The Rules of Engagement

**The Rules of Engagement** is the eighth episode of the second season of *Charmed* and the thirtieth episode of the series overall. It premiered on December 6th, 2019.

## Synopsis

MID-SEASON FINALE — Maggie (Sarah Jeffery) makes a life-changing decision that her sisters and Harry (Rupert Evans) fear will destroy her. Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz, Jordan Donica, and Poppy Drayton also star.

## Plot

Maggie turns down Parker’s marriage proposal, he says they can change things for the better between witches and demons but she turns it down saying she’s too young and not ready.

Back at the house, Harry is healing the witch Layla who got hurt protecting the magical communities by demons unfortunately the others were taken. Mel wants to counterattack but the rest disagree and then Maggie decides to marry Parker to become family to attempt a truce between the two sides of demons and witches. Macy and Mel try to talk her out of it and seek other options but fails.

Maggie goes back to Parker and asks him to release the other witches to be released from the attack and he does. Parker tells Maggie about the demon oath which is where the other demons vow to protect him the Overlord and any family attached to him if they get married which would mean any attack on witches by demons would be forbidden. But Godric and another witch have a plan to try to stop the union.

Mel, Macy, and Harry try to come up with a way to prove the wedding shouldn’t happen. Mel decides to do a spell that runs her into a fly so that she can get information on Parker which is a curse, and in order to break it, she has to self reflect on something she needs to fix within herself. In an effort to speed up the wedding and stop attacks Parker and Maggie decide to get married immediately, she doesn’t trust Godric.

Mel and Macy discuss the drawing of Harry in her journal and she reveals it wasn’t him but of the Darklighter, Mel tells her that Harry admitted to having a feeling for her and suggest to Macy she should give it a shot.

Mel, Macy, and Harry arrive at the wedding and Mel turns herself into a fly. Harry goes off to find Abigael in the house to use her to stop the wedding and use her to advantage.

As a fly Mel goes into a room where Parker and Godric discuss the attacks and it’s revealed the demons stoke the ape from the magic tree, as Mel is buzzing around Godric swats the fly to the floor and she realized it’s time to break the curse and self reflect on inner issues in a mirror and it works, she goes off to tell Maggie what she earned about the attacks on the scared Grove and the apples, but as Mel tells her how she found out the information Maggie gets upset that she went behind her back to do this betrayal and asks her to leave the house but before she does she tells Maggie to check Parker’s office for the apples.

Harry and Macy continue searching for Abigael and they find her she quickly tells them about the assassination attack that’s planned for Parker and Maggie during the wedding, Abigael tells them she has a plan but they need to trust her.

Upset Mel is breaking a glass and makes a shocking discovery of black amber dining from cement in the command center which is the source of their powers

Maggie checks Parker’s office and finds the suitcase of apples. Parker walks in after Godric makes it seem as if she’s stealing the apples from him, Parker tells her he ate one of the apples. He makes the decision to move forward with the wedding and Macy can tell that Maggie wants out of the wedding, Abigael moves forward with her an as Parker and Maggie walk up to the altar and Godric is about to perform the blood ceremony with the dagger they push Parker and Maggie and the rest escape and runoff.

Back at the house, the sisters apologize to each other for how they treated one another. As Maggie touched the substance of black amber she gets a vision of Parker killing Jordan. The team rushes to stop it and set off a fire alarm to get the innocent people out of the way. The two men begin to fight and Mel freezes Parker with her powers from the amber but he escapes and a battle begins and just as he’s about to finish his attack on Jordan Abigael stabs him in the back with a dagger,

Maggie frantically asks Harry to help heal him but because Parker ate the apple he’s immune to magic and he disappears into thin air as black smoke.

Abigael makes a move on Harry by kissing him and Macy sees this interaction between them. In the end, we see Parker locked up in a cell by Abigael as it was in her plans all along to get him vanquished by the sister and take over the thrown to become the new Overlord.

## Cast

* Madeleine Mantock as Macy Vaughn
* Sarah Jeffery as Maggie Vera
* Poppy Drayton as Abigael Jameson-Caine
* Jordan Donica as Jordan Chase
* and Rupert Evans as Harry Greenwood

Co-Starring* Nathan Witte as Godric
* Zoe Wiesenthal as Layla Chapman
* Lia Lam as Susan #1
* Alyson Bath as Susan #2
* Anthony Bailey as Guard
* Abby DeForest as Female Guard

## Magical Notes

### Book of Elders

* *Mutatio*
	+ Used by Mel to transform into a fly. This is a curse that can only be broken by self-reflection. Mel was able to lift the curse on her.

