Shax Attack: Original vs Reboot Discussion

[Avrilana]

Here's what I don't get, if they wanted to do a new show, AND call it Charmed, why didn't they go the route of Wyatt, Chris, Piper's daughter, Phoebe's girls, and Paige's three?  Am I the only one who would absolutely LOVE that?

[ursula]

8 hours ago, Avrilana said:

Here's what I don't get, if they wanted to do a new show, AND call it Charmed, why didn't they go the route of Wyatt, Chris, Piper's daughter, Phoebe's girls, and Paige's three?  Am I the only one who would absolutely LOVE that?

I didn't know that Paige had 3 daughters. Definitely feel that this was a missed opportunity. Enough time had passed between the series that they could have pulled this off by recasting older!Paige. I can only imagine that either it was a licensing/intellectual property issue, or the new showrunners really did not want to work with any of the original cat. 

Edited November 19, 2018 by ursula

[Apprentice79]

20 hours ago, Avrilana said:

Here's what I don't get, if they wanted to do a new show, AND call it Charmed, why didn't they go the route of Wyatt, Chris, Piper's daughter, Phoebe's girls, and Paige's three?  Am I the only one who would absolutely LOVE that?

I hated that they all had 3 kids each. I could see Piper having 3 daughters. Phoebe with 2 kids a boy and a girl, Prue with a son and Paige being childless.

I wish that the reboot was about the descendants of Prue, Piper and Phoebe.  The reboot would have had an alternate reality where Prue  and Andy never died Leo was never a permanent fixture in their lives, Paige never came on the show.  It would be written and produced by Constance Burge. The best part would be, no Brad Kern and Constance would be free to realize her vision on a series that was based on herself and her 2 older sisters..

Edited November 20, 2018 by Apprentice79

[ursula]

7 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

I hated that they all had 3 kids each. I could see Piper having 3 daughters. Phoebe with 2 kids a boy and a girl, Prue with a son and Paige being childless.

 

Weren't Piper's sons already existing on the show? If anything, I think fans would have disliked this alternate version more.

[Apprentice79]

3 hours ago, ursula said:

Weren't Piper's sons already existing on the show? If anything, I think fans would have disliked this alternate version more.

Yes, I doubt the sons would have existed if Constance Burge had remained on the show. 

[Lady Calypso]

23 hours ago, ursula said:

I didn't know that Paige had 3 daughters. Definitely feel that this was a missed opportunity. Enough time had passed between the series that they could have pulled this off by recasting older!Paige. I can only imagine that either it was a licensing/intellectual property issue, or the new showrunners really did not want to work with any of the original cat. 

Paige had twin girls and a son, actually.

Despite there being a lot of interest in a Next Gen revival, they decided to go with a full on reboot instead. I'll never fully understand it, but I guess they think they'll gain more viewers with a new set of witches in a new'ish universe, rather than a revival of a cult show with some characters already previously established.

11 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

I hated that they all had 3 kids each. I could see Piper having 3 daughters. Phoebe with 2 kids a boy and a girl, Prue with a son and Paige being childless.

I wish that the reboot was about the descendants of Prue, Piper and Phoebe.  The reboot would have had an alternate reality where Prue  and Andy never died Leo was never a permanent fixture in their lives, Paige never came on the show.  It would be written and produced by Constance Burge. The best part would be, no Brad Kern and Constance would be free to realize her vision on a series that was based on herself and her 2 older sisters..

I actually wouldn't have liked that, because I genuinely grew to love Paige. She ended up being my second favourite sister behind Prue. 

[mammaM]

On 11/19/2018 at 2:03 AM, Avrilana said:

Here's what I don't get, if they wanted to do a new show, AND call it Charmed, why didn't they go the route of Wyatt, Chris, Piper's daughter, Phoebe's girls, and Paige's three?  Am I the only one who would absolutely LOVE that?

Well, the original ended 12 years ago, so unless it's set in the future the kids would all be........well kids. They'd be too young. And I can't find the article so take this with a grain of salt, but I remember reading that the new showrunners didn't want to work with original cast members

[Apprentice79]

31 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Paige had twin girls and a son, actually.

Despite there being a lot of interest in a Next Gen revival, they decided to go with a full on reboot instead. I'll never fully understand it, but I guess they think they'll gain more viewers with a new set of witches in a new'ish universe, rather than a revival of a cult show with some characters already previously established.

I actually wouldn't have liked that, because I genuinely grew to love Paige. She ended up being my second favourite sister behind Prue. 

I liked Paige too, but, they made her a mini Phoebe.  I would have liked Paige to have been the daughter of Gram's brother who had a Warren power, but, was not charmed.  It would have been cool to see how her powers differs from the sisters.  

I think that there was something so special about the original power of 3. The show lost something with Constance's departure when season 3 was being mapped out and Shannen's firing at the end of season 3. 

[Avrilana]

I disagree that they made Paige a mini Phoebe.  I think they made Prue WAY too powerful compared to Piper and Phoebe.  I'm pretty sure that was Shannon's ego and at least partially why she was fired.  Also, I really loved the dynamic with Piper, the nurturer, as the oldest.  Anyway, I don't think it would matter too much if if a show with their kids was set in the future, but even if it was in the present, Chris and Wyatt would be what like, at least 13 and 15?  And the youngest could be maybe 9.  I think that would be cool to watch the kids grow into their powers and it be a total charmed family coven.  But even if they set 5 years in the future...  OR, in five years we get a new show!  That would be cool. 

 

I guess I have an unpopular opinion in being glad Prue was killed off.  But I really didn't like how every story line was Prue Prue Prue.  Piper and Phoebe were like sidekicks when she was on the show.  Paige made it seem more like an actual power of 3.

 

As for the number of kids, of COURSE they had 3 each.  The whole show revolved around the number.  And since Piper already had 2 boys and she HAD to have a girl, they evened it out with Paige's twins and one little boy.  I also love that Phoebe had 3 little girls.  They suit her.  And CW or whomever has the rights now, CBS?, would have been smart to make maybe an early primetime or Friday night and make it a kids/tween/teen show. 

[Esmeralda]

I definitely loved Paige the best of the second set, mainly because I disliked Piper and Phoebe so much.  Since Piper already had the two boys and Phoebe foresaw Ladybug, I always saw those three as the next generation, so they couldn't be Charmed since they aren't all the same family.  I'd want their Aunt Prue to be their whitelighter so neither boy would make their mother's and grarndmother's mistake of falling for their whitelighter..  Paige - well for me, I always thought Paige panic-orbed  after the explosion, She grabbed Henry and FINALLY escaped her selfish/self-centered half-sisters, leaving them in the lurch.  If she *had* to stick around her half-sisters, since both she and Henry were adopted, I can see them doing that.

