Surrender

There is some good stuff in here, although you have to work through a lot of so-so stuff to get to it. The Villain of the Week is rather two-dimensional and disposeable; Tyler Blackburn does his best and makes him a rather creepy megalomaniac, but his scheming with a bunch of nameless victims (the only one we really get to know spends the last two thirds of the episode as a silent zombie) is the least interesting thing on show here. It also results in Niko once again being dragged into an episode that doesn't really require her (with her fiance being even superfluous). Her only real function, apart from bringing a case to Mel for rather flimsy reasons, is to provide a contrast with Jada, as Mel finally works out that joining a group that want to take over the world might not have been the best choice.

With Parker and Galvin both MIA and a frustrating lack of follow-up to Charity's escape (have the Elders even noticed she didn't make it to Tartarus?), the real meat of the episode is yet another threat to the Charmed One's bond with Harry. Mel is the most proactive again in trying to help him but it all seems to be no avail until the final twist. Fiona is definitely proving to be no more trustworthy than her sister, but aside from some very dodgy make-up on Rupert Evans, these scenes pack an emotional punch.