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Morality Bites is the 2nd episode of the second season and the 24th overall episode of Charmed.

Summary[]

For a complete plot of Morality Bites, go here.
To read the full script of Morality Bites, go here.

Phoebe has a horrifying premonition of her own execution, so the sisters cast a one-time spell that catapults them into the future to try to change her fate.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Stars[]

Featuring[]

Magical Notes[]

Spells[]

To Move Ahead in Time[]

ToMoveAheadInTime

To Move Ahead in Time

Phoebe Halliwell had a premonition from the future of 2009, in which she saw herself getting burned. In order to find out what happened she and her sisters, Prue and Piper, went to February 2009. They did this through the use of this spell. Leo Wyatt, the sisters' Whitelighter, was contacted earlier by his bosses. He had to open the Book of Shadows to the spell without being caught by the sisters and did so. Although Phoebe had written the date on a piece of paper, which was two weeks before she was to be burned, the sisters actually arrived on the exact date of her execution due to the meddling of Leo's bosses.

On a piece of paper, write the date and year
on which you would like to arrive.
Ignite as you recite....
Hear these words, hear the rhyme.
We send to you this burning sign.
Then our future selves we'll find,
In another place and time.
This spell can only be used once.
After which, it disappears....

Return Spell[]

Return Spell

Return Spell

Prue and Piper planned to use this spell before their sister would be burned to death. They found the Book of Shadows in a wall safe in Prue's office at Buckland's and sought for this spell. Piper mentioned that it was after the demon with the tusk and before the To Discourage a Lover spell. However, the spell wasn't there anymore, suggesting that their future lives had already used it once.

Take us back from whence we came.
To time and place that are the same.
Let past be present, that time regain.
Can only be used once, the spell disappears as soon as the spell is cast.

To Create a Door[]

To Create a Door

To Create a Door

Prue and Piper planned to break their sister out of Hobart State Penitentiary. In order to get into the prison unnoticed, they used this spell. Prue remarked that Piper had drawn the door too small, however, they were able to enter the prison.

When you find your path is blocked,
All you have to do is knock.
Requirements: Mark out a door over the area where the door should be created, and then knock two times on the door after the spell is cast.

Erase a Memory[]

To Bind BOS

Erase a Memory

Prue and Piper were looking for spells that they could use to help their sister. Whilst flipping through the Book of Shadows, Prue noticed that there were many new spells, all marked. This was one of those new spells.

Thoughts, beliefs, ideas, truths, images.
All of these you hold onto tightly.
What I now mention you will release.

To Bind[]

2x02-ToBindEntry

To Bind

Piper wanted to bind the powers of her daughter to protect her from being exposed, even though her daughter made the promise never to use her powers again. In the end, Piper couldn't go through with it and decided not to bind her daughter's powers.

I take your hands in mine,
And with this string I will entwine,
Your powers I'll forever bind,
From now until the end of time.

To Discourage a Lover[]

Discouragelover

To Discourage a Lover

Determined to save their sister, Prue and Piper planned to use the Return Spell before she would be burned to death. They found the Book of Shadows in a wall safe in Prue's office at Buckland's and sought for the Return Spell. Piper mentioned that it was after the demon with the tusk and before this spell.

Your love for me shall be no more.
Make your feelings only pure.
Look upon another face.
There's will mine now replace.

To Induce Slumber[]

A spell which causes the intended target to fall asleep.

A Glamour to Change One's Appearance[]

It presumably has the same effect as glamouring.

To Create Money[]

A spell which, like its name says, creates money. It is thought that this spell would fall against the rule of Personal Gain, but it's possible that it has a condition, such as only to buy important potion ingredients, etc.

To Bend Someone's Will[]

It allows the caster to bend the target's will. It may have a similar affect to the To Promote Compromise spell.

