (well, who knows?), it isn't so much a "list" as it is a "name." At the top of the "list" is a "Professor Whittlesley," whose family is rich or something. Claire exposits that the Prof's interested in the Manor, and Prue should keep her happy. I'll give Claire this: She doesn't screw around with the exposition. It's much appreciated. The Professor in question walks into Prue's office without introduction, like, nice manners, and tells Claire that she'd like to bring a guest that night, like again, NICE MANNERS, but this is the stuff C-plots are made of. Claire doesn't bat an eye, and tells Prue the dinner will be "five, plus one." So, six, then. I'm only checking because this show will make you question your math skills. Among other things. Professor Manners notices Prue, and smiles until Claire remembers to introduce them. The professor says how excited she is to be spending the evening in a house with "such history," and while I haven't seen every episode of this show (I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I watch anything more with Little Jenny or Greasy Dan), I'd be willing to bet that the house's architecturally iconic status hasn't been mentioned before or since, so let's skip the bullshit, shall we? Professor Manners babbles about the house standing on a "spiritual nexus," and you can practically see the cartoon dollar signs in Claire's eyes as she patiently listens to the professor drone on. The two of them leave, and Prue steels herself to tell Piper the latest Greek tragedy.