Good Witch Season 7 Episode 9 Review: The Search
Carissa Pavlica
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It's taken 13 years to get to this point, and just as we arrived, the rug is getting ripped out from under us.
Good Witch Season 7 Episode 9 addressed the elephant in the room with stunning clarity. It was said out loud. There wasn't any hiding from it.
The Merriwicks are witches.
Not only have we finally uttered the word but it was done many times on an episode that found our beloved trio of charmed ones discovering new powers as the red-haloed moon threatened to strip them of all of their powers.
Of the three Merriwicks, Cassie has been having the most difficult time with current events.
Instead of being fearful of what might happen should the red-haloed moon achieve its goals, she's welcoming a time when she doesn't shoulder the responsibility of powers she didn't request.
Her feelings come from several places. She doesn't know who she is without magic, and that threatens her.
She has never fully understood where the powers came from or why they cannot see their own futures.
And she's lived her entire life with the belief that this gift betrayed her upon her first awareness of it when she failed to warn her parents of their impending doom.
It's not a worthless struggle that Cassie is experiencing. What she's questioning is the foundation of her existence. So when her parents began materializing before her in Grey House, she got the answers she needed, as did we.
"The Search" was rich with history. We saw Patience and Fortune receiving the amulets, followed by Patience's betrayal of her family, which put an end to the second amulet the party had been hoping to find.
Cassie's mother revealed how their family came to possess powers, and the importance of the purple pouches again came to light.
Your heart, your kindness, your compassion. That's the true heart of who you are.
Cassie's Mom
And most importantly, Cassie's mom reminded Cassie that it was her heart and how she used her powers that made her so special, not that she had them in the first place, and she admitted her failure to adequately educate Cassie on them, taking responsibility for Cassie's inability to warn her parents onto herself.
As Cassie realized how much she missed the warmth she felt in the presence of her loving parents, they reminded her that she has that at her fingertips with Sam. That was the final piece of the puzzle that led them from better to good again.
Yes, Sam finally admitted the error of his ways not only in overworking himself so soon after surgery but in promising to Cassie he wouldn't, a promise he never intended to keep.
Before that, Sam was already hoping to make up for his mistakes. He was called to the carpet by Abigail and her newfound gift to read minds, and George piled on good advice, pointing Sam in the right direction. Gathering their friends for the search was all his idea, though.
Abigail's new gift had her blurting out the private thoughts of others without warning. It was risky but worthwhile.
Hearing your inner thoughts coming out of another's mouth makes them a lot less appealing than they sound in your head. Abigail's gaffe made people question what they were thinking.
Dotty and Davis's marriage problems are finally in the open, and it's a warning that ensures that Abigail and Donovan don't make the same mistakes.
Except for what might be a big one. Abigail hasn't told Donovan she's a witch.
Joy: I'm a witch!
Zoey: I wouldn't go that far, but what you didn't wasn't cool.
Joy: No, I don't think you understand. I'm an actual witch.
That came to light when Joy left Zoey out of the search party because Zoey was unaware of her status.
Abigail: You told her you're a witch?
Joy: I told her we're all witches.
Abigail: I'd be avoiding you, too.
Joy: When did you tell Donovan?
Abigail: I still haven't told him.
But when keeping the secret proved more of a threat than exposing it, Joy blurted it out, uncovering that big elephant so that, for the next and only episode left, it's not a secret anymore from the ones they love.
Joy's new power was seeing snippets of the future, which helped her, Martha, and Abigail.
Stephanie and Adam and Martha and Tom were also there and not privy to the greater secret, but I'd sure like it if they all knew by the end of Good Witch Season 7 Episode 10.
Tom's having heart surgery, and Stephanie's going away, though, so it's possible we won't even see them as Abigail and Donovan get married in "The Wedding."
That title alone suggests that the Merriwicks will not be down for the count for very long, even as the red-haloed moon rises higher in the sky.
If not for letting everyone in on their most treasured secret, they might not have a chance to keep their powers intact after the event.
But Sam and Zoey discovered that the purple pouches had a saying that led to Dolly Parton and Joy's grandmother revealing another secret over Light of a Clear Blue Morning.
Everything they touched seemed to hold another clue until the mold for the amulet was discovered moments before the Merriwicks fall to the floor.
Everything about this hour made my heart soar. Everyone other than Dotty and Davis has mended their loves, and with the emergence of new powers and Merriwick family revelations, it truly does feel like the story is wrapping up.
We're hoping with everything crossed that the Good Witch Series Finale lives up to the entertainment the last 13 years have provided, but that's a big ask.
If you watch Good Witch online, you know that it's a very high bar for one episode to achieve.
What do you think? Was this everything you have been waiting for since the beginning?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