As for the Forever Crap, I mean Forever Piper, I mean Forever Charmed  - I always saw that as Piper's delusion as she died in the Kill Billie, Vol 2 explosion  (no way her powers could protect her from the explosion!  Just a bruise on her forehead??? No broken bones?? Give me a break!) ) and what she saw is what she wanted for her family, not necessarily what *they* wanted...  It's why she didn't even know her daughter's name - because she never had a daughter.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Apprentice79]

1 hour ago, Esmeralda said:

I definitely loved Paige the best of the second set, mainly because I disliked Piper and Phoebe so much.  Since Piper already had the two boys and Phoebe foresaw Ladybug, I always saw those three as the next generation, so they couldn't be Charmed since they aren't all the same family.  I'd want their Aunt Prue to be their whitelighter so neither of them would make their mother's/aunts and grarndmother's mistake of falling for their whitelighter..  Paige - well for me, I always thought Paige panic-orbed  after the explosion and before Piper came to, Paige grabbed Henry and FINALLY escaped her selfish/self-centered half-sisters, leaving them in the lurch.  If she *had* to stick around her half-sisters, since both she and Henry were adopted, I can see them doing that.

As for the Forever Charmed, I mean Forever Piper, I mean Forever C - I always saw that as Piper's delusion as she died in the Kill Billie, Vol 2 explosion  (no way her powers could protect her from the explosion!  Just a bruise on her forehead??? No broken bones?? Give me a break!) ) and what she saw is what she wanted for her family, not necessarily what *they* wanted...  It's why she didn't even know her daughter's name - because she never had a daughter.

Your post is perfect. Paige was the most likeable in the second set of sisters.  Phoebe took a hit when she met Cole in season 3 and she never recovered from that character assassination.  Season 1 and season 2 Phoebe was so awesome.  She was all about saving and helping innocents. Her disappointment in not having an active power made her work extra hard by studying the book of shadows, learning karate, testing the limits of her powers and becoming the best spellcaster in the original power of 3. It makes me sad to not know what big plans Constance had for her.  Damn you Brad Kern! 

Also, I think that Phoebe should have been superwitch in season 3 and not Prue. Phoebe has always embraced her destiny as a charmed one. She never wavered from that in the first 2 seasons. 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Apprentice79

[Esmeralda]

At another site, we're having fun coming up with what our idea of a Charmed reboot that doesn't include the Halliwells would be like. - we agree that Classic Charmed had too many problems and it's best to start fresh, but respect the original.  I'd like to share my two favorites.

Quote

ELEMENTAL CHARMED

BACKSTORY:

Prudence Warren, a witch born from a long matriarchal line of witches who have always lived in Warren Manor in Salem, MA, always said everything happens for a reason, but nothing comes without a price…

She has known that she has the Elemental power of Spirit when she started having premonitions as a teenager. While studying to become a doctor, she married fellow witch, Allen Halliwell, and gave birth twice (with Allen agreeing to let their daughters carry the family name of Warren if any son carried his family name of Halliwell). When they grew older, Prudence discovered that her older daughter, Patience, had the Elemental power of Earth, while her younger daughter, Paige, had the Elemental power of Air. When Prudence's premonitions revealed that her two future granddaughters would have the other two Elemental powers of Water and Fire, she realized that her family was destined to become the powerful Elemental Witches who would be able to wield the Power of the Elementals. She began training her daughters in the Craft in order to prepare them for what would eventually happen to them and their own daughters, especially after a warlock murdered Allen while th girls were still young.

While still a teenager, Paige fell in love with an older man, Sam Wilder. Although Prudence warned her against him so Paige eventually broke up with him, a couple months later she discovered she was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, Peyton. When Prudence, Patience, and Paige discovered that Peyton had the Elemental power of Water, and when a couple years later Patience married non-magical Victor Bennett and had their daughter Piper, who had the Elemental power of Fire, the Warren family was certain that those five would become the Elemental Witches with each of Prudence's daughters having one child, who were cousins.

This changed when Sam came back and began influencing his eight-year-old daughter. When Peyton used her firepower to kill a classmate who was teasing her, she became a warlock like her father. Under his influence, Peyton turned on her family and much as it hurt the family, especially Paige, they ended up having to vanquish their own daughter/niece/granddaughter  and they were sure all was lost.

But this changed five years later, when Piper was ten and Patience gave birth to Phoebe, who had the same Elemental power as Peyton - Water. That's when Patience decided to try to protect her daughters from what had happened to her niece, Peyton. Patience bound her daughters' powers and then the three older Warren witches placed a cloaking spell on Victor and the girls before Victor, Piper and Phoebe relocated to the other side of the country in San Francisco. This way the girls could be raised by their father and be protected while also having a normal childhood, something no other Warren witch had ever had.

In order to continue to protect them, Victor has raised Piper and Phoebe so they don't know that they are witches or destined to become Elemental Witches – they are always just his little girls. They even use his last name, Bennett, as their own. They visit their grandmother, mother (who they believe divorced their father, but agreed to let him have custody so that she could live her own life as a forensic photographer for the Salem Police Department) during summer vacations and they always go back to Warren Manor for Christmas. During those times, the three older Warrens use a spell to cover everything magical in Warren Manor, especially their family book of shadows.

But as our series begins, Prudence has a premonition showing that Sam has finally broken through the cloak and wants to kill  Piper and Phoebe so he can take their bound powers. Paige uses her Elemental power of Air to transport herself, her mother and her sister to her nieces. They're too late to prevent Sam from murdering Victor, but thanks to Prudence's premonition, Patience uses her Elemental power of Earth to throw Sam into a wall before he can harm her daughters. Then Prudence, Patience and Paige use a potion and a spell to vanquish Sam. Seeing the shock in her daughters’ eyes, Patience reveals that she, her mother and her sister are witches with elemental powers – and so are Piper and Phoebe. She lets them decide if they want her to unbind their powers. After seeing what happened to their father, that idea frightens the girls and they decide against this.

Piper and Phoebe try to forget what their mother told them as they help their family prepare their father’s wake and funeral, even as the younger set of sisters consider moving to Salem to be with their family, especially when their mother tells them that now that the cloak has been broken, other warlocks will try to kill them to take their bound powers. During the funeral, the whole Warren family remember and mourn Victor through numerous flashbacks.

But when Piper and Phoebe see how their powers can help people, they finally agree to embrace their destiny, so they take back their true last name of Warren and their powers are unbound. They agree to join their mother and aunt, who along with their grandmother who uses her premonitions and knowledge to guide her daughters and granddaughters, as the Elemental Witches, setting out to protect those innocent of the knowledge of magic from the denizens of evil magic.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS:

Prudence Warren: Aged 70. Much the same as the Grams we know and shake our head at, she's the strict, fiery matriarch of the Warren family. Initially strict but because she has suffered fewer losses than the "real Grams" she becomes more mellow and softer as the series continues. She has the Elemental power of Spirit which gives her premonitions. She was a doctor but is retired, although now she uses her skills along with potions to heal her family’s injuries.

Patience Warren: Prudence's older daughter, aged 50. Pretty much the Patty we know and love, although even more kind and caring. She functions as the "balance" of the family as Piper was in the original series, but unlike Piper Halliwell, she is the most selfless person of all and always has time to help those in need, although that often gets her in trouble. Like Prue Halliwell, she's a photographer, but unlike Prue, she's a forensic photographer who works with the Salem police. She has the Elemental power of Earth which allows her to throw anything, much like Prue Halliwell.

