Wait.

*Checks notes*

That wasn't a finale?!

Blood rain, human sacrifices, major character deaths, and a zombie apocalypse were only a fraction of the crazy twists Charmed (2018) Season 1 Episode 21 brought to the table.

Color me mystified over how they could top things in the finale.

So much happened in "Red Rain," it's hard to figure out where to even begin -- it was a wild ride with a ton of information.

Sweeps month is always going to bring a decent amount of chaos to a series. Shows will often use recaps of exposition to remind viewers about what’s happening.

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However, you have to make certain major plot points are threaded consistently throughout the season, so your story holds together. Otherwise, you risk losing your audience.

Parker: Find Charity! Keep her alive and the prophecy cant be completed. You can stop all of this.
Maggie: Parker wait--
Parker: I love you, Maggie

Permalink: I Love You, Maggie

Charmed (2018) Season 1 Episode 21 had to recap The Source, The Sage, The Harbinger, The Prophecy, and the Origin Dagger to keep people up to speed. These are imperative clues within the show that need to be understood to recognize what's unfolding on screen.

Unfortunately, the show didn't put a big enough emphasis on most of these aspects throughout the season, leaving it easy to become lost as a viewer.

Forcing your actors to deliver the expositional dialogue to explain things at the speed of light isn’t going to help matters. Especially when you're dealing with Wicca and other unfamiliar topics.

If Charmed (2018) had a greater focus on season-long arcs, the pay off of this otherwise exciting penultimate episode would have been much more satisfying.

Even with the overload of narrative information, "Red Rains" shock factor was enough to keep anyone engaged.

It's rare a show is so willing to kill off any major characters in their first season; to kill off three or four of them is just downright unheard of.

The Power of Four was safe, but three antagonists and a main character bit the dust in a matter of minutes.

It was impressive.

Granted, one of them came back. Yay?

Listen -- Galvin isn't a bad guy. Needing time to process Macy's darkness and the existence of magic is understandable. It's commendable he realized his mistake in leaving her -- characters are allowed to be flawed, that’s what makes them interesting.

His speech doesn't make up for how he approached their breakup, but character growth is always a plus.

Did we need Macy apologizing to Galvin, though? What exactly did she do wrong? She was true to herself; strong in her power as a woman and a witch. Choosing to live her authentic life over compromising for Galvin is nothing to be ashamed of.

He also didn't need to save the day.

Macy saved the world, but Galvin saved humanity. His ritual was visually compelling -- some of the best FX of the season.

Harry; The human spirit is far stronger than any prophecy.

Permalink: The Human Spirit Is Far Stronger Than Any Prophecy.

It just didn't feel right watching a mans sacrifice become such an integral part of saving the world; especially while Maggie and Mel contributed so little.

It was Galvin’s redeeming moment. Everyone loves a good redemption, but it would have been nice to let one the Charmed Ones take the sole glory this time.

Bringing Galvin back to life is also a questionable decision. He doesn't feel right or healthy for Macy as a romantic partner, but the residual effects of being brought back from the dead could be an intriguing thing to witness.

He could go dark, or he could become the next whitelighter.

Another intriguing storyline? Macy is The Source!

It was a fairly easy reveal to predict, but it didn’t make it any less satisfying. For all of the incredible storytelling the original Charmed did, they never delved into one of the sisters becoming The Source.

Phoebe went evil for a while, and plenty of episodes dealt with the sisters being possessed somehow. None of them became The Source.

The Source is a little bit of a different monster in Charmed(2018). It isn't The Source of all evil -- it’s The Source of all magic. It can be turned either way -- light or dark.

At least that's what we've been led to believe.

Macy having to grapple with the immensity of her new powers while resisting the pull of her demonic side would make an excellent Charmed(2018) Season 2 arc. With all the build-up, fingers crossed the conflict doesn't solve itself in the finale.

Parker, if he survives Charmed(2018) Season 1 Episode 22, also has a potentially fulfilling arc set up for him next season. He isn't The Source, but he is still demonic, and clearly struggling.

