S01.E01: Pilot

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

SERIES PREMIERE — After the tragic death of Mel (Melonie Diaz) and Maggie’s (Sarah Jeffery) mother, the sisters struggle with moving forward but face another huge shock when they learn they have an older sister, Macy (Madeleine Mantock). With the emotions of all three sisters running high, each of the girls suddenly exhibit impossible new abilities: Mel can freeze time, Maggie starts hearing others’ thoughts and Macy has telekinetic powers. While trying to understand their new powers, Harry Greenwood (Rupert Evans), gathers the sisters and reveals they’re actually powerful witches, as was their mother. He also lets them in on a little secret, he’s not really a professor, he’s their “Whitelighter,” a witch’s advisor and guide. The sisters must make the decision to accept their new destiny as The Charmed Ones…and their new duty to protect humankind from the demons that walk among us…one of whom killed their mother. 
 

[Lady Calypso]

So, I'm gonna try to keep my comparisons with the original series to the Comparisons thread and keep this to strictly the episode, though I imagine I'll slip a couple of times.

For a pilot, it wasn't...awful, I guess, but I WAS comparing it to the original a lot. The three women were very distinct but I wish we had more development, especially with the eldest Macy, before they received their powers. Of course I got a good sense of Mel and Maggie's relationship, but Macy kind of dropped in and then BOOM, powers. 

Harry was very pushy and annoying so it's no wonder Mel was so turned off by him before their powers were activated. 

The pilot was a little too on the nose with the whole feminist angle. It could have been worse, but it certainly was too much. 

Ok, the Book of Shadows is NOT a 2000 page book. If that's a 2000 page book, then it truly is a magical book. It looks more like a 300 page book. 

I think I liked Maggie the best. They definitely developed her quite a bit. Mel was alright, but I don't have a good feel for her character yet. Macy was also underdeveloped. I didn't quite buy Macy being accepted so quickly, but it is the pilot so maybe there will be more tension later on. 

So, Brian was possessed by a demon. Surprise, surprise. The guy was creeping on Maggie like Harry was with Mel, but for different reasons. At least the CGI with the demons look cool.

Nice twist with the creepy sexual harassment professor being the real villain of the week. The CGI on him was cool. 

Overall, I didn't really like it but I'll likely keep watching anyway. Why? No idea; I guess the hope that it gets better and I stop comparing it to the original. 

[slf]

Their house is fabulous, even better than the one in the original. The whole aesthetic- the furniture, the wallpaper, everything. I want it.

I don't like Mel as much as the other two. She's a very intense person and I'm not sure how well that's gonna play in the long run. She did have some funny lines and I like that she's so politically aware (even if sometimes I cringe just listening to her).

She's basically the Piper of the group and the whitelighter, Harry, this show's Leo. I don't remember if they said if Mel is bi or a lesbian but I hope that if she is bi they don't hook her up with Harry because: yikes. They're both a little too long-winded for me so them together would be a nightmare.

I'm surprised by how much I like Maggie; she's the Phoebe of the group and I didn't care for Phoebe all that much. But she's pretty charming, all things considered. There were some lines that didn't land but overall I thought she was the funniest of the bunch. I also like how quickly she reached out to Macy. She's a sweetheart.

Macy wasn't given as much time to shine but I like her a lot. She's clever- it's interesting that they're trying to incorporate her knowledge of science- and I love her friendship with Maggie. 

"Is she gonna regain brain function?"
"No. But not for lack of effort on our part."

I enjoyed the nods to the original, like the ouija board.

[memememe76]

I loved this. So much. Everyone is so much fun. 

[Primal Slayer]

Overall...it was ok. Not as strong as Something Wicca This Way Comes. They tried to do way to much with this episode. 2 demons and 1 demon dog all in the very first episode. Are they funny? Are they dramatic? it changed literally 5 seconds from one another. It hit us over the head with the #MeToo movement that it dragged the episode down. The sisters are united very quickly after not knowing they have a long lost sister and everything about being a witch is made easier by having Harry around to explain everything to them. Who are they? Harry informs them. Are they going to be witches? Harry offers that ultimatum. An Innocent gets killed? Harry is there to save them. The sisters are having trouble vanquishing a demon? Harry is there to give them a pep talk.