Paige Warren: Prudence's younger daughter, aged 40. Again, she is basically the same as her namesake, except she is Patty's sister, not Piper and Phoebe's. She's sometimes irresponsible and impulsive and not always in touch with reality. Much in the same way Prue would lecture Phoebe at being irresponsible in the original series, Prudence did the same with this "Paige". Like Paige Matthews, she works at Salem Social Services, but unlike Paige Matthews, she's a full social worker and has been one for many years.  Paige has the Elemental power of Air, which allows her to use the wind to move herself and anyone else to wherever she wants to go.

Piper Warren: Patience's older daughter, aged 30. Again much like Piper Halliwell, but rather than being shy, she's very fiery, like later-season Piper without constantly feeling sorry for herself (although she does miss her normal life..,), and because there are no whitelighters, she never falls for one. She lives Piper Halliwell's dream - she is a chef who owns her own restaurant, so she's the one who end up making most of the potions. She has the Elemental power of Fire, which allows her to form and throw fireballs, but like Piper Warren herself, the power isn't evil.

Phoebe Warren: Patience's younger daughter, aged 20. Also much like Phoebs Halliwell (and never like PhoeME Halliwell), but like her grandmother, mother, aunt and sister, the fact that she was born in Warren Manor has nothing to do with whether she can easily turn evil - all five have free will and can decide if they want to do good or evil. Phoebe is still in college and works on the school paper. She has always loved to write and is the one who ends up coming up with most of the original spells. Phoebe has the Elemental power of Water which allows her to freeze molecules.

Quote

Oh, I love this! I can't help myself, I'm gonna have a go.

So, approaching the reboot as something that retains the core principles (three sisters who happen to be witches) of the original without trying to be a carbon copy or disrespect the original. (I'm gonna use the original names here for ease but they would be different characters with new names.)

Open with "Prue" and "Piper," adult sisters who used to be really close but have drifted apart a little recently what with Prue being newly married and Piper trying to establish herself as a head chef/restaurant owner (or whatever). Piper finds out through the Obituaries that their Grams has died and they confront their father.

[Backstory: "Victor" took the girls with him and raised them by himself since they were little. They don't fully remember or understand the situation. They know their mom had an affair and left their dad for this other guy (that's the way he tells it, at least). They know she died around this time. What they don't know is that his other reason for taking them away was the threat of demons. He's dead set against them being witches and their Grams bound their magic to keep them safe.]

With the passing of "Grams", their magic is unbound. They don't have strict sets of gifts like in the original. They all share the same generic witchery that's more typically seen in fiction. Specific disciplines (telekinesis, clairvoyance, etc) need to be studied and practiced. They have to devote time to their craft.

Clearing the "Manor", they find their family book of shadows, learn about their family history, etc. Melinda Warren would be the one name I'd consider keeping the same. They take the "Halliwell" name from their father but their mother's side was Warren. Anyway. They learn they're the Charmed Ones. All this threatening energy they've been sensing is just going to get worse as evil beings come after them. And they're strongest together: the Power of Three.

There's the rub. "Phoebe" ran away from home when they were teenagers. They haven't heard from her in years. The first season narrative would focus on "Prue and Piper" as a duo searching for their estranged sister whilst warding off evil spirits as best they can. Split with a separate narrative of "Phoebe" (who has no idea "Grams" is dead or that her whole family is witches, she only knows she suddenly has magic) figuring this stuff out on her own and making magical acquaintances. I can see her making friends with a witch who runs a magic shop and maybe there's a love affair. Whatever. Season 1 culminates with the three sisters reuniting.

If we're bringing "Paige" into it later, she was raised by "Grams." As a witch. Learning "Patty" was pregnant from another man could be the precise point "Victor" left and took the girls so they'd have no idea she had another baby. (The backstory of the breakdown of the family would be handled as complex and layered. No clear-cut bad guy and no one completely blameless, either.) Anyway. This character would be a formidable magical force because she's been doing this her whole life. She becomes a powerful ally to the Charmed Ones but NOT a possible replacement. That's their destiny; she has her own.

That's all I've got right now. Let me know what you think!


Oh! And they each have their own Familiar. And no Whitelighters or Elders so no halves. "Sam" was a non-magical, not "Patty's" Whitelighter.

 

So? What do you think? And what about you? If you could do a reboot of Charmed without the Halliwells, how would you do it?

Edited November 29, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Primal Slayer]

I've been rewatching the OG since its on blu ray and looks BEAUTIFUL and it makes me notice that the reboot needs to focus way more on the sisters, not only as individuals but as whole. Especially in the first season we got them together as unite in a lot of the episodes and then we'd have them break off into a two-some while the other sister gets the B plot (and there would only be 2 plots that mainly ended up running together). Even with the love interests they would interact with them all. Piper/Phoebe got plenty of screentime with Andy and Prue/Phoebe with Leo. Not to mention that just giving the sisters their own agency that doesnt involve Harry and the Elders, this show really needs to cool it on them needing them sooo much. 

[4evaQuez]

Watching the last episode helped me realize how Piper and Mel freezing powers hand motions both perfectly go with their personalities.

 

Piper's freezing hand motion is one of fear and surrender.It goes great with her middle sister, do gooder personality. It feels more defensive because Piper's body language and even the first time she uses her power comes from fear.

Last episode for New Charmed, there is a scene where someone is talking and Mel's motions her hand to activate her freeze power. It was in this moment where I realized that Harry was right that Mel's power is more about controlling others. Mel's hand motion is not only more aggressive but more confident. It also allows her to decide what she wants to hear and she can literally stop a person from speaking. The change in hand motion, which I didn't like at first, does do a good job of showing how the same power can be an inner light in a character's psyche. 

[Camera One]

2 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

I've been rewatching the OG since its on blu ray and looks BEAUTIFUL 

I didn't know they are starting to restore the original show.  I rewatched Season 1 recently on the old DVD set and I found myself enjoying it.  The only downside was the fuzzy visuals (compared to the visuals of shows today).  It would be neat to see the show in HD.

[Lady Calypso]

On 10/12/2018 at 7:17 AM, K42 said:

I'm glad Parker's reveal was faster than Cole's. It gives the show and character more room to explore what's going to happen. Like yes, he's half demon but what now? 

Taken from the latest episode thread. 

Well, technically speaking, Parker's reveal wasn't that much faster than Cole's. Cole appeared in the first episode of season 3 and his reveal happened in the eighth episode. Parker appeared in the third episode, although we didn't discover he was a demon until the seventh. Both still were revealed by the mid-season, so plenty of time for both stories to be developed. The difference with Parker is that we haven't seen him against the sisters that much. With Cole, he was much further developed in that he was genuinely against the Halliwells from the very first episode and they spent a few minutes each episode developing Cole as a character. With Parker, we had his twenty second reveal, and then not much else until the Christmas episode. 

