You Can't Touch This

**You Can't Touch This** is the fourth episode of the third season of *Charmed* and the forty-fifth episode of the series overall. It aired on February 21, 2021.

## Synopsis

The Charmed Ones (Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffery) encounter a new, magical obstacle as they try to relaunch themselves in the human world. Also starring Rupert Evans, Jordan Donica and Poppy Drayton.

## Plot

The events of the episode take place three months after the rescue of the Black Amber tree. Mel plays “Morning Jams” on her iPod, and has accoutred herself in casual work attire. She is about to leave her room when Maggie alerts her that she is coming her way. Mel backs away as a precaution and informs Maggie that they leave in 15 minutes. Macy comes home after a morning run and is greeted by Mel. Mel informs Macy that Maggie has not yet prepared herself to leave. Macy is aggravated by this information, but brushes it away and prepares a refresher drink for her and her sisters. Melanie queries about Harry, but Macy implies that he will be returning soon. All three sisters acquire their drinks and assemble to leave, while remaining the appropriate feet away from each other. Macy wishes Maggie luck. Harry returns with a Moon Poppy, but unfortunately he is within the required distance and all three sisters are thrown back by the “curse.”

Macy applies aloe vera on her wrist injury. Harry apologizes but states that everything has changed. Macy brushes his little mistake away, but declares the problem temporary if they are able to put the moon poppy to work. Harry catechized Macy about the moon Poppy, but Macy is certain that their plan will work and comments “Tenth times the charm.” She informs Harry that it will take some time to brew a cure. Macy instructs Harry to wash up, and implies that they will be having sex tonight.

Maggie and Mel are walking to college, and Maggie asks about Macy’s rash. She is upset that she anticipated everything would go back to normal because of the Factions termination. Mel states that they have witnessed beneficial effects after their previous event as well. Maggie notices Jordan and attempts to hide from him. She informs Mel that she can’t come close to Jordan as well. Mel relates and mentions that her and Ruby are now in a “long distance relationship.” Maggie conveys that she is now focusing on herself and her one opportunity to impress Dr. Lawrence. Mel encourages Maggie, stating that she will do just fine.

Maggie enters her classroom early and calls to Dr. Lawrence. He is impressed that Maggie is early, and confuses Maggie with his assistant. Maggie implies that she is a new student of his. She makes an effort to engage with him, but Dr. Lawrence ignores her and converses with Antonio.

Meanwhile, Mel teaches a class on Marginalization. One of her students, Kevin, point out that Activism is a common way to oppose marginalization. Mel praises his statement, but adds that there are consequences as well. Two boys, Dylan and Trey, in her class utter a transphobic comment to Kevin, who is trans himself. Mel asks if they have anything to add but they reply that they don’t. After class, Mel comes up to Kevin and asks about the previous occurrence. Kevin recounts the previous transphobic pranks that the two boys played on him. Mel informs him that he can fight against them, but Kevin refuses. Mel is shocked that Kevin is Dylan's roommate, but again, Kevin brushes the previous occurrence away. Mel comes up with an idea. She implies that she can get the dean to add “Overcoming The Boundaries Of Gender” to the syllabus. Kevin is inspired by her statement.

At Safe Space, Harry runs into Jordan, and compliments his attire. Harry informs Jordan of his most recent mission. Harry implies that it isn’t working, but there is still hope. Before Harry leaves, Jordan asks him to give Maggie his regards.

Harry comes to Macy, who is working on the cure, with coffee. He asks how the progress is, Macy does not reply. Macy divulges that combining The Source and the tree sent a pulse through their bodies, and left behind trace elements in their blood. She theorizes that this pulse could be causing the pain and/or hives. Harry remarks that he is happy to see Macy pursuing her passion. Macy adds that if the blood cleanse works, they will be alone in Paris. Macy imbibes the potion, and Harry and Macy are about to come close to test if it worked.

Melanie is lounging on the sofa, skimming through “Overcoming The Boundaries Of Gender,” when Macy enters upset that her plan didn’t work. Harry enters a few seconds after, exasperated. Maggie soon enters afterwards, provoked by Dr. Lawrences ignorance. Mel is about to lock the front door when she is possessed by a mysterious being.

Macy has trouble sleeping, Maggie has fallen asleep after over-exerting herself, and we view Mel in her bed. She suddenly sits up, with yellow glowing eyes, an implication that she is possessed. Cut to, Melanie outside in a cemetery, digging up a grave, eyes still glowing.

The next morning we see Mel, with her normal eye color, walking to the kitchen. Maggie is in the kitchen as well, still studying for college. Maggie, aggravated, mentions how Dr. Lawrence mistook Maggie for his assistant. Mel states that Maggie should have stood up to him, but Maggie says that society prevents her from doing that. She declares that she stayed up all night color-coding and rereading each of the texts, and states “Antonio can stuff it.” Mel asks who Antonio says, and Maggie comments that he is her new nemesis. Maggie catches some dirt on Mels neck and points it out to her, calling it a “mud mask” before leaving the kitchen. Mel is confused by her comments and takes a compact mirror, viewing the dirt on her neck.