So...does the mom not have any active powers? We see her do a spell but nothing other then that.

So in the original we get a nice spell from Phoebe and the chandelier glowing, here we get the power going out while Mel uses her mind to Freeze is not as interesting as Piper using her hands. Did they just use Mel to "easter egg" Piper? And make it look ridiculous? HThey just had to get the Pro-choice out there to be witches, it was something that the originals just had to deal with which is more interesting.

I really hate that the sisters have to be kidnapped and then told of who they are instead of find it out themselves. 

They tried a bit to hard to be funny.

Harry is a Whitelighter who doesnt teleport away in white lights....so why are you called a whitelighter? He is already a major part of their lives and making things easy for them. And now we arent supposed to trust him?

How in the hell do you just find out that your a witch, you have a half sister, and your mom was murdered but you go to an event? And to work? And act normal?

So demons are able to posses people like in Supernatural, black smoke included.

The music and trying to be funny/dramatic is REALLY annoying and I hated it throughout the entire thing.

I feel like the sisters bond is going to be rushed unlike how they managed to pace Piper/Phoebe adapting to Paige somewhat decently. They known each other for less then 24 hours and they are already acting like they've known each other forever.

Of course! The pervy old professor has to be a demon just as the boyfriend who isnt Maggies boyfriend had to force himself on her because he was possessed by a demon. 
 

[Keywestclubkid]

good god I hope they calm it down with the forced dialogue ... it came across has cringe worthy a lot of the time ....there are parts of it I liked but overall it just seemed really rushed them being super ok with their mom never telling them about a older sister. I just don't know I'll have to wait and see how the next episode plays out to see if I'm gonna stick with it. 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Keywestclubkid

[Rhetorica]

I liked it.  It's updated for a new generation. Comparing this to the original is useless. Times have changed... 

[Keywestclubkid]

1 minute ago, Rhetorica said:

I liked it.  It's updated for a new generation. Comparing this to the original is useless. Times have changed... 

but even judged on its own if this wasn't called Charmed it wouldn't have got greenlit or made it on the air at all it wasn't a great pilot.......

[slf]

9 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

but even judged on its own if this wasn't called Charmed it wouldn't have got greenlit or made it on the air at all it wasn't a great pilot.......

I disagree, I think it would have. It's the exact type of show the CW would come up with. It's already vastly superior to some of the fantasy shows I've seen on that network before.

[Lady Calypso]

15 minutes ago, Rhetorica said:

I liked it.  It's updated for a new generation. Comparing this to the original is useless. Times have changed... 

I think taking the name of the original show, having similar lore from the original (the Book of Shadows, Whitelighters, Charmed Ones, etc) doesn't help stop the comparisons, but it IS a different show and should be judged as such. It just might take some time for that to happen; initial comparisons are expected, I think. 

For me, even without the comparisons, it was a weak pilot because of the dialogue. It was way too clunky and not subtle enough. Plus, they could have done a better job at establishing the sisters. 

[Primal Slayer]

18 minutes ago, Rhetorica said:

I liked it.  It's updated for a new generation. Comparing this to the original is useless. Times have changed... 

Times have changed but some things are just timeless. The sisters relationships, how they deal with being witches, all of that doesnt change with time.

[Keywestclubkid]

4 minutes ago, slf said:

I disagree, I think it would have. It's the exact type of show the CW would come up with. It's already vastly superior to some of the fantasy shows I've seen on that network before.

Exactly it has already been done and better hell even the secret circle which they advertised pilot was way better then this ..... so it doesn't feel new or fresh the writing was horrible the acting was all over the place the effects feel like they haven't been updated at all and for some reason feel worse then what we got in the original ....all that could be forgiven if the actresses had any chemistry but they dont ..... 

