Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Groundhog Slay
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.25.1999
Tempus checks his watch to find that it's a couple minutes before midnight, and then turns over a large hourglass. He pours some of the sand from it into a crackling pan. It sparks, and time starts to rewind. When it's daylight outside, Rodriguez materializes in a cloud of smoke, yelling his poncey little head off. Tempus intones that it hurts to die, "especially at the hands of a witch." Hee. I think Tempus is hoping this takes about a million tries for old Rodriguez to get right. Rodriguez, possibly from the whole death thing but quite possibly not, is all, "Uh duh?" so Tempus has to explain that he's reset time, and it's Wednesday morning again. He goes on that only Rodriguez will retain the memories of what happens in each repeated day, so he'll learn more and more, until he's finally able to kill all three Charmed Ones. He smiles, neglecting to add, "Or this is the last job I'll ever have to work."
Paper boy. Same footage until Phoebe pauses on her line to Piper about it being 8 AM, which could be her indicating déjà vu, but is probably just the original take of this scene. Anyway, everything's playing out the same as before, except Phoebe's aware that something's going on, which is pretty momentous in and of itself. She tries to convince Prue that what she's experiencing is more than just déjà vu, and it's a nice touch that she's now fully convinced that she parked Prue's car in the driveway, Phoebe goes on that she's not nuts. "Okay, maybe just a little, but that's irrelevant here." Hee. Must be time to die again. Prue shows Phoebe the paper, and Phoebe gets flung into the same premonition, which she's aware she's had before. This time she explains it as "Andy, here, being killed by a demon."
Rodriguez busts in and gives Darryl some shit. Evidently, being killed has dampened his equanimity. It's also raised his scenery-chewing in direct proportion. File cabinet in the corner? You might want to duck and cover after the next time he dies. Darryl leaves with another macho swagger, like, not, and then Rodriguez and Andy play out the scene from earlier, except Rodriguez skips all the niceties, and Andy substitutes "Batman" for the Wizard Of Oz. Eh. Keep trying, Trudeau, but you've only got one more shot. Oh, and this time, Darryl fails to tell Andy about Prue's phone call. I guess they don't give you much to do around here for a reason, Darryl.
Cuckoo clock, cuckoo demon. Rodriguez angrily grabs the flower and storms over to Tempus. I didn't notice before, but the store Tempus is standing in front of is called "Symphony of Time." Which is a bit much, perhaps. Rodriguez (angrily) demands to know how he can avoid "the pain of getting vanquished." Tempus calmly asks him what he remembers, and upon hearing the description of events, suggests he anticipate where Piper's coming from so as not to get frozen. "Then kill Prue." Dave, I told you you're not the boss around here. Alyssa is. (Last time, I promise.)