Macy is in her room, looking for more answers. Harry comes in with Breakfast-In-Bed. Macy denounces his actions, uttering that he is trying to make everything seem normal again. Macy is saddened by their current tribulation. Harry proposes a new idea.

Dr. Lawrence is teaching a class on intimacy. Maggie is called on and lists the types of intimacy, while also theorizing which intimacy types are the strongest. Maggie is about to finish her sentence when Antonio interrupts her with a new theory. Antonio keeps interrupting her until it gets to the point where Maggie snaps back at him. Dr. Lawrence calls her out and Maggie is overcome by the emotions of fear and panic. Maggie leaves the classroom in a frenzy.

Mel tries to convince Rebecca Eldon, the dean, to put “Overcoming The Boundaries Of Gender” in the syllabus. While Rebecca praises Mel on her teaching skills, she refuses Mels invocation.

Maggie enters the library in the middle of a panic attack, and uses a technique she learnt from Jordan to calm her. But Maggie, just like Mel, becomes possessed by the creature.

Macy and Harry use the revelation to find out the source behind their “allergy.” Macy tries to enchant the spell multiple times, but there is nothing as a result. Macy is saddened by the result and leaves. But when Harry is alone, the spell seems to work. A magical blast is fired at the wall, revealing an engraves stone covered in symbols.

A possessed Maggie is walking through the command center dragging a sack of bones. She piles the bones on top of each other.

Cut to an unpossessed Maggie coming down in the house. She finds a stick in her hair. She greets Harry who is curious why she skipped class. Maggie states that she must have slept through her alarm, and notices the rock. Harry is in distress about Macy, and Maggie points out that their relationship is worth fighting for.

Mel runs into Kevin, who implies that he received Mel’s email about the book. Mel is disappointed in the result, but Kevin adds that he appreciated her caring for him and the rights of Trans people. Kevin points out that he is happy to see that Mel got him his own private dorm room and bathroom. Mel asks when he will be moving in, and Kevin replied that he won't be. He says he learnt that he cannot be forced into the shadows, and that staying with Dylan will be his protest.

Macy is boxing in the gym and receives a text and a missed call from Harry, who attempts to comfort her. Macy is soon possessed, just like Maggie and Mel were.

Harry searches the house for Macy. Maggie and Mel are in the kitchen. Both of them have been having strange dreams preventing them from getting rest. They soon realize they’ve been having the same dream, or maybe it’s not a dream? Harry interrupts them asking for Macy. They theorize that somethings been possessing them, causing them to do something strange, and that Macy might now be possessed.

Macy is in the The Command Center, performing a spell to bring a creature back to life. Harry enters the Command Center and tries to get Macy to wake up but it does not work.

Maggie and Mel enter the Command Center to find Macy unconscious. They wake her up, and as they expected, she is confused about the dire situation. Maggie theorizes that Macy used a Body Restoration Ritual that required the Charmed Ones. Macy finally locates the location of Harry and they portal there.

The Charmed Ones find Harry unconscious in a forest, badly injured. Macy theorizes that they should use the Moon Poppy. Whilst Macy attempts to use the Blood Cleansing Potion, Mel and Maggie search for the creature. They run in opposition to the creature. She pours the potion down Harry’s throat and he is cured. Macy and Harry rush in to save the others. Macy uses Telekinetic Immobilization on the creature. Maggie uses Emotional Inception to calm the creature, and Mel uses Molecular Acceleration to make the creature implode. They find that the inner energy of the creature formed a glowing pattern on the ground.

The Charmed Ones learn that the glowing symbol was one of the symbols on the rock, and that the allergy is connected to the creatures. They learn that the symbols and the monster are over 10,000 years old. Whatever infected them is older than human civilization.

All three sisters drink wine in their home and joke about what they’ll call the monster. They decide on Chupa-Alma, which means Soul Sucker. Mel mentions how it's ironic that in the magical world they are powerful but in the real world she can't even teach the books she wants to. Maggie agrees and says she can't say a single word without getting spoken over by Antonio. They toast to change.

In Mel's class, she hands out "Overcoming The Boundaries Of Gender," ignoring the dean's injunction.

Maggie gives Dr. Lawrence “Men Talk Over Me: A Guide To Understanding Toxic Masculinity” and applies for the internship.

Macy sets up a Paris setting in the backyard and her and Harry have dinner together.

Meanwhile, in the forest, a full moon shines in a cloudless dark sky. Suddenly, an abnormal lightning bolt strikes the ground, forming a diamond-shaped portal, and a mysterious figure comes out of it. The creature that appears goes into the darkness and the portal instantly closes behind it.