He also just watched his mother, father and brother die in a matter of days. Where does he go from here? Will he be able to find his humanity again? Is Maggie's love enough?

Parker: Find Charity! Keep her alive and the prophecy cant be completed. You can stop all of this.
Maggie: Parker wait--
Parker: I love you, Maggie

Permalink: I Love You, Maggie

Maggie and Parker are great together. Their chemistry is palpable, and the friction of their relationship adds life to the series.

Parker is stuck between human and demon -- that much is clear. In the garden, he led Maggie to a trap where he tried to kill her. In the forest, he was willing to become The Source to save her.

The power of love is greater than any evil. if Parker is to get saved, Maggie's unconditional affections should be doing the saving.

Maggie may be right about Parker being saveable, but even as a Parker/Maggie stan, letting him escape was fairly problematic.

In a show that proclaimed itself more "feminist" than its predecessor, watching Maggie let Parker go felt off center, Phoebe's boyfriend was a demon too, and she vanquished him. Multiple times.

Just saying.

To be fair, Pheobe also hesitated--at first. Maybe Maggie gets a pass this one time (love is blind, y' all). If Parker does anything else demonic, Maggie better put the greater good above her boyfriend.

Even he knew he deserved to die.

Like Macy, Maggie's powers are growing and changing. Watching the youngest sister be such an effective asset is one thing OG Charmed viewers never really got to see. Not in an active power sense, at least.

They did get to watch Pheobe practice and train. We haven't seen much training when it comes to this new Power of Three -- especially Maggie. What her powers are is still somewhat of a mystery.

Sarah Jeffrey has claimed Maggie is both empath and telepath. Still, the way her magic shifts and changes to fit the plot is sporadic.

We're here to protect you. Even though you make me sick.
Maggie

Permalink: We're hear to protect you. Even Though You Make Me Sick.

Maggie isn't interested in school and learning; to witness her studying how to be better which would be an excellent display of growth.

Training sessions or not, Maggie is as fierce as they come. Jeffrey brings a unique electricity and owns her role.

I've said it once and I've said it before: Sarah Jeffrey is a star.

She's not alone in her talent. Both Mantock and Diaz have fallen into their characters with ease. They portray the Charmed Ones in a way that brings the story alive.

Diaz just isn't being given the same opportunity to shine.

Her arcs were prominent when Charmed(2018) premiered, but as the series has progressed, her screen time has dwindled.

Currently, Mel’s only focus is Niko. To be fair Niko is an excellent focus. Diaz (and Mel) can do so much more.

There were multiple scenes in "Red Rain" where Mel stood by and watched scenes unfold. Her powers were only helpful once, and she got portrayed as somewhat helpless.

If she isn't going to have an extremely active power, Mel should at least be leading the sisters in decision making -- that's the Mel Vera we were introduced to, and that's the Mel Vera we want to see.

Besides the lack of Mel presence, the biggest issue with "Red Rain" was, once again, the special FX.

Besides Galvin's ritual, they felt cheap. The intent behind the effects -- a red sky of blood, a flame circle of death -- they’re enticing! But the heavy-handed CGI feels unnecessary and cheats viewers out of the moment.

Such jarring CGI takes a viewer out of the Charmed universe. It's impossible to lose yourself in a show if things feel fake.

The blood rain worked. As did the infected patients. Less CGI equals truly terrifying apocalyptic scenery.

CGI or not, "Red Rain" did manifest a darker tone, and it worked. If the writers are serious about making this a consistent tonal change for Charmed (2018) Season 2, it will undoubtedly elevate the series.

Random Thoughts:

Can someone tell me why Galvin didn't get sick being around the Harbinger virus?

It's unfortunate Fiona got taken down. Leah Pipes is magnificent. Her death surpassed any other acting i've seen on the show yet. She is so committed.

BLESS THE HEAVENS, NIKO IS OKAY! Somebody get that ring back on her, STAT!

This was not an episode for love interests. Galvin sacrificed himself, Parker's an unhinged demon, Niko is in the hospital with, essentially, a brain tumor, and Charity straight up died.