[jewel21]

I didn't like it. I'm not charmed by the three sisters yet, and I thought the CGI was horrible. It just looked cheesy. The original Charmed pilot was kind of creepy and hooked me from the first five minutes. This sadly did not. Hopefully it improves. 

[RandomWatcher]

That was very woke(?). Is that that the right term?

[Primal Slayer]

Having Mel move in at the end of the episode was wrong imo. The pieces of the puzzle were just to perfect with that whole relationship to her new sisters. I hope we see her dealing with "I've been an only child but now im not"

[Lady Calypso]

6 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Having Mel move in at the end of the episode was wrong imo. The pieces of the puzzle were just to perfect with that whole relationship to her new sisters. I hope we see her dealing with "I've been an only child but now im not"

I give pilots a little bit of leeway. I think there's a good chance we see Macy's hesitation with getting close to either Mel or Maggie due to her feeling out of sorts. Or maybe that's just my hope.

I also gotta make sure I remember that Mel is the middle sister now and Maggie's the youngest because I keep defaulting to Mel as the youngest sister (more just the names, not the actresses, though I can't tell Sarah Jeffrey apart from Melonie Diaz yet).

[slf]

10 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Exactly it has already been done and better hell even the secret circle which they advertised pilot was way better then this ..... so it doesn't feel new or fresh the writing was horrible the acting was all over the place the effects feel like they haven't been updated at all and for some reason feel worse then what we got in the original ....all that could be forgiven if the actresses had any chemistry but they dont ..... 

Exactly? Your argument was that it wouldn't have been greenlit. The Secret Circle was terrible; typical case of finding ridiculously pretty, over coiffed teens (or actors in their early 20s) running around in ridiculous clothes. It was so generic I can hardly recall the plot. 

I disagree. I think it was very fresh and very new. I like the diversity, which the original lacked. It feels very modern but in a way that isn't overly dated (except the politics in Mel's scenes). I think the effects are overall much better than what we got in the original and I cannot say enough have grateful I am to not have to listen to that unbelievably stupid chime sound all the time. 

[4evaQuez]

So, I saw the pilot, and I am not impressed. I'm actually extremely disappointed by this as I came into this episode excited and willing to give the show a chance.

1. The most important aspect is that I don't really like the dynamic between the sisters. This is the first episode, so I'll give them a few more to iron out their chemistry. However, right now they don't feel as natural interacting with each other as the original Charmed Ones or even Piper,Phoebe and Paige.

2. I can't stand Mel. I can easily see myself hating her if they don't tone down the character.

3. The dialogue feels forced."Cis male," "woke," "pro-choice witches" It just felt like too much too soon. Also, the professor being the ice demon was yawn worthy.

4. Too much Harry. 

 

I don't want to be a spoil sport, so I'll say some things I like.

1. Maggie and Macy seem interesting. 

2.I did like the look of the demon

3. I like the look of the new Book of Shadows.

4. The home looks really nice.

5. I like that they will incorporate a college campus.

 

I still want to like this show, and I hope the things I disliked are the usual pilot rough spots. I just hope the show stops trying so hard, and it can blend its political commentary with being an actual enjoyable show a little better.

[Keywestclubkid]

10 minutes ago, slf said:

Exactly? Your argument was that it wouldn't have been greenlit. The Secret Circle was terrible; typical case of finding ridiculously pretty, over coiffed teens (or actors in their early 20s) running around in ridiculous clothes. It was so generic I can hardly recall the plot. 