So, yes, Parker's reveal was technically a few episodes faster, if we consider his half demon reveal happened technically faster than Cole's (Parker being revealed to the audience in episode seven to the sisters finding out in episode nine) but he also wasn't as developed as Cole, especially in terms of his romantic relationship. That's what happens when you reveal him as a half demon in episode seven and have everyone finding out by episode nine. How can there possibly be a good emotional payout in that short amount of time? So, in reality, the big reveal was a lot weaker with less stakes or investment. If they had revealed Parker in his intro episode, or maybe by the fifth episode, then there'd be a better payout. And I genuinely like Parker's story. It is fairly interesting and I am intrigued to find out what happens next. 

Then again, the reboot has been going at warp speed, moving through storylines like Tic Tacs. Look at how quickly Macy has bonded with Mel and Maggie. Look at how quickly Mel's first love interest disappeared and how quickly her second potential love interest showed up. The only stuff that has worked at a decent pace is actually the sisters' relationship (despite how quickly Macy took to them, they've also taken their time with giving these girls scenes to bond), Harry, and Macy's intro to darkness. 

[Esmeralda]

I actually preferred the slower reveal in Classic Charmed, especially because it's the lawyer who Phoebe always loved, not the demon who Cole truly was, and that was my favorite part of their story - when he was truly demonic and she was totally in the dark.  Their story went downhill once she found out he was Belthazor and lied to her sisters about vanquishing him, the moment they should've lost the Power of Three and never got it back, leading to Prue's death and then the reconstitution with Paige, them finally getting the Power of Three back once they bonded - the middle episode of Season Four.  But of course we had to hurry and get back to Phoebe and Cole with Cole now first a wimpy mortal and then a wimpy Source who was all about himself and not much else, and then (in Season Five) a psychotic stalker., who if he truly loved Phoebe would've very simply GONE AWAY AND LEFT HER ALONE TO HEAL and *then* maybe come back when she realized she missed him. Hence what could've been my favorite storyline is my least-favorite. They *so* should've left him in Season Three, the way Leo should've been left in Season One, so we'd never see an Elder or a half-whitelighter or maybe never see a half-demon.  I can't believe the reboot is using the Classic storylines that I hated the most. 

Edited December 11, 2018 by Esmeralda

[K42]

On 12/10/2018 at 5:05 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Taken from the latest episode thread. 

Well, technically speaking, Parker's reveal wasn't that much faster than Cole's. Cole appeared in the first episode of season 3 and his reveal happened in the eighth episode. Parker appeared in the third episode, although we didn't discover he was a demon until the seventh. Both still were revealed by the mid-season, so plenty of time for both stories to be developed. The difference with Parker is that we haven't seen him against the sisters that much. With Cole, he was much further developed in that he was genuinely against the Halliwells from the very first episode and they spent a few minutes each episode developing Cole as a character. With Parker, we had his twenty second reveal, and then not much else until the Christmas episode. 

So, yes, Parker's reveal was technically a few episodes faster, if we consider his half demon reveal happened technically faster than Cole's (Parker being revealed to the audience in episode seven to the sisters finding out in episode nine) but he also wasn't as developed as Cole, especially in terms of his romantic relationship. That's what happens when you reveal him as a half demon in episode seven and have everyone finding out by episode nine. How can there possibly be a good emotional payout in that short amount of time? So, in reality, the big reveal was a lot weaker with less stakes or investment. If they had revealed Parker in his intro episode, or maybe by the fifth episode, then there'd be a better payout. And I genuinely like Parker's story. It is fairly interesting and I am intrigued to find out what happens next. 

Then again, the reboot has been going at warp speed, moving through storylines like Tic Tacs. Look at how quickly Macy has bonded with Mel and Maggie. Look at how quickly Mel's first love interest disappeared and how quickly her second potential love interest showed up. The only stuff that has worked at a decent pace is actually the sisters' relationship (despite how quickly Macy took to them, they've also taken their time with giving these girls scenes to bond), Harry, and Macy's intro to darkness. 

I like the "going faster" aspect of this new Charmed. Maybe because I've already seen the "slower" version before. I don't wanna watch the same thing all over again. I think with today's movies and series pace, fewer people have the tolerance to wait episode after episode to find out what's gonna happen in the final of the season. In fact, I think doing that might piss a lot of people off. The new show does a good job at distancing itself from the original while still remaining faithful to it. There are a lot of similarities between the two shows but there are also a lot of differences. I think if it were too similar, it'll generate "more" hatred from fans who grew up with the original. If it were too different, it'll also piss off fans because it'll seem like the newer version plagiarized.

I think all the characters are likable. Even the somewhat useless Galvin. (Galvin or Gavin?) I genuinely love everything about this show. I love how modern it is without being over the top. (They kinda toned it down after the first couple of episodes) I love how stunning the manner looks. The connection between the sisters and their powers is amazing. The way they use their powers is great. Hell, even the white-lighters are WAY more fascinating than they were in the original.

I feel like getting all the previously well-known aspects of the old show out of the way so fast is going to make the finale (and future seasons) a lot more interesting to watch.  I hope the old cast guest star on this show every now and then. It would be interesting to see how they'll integrate them into this newer version. 

Edited December 13, 2018 by K42

[Lady Calypso]

3 hours ago, K42 said:

I like the "going faster" aspect of this new Charmed. Maybe because I've already seen the "slower" version before. I don't wanna watch the same thing all over again. I think with today's movies and series pace, fewer people have the tolerance to wait episode after episode to find out what's gonna happen in the final of the season. In fact, I think doing that might piss a lot of people off. The new show does a good job at distancing itself from the original while still remaining faithful to it. There are a lot of similarities between the two shows but there are also a lot of differences. I think if it were too similar, it'll generate "more" hatred from fans who grew up with the original. If it were too different, it'll also piss off fans because it'll seem like the newer version plagiarized.

I think all the characters are likable. Even the somewhat useless Galvin. (Galvin or Gavin?) I genuinely love everything about this show. I love how modern it is without being over the top. (They kinda toned it down after the first couple of episodes) I love how stunning the manner looks. The connection between the sisters and their powers is amazing. The way they use their powers is great. Hell, even the white-lighters are WAY more fascinating than they were in the original.

I feel like getting all the previously well-known aspects of the old show out of the way so fast is going to make the finale (and future seasons) a lot more interesting to watch.  I hope the old cast guest star on this show every now and then. It would be interesting to see how they'll integrate them into this newer version. 

I think there's a difference between "going faster" and "speeding through plots." This is season 1. We're just getting to know all of these characters. It's fine to speed up the plot in a second season, but with Parker getting maybe five minutes per episode since his introduction, and a lot of it just to service Maggie's story until his reveal, it's serious whiplash. We didn't know anything personal about Niko before they wrote her out. We need to be able to care about these characters before throwing them into these situations. Even without comparing it to the original, I think the reboot hasn't done some of its storylines justice. The Macy having darkness within her plot is actually very well done. I find the Mel/Jada stuff extremely intriguing. I like the development of Harry. The sisters' relationship is going at a steady pace. I also like parts of Parker's individual storyline. So obviously, some things are working for me. But introducing him as a demon in episode seven and having him caught in episode nine, especially with Maggie and Parker just starting a relationship doesn't really flow well or make me care. 

