Phoebe using reverse phychology on Prue to avoid trouble

[gzv969]

A Painted World. Loved how phoebe talked her way out of getting into trouble with Prue after she had wrecked her car, by playing the victim. I always love this scene

(Phoebe starts to leave the kitchen.)

Prue: Uh, Phoebe?

Phoebe: What?

Prue: Aren't you forgetting something? My car keys?

Phoebe: They'd be with your car... which is at the body shop having an estimate.

Prue: An estimate?

Phoebe: Yeah, uh, I bumped... No, actually I backed your car into a pole last night.

Prue: A pole? You hit a pole?

Phoebe: Yeah, you don't even have to say it. I know what you're thinking. How could I be so irresponsible? How could I be so stupid?

Prue: Okay, irresponsible, yes. Stupid, no way. Where's that coming from?

Phoebe: It's coming from the fact that I'm the youngest sister, the one who always makes mistakes. The one who always causes problems. I mean, if anybody were gonna back your car into a pole and not tell you right away, it'd be me, right?

Piper: I think I'll just be going now.

Phoebe: See? Even the middle sister, the one that's supposed to stay neutral when it comes to family problems checks out on this one.

Piper: Yes, you're right. You're on your own.

Prue: Well, leave me out of it too. I don't want to argue with you. I just want to find a cab.

Phoebe: Well, whatever it costs, I will pay for the damages. And whatever the cab costs, I will pay for that too.

(Phoebe leaves.)

Prue: What just happened here?

Piper: I don't know anything about anything. I'm gonna go see Dan.

Prue: Piper! Just forget about the car. What about the man in the painting?

Piper: Well, unless he's real and screaming for help, forget about him. We shouldn't go looking for trouble. We have enough around here. I'm going next door.

(Piper leaves the kitchen.)

[Hexenwerk]

I like this scene a lot too, and it really speaks to how Phoebe and Prue's relationship at this point in the show had become much stronger as they've reconciled and tried to better understand each other, too. I think part of it is also Prue being both pragmatic and too invested with the painting to want to get into a row with Phoebe, especially when Phoebe is offering to cover the costs for the car and cab. It's funny, because in the first episode Phoebe promises to pay Prue back for the cab she took to reach the Manor, but I would not be surprised if Prue didn't believe her and/or she was never paid back. Kind of a nice parallel.

Phoebe could've had a lot of interesting job potential beyond advice columnist with that psychological skill that she has. Here she establishes herself as a victim before even being verbally attacked, skips that whole routine to jump right to the predictable outcome, and plays the sympathy/concern card by calling herself 'stupid' that diverts attention away from what could've caused a fight in the first place.

[gzv969]

Seems prue learned her lesson from earlier. It’s the same thing phoebe did in “The power of two” but I guess this time prue wasn’t ready to argue with her