I disagree. I think it was very fresh and very new. I like the diversity, which the original lacked. It feels very modern but in a way that isn't overly dated (except the politics in Mel's scenes). I think the effects are overall much better than what we got in the original and I cannot say enough have grateful I am to not have to listen to that unbelievably stupid chime sound all the time. 

it was greenlit because of the name Charmed again it was soooo much like all the other shows that they had already done and Canceled and moved on from that it would have been passed over without a second thought had it not had the Charmed brand attached to it..the pilot was not a strong pilot to me and just shoving in topical references and Metoo seemed forced like hey we are "woke" watch our show and that in itself I feel like would have killed its chances again had the name charmed not been attached and the thought of a guaranteed built in audience .so yes my argument stands  

Edited October 15, 2018 by Keywestclubkid

[slf]

3 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

it was greenlit because of the name Charmed again it was soooo much like all the other shows that they had already done and Canceled and moved on from that it would have been passed over without a second thought had it not had the Charmed brand attached to it..the pilot was not a strong pilot to me .so yes my argument stands 

Okay, dude. Your argument doesn't track. Either it would not have been greenlit unless is was called Charmed or TSC and other CW fantasy shows are proof of the opposite. I said it's the exact type of show the CW would've come up with and you said exactly. I think you got turned around somewhere.

8 minutes ago, 4evaQuez said:

4. Too much Harry. 

This is the number one complaint I agree with. The guy was there way too much, talked too much. I've only seen the actor in one other thing - Hellboy - but I didn't care for him in that, either.

[Keywestclubkid]

7 minutes ago, slf said:

Okay, dude. Your argument doesn't track. Either it would not have been greenlit unless is was called Charmed or TSC and other CW fantasy shows are proof of the opposite. I said it's the exact type of show the CW would've come up with and you said exactly. I think you got turned around somewhere.

This is the number one complaint I agree with. The guy was there way too much, talked too much. I've only seen the actor in one other thing - Hellboy - but I didn't care for him in that, either.

it was greenlit because of the built in audience they thought would tune in and watch.Not because they believed in and thought this was a good show..... what am I not explaining here? Had the show been called 3 half sisters and a cauldron it wouldn't have been picked up it would have been looked at has something they already did and not unique enough to stand out and thought of has just another throw away show....however by giving it the named Charmed they thought the nostalgia would carry it to be a hit even tho again it was like every late 90s early 2000s show they had already done and moved on from .this was more about money and not building something on their own but leaching off a old idea hoping it would stick...

Edited October 15, 2018 by Keywestclubkid

[Primal Slayer]

It looks like this will be airing on Hulu the day after. 

[UNOSEZ]

I sure enjoyed it.. Maybe even a bit more than I expected to... I figured with trying to live up to the original and establish all the characters plus what I had seen of the previews that it may have been too much.. But I was engaged.. I never watched the original so I don't really have anything to compare it to... I thought when the sorority sister said they were a "woke" house they were actually kinda poking fun at ppl who use the term too much and who dontbreally do much of anything... Mel calling harry a cis male seems like how she'd normally talk.. So dunno if that's somn to think is out of bounds.. Was/ worried that Mel being so active in women's issues and how  outspoken she is I fear she would and will provoke some strong reactions from the fandom... And the posts I've been seeing around the Internet seem to back up that fear.. I hope it doesn't last and she's embraced eventually...  Man Sarah Jeffrey is Canadian 

[jmonique]

Holy moly. I didn't hate this.

I do hope that they try to tone down the WOKE aspect of this by at least a third, if not a half in future episodes. I also find it a little on the nose that the UBER-WOKE sister is also the lesbian.

Macy went a long way toward making my initial hesitation about the show give way. I like the science-meets-witch aspect, and I hope her curiosity leads to some actual research and training by the sisters. The original drove me a little nuts in regards to how long it took the Halliwells to start to train like their lives depended on it -- which they did.

But yeah, considering how I thought the previews and trailers looked like hot garbage, I'm surprised to say I will give this a few more episodes to settle into its own space.

[Dream Boy]

I thought it was okay. I agree that everything felt rushed and that this would have probably benefited from being a 2 parter. I don’t mind the 3 sisters but I felt like the dialogue was trying too hard in places. I did like that Macy is a scientist though and brings those skills with her. I’m intrigued enough to tune in again next week. 