They've just been moving too fast through plots because they're trying to cram in all of their ideas into 13 episodes. Look at that major History Rewritten spell that should have been a big deal for the sisters to cast and they did it with ease. 

With the Parker stuff, it is compared to Cole's storyline because it has similar beats; the youngest Charmed One falls for the charming new guy. He's revealed to be a half demon and after the sisters. Big reveal happens. Ok, great, but with Cole/Phoebe, they dated for months before he was found out. Maggie/Parker have only been dating for three weeks. That's not a whole lot of time here. I did like Maggie being upset also because she didn't know even with her telepathy. That part did work well. It was the too soon reveal that didn't work for me. I just don't care for Parker either. They could have explored his demon/human family more before the reveal. But I feel like the finale was the first time Mel and Macy even met Parker onscreen, so we didn't get to see the sisters really interacting with him before the reveal happened. My issue really just lies with it being too soon. I don't mind the way it come out, but the time frame it all happened in. 

Maybe, with them having a full 22 episode season, they will pace out their stories better.

[Primal Slayer]

I totally understand Maggie being upset but at the same time what did she expect to find out? She only hears what the person is thinking and occasionally what they are feeling. It is so easy to hide thoughts from her when they already know who she is. Just like with Phoebe not getting any premonitions revealing who Cole was for the longest time.

Just to do a little bit more comparisons

OG Charmed 1x09 vs. nuCharmed 1x09

-In the OG the mid season finale it centered around the sisters bringing back Melinda Warren, the witch that started it all for the Halliwell/Warren line.

-Matthew Tate, a warlock is able to duplicate their powers and thus become immune to the sisters powers.

-We get our first mention of The Source (not by name) an episode after we finally find out that Rex/Hannah are evil. The Source would be a major player bts until 3x22 when we finally see him and he becomes more active in S4.

-In nuCharmed, The Source has been mentioned before but we find out that Parker may become the new Source of all Evil and if he does then we'll have already seen The Source very early on in the show.

Though nuCharmed 1x09 probably has more comparisons with OG Charmed 1x10 the mid season premiere.

-OG Charmed 1x10 had Rex/Hannah finally making their play for the sisters powers by blackmailing Prue.

-The sisters have to willingly relinquish their powers  into an enchanted lamp. 

-Leo is revealed to be be a magical being who secretly helps the sisters get their powers back.

-Prue uses Hannah to kill Rex and Hannah is killed by The Source for failing to many times.

nuCharmed 1x09, the mid season finale

-Parker gets outed as the Shadow Demon and he, along with Hunter use an amulet to steal the sisters powers without their knowledge.

-Due to Maggies powers she is able to take Macy/Mels powers with the necklace.

-It is revealed that Parker may be The Source

-Parker saves the sisters by starting the process of opening up a gate to hell before the sisters step in and finish the spell, sending both Hunter and Harry to hell.

-The sisters are exposed as witches to Galvin.

[CheezyXpressed]

5 hours ago, K42 said:

I like the "going faster" aspect of this new Charmed. Maybe because I've already seen the "slower" version before. I don't wanna watch the same thing all over again. I think with today's movies and series pace, fewer people have the tolerance to wait episode after episode to find out what's gonna happen in the final of the season. In fact, I think doing that might piss a lot of people off. The new show does a good job at distancing itself from the original while still remaining faithful to it. There are a lot of similarities between the two shows but there are also a lot of differences. I think if it were too similar, it'll generate "more" hatred from fans who grew up with the original. If it were too different, it'll also piss off fans because it'll seem like the newer version plagiarized.

I think all the characters are likable. Even the somewhat useless Galvin. (Galvin or Gavin?) I genuinely love everything about this show. I love how modern it is without being over the top. (They kinda toned it down after the first couple of episodes) I love how stunning the manner looks. The connection between the sisters and their powers is amazing. The way they use their powers is great. Hell, even the white-lighters are WAY more fascinating than they were in the original.

I feel like getting all the previously well-known aspects of the old show out of the way so fast is going to make the finale (and future seasons) a lot more interesting to watch.  I hope the old cast guest star on this show every now and then. It would be interesting to see how they'll integrate them into this newer version. 

I agree with you. The OG Charmed had a lot of legroom to work with, because TV was different back then. Shows could get away with dragging things out without the risk of getting cancelled right away. The WB also used Charmed to give a leg up on their up and coming new artists, which helped keep the show going on longer. Nowadays, shows get cancelled way too quickly, especially when they're getting good. People's attention span isn't as long as it use to and I think if the OG Charmed came on today, it wouldn't have lasted all of its eight seasons, especially with as many episodes as it had. That's just how the market is nowadays. I know this well, because more than a few shows that I've been watching have been cancelled. lol

OG Charmed was fun, but the new Charmed is kind of fun too. The first couple of episodes were rocky, but it seems like they're finally finding their footing and it's been a lot more enjoyable now. It kind of reminds me of the Liar Game. I absolutely loved the jdrama version of it and the actors were perfect in their roles, so when I heard that there would be a kdrama version I was excited but also nervous since kdramas (at least back then) added unnecessary romances into everything. Was the kdrama version good? No lol. The story was all over the place and while there was tons of potential with the world the writers created, they squandered it royally by the end. That being said, once I got past it being a remake and just viewed it as its own story I was able to enjoy it more.

It was stupid, but I still watched the entire thing.

[Primal Slayer]

1 minute ago, CheezyXpressed said:

I agree with you. The OG Charmed had a lot of legroom to work with, because TV was different back then. Shows could get away with dragging things out without the risk of getting cancelled right away. The WB also used Charmed to give a leg up on their up and coming new artists, which helped keep the show going on longer. Nowadays, shows get cancelled way too quickly, especially when they're getting good. People's attention span isn't as long as it use to and I think if the OG Charmed came on today, it wouldn't have lasted all of its eight seasons, especially with as many episodes as it had. That's just how the market is nowadays. I know this well, because more than a few shows that I've been watching have been cancelled. lol

This is TheCW where majority of their shows have a healthy life span. If you are able to get past the initial 13 episodes then you are pretty much locked in for a 2nd season. The last CW show to get a full season pick up and be cancelled was The Tomorrow People and that was in 2013, since then every show that has gotten a full season pick up has gone on to air at least 4 seasons. 

And peoples attention spans are not that short as we have plenty of CW shows who are not throwing balls to the wall story telling even in their first seasons. 

The original was on for so belong because it spent S1-3 as the networks 2nd highest rated show, S4/5 as #6 and S6 as #4 highest rated show, it got damn good ratings. 

[Camera One]

4 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I think there's a difference between "going faster" and "speeding through plots."  We need to be able to care about these characters before throwing them into these situations.

