Charmed (TV Series) Exit Strategy (2001) User Reviews

Welcome Home, Belthazor

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 27 April 2007]

While in the line waiting to have their passports, Leo and Piper argue and Piper realizes that her paralyzing power changed to an explosive one. Meanwhile Phoebe is worried with Cole, since he has disappeared for one week. In the Brotherhood of Thorn, Raynor has already disclosed the true love of Cole for Phoebe and he decides to turn him back in Belthazor, killing the love of Phoebe and bringing back his evil side. He assigns Cole to steal two halves of a powerful protective amulet and kill their owners. Cole gets the first half but spares the witch. However, Raynor kills the witch, making the sisters suspicious of Cole. When they rescue the second witch, Cole is followed by Tarkin and Raynor with a tragic conclusion.

"Exit Strategy" is a good episode, but the writer could have found a better way to end the love of Phoebe. The unfair and full of prejudice judgment of the Halliwell sisters regarding the behavior of Cole was not the best solution. The unexplained new power of Piper was also very weird. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Poder Explosivo" ("Explosive Power")

Thnigs blow up everywhere

[owlaurence · 8/10 · 13 May 2013]

This episode should be considered as the second half of a two-parter. Even though Cole's cover is blown, we discover what hold Raynor has on him --a surprisingly human one at that. Then Raynor sets him a series of assignments, supposedly to test his loyalty, actually to force him to get back in touch with his inner demon --in the hope that sooner or later, his repressed evil nature will get the better of him. While the amulets end up becoming a mere pretext, this plot is well-paced and introduces nice side characters (I just love Rachel Lutrell).

Beyond that, Piper finally acquires a second power, and boy does it shake things up. The link with her first power sounds a bit far-fetched, but it makes for delightful scenes and rather unpredictable results. Maybe it also illustrates how much Piper has changed from the timid, evasive girl of season 1 --even though she will always yearn for a normal life with an almost admirable single-mindedness.

But I am less happy with the ending, which seems to go for drama at the cost of consistency. First of all, we never really know why Cole suddenly snaps and kills the witch. For now, it seems as though Raynor's hold on his father's soul finally pushed him too far. Later on, it will be revealed that he was under a spell... a moment that is never shown on screen. Then I am of two minds concerning Phoebe's decision to destroy the de-powering potion. It does seem fitting to take away Cole's only hope of becoming human, since he has apparently embraced evil again; but considering Belthazor's background, is it really wise to let him keep his powers and possibly kill more people? Finally, there is the sad fact that this scene sums up Cole's fate over the next year(s): despite the Charmed Ones' mistrust and his own conflicting instincts, the guy fights tooth and nail to be good, all for the sake of Phoebe's love -- only to have her suddenly turn against him and condemn him without giving him a chance to explain. When you think that two episodes ago Piper and her were blithely turning people into pigs and smashing Leo to pieces, this really smacks of double standards.

I want to rate this with 1 star and then 8 (no, do not add together)

[sarine_voltage · 4/10 · 7 February 2024]

I loved watching this show when it came out and was all gung-ho The Power of 3. I'm re-watching the whole series again and catching things I didn't see the first time around, so here we go.

This was a good episode as far as being suspenseful and holding your interest goes (thus the 8 stars), but I've just got to say something about the whole "evil Cole" and "good Phoebe and sisters" bit of the tale, as the writing gets even more aggravating later (and thus the 1 star).

So we empathize with Cole struggling within himself as a half & half human/demon. He ASKS Phoebe to make a potion to strip him of his powers so he can be all good. He loves her. He goes to hell and back again, literally, trying to be good, helping "the good guys" while putting his own life in danger by spying on "the brotherhood" in the underworld, and to demonstrate his love for Phoebe.

He's doing the best he can and TELLS Phoebe he doesn't know how much longer he can keep on but she tells him he HAS to. Then Cole is blackmailed by Raynor (who's using Cole's father's SOUL as leverage) into going after a witch and her amulet and it culminates with a showdown in the girls' attic.

As Piper and Phoebe are downstairs fighting demons, Raynor shows up in the attic and knocks Leo out with a hell-ball or whatev, as he looks at the witch with the amulet Cole tells him to leave her out of it. Raynor's at Cole's throat as Phoebe bangs on the locked attic door. (With her being Miss Kickboxer-of-demons, why wouldn't she've just kicked the door down?)

So then we see Piper whsk the door with her powers, but it only opens slightly, enough for Phoebe to stick her head in. Raynor's urging Cole to kill the witch. Cole refuses. Raynor asks if she's worth sacrificing his father's soul for.

Now Phoebe hears/sees this, but this is when she goes all holier-than-thou on Cole and condemns him, smashing the power-stripping potion they'd made as he's reaching for it? He did everything he possibly could--even telling her when he couldn't go on anymore, but she made him--and then she won't let him have the potion so he can finally be good when she saw and heard how it went down?! It's just not right writing.

The charmed ones are supposed to be so "good" but they themselves do/have done way questionable things that're just swept away with not much more than a nod, then make severe judgement calls when it comes to someone else, Cole in particular.

In later episodes--SPOILER ALERT, STOP READING HERE--not once, but TWICE, Phoebe is the instigator of Cole and her ending up on evil's side and yet Cole is the one who gets blamed and condemned for it--when it's Phoebe who made both decisions!?!? And everyone else just goes right along with it? What kind of writing is that?

Re-watching episodes may be detrimental to your view of the charmed ones. 'Specially with rewind.

Breaking up is hard to do

[Realrockerhalloween · 10 September 2016]

The conclusion picks up where Raynor tries to turn Cole against his love. I know Piper and Phoebe want normal lives but why not pick men from the none magical variety. Another thing is Cole's father soul was transported into an orb, but we never learn the fate of his mother or what he does with the soul. Can he release it? An inconsistency it seems for the plot is Cole being taken over by his evil nature when he becomes Belthazar that carries over from this point on wars even though he had full control before, unless Raynor's ritual at the beginning changes the rules.

While I love the two parter, it breaks my heart to see the break up between my favorite couple who won't get together again until All He'll Breaks Loose when she develops a potion to break Raynor's hold on him. It was nice to see another coven again entrusted with a shield amulet as its been a while since other witches have been present and I wish one could overcome a demon as it seems only a charmed one can.

Also I thought it would be nice to show or mention Avalon as where the amulet came from since sword and the city reveals all magical weapons like Excalibur come from it. The two half amulet would be a big concern for them and they would step in to protect it. A good episode full of wonder and enchantment.