A Couple Things I Never Understood.

[ljones]

In the storyline, it was implied that Phoebe earned her premonition power (partially) back in S7's "Styx Feet Under," when she showed selflessness.

I wonder how she had managed to achieve that feat.

[ArchAngel]

emceemike said:

archangel said:

Also he told the Avatar what he was up to so I am suspisious that they didn't set up that reality to contain him and brought Paige through to slay him with the intent of taking his hundres of demon powers for thier own (thus the Dramatic and prolonged death instead of just being snuffed out) and their apparrently not being weakened by his loss when they reappear.

You can't be sure that they weren't weekend by his loss, i mean they didn't reappear in the show for almost a season and a half after that episode.

Looked more like a dramatic "power stripping" effect followed by a "accention"/"decenstion" then a vanquish typical of the "Dark Powers" cleaning up after a Demon. (dark clouds surround, a hole opens up and the body and evidence is "cleaned up")

Also, Paige would have been killed as the artificially created by Cole Alternate world crumbled around her without her sneeze-orbing to be between the realities or "somebody" bringing her back to the real reality. (Actually doubt the Sneezing had anything to do with it)

They all but said they wanted Cole for his powers (the one he collected in the Wasteland + the ones he gained when he killed "The Beast")

[vandergraafk]

Here I must disagree. When Cole's alternative universe gambit played, this scenario would have dissolved since the person who had caused it to come into being - Cole as an Avatar - had been vanquised as Belthazor. Paige would not have died as this alternative reality crumbled. For her, she would have dissolved into an aural state and continued her original journey between planes that was interrupted when she orbed out of the original timeline.

The far more interesting question is why Paige was "captured" when she orbed between planes in the first place. Earlier in the episode, we see her orb in and out in the manor when Eve is looking elsewhere and not in Paige's direction.

Since there are many planes of existence, how is it that she ends up being caught in the alternative plane of existence created by Cole? The subtle notion, implied by never stated, is that the simultaneity of her sneezing and Cole's casting of the spell meant that she was swept up in the whirlwind that Cole's spell unleashed.

Unfortunately, that begs another question. For shimmering and orbing to function as well as they do, the actors must be in complete control. Their will to go from place x to place y through an astral plane must override these vortices. Or, the ability to create such alternative planes of existence must be so great that instances such as Cole's gambit are rare indeed.

I'll opt for the latter explanation and suggest that not only was Paige caught in Cole's alternative universe but any and every whitelighter or demonic shimmerer would also have been caught. Fortunately, we see this alternative reality from four perspectives only: Paige's, Cole's, Leo's and Avatar Alpha's. One can only imagine if some demons had orbed or a whitelighter or two. These beings might have encountered their doppelgaengers! Paige's unfortunately was dead, murdered most likely by alternative Cole before the power of three could be reconstituted.

[whitelightertony]

I wonder how she had managed to achieve that feat.

If I remember correctly, Phoebe was willing to risk her own safety to try to save Paige's life...even though Phoebe had been listed next on Death's list.