That's my problem with it too.  Instead of moving forward at a steady pace of development, the plot leaps forward skipping through the necessary background or progression to make the story flow and worth caring about.  I can't say I am very attached to any of the characters yet, nine episodes in, so it's hard to be invested in any of the "mysteries", much less the slew of minor supporting characters from Evil Lab Tech Manager Mom to Crazy Goth Witchlighter.

[CheezyXpressed]

On 12/13/2018 at 10:45 PM, Primal Slayer said:

This is TheCW where majority of their shows have a healthy life span. If you are able to get past the initial 13 episodes then you are pretty much locked in for a 2nd season. The last CW show to get a full season pick up and be cancelled was The Tomorrow People and that was in 2013, since then every show that has gotten a full season pick up has gone on to air at least 4 seasons. 

And peoples attention spans are not that short as we have plenty of CW shows who are not throwing balls to the wall story telling even in their first seasons. 

The original was on for so belong because it spent S1-3 as the networks 2nd highest rated show, S4/5 as #6 and S6 as #4 highest rated show, it got damn good ratings. 

I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. Outside of a few shows, the CW has cancelled their fair share of shows. Even ones that were popular like the Secret Circle, were cancelled because the network wanted to go in a different direction. Other shows may stay, but they're only given a certain number of episodes and don't have a set timetable on the network. The Originals, like you mentioned, was popular but they shortened season four and five and kept changing the time it went on.

The new Charmed is blasting through their stories and it's kind of crazy to think about. They do need to focus more on the characters and get us to care about them, because some of their plots demand this without giving us a reason to. However, I'm willing to forgive it until after the 13th episodes. If it continues on after that then I'm going to join in with everyone else in wondering what these writers are doing lol.

[Primal Slayer]

33 minutes ago, CheezyXpressed said:

I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. Outside of a few shows, the CW has cancelled their fair share of shows. Even ones that were popular like the Secret Circle, were cancelled because the network wanted to go in a different direction. Other shows may stay, but they're only given a certain number of episodes and don't have a set timetable on the network. The Originals, like you mentioned, was popular but they shortened season four and five and kept changing the time it went on.

The new Charmed is blasting through their stories and it's kind of crazy to think about. They do need to focus more on the characters and get us to care about them, because some of their plots demand this without giving us a reason to. However, I'm willing to forgive it until after the 13th episodes. If it continues on after that then I'm going to join in with everyone else in wondering what these writers are doing lol.

TheCW cancels about 1 to 2 new shows a year and it is pretty easy to tell which one they will cancel due A. How much they hype the show and B. How the show does in ratings. And like I said, if you can get past the initial 13 episodes then you are practically golden. Secret Circle aired in 2012, The Tomorrow People 2013. Ever since then if you get a full season pick up you are around until syndication. Regardless of if they move you around, its better then being cancelled early on.

Charmed was already the main focus for the network and was getting mega amounts of attention. It premiered to good ratings so it was safe pretty early on. But either way I plan on sticking with the show until the end of the season and see how they fair story telling wise.

[Lady Calypso]

So, I don't know what they're doing with the reboot Elders, but I actually hate them more than the original series Elders, and that's saying a lot. The reboot Elders are just evil. With the original Elders, they were a looming presence at first and you didn't really know if they were truly trying to help or not. You knew that they weren't great, but the mystery surrounding them was what made them somewhat interesting until later seasons. The Elders really shouldn't be actual people this early on. And they definitely shouldn't be Elder Witches who only seem to need to fill in an application to become one (with how easily Marisol was one). 

The one thing the reboot is doing better than the original is actually proving how powerful the Charmed Ones really are. The original only really showed Prue as actively becoming a powerful witch before they killed her off. Piper and Phoebe got some new powers later on, but then stopped developing them completely and they became any average witch. They avoided showing other witches to mask how average the Halliwells really were. Their powers stopped growing. It took Paige four seasons to actually be able to heal, despite having her help heal Cole in her second episode. 

All Piper became known for was blowing up demons when it was convenient. Phoebe had premonitions that could have developed further. I didn't mind that she finally got a power boost with her premonitions in that season five episode (The Eyes Have It) but then they went back to her being pretty useless with her powers.

I liked the speed to which the sisters developed their witch skills in the original, as the reboot is moving way too fast and doing everything offscreen. But the reboot is definitely allowing the Veras to actually prove themselves to be true powerful witches. They are also allowing the reboot sisters to actually travel outside of their city. I never knew why the Halliwells were so constricted to San Francisco. I think they had the sisters travel outside of San Francisco a couple of times and only for a scene. The Veras are doing a little more, with Mel/Harry actually going to England for an entire episode. 

Also, the special effects on the reboot are getting better for me so that's a plus. 

[magicdog]

On 4/2/2019 at 7:52 AM, Lady Calypso said:

I never knew why the Halliwells were so constricted to San Francisco. I think they had the sisters travel outside of San Francisco a couple of times and only for a scene.

I never liked that either.  I remember in "How To Make A Quilt Out Of Americans", the sisters traveled to a town to visit Aunt Gail and Paige went on her Honeymoon (because she could orb back at anytime) and Phoebe went to live in China for a while with her boyfriend, but that's about it.  I think there may have been some confusion as to whether or not the Halliwells had to be in town to do their job since the Nexus was beneath their home and they were in theory strongest there.  There had been an animated show called, "The Life & Times of Juniper Lee" (which was about a girl who was also a magical guardian) in which the protagonist literally was prevented from leaving the city limits.  She couldn't go on student trips beyond the city limits or travel to foreign countries or any other place.  Plus she was resentful of that despite her duties for which she was honor bound . 

If that had been the case for the Halliwells, I could have accepted that , but it just ended up an excuse.  In the books, the sisters did travel out of town quite a bit. 

[kiddo82]

Full disclosure, I was (and still am) a big fan of the original recipe.  Warts and all that show has somehow weaseled it's way into my heart like a parasite and it seems I'll always have a soft spot for it.  I caught some episodes of the reboot and I don't really dislike any of the changes* and I respect them for the direction they've taken.  I think if you're not going to do a straight up continuation a la Roseanne/The Connors, Will and Grace, etc., then changing things up is the way to go.  I think trying to recreate the exact same universe just with a different cast and an updated world view pleases nobody.  And actually, there were more than a few parallels between the season finale and Deja vu All Over Again so who knows if touches like that will continue.  For me, the most glaring thing that sticks out when comparing/contrasting is the cohesiveness of the cast.  The thing that still amazes me to this day, with Lord knows what going on behind the scenes, is that the chemistry among the original leads onscreen was never an issue.  It's actually what makes a lot of memorable moments from the original so beloved, IMO.  And further, while no one was being handed an Emmy, all the leads were pretty charismatic and the strength of any given episode usually lived or died on the backs of the actress' abilities to pull it off.  I don't know that I can necessarily say that about this new cast even while admitting my viewing has been limited.  Now, in fairness, the episodes I've seen were in the latter portion of the season and were pretty mytharc heavy so I'll admit those eps don't typically leave a lot of time for character quirks or sister bonding.  Having said that, I still feel like the chemistry/charisma is a vibe you just pick up on regardless.  I'm definitely open to checking out some early episodes to see if they make me feel differently.  