Powers[]

  • Molecular Immobilization: Used by Piper to freeze Nathaniel Pratt and everything in the city block. She later froze Leo, a guard and the stake room.
  • Telekinesis: Used by Prue to fling the dog's poo onto Nathaniel Pratt's shoe.
  • Premonition: Phoebe received a Premonition of herself being executed in 2009. She later received another Premonition of herself killing Cal Greene.
  • Orbing: Type of Teleportation used by Leo.
  • Literary Manipulation: Used by Leo to search for information rapidly in the Book of Shadows, leaving it open on the spell to Move Ahead in Time.
  • Advanced Telekinesis: Used by Prue to generate a wave of telekinetic energy, destroying a part of the attic.
  • Levitation: In her premonition, Phoebe levitated herself and Cal Greene.
  • Psychic Reflection: In her premonition, Phoebe overloaded Cal's brain with the emotions he felt while attacking his victims and with the images and emotions of his victims.

Terms[]

  • Witch Trials: An event in which witches are hunted down by both Witch Hunters and townspeople. The witches are either hung, immersed in water, or burned at the stake. There were two major Witch Trials in history; the Salem Witch Trials and the 2009 Witch Trials, of which the last one was started by Phoebe Halliwell.

Artifacts[]

Notes and Trivia[]

Charmed Promo season 2 ep

promo

ToAnotherPlaceInTime

The alternate version of "To Move Ahead in Time".

  • This episode scored 6.3 million viewers.
  • This episode's opening credits only feature the three main actresses; Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, and Alyssa Milano. This is the only episode in the series to feature such a special opening.
  • This is also the first episode to feature an exclusively female cast. This will happen again in season 8 from "Mr. & Mrs. Witch" to "Gone with the Witches".
  • This episode is a prime example of "The Domino Effect" as the sisters used their magic for petty vengeance, which in turn causes Phoebe's death.
  • This is the fourth episode in the series which does not include demons, warlocks, or any other supernatural evil.
  • The effects sound for Piper's power was echoed to represent its growth.
  • The "To Move Ahead in Time" entry has an alternate version which could be seen onscreen.
  • The Elders call Leo for the first time in the series.
  • Leo orbs away while kissing Piper, something which he has done previously (in "Love Hurts") and will continue to do later. Piper mentioned she hates it when he does that.
  • This episode marks the third time that Phoebe dies, although, this time, she died in the future rather than the present.
  • The reason for Piper and Leo's divorce in 2009 is that Piper wouldn't let Leo become mortal for her by clipping his wings. Ironically, Leo being mortal becomes a problem in season 8.
  • It is revealed that the Elders can send Phoebe a premonition.
  • This is the only episode in which all three sisters visit the future together.
  • It is revealed on the BoS DVD set features that Prue's Advanced Telekinesis was accomplished by hooking every heavy piece of furniture from the attic to a Chevy Suburban. A hole was made through the wall for the cable and the Chevy Suburban was then driven, demolishing the furniture and a piece of the attic set.
  • The Latin pages of Nell, which would appear to us later in The Painted World, can briefly be seen in this episode when Leo flipped through the pages.
  • "Morality Bites Back", a one-shot about Phoebe, returned to the events of this episode.
  • In the original future, Prue has blonde hair. Ironically, Prue's new body in the comics has blonde hair.
  • This is the first time that the Charmed Ones learn the consequences of using magic for personal gain. They reiterate this lesson in "Crimes and Witch-Demeanors" when Phoebe loses her powers for forcing premonitions.
  • Although Melinda is born after Wyatt and Chris, she is the first child of Piper and Leo to appear in the show. Her older brother Wyatt being first shown in "The Day the Magic Died", and Chris being first shown in "Oh My Goddess! Part 1". However, formally Melinda Wyatt shown in this episode was erased and later another Melinda Halliwell was born.

Cultural References[]

  • The title of the episode is a reference to the movie Reality Bites (1994).
  • While Piper is in the future and is watching TV, a commercial for "Real World 18: On the Moon" comes on. This is a reference to the MTV series The Real World.
  • Pratt's line "I love the smell of burnt witch in the morning!" is a reference to the famous "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning!" line from the film "Apocalypse Now".

