Deja Vu All Over Again
Inspector Rodriguez killed his partner, Inspector Anderson, in the previous episode, and has found out about the Charmed Ones. He is really a demon sent by the Source to find out why the ranks of evildoers have been decimated over the past few months. The sorcerer Tempus appears to him. Tempus says he was sent by The Source to help kill the Charmed Ones, and offers to help Rodriguez.
Rodriguez calls in Andy and tells him that a supernatural being killed Anderson. He also knows Prue is a witch and wants to meet her. He will drop all charges against Andy, if Prue can help him find Anderson's killer. Andy pretends to scoff at the notion of Prue being a witch. Darryl enters; Andy says he needs to talk to Prue right away. Darryl reveals that Prue just called and wants to talk to him as well. Piper is at Quake planning a segment for the Food Network. She spilled marinara sauce on her dress, and asks Phoebe to bring her a new one. Across the street from the manor, a neighbor's car is hit. Prue has a newspaper announcing that Andy is suspected in Anderson's death. Phoebe takes the newspaper and has a premonition of herself and Piper bending over Andy's lifeless body. He looked as if he'd been hurled across the room by a demon or warlock.
Rodriguez meets Tempus near a clock shop. He fully expects Andy to warn Prue, and is also certain Piper and Phoebe will be with her when they meet. Tempus doesn't think Rodriguez is powerful enough to kill the sisters, but Rodriguez is confident he'll succeed.
Phoebe goes to Quake and tells Piper of her premonition. The producer from the Food Network comes in — an old classmate of Piper's, Joanne Hertz. Joanne brags about her life, humiliating Piper.
Prue goes to Andy and warns him of Phoebe's premonition. Andy suspects that the demon that killed Anderson is Rodriguez; it's the only feasible explanation for how he knows Prue's secret. Prue decides to meet Rodriguez at the manor, together with her sisters. Prue asks Andy not to come to the manor.
Rodriguez goes to the manor as Andy watches him enter. Kit is outside, and yowls at Rodriguez. Рings the bell and Phoebe answers the door. Rodriguez shows his badge. Phoebe calls for her sisters. Suddenly, Rodriguez' eyes turn fiery red, and he throws an energy ball at Phoebe, killing her instantly. He throws another at Piper, but she freezes it, and then Prue deflects it back at Rodriguez, killing him. Tempus resets time and summons Rodriguez, still convulsing from the energy ball. Tempus tells Rodriguez he will remember what happened the previous times and to learn from his previous mistake.
Phoebe has a deja vu experience. She believes the day is repeating, but Prue doesn't believe her. She hears the neighbor's car being hit again. Prue shows Phoebe the newspaper and Phoebe recognizes it, and the premonition.
Rodriguez cuts his deal with Andy again. He is in a much fouler mood than before. Back at the clock shop, Rodriguez remembers that he killed Phoebe before she could even react, but Piper froze the energy ball he threw at her. Tempus suggests anticipating where Piper will be and kill her first, before she has a chance to freeze him.
Phoebe goes to Quake and tells Piper of her deja vu. When Joanne shows up, Phoebe knows her name and her bragging. Piper freezes Joanne and Phoebe tells Piper what Joanne said the last time. She thinks the only reason she knows what's happening is that her power allows her to see the past and the future.
Prue, again, goes to Andy. Again, she plans to meet Rodriguez and warns Andy to stay away.
Rodriguez, again, goes to the manor, with Andy watching. Kit yowls at Rodriguez. Phoebe has been searching the Book of Shadows for information on time loops; all she's found is a spell to accelerate time. Rodriguez bursts through the door and kills Phoebe with an energy ball. Before Piper can make a move, Rodriguez throws another energy ball at her, killing her. He hurls a third at Prue, but she deflects it back, killing him again. Tempus resets time and, again, summons Rodriguez. Rodriguez says he succeeded in part by killing two of the sisters, but Tempus tells him to learn where he erred so he can get them all.
Phoebe, again, has her deja vu experience. She leads Prue to the window and shows her the neighbor's car being hit. She also tells Prue of her premonition, without having touched the newspaper. She's now convinced that they're caught in some sort of time loop and that she's the only one who recognizes this.
Rodriguez, now in a very foul mood, meets Tempus at the clock shop. He plans to kill Prue first this time.
Prue meets with Andy and tells him of the time loop. Andy suspects that the demon is after the Charmed Ones, not him. Prue still insists that he stay away from the manor.
Rodriguez, again, goes to the manor and, again, Kit yowls. Rodriguez glares demonically at Kit. Andy notices his reaction and realizes his hunch was right; Rodriguez is the demon. He pulls his gun out of the glove compartment and rushes out of his car.