[Keywestclubkid]

question how did they learn an incantation in a language they never spoke so quickly without even showing them really studying and learning? Especially after it was stated that magic was a craft they needed to learn and not something they just automatically know and can do..... granted the original show did this but a simple 2 line or 3 word rime spell in a language they all spoke just seemed a little more plausible then a intricate chant in a languages none of the girls really showed even knowing ...I guess "magic" is going to be the go to excuse for any plot holes moving forward 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Keywestclubkid

[UNOSEZ]

18 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

question how did they learn an incantation in a language they never spoke so quickly without even showing them really studying and learning? Especially after it was stated that magic was a craft they needed to learn and not something they just automatically know and can do..... granted the original show did this but a simple 2 line or 3 word rime spell in a language they all spoke just seemed a little more plausible then a intricate chant in a languages none of the girls really showed even knowing ...I guess "magic" is going to be the go to excuse for any plot holes moving forward 

I thought they just held hands while the oldest chanted... 

[Keywestclubkid]

24 minutes ago, UNOSEZ said:

I thought they just held hands while the oldest chanted... 

I think they all chanted it at the end ...but still even the oldest chanting it alone would seem really odd that she memorized a long ass chant in a foreign language in a matter of moments? I really feel bad about picking on this show and hopefully it gets better in the upcoming episodes 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Keywestclubkid

[newms]

I loved the link to Trump as the first sign of the apocalypse and the feminist voice. We need lots of talk about this during these times of social injustice. 

 

I think Macy (the scientist?) is my favourite so far. I am eager to learn more about the sisters and their upcoming relationship plus Macy’s backstory. 

I though the girlfriend of the one sister was awful for breaking up with her because she was angry and in a fog. Dude, her mom just died. She’s allowed to grieve however she wants. 

The chanting and ridding of the demon was too easy and quick. This is a problem with supernatural shows; lots of build up and then an easy solution. It seems tacky. 

 

Overall, I’m glad to have a reboot and look forward to more.

[memememe76]

This is way better than That Stupid Circle. No love triangles. The women generally like each other. No one true love business. Loved this so much.

[Minneapple]

So I only occasionally watched original recipe Charmed but I figured I'd give this a shot. It was better than I anticipated. The actresses are decent, and the girl bonding is pretty good so far. 

There were some bumps (the show almost felt like it was TOO AWARE), but hey, it's a pilot so I'll give them some leeway and a few more episodes at least.

[GaT]

Not sure how I feel about it, it wasn't great, that's for sure, & I don't feel a lot of chemistry between the 3 leads

When they showed the attic, I thought it was some kind cathedral at first. That's the biggest attic I have ever seen, they need to tone it down to normal proportions to make it believable.

Why was the inside of the house so dark? They have electricity, right?

6 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

Harry is a Whitelighter who doesnt teleport away in white lights....so why are you called a whitelighter? 

Unless he turns out to not be one & their real whitelighter hasn't been introduced yet.

5 hours ago, 4evaQuez said:

3. The dialogue feels forced."Cis male," "woke," "pro-choice witches" It just felt like too much too soon. Also, the professor being the ice demon was yawn worthy.

Too much of a "ripped from the headlines" feel for me, trying too hard to be trendy. That's why I guessed right away the sexual assault professor was going to turn out to be a demon.

Edited October 15, 2018 by GaT

[RachelKM]

I enjoyed it.  It was a bit heavy handed at times.  Hopefully that will tone down as the show goes on.  Feminism should stay.  Constant discussion of it, maybe less so. 

Mel is a little overly intense.  She could use some chilling out too. I liked Maggie and Macy, though.  Not sure yet about Harry, as much as I love Rupert Evans generally. 

Edited October 15, 2018 by RachelKM
typos

[BooBear]

5 hours ago, newms said:

I loved the link to Trump as the first sign of the apocalypse and the feminist voice. We need lots of talk about this during these times of social injustice. 

I hated that. But have resigned myself to accept it.  Overall I didn't find it too bad. They have to knock back the Woke aspect if they want viewers but I actually enjoyed Harry being more of a Giles.  If Harry turns out to be a baddy I would say his amount was just right but if not, I do think he was overbearing.  The story is about the sisters but at some point it felt about him. 