Continuity Errors[]

  • The return spell is clearly visible in the 2009-Book of Shadows, although Prue previously claimed that it wasn't in the book anymore.
  • The size of the door that Piper has drawn on the prison wall is smaller after Prue cast the spell.
    • Also before the door swings open, Piper's shadow is cut at the left side of where the door opening is.
  • When Prue, Piper, and Phoebe return from the future, Prue and Piper hug Phoebe in relief. In the following shot, Piper wraps her arm around Phoebe again.
  • While looking through the 2009-Book of Shadows at the manor, Prue flips through the same pages over and over again.
  • When Prue and Piper walk to Prue's office at Buckland's, Prue's assistant was supposed to close the door just as Piper walks through. But she's seen walking to the other door before it closes.
  • When Prue, Piper, and Phoebe return from the future, Piper turns on the TV to the "Cal Greene" report, then the dog barks; but Phoebe gets the premonition while watching the Cal Greene report after they got revenge on Nathaniel Pratt.
  • Prue mentions to Piper that she now has a "huge office" in 2009, but later when they go to Bucklands to get the Book of Shadows, she still has the same office she always had.
  • When Prue was flipping through the pages of Book of Shadows to find a way to rescue Phoebe and showed the "To Create A Door" spell for the first time. She turned to that page again but with the prison map this time.
  • When Prue says "okay, one to create money, to bend someone's will" , she was actually looking at the "Return Spell" page which is not supposed to be there, because it has already been used according to her in the office scene at Buckland to get the Book of Shadows from the wall vault.
  • When the Elders asked Leo to mislead the sisters (without knowing the reason why) to cast the " To Move Ahead in Time" spell, it was actually two blank pages of the book, and on the next shot it's already in front of the sisters.

Music[]

  • This episode features Stroke 9's song Tail Of The Sun.

Gallery[]

Screencaps[]

Quotes[]

Melinda: Don't worry, mummy. I promise I'll do what you ask. I won't use my magic again ever.

Piper: Prue, what's going on?
Prue: I don't know, but I could really get used to this. Check me out. I don't just work at Buckland's, I own it. And three more. Paris, Tokyo, and London.
Piper: And you're blonde.

(A guy holding a cup of coffee bumps into someone and Piper freezes him before it spills. They look around and notice everything is frozen.)
Prue: Okay, apparently my power isn't the only one that's grown. You just froze ...
Piper: Everything. What a difference a decade makes.

Phoebe: Why does everyone think I killed someone? I wouldn't. I mean, I couldn't. What did I do? Premonition the man to death? My power is passive.
Leo: Not in the future. It's grown. It's changed. As have you. Which means unfortunately you have to suffer to consequences.

(Piper gets back in the car. Prue looks upset.)
Piper: What is it? What's wrong?
Prue: I have no one to say goodbye to. My life, they didn't even know who you were at the office, my own sister. If we die tonight, my tombstone will read "Here lies Prue, she worked hard."
Piper: We're not gonna die. We are gonna find a way back to the present and we'll create a new future.

Hallway Guard: Freeze!
Piper: Good idea! (does the hand gesture and freezes the guard)

International titles[]

  • French: La chasse aux sorcières (The Witch-Hunt)
  • German: Hexenjagd (Witch Hunt)
  • Hungarian: Utazás a jövőbe (Travel to the Future)
  • Italian: Viaggio nel Futuro (Trip to the Future)
  • Polish: Sprawdzian czarownic
  • Russian: Уроки морали [Uroki morali] (The Lesson of Morality)
  • Serbian: Moral Ujeda
  • Czech: Výčitky svědomí (Compunction)
  • Slovak: Spravodlivosť a trest (Justice and Punishment)
  • Spanish (Spain): Mordiscos de Moralidad (Morality Bites)
  • Spanish (Latin America): Viaje al futuro (Trip to the Future)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): Moralismo Mordaz (Morality Bites)
Previous Episode:
Witch Trial
Next Episode:
The Painted World
Episodes: Season 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
Comics: 9 - 10
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