*the only thing that makes me scratch my head is the different orbing effect.  The orbs are such a staple of the original and the effects still hold up very well.  The squiggly effect on this new version just seems like such an unnecessary change for change's sake.  

[Esmeralda]

Have yet to watch a second of the reboot so all of my opinions come from others.  But from what I can tell, the main difference between Classic Charmed and Rip-Off Charmed (I don't think it would've gotten a second season if it wasn't called Charmed...not with those ratings) is the three original Classic actresses truly felt like sisters who happened to be witches while these three are witches who happen to be related.  This is also what I felt about the second set of Classic Charmed ones., except they were demon-hunters who happened to live in the same manor.  Am I right about the Rip-Off Charmed Ones or am I off and if so, why or why not?

Edited May 26, 2019 by Esmeralda

[Blue Plastic]

On 7/21/2018 at 4:45 PM, Esmeralda said:

The difference is all of those shows were from the 70's and 80's.  If it was the 2030s, when there's been a generation between the ones who originally watched it and the ones who are watching it now, that would be one thing.  But Charmed's PREMIERE is 20 years old this year and it was on the air for 8 years!  It's much too soon for a reboot, just like them talking about rebooting Buffy.

That's what's bothering me I think.  I'll probably watch this but so far am not enjoying it as much as the original, for all its MANY faults, mistakes, plot holes, especially bad last couple of seasons, etc.  It ran for a long time.  It had a relatively completed ending.  I'm personally always going to be more attached to the original and comparing everything in the reboot to that.  The reboot doesn't stand alone as its own show because it is almost the same show except with different actresses as the leads and some small changes.  Therefore, why make it?  I don't feel we really needed it again.  Why didn't they do a spinoff or something with Chris and Wyatt when the original ended instead of now all of a sudden "Charmed" is so cool let's just remake it!  When at the time the original ended they just wanted to dump it apparently.  It just annoys me.

Plus the mains are not really bringing me in.  There was something about the original mains (Paige not so much) that made me really feel like they were actually sisters.  The acting was probably pretty bad but I bought it.  These three new sisters seem like they're just repeating lines to me.  Maybe because they went with the third sister being an "outsider" (a la Paige) right away instead of focusing on three sisters who grew up together for 3 seasons in the original?  I don't know.

[magicdog]

On 6/1/2019 at 11:42 AM, Blue Plastic said:

Plus the mains are not really bringing me in.  There was something about the original mains (Paige not so much) that made me really feel like they were actually sisters. 

I agree.  The original actresses had chemistry and were believable.  I can barely tell two of the sisters from one another - they see too similar in appearance to me.  There is also too much going on - by the end of season one, I felt like 3 seasons had passed with all the sturm und drang going on!  I just don't care about these characters like I did about the originals.  

Edited September 28, 2019 by magicdog

[Forsaken]

The 2018 show is just a boring mess. The sisters look like and are (actress wise anyway) all from different races. What did the mother do, sleep with 3 different men? They aren't very attractive either but I guess if the show was good that might not be that important. 

The political agendas as well are just stupid. In Season 1, Ep1 a woman is making out passionately with a man in a club. One of the sisters taps her on the shoulder and declares "You know you can stop whenever you like, right?!" Ummm yeah... just speeches again rather than intelligent story lines. 

[Mikay]

I’m cautiously optimistic about the direction of season 2. There are some elements of the original series that popped up in the premiere that made me smile—slimy demons in black, darklighters(??), demon flame powers, a way to protect innocent witches. In general it’s giving me an OG Charmed season 1 vibe where there was a greater sense of danger and muddling about without the oversight of elders. The move to a city also feels like it fits a bit more with the premise of the show, as well as giving them all more mobility.  It was a little hard for me to buy the revolving door of magical creatures just coming to a random Michigan town with no explanation in season 1. 
 

I’m hopeful that instead of a sloppy riff on some of the original series, we can lean on some of the stronger parts of that show and update it with lessons learned in other supernatural shows in the last 15-20 years.

[magicdog]

Looks like more original series elements ripped off for the Season 2 premiere:

Rat demons, acid spitting demons, dead whitelighters, dead Elders, an assassin, even the title of an old episode ("Witchness Protection"), and what may be a darklighter/evil twin of their whitelighter.

About the only thing they really did that was original (and took a big chance with) was having the BOS destroyed and the girls without their powers.  Not to mention a witchy fortress of solitude to monitor other witches and potentially save them.

Edited October 15, 2019 by magicdog

[Markeshagordon]

I really feel like they should keep it the way it is only because this is going to speak out to young girls like me I remember watching charms when I was younger and I loved every minute of it and now they're also speaking tours LBT groups too and I don't feel like that's a problem we need more shows talking people like us so please think about it very closely 💔

[blueray]

I just notice that the original show was removed from Netflix. I was feeling in the mood to watch a random episode to find that it was gone. Kind of sad, I've seen every episode (well accept season 8 ) way to many times to count but it's a nice relaxing show to watch. Oh well, I guess it couldn't last forever it had been on there for 5 yrs (looked it up) and the deal ended. Not sure where if anywhere it will go.

[Primal Slayer]

35 minutes ago, blueray said:

I just notice that the original show was removed from Netflix. I was feeling in the mood to watch a random episode to find that it was gone. Kind of sad, I've seen every episode (well accept season 8 ) way to many times to count but it's a nice relaxing show to watch. Oh well, I guess it couldn't last forever it had been on there for 5 yrs (looked it up) and the deal ended. Not sure where if anywhere it will go.

It's on Peacock now. Worth the switch since they have the HD remastered version.

[blueray]

22 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

It's on Peacock now. Worth the switch since they have the HD remastered version.

It is? That's good to hear 🙂

[Speakeasy]

My wife and I just watched episode 17 of season 2 and she commented on a difference between this version and the original, which is that all the characters seem very isolated, both as individuals and as a group. In the original it very much seemed like the Haliwells were in touch with their family history, they had their ghost granny in the attic, their mother had left helpful stuff for them, the Elders were a magical government but they weren't an obviously evil magical government, just one that sometimes seemed distant and arbitrary-but they also provided a support structure. Then they had friends and jobs and they went on dates and generally had lives outside of fighting demons. They met other witches and magical people and there seemed to be a magical community out there that they were part of.

There's not so much of that here, it doesn't seem like the Vera family extends beyond Marisol either vertically or horizontally- there's no mention of any aunts or uncles or grandparents or cousins who might be part of their witchy legacy (and there's Ray, but Ray sucks). The Elders were as incompetent as they were horrible and even more horrible than they were incompetent. We started season 2 by ditching the whole mortal life context in exchange for a new one which was pretty quickly shown to be a front for something creepy. We know a lot more about the demonic community than about the witch/non-evil-magical one and the main characters essentially seem completely on their own against All the Powers of Hell. One would think they'd pick up some allies from the people they've been helping but apparently not.