### Powers

* **Energy Ball Generation:** Used by Parker in an attempt to attack Jordan, but the ball is never thrown.
* **Foresight:** Used by Maggie to see Parker attacking Jordan.
* **Healing:** Used by Harry to heal Layla and attempt to heal an injured Parker.
* **Immunity:** Used by Parker to temporarily gain immunity to magic by consuming an enchanted apple.
* **Mind Melding:** Used by Parker to scan through Maggie's memories.
* **Molecular Inhibition:** Used by Mel to encase Parker in ice.
* **Orbing:** Used by Harry to transport around.
* **Power Granting:** Used by Mel and Maggie, through the power of black amber, to get their powers.
* **Pyrokinesis:** Used by Macy to attack Parker and set off the fire alarm.
* **Smoking:** Used by Parker to transport around and by Abigael to appear behind Parker.
* **Supernatural Strength:** Used by Parker to attack Jordan.
* **Telekinesis:** Used by Abigael to send cinder into Godric's face and flip a dagger out of his hand.

### Artifacts

* **Black Amber:** Found in a tree hidden within a pillar at the Command Center. Caused Maggie to have a vision of Jordan's death and awakened Mel's Molecular Manipulation ability.
* **Book of Elders:** Used by Harry to look up the entry on the Shapeshifting Curse and later by Mel to look at the entry on the Black Amber tree.
* **Cypher:** Used by Harry to translate the entry on the Shapeshifting Curse.
* **Zagan's Dagger:** Used by Godric to attempt at performing the blood marriage ceremony on Maggie, then later used by Abigael to stab Parker in the back.
* **Apples From Hallowed Tree:** Used by Parker to make himself immune to magic.

## Trivia

* This is the mid-season finale of the second season.
* Alastor was mentioned. He was last seen in *Red Rain*.
* Layla Chapman returns in this episode. She was last seen in *Things to Do in Seattle When You're Dead*.

## Unanswered Questions

* What will happen now that Macy has seen Harry and Abigael kissing?
* What else is there that Abigael wants?
* Will Parker escape Abigael?

## References to the Original Charmed

* Mel gained the power of molecular manipulation in this episode. In the original show, Piper's power to freeze was based on molecular speeds. She also briefly gained the power of molecular inhibition when she temporarily turned into a warlock in season three.
* Parker creates an energy ball in this episode. The ability to create and throw energy balls was a common evil power in the original series.
* Maggie and Parker's wedding ceremony is reminiscent of Phoebe and Cole's, while he was the Source, in the season four episode, "Marry-Go-Round".
* Much like Cole's struggle in seasons four and five, Parker struggles with his dual nature, but gives into his demonic side.
* Mel used a curse to turn herself into a fly, similar to how Prue was turned into a dog by a spell cast by Piper and Phoebe.

## Production Notes

* The episode was watched by 0.61 million U.S. viewers.

## Quotes

**Maggie:** *"It will be like a power partnership. Beyonce and Jay-z. Barrack and Michelle."*

**Mel:** *"Brad and Angelina. Marriages go south, Maggie."*

**Maggie:** *"And then what? You think they're just gonna let you walk away? Did we not all just witness Layla bleeding out an hour ago? How many more names on that blackboard is it gonna take before we change course?"*

**Macy:** *"This sacrifice is too great."*

**Maggie:** *"That was amazing."*

**Parker:** *"That was the power of power."*

**Maggie:** *"So naive, thinking I could change thousands of years of history with..."*

**Mel:** *"Daring to dream is a revolutionary act. Dreamers change the world."*

**Mel:** *"A young visionary once said, "This is not the end. This is the beginning.""*

**Maggie:** *"Did you just compare me to AOC?"*

**Mel:** *"It may take you a while to dream up another way to bring peace, but if anyone can do it, it's you."*
## Gallery

* Promotional Images
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes

## Videos

* Videos

Charmed Season 2 Episode 8 The Rules of Engagement Promo The CWCharm Reboot - Powers (2x08)