[Adira]

This wasn't... terrible.  But it wasn't great either.  Besides that early scene where Mel shows up at the sorority Maggie is rushing to bring her home, I didn't really get much of a sister vibe from either of them, which was pretty disappointing.  And I really hope there's a good backstory for Macy, because it feels like, at the moment, not having them all grow up together was a mistake.  It's really missing that family/sisterly bond at the moment.  And the feminist spin... WAY too heavy-handed and over-the-top!  It kind of felt cheesy and like the show was trying to make fun of itself at times.  I was not a fan of that at all.

The twist at the end with Harry potentially not being good?  (Or maybe the contact through the Ouija board is the not good one.)  That was an interesting twist.  I'll keep watching, but I'm really hoping it gets better.

[Stardancer Supreme]

As a fan of the original, I thoroughly enjoyed this pilot.  I am always happy to find characters I can relate to, so Macy is my favorite.  I look forward to hearing the backstory of how she came to be.  

I'm in!

[EdnasEdibles]

I like the idea that Harry might not be good. I think that could be fun for this season. I always hated Leo so anyone is an improvement over stupid ol' Leo. 

I remember in the first pilot they were able to kill the demon by holding hands and screaming "The power of three will set us free!" over and over again which I remember thinking was lame. So I liked that there was an actual chant/incantation this time. 

I thought the sisters were interesting and I'm willing to give it a try. Of course my taste is terrible and I watched The Secret Circle until the bitter end. 

[Stardancer Supreme]

5 minutes ago, EdnasEdibles said:

I like the idea that Harry might not be good. I think that could be fun for this season. I always hated Leo so anyone is an improvement over stupid ol' Leo. 

I remember in the first pilot they were able to kill the demon by holding hands and screaming "The power of three will set us free!" over and over again which I remember thinking was lame. So I liked that there was an actual chant/incantation this time. 

I thought the sisters were interesting and I'm willing to give it a try. Of course my taste is terrible and I watched The Secret Circle until the bitter end. 

I liked that part as well. Macy didn't sleep, so she was able to put things together in a way to help them vanquish the demon. 

Harry being a bit more grey would be a nice change for the Whitelighters and how they function in this world.  I wonder what he did to warrant the warning.

[Minneapple]

14 minutes ago, EdnasEdibles said:

I like the idea that Harry might not be good. I think that could be fun for this season. I always hated Leo so anyone is an improvement over stupid ol' Leo. 

Leo was boring as fuck. Harry at least appears to have a semblance of personality.

[questionfear]

I think it has some potential. I agree that some of the dialogue felt a little forced, but it was cute. 

Though I'll be honest-the lesbian sister getting to actually make out with her ex girlfriend on the CW was enough to make me keep watching, because it was simultaneously awesome and so unexpected given how straight the old Charmed was. 

[dungeonwriter]

I tried to like it, but the dialogue was so on the nose, I found myself bored. 

I'm happy they are putting in political content, but it sounds so canned and forced. "It's not a witch hunt. It's a reckoning." Subtle as a punch to the head. Roxane Gay is witty, brilliant, inciteful, and quotable. This is not worthy of Roxane Gay. 

And yeah, the man-hating lesbian in combat boots trope vs the pretty sorority ditz tropes was just painful. In fact, I think it would have been more interesting for the more politically feminist character to be straight and the sorority girl to be a lesbian. 

I just gave up when Macy randomly shows up. "I think I'm your sister." 

[threebluestars]

This was just ... terrible. The pacing was so fast it was a joke, the character development was very uneven, the characters themselves seem aged down and juvenile, it was a giant pile of exposition in the writing with no suspense. As far as pilots go, this one got greenlit because of its name, not because of the content. The writing was atrocious, and I found the entire thing laughable. I am really, really disappointed, because I hoped it would be good since I loved the original, but this just made me want to watch the original even more.

[AngelKitty]

I just finished watching and I wanted to post right away that I enjoyed myself immensely. I was afraid I was going to get the girls confused, but I already even know their names. I'm so happy.