The sisters find Tempus in the Book and see they must remove him from his time to send him away. At that moment, Rodriguez bursts into the manor and throws an energy ball at Prue, but Piper pushes Prue out of the way just in time. They both land hard on the floor; Prue is knocked out. Andy charges into the manor and shoots at Rodriguez, who kills him with an energy ball. However, Rodriguez is distracted and Piper freezes him. Piper and Phoebe tie Rodriguez to a chair. Phoebe wants to kill Rodriguez to restart the day and save Andy. Rodriguez is surprised that Phoebe knows about the time loop, and Phoebe reveals she knows about Tempus as well. Rodriguez dares Phoebe to kill him. Piper doesn't agree; she thinks that Rodriguez will kill them all, if the day is restarted again.
Prue meets Andy in a ghostly place. He knows he is dead, but thinks they weren't supposed to save him after all. He tells Prue to go back and continue the fight. Andy vanishes, and Prue hears Phoebe calling for her. Prue comes to and sees Andy dead. The sisters find the time-acceleration spell in the Book. Piper and Phoebe think they should roll back time, but Prue thinks they have to accelerate time to break the time loop and get rid of Tempus. Prue casts the spell and time rolls forward to midnight, breaking the time loop. Tempus cries out and bursts into flames. Prue unties Rodriguez; she realizes he wouldn't have needed Tempus if he was powerful enough to kill them. Prue orders him to leave. Rodriguez walks to the door, but then, whirls around and throws an energy ball. Prue deflects it back at him and he is finally vanquished for good. Prue breaks down crying over Andy's body.
Andy is cleared of Anderson's murder and is buried with full honors.
Piper quits her job at Quake. She wants to be a chef and own a restaurant. Piper and Phoebe find Prue sitting outside. She tells them that Rodriguez is now the prime suspect in Anderson's murder, but they'll never find him. Prue thinks about all that's happened since they became witches; their lives have been thrown off a lot, but they've done a lot of good. The sisters head back inside, and Prue telekinetically swings the door closed behind them.
Tropes
- Book Ends: The first and last episodes of the season end with Prue using her powers to shut the manor door.
- Dies Wide Shut: Andy dies with his eyes open. Phoebe closes them once she and Piper realise he's gone.
- Exact Words: Rodriguez tells Andy that he's certain his partner Anderson was killed by a supernatural being. Which is true... because Rodriguez is a demon and killed him.
- "Groundhog Day" Loop: Tempus creates one so that Rodriguez can have all the attempts he wants at killing the Charmed Ones.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: In every scenario Rodriguez gets killed, and every time it's his own attack reflected back at him.
- Idiot Ball: All of the characters throw this one back and forth throughout the episode.
- First, the sisters devise a plot to defend themselves from Inspector Rodriguez...by having Phoebe, the only sister without an active power, open the door for him. Prue's justification for this is that Phoebe has martial arts training in case he "tries anything." Never mind that Piper can literally freeze him the second he makes a threat, or that Prue has the best offensive power of the trio. Phoebe even lampshades this by complaining that she feels like cannon fodder, but they still proceed with the plan.
- Andy's Idiot Ball is what leads to his death. He insists on coming in to help the sisters, despite clear warnings that he will die if he does (and a decent enough understanding of the sisters to know they can handle themselves).
- The Source and Tempus resetting after Rodriguez killed Phoebe and Piper. Even if one assumes The Source already knew about Paige, with two of the Halliwell sisters dead the Power of Three is gone. Had the villains not insisted that all three girls be killed at once they likely would have eventually won.
- The girls, particularly Prue, choosing not to reset the loop again to try to save Andy. With Phoebe being more and more aware of what happens with each loop, they probably would eventually revise their plan enough to capture Rodriguez without anybody dying.
- Killed Off for Real: Andy Trudeau.
- One-Hit Kill: Rodriguez's energy blasts kill their target in one hit, including himself.
- Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Rodriguez has it, courtesy of Tempus. Phoebe's power of prophecy allows her to vaguely remember the previous iterations. Over the three iterations, Phoebe becomes savvier, while Rodriguez grows reckless and impatient.
- The Unfought: Tempus simply lets out a Skyward Scream and retreats once the Charmed Ones break the time loop.
- You Can't Fight Fate: Andy dying, since it occurs in the only iteration in which none of the sisters die and are thus able to break the time loop and vanquish Rodriguez for good. Andy himself lampshades it during his ghostly goodbye to Prue.
