It is time for Leo's judgement. The Elders impose a test on him to determine whether to keep him as an Elder and erase his memory of the Charmed Ones, or to make him mortal: he will lose both his powers and his memory, and be relocated, it is his actions that will determine his destiny. The Elders are not planning to play it fair, though. Meanwhile, Piper gets attacked by a demon who fatally poisons her, and, stuck between life and death, meets Cole.
Tropes
- And I Must Scream: Cole is trapped in a cosmic void and seemingly unable to be seen or heard. The ending, though, shows that's not entirely the case.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Before collapsing, Piper asked for somebody to please help her.Piper: What are you doing here?
Cole: You called for me.
Piper: I didn't call for you.
Cole: You asked for help, here I am. - Brought Down to Normal: Leo. It's originally just part of his test, but it becomes permanent when he makes his decision.
- The Chessmaster: Cole orchestrated everything, including Drake's year as a human.
- Crazy-Prepared: Leo wrote a message in the Book of Shadows to Wyatt and Chris about having Whitelighter healing powers. Drake comes across this and makes use of it to save Piper.
- Death Is Cheap: Cole says Piper has to actually die in order for Leo to feel her. She does, and she's soon healed by Wyatt.Piper: Oh no! Am I dead again?
- Deus Exit Machina: Leo is sent on his test immediately, leaving the Charmed Ones without their resident healer when they need one most.
- Easily Forgiven: Downplayed. The Elders can't simply excuse Leo's actions, but they concede that he was pushed over the edge by Gideon's betrayal. That and him being torn between two worlds are why they give him a test to see where he truly belongs. Odin says that should Leo find himself drawn to the Elders instead of Piper, he will be welcomed with open arms.
- Healing Hands: Drake uses the tips Leo left in the Book of Shadows to have Wyatt heal Piper this way. Presumably, Wyatt's love for his mother is how he was able to activate the ability.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Cole has come to terms with never being with Phoebe and just wants to make sure she never gives up on love. He feels genuinely bad that he damaged her ability to sustain a relationship.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In the opening scene Piper comments that the alleyway looks exactly the same as the last 150 they've been in. This is the 150th episode of the show.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Cole observes he and Leo are a lot alike in that they both tried to change the worlds to save their marriages. Piper counters by saying they're actually Not So Similar.
- Only Mostly Dead: Piper is separated from her physical body, but Cole notes she's not technically dead yet.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: The cosmic void that Piper and Cole are in keeps them from being seen or heard by just about everyone. Piper is also still attached to her body, so she's technically not a ghost and can't travel very far.
- Pet the Dog: Piper thanks Cole for what he's done—referring to him as an old friend.
- The Power of Love: The big theme of this episode. Drake keeps insisting this to Phoebe, while Cole argues the same to Piper. Cole even says he could always feel whenever Phoebe was in pain. The point of Leo's test is to see if he will indeed be drawn to Piper. When Piper dies while calling out to Leo, he feels the psychic jolt and wants to go to her.Piper: I thought you were never gonna find your way home.
Leo: It was your faith that brought me back. I could hear you calling me, like you were right there next to me. - The Power of Trust: Part of getting out of this mess involves Piper needing to trust Cole. To that end, he has to trust her with his real motivation in all this.
- Rewatch Bonus: Irritated with the situation, Piper suggests that someone go check the Book of Shadows. Drake immediately proposes doing just that. Seems like a Strange Minds Think Alike moment, but the ending reveals that Drake was in on Cole's plan the entire time and could see them. Ditto his glance in Cole's direction after Piper wakes up from the coma.
- Shout-Out to Shakespeare: Cole observes that Phoebe "doth teach the torches to burn bright."Piper: Since when do you quote Shakespeare?
Cole: It's a recent affliction, actually. - The Unreveal: Cole is deliberately vague on just what kind of creature he is now.
- We Used to Be Friends: Piper hasn't forgotten her distrust of Cole from Season 5, but he counters with how well he actually knows her.Cole: Remember, I go all the way back to Prue. I was actually at your wedding.
- Wham Shot: Cole's first appearance.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Piper accuses Cole of working some kind of con to break out of the cosmic void. He admits to having an ulterior motive in all this, but not that.