It's a bit depressing really. 

I still generally enjoy it because I love trashy urban fantasy TV, apparently. I do hope that in the next season there's more world building and just the sense the girls have more people they can rely on than one or two love interests and Ray (who sucks).

I mean frankly if you give them a Command Centre with a big board, I want them to have staff. Maybe that's not the kind of show this is but season 1 ended with the idea they would become the new magical government. They should have bodyguards. They should have researchers. They should have an extraction team they can send in to help witches in trouble so it doesn't always have to be one or more of them at risk. They should be hosting diplomats from the Seelie Court and the Dragon King of the Western Sea. They should be building a worldwide network of contacts and allies beyond Ray (who sucks) and his offscreen friend (who probably sucks since he's friends with Ray).

I'm ranting and I don't think abyones reading this bit of the forum since this season was over in the US months ago but still... There you go.

[phoenics]

On 12/17/2020 at 6:33 AM, Speakeasy said:

My wife and I just watched episode 17 of season 2 and she commented on a difference between this version and the original, which is that all the characters seem very isolated, both as individuals and as a group. In the original it very much seemed like the Haliwells were in touch with their family history, they had their ghost granny in the attic, their mother had left helpful stuff for them, the Elders were a magical government but they weren't an obviously evil magical government, just one that sometimes seemed distant and arbitrary-but they also provided a support structure. Then they had friends and jobs and they went on dates and generally had lives outside of fighting demons. They met other witches and magical people and there seemed to be a magical community out there that they were part of.

There's not so much of that here, it doesn't seem like the Vera family extends beyond Marisol either vertically or horizontally- there's no mention of any aunts or uncles or grandparents or cousins who might be part of their witchy legacy (and there's Ray, but Ray sucks). The Elders were as incompetent as they were horrible and even more horrible than they were incompetent. We started season 2 by ditching the whole mortal life context in exchange for a new one which was pretty quickly shown to be a front for something creepy. We know a lot more about the demonic community than about the witch/non-evil-magical one and the main characters essentially seem completely on their own against All the Powers of Hell. One would think they'd pick up some allies from the people they've been helping but apparently not.

It's a bit depressing really. 

I still generally enjoy it because I love trashy urban fantasy TV, apparently. I do hope that in the next season there's more world building and just the sense the girls have more people they can rely on than one or two love interests and Ray (who sucks).

I mean frankly if you give them a Command Centre with a big board, I want them to have staff. Maybe that's not the kind of show this is but season 1 ended with the idea they would become the new magical government. They should have bodyguards. They should have researchers. They should have an extraction team they can send in to help witches in trouble so it doesn't always have to be one or more of them at risk. They should be hosting diplomats from the Seelie Court and the Dragon King of the Western Sea. They should be building a worldwide network of contacts and allies beyond Ray (who sucks) and his offscreen friend (who probably sucks since he's friends with Ray).

I'm ranting and I don't think abyones reading this bit of the forum since this season was over in the US months ago but still... There you go.

I'm here - just posted some stuff in the spoiler thread you might wanna read.  Some of what you mention in this post is addressed in the spoilers.

I'm an OG fan who liked the original show but I wasn't a diehard.  I watched the episodes and got engrossed in them, but I wasn't bound and tied to that being the only way Charmed could play out, so I really love the reboot.  The first season was very difficult for me to get into and so I didn't watch that in real time, but always wanted to give the show a chance, especially after the OG actresses were so horrible about it and I wanted to support a cast with WoC as leads.  Shortly after S2, I saw something online that mentioned the show rebooting itself in S2 and I was intrigued.  So I decided to watch the last 3-4 episodes of S1 and then jump into S2 and I'm so glad I did.

There are a lot of things I love about the reboot, but the demon twist with Macy (hope that's not gone) and the absolutely brilliant take on whitelighters/darklighters are both up there for me as being superior to the OG show.

Can't wait for S3!

[Primal Slayer]

On 12/17/2020 at 5:33 AM, Speakeasy said:

My wife and I just watched episode 17 of season 2 and she commented on a difference between this version and the original, which is that all the characters seem very isolated, both as individuals and as a group. In the original it very much seemed like the Haliwells were in touch with their family history, they had their ghost granny in the attic, their mother had left helpful stuff for them, the Elders were a magical government but they weren't an obviously evil magical government, just one that sometimes seemed distant and arbitrary-but they also provided a support structure. Then they had friends and jobs and they went on dates and generally had lives outside of fighting demons. They met other witches and magical people and there seemed to be a magical community out there that they were part of.

There's not so much of that here, it doesn't seem like the Vera family extends beyond Marisol either vertically or horizontally- there's no mention of any aunts or uncles or grandparents or cousins who might be part of their witchy legacy (and there's Ray, but Ray sucks). The Elders were as incompetent as they were horrible and even more horrible than they were incompetent. We started season 2 by ditching the whole mortal life context in exchange for a new one which was pretty quickly shown to be a front for something creepy. We know a lot more about the demonic community than about the witch/non-evil-magical one and the main characters essentially seem completely on their own against All the Powers of Hell. One would think they'd pick up some allies from the people they've been helping but apparently not.

It's a bit depressing really. 

I still generally enjoy it because I love trashy urban fantasy TV, apparently. I do hope that in the next season there's more world building and just the sense the girls have more people they can rely on than one or two love interests and Ray (who sucks).

I mean frankly if you give them a Command Centre with a big board, I want them to have staff. Maybe that's not the kind of show this is but season 1 ended with the idea they would become the new magical government. They should have bodyguards. They should have researchers. They should have an extraction team they can send in to help witches in trouble so it doesn't always have to be one or more of them at risk. They should be hosting diplomats from the Seelie Court and the Dragon King of the Western Sea. They should be building a worldwide network of contacts and allies beyond Ray (who sucks) and his offscreen friend (who probably sucks since he's friends with Ray).

I'm ranting and I don't think abyones reading this bit of the forum since this season was over in the US months ago but still... There you go.

The reboot really did a disservice to the Vera legacy. Getting rid of their own version of Grams was a big mistake imo. We got to know A LOT about the Halliwell ancestors in the first two seasons. Sure the dates were....bad but the Halliwells had a history and which was very fun to learn about and something that fans still talk about till this day. Charmed reboot....no one talks about the mom anymore and the dads are so uninteresting that I know that one showed up but it didnt have the same impact as Victor did.

[phoenics]

On 1/25/2021 at 2:55 PM, Primal Slayer said:

The reboot really did a disservice to the Vera legacy. Getting rid of their own version of Grams was a big mistake imo. We got to know A LOT about the Halliwell ancestors in the first two seasons. Sure the dates were....bad but the Halliwells had a history and which was very fun to learn about and something that fans still talk about till this day. Charmed reboot....no one talks about the mom anymore and the dads are so uninteresting that I know that one showed up but it didnt have the same impact as Victor did.

I think they realize this and are going to rectify once the real S3 starts (that will be episode 4 of S3).