I am really appreciating Sam's care and attention to detail and ethics in her use of charm magic. A lot of times stories kind of gloss over how fucked up that kind of thing is when the "good guys" do it. Now, it's an adventure story, there's going to be combat and shenanigans, I just feel like messing with someone's willpower and brain should be on par with the hack and slash mundane violence that also happens in those stories.
They made it clear that this particular magic wasn't imposing a new alien thought, merely amplifying something already present, as if to make it ok, and I really appreciate how Sam still recognizes the horror and lack of consent in that anyway. She lower's people's inhibitions, like a drug. Sure, maybe deep down (or not so deep down) there might be a desire or an impulse somewhere, the important part is the ability to act or not act on those impulses of your own free will.
Setting aside all of the normal amounts of random thoughts and desires someone might have and NEVER act on for a variety of incredibly good reasons. Have you ever stood next to the edge of a cliff or ledge and had your brain, just for a split second, suggest jumping? With 0 suicidal intent by the way, just a fucked up little "huh that would be wild," and then it's gone. Under the "rules" of Sam's magic, that still counts, it was already inside you after all, she didn't invent it.
And that's just neurotypical levels of brain fuckery. Speaking of suicide, that's also a "desire already within someone" she could amplify if you wanted to get real dark about it. Or imagine if she got ahold of someone with ocd or schizophrenia or kleptomania or something. Those ARE in your brain already. Somebody with ocd might "want" to spend the next 6 hours washing their hands until they crack and bleed, that doesn't mean it's a good thing. And if she has the power to strip away impulse control that is horrifying and I really respect her for knowing that.