## Cast

* Madeleine Mantock as Macy Vaughn
* Sarah Jeffery as Maggie Vera
* Jordan Donica as Jordan Chase
* and Rupert Evans as Harry Greenwood

Recurring Cast* Jason Diaz as Antonio
* J.J. Hawkins as Kevin
* Brian Markinson as Dr. Lawrence

Co-Starring* Wei Chung as Dylan
* Johnny Sutherland as Trey
* Clint Carleton as Creature

## Magical Notes

### Spells

* *Body Restoration Ritual*
	+ Used by the monster while possessing the Charmed Ones to utilize the Power of Three for the spell.
* *Magic Revealing Spell*
	+ Used by Macy to learn the origin of their illness. The spell blasted open a wall in the Command Center that revealed an ancient tablet.
* *Infectious-Spotting Mode Spell*
	+ Used by Macy to find themselves and the monster.

### Potions

* *Blood Cleansing Potion*
	+ Used by Macy in attempt to purify her own blood to no avail, then on Harry to save his life.

### Powers

* **Emotional Inception:** Used by Maggie to induce apathy to the monster, so that it would stop fighting back Macy's power.
* **Limited Shapeshifting:** Used by the monster while possessing Mel, Maggie and Macy to make their eyes glow yellow.
* **Molecular Acceleration:** Used by Mel to heat up the monster and cause it to blow up.
* **Orbing:** Used by Harry to travel around.
* **Possession:** Used by the monster to take over the Charmed Ones' bodies and utilize the Power of Three.
* **Portal Creation:** Used by Macy in the Command Center to find Harry and later by a mysterious creature to arrive in the world.
* **Resistance:** Used by the monster to fight against Macy's power, while Maggie's power was only briefly able to calm it down.
* **Telekinesis:** Used by Macy first to blast open the front door, later to levitate cups and feed Harry a blood cleansing potion.
* **Telekinetic Immobilization:** Used by Macy to trap the monster.
* **Tongue Elasticity:** Used by the monster in attempt to attack the Charmed Ones.
* **Venom Secretion:** Used by the monster to infect Harry through the wound.

### Artifacts

* **Book of Elders:** Used by the monster to cast the Body Restoration Spell.
* **Cypher:** Used to translate the book.
* **Moon Poppy:** Used to create the Blood Cleansing Potion.

## Trivia

* Ruby is mentioned. She was last seen in *Triage*.
* The Charmed Ones are back to using their own identities and their house has been uncloaked, because they no longer need to hide from the Faction.
* According to this episode, three months have passed since *Triage*. This means that now in this world it should be May 14, 2021.
	+ Just like in *Triage*, the events of this episode take place on a full moon.
* Poppy Drayton is credited in the CW's official summary, however, she does not appear in the episode.

## Answered Questions from Previous Episode(s)

* What is the mysterious force in the middle of the Command Center?
	+ A mysterious force pulsing through the Charmed Ones that repels them from those with magic, including mortals cursed by magic as a result of infusing the Source with the black amber tree. Whenever the Charmed Ones go near magical beings, cursed mortals or each other, the force knocks them back and gives them a skin rash.

## Unanswered Questions

* Will the Charmed Ones overcome their infection?
* What is the connection between the infection, the tablet and the ancient monsters?
* Who is this mysterious creature who came to the world through the dimensional rift?

## References to the Original Charmed

* The Charmed Ones resume their original identities, after faking their deaths. This also happened in the season eight, episode "Rewitched", of the original series.
* The Charmed Ones find out the monster they faced and the tablet they discovered is more ancient than human civilization. In the comics connected to the original series, the sisters faced off against the Old Ones, a powerful race of primordial demons predating written word.
* Mel blowing up the monster was somewhat similar to her counterpart's ability to cause explosions, though while Piper could almost always do so instantaneously, Mel's required time to build up the explosion.
	+ In the comic continuation of the original series, Piper was able to vanquish a demon with her own Molecular Acceleration power in "No Country Old Ones".

## Production Notes

* The episode was watched by 0.30 million U.S. viewers.
* The episode was initially intended to be the third season premiere. However, production was shut down indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the final three episodes of the second season being pushed back.
	+ Instead, this episode became the fourth episode of the third season.
* The episode aired exactly one year after the premiere of *Breaking the Cycle*.

## Quotes

**Maggie:** I may not be ancient symbol girl, but I did just take a class on intimacy. And sometimes when the physical side of a relationship isn't there, the emotional side can slip away, too. That's, that's what really counts. That's what's worth fighting for.

**Harry:** It's just my luck. I finally get together with the woman of my dreams, only for her to become allergic to me.

**Kevin:** My entire life, I've fought to be seen. If I let some insecure jock just shame me into the shadows, then what have I been fighting for? Dylan's just going to have to sit in his discomfort because I'm not going anywhere.

**Mel:** What about your discomfort?

**Kevin:** Forcing him to see me and get to know me, that's my protest.

## Gallery

* Promotional Images
* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes

Concept art
## Videos

* Videos

Charmed 3x04 “You Can’t Touch This” - Promo - The CW