[iMonrey]

I thought it was pretty good! Yes, some of the exposition was clunky, but that's to be expected in a pilot. I liked the three sisters and I liked that they changed the youngest's powers from premonitions to mind-reading. That's way less lame. The special effects were also a big improvement over the original. 

My one complaint is that I don't like the Whitelighter, Harry. I don't like that he had to man-splain to the sisters about being witches and what it meant - they were able to figure this all out on their own in the original, and for a show that's trying a little too hard to be all about girl power that seemed like an glaring misstep. 

Looks like it did pretty well in the ratings so hopefully it will be given a chance to find its footing. I think it has real potential.

[CheezyXpressed]

It was campy, but an okay pilot. I might be the only one, but I was okay with Harry. His nonchalant manner when healing people was funny almost like he knows that he has to do it, but he finds it all so tedious. I hope he's not super good or super bad.

I also liked that Macy was able to solve one of the problems using science as oppose to looking at the book.

My only issue is that I feel like they crammed too much into the pilot. I almost wish that the episode ended when everyone was on the bed and then the next episode deals with the actual demon. I thought Mel was a bit much too.

I also got confused between Mel and Maggie. They really do look like they'd be sisters, while Macy looks like the odd/tall one out.

 

I know the original sisters are not going to be making a cameo on this show, but I'd love for Cole to come back and for them to acknowledge that he's a good guy and not the Source of all Evil and everything bad in Phoebe's life. Maybe he saves them and they thank him for his help or something and we learn that he's been saving witches all over for whatever redemption they made up and now he's free and can finally leave in peace. I think that's the only cameo that I'd enjoy seeing.

[mammaM]

Ok, nine out of ten times pilots suck, so I'll give it a couple more episodes to find it's footing. And I can deal with Macy being taller than the other two, families come in all shapes and sizes. But NO THEME SONG?!? Come on show!

[UNOSEZ]

I don't think "feminism " is a zero sum game where men can't ever help or in Harry's case "man-splain" everything.. I do hope now that he's given them the basics and they got the message to be wary of him.. He'll be more companion/adversary  than chief explainer/ magical Caucasian ( that's racial progress y'all)  I'm excited to see where they go.. The only significant other who didn't get much was Macy's guy so I hope we see some more of him.. And that young creepy boy and lady cop

[Guest]

It was better than I expected so I will definitely watch a couple more to see if it gets stronger. I liked the sisters a lot more than I expected based on the promos. Macy and Maggie are particularly likable. My biggest complaint was having Harry explain everything to them. In the original series the three sisters were forced together because they did not have anyone else to help them. 

I hated the 48 hour time limit to make a decision. I guess it was to give them a sense of agency but that was immediately undermined by the conditions that were place on the choice. Telling them that they would forget everything that they discovered meant they were not choosing just if that wanted to be witches but also if they wanted to be sisters. It would have been better if they could of decided to walk away knowing that they would remember everything. 

18 hours ago, slf said:

She's basically the Piper of the group and the whitelighter, Harry, this show's Leo. I don't remember if they said if Mel is bi or a lesbian but I hope that if she is bi they don't hook her up with Harry because: yikes. They're both a little too long-winded for me so them together would be a nightmare.

 

Mel has Piper's power but she is dating a cop which seems like a nod to Andy. Hopefully that will stop them from hooking up Mel and Harry. 

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I thought it was pretty good! Yes, some of the exposition was clunky, but that's to be expected in a pilot. I liked the three sisters and I liked that they changed the youngest's powers from premonitions to mind-reading. That's way less lame. The special effects were also a big improvement over the original. 

My one complaint is that I don't like the Whitelighter, Harry. I don't like that he had to man-splain to the sisters about being witches and what it meant - they were able to figure this all out on their own in the original, and for a show that's trying a little too hard to be all about girl power that seemed like an glaring misstep. 

Looks like it did pretty well in the ratings so hopefully it will be given a chance to find its footing. I think it has real potential.

I didn't see it is mansplaining because Harry legitimately has more information than the sisters. I do thing the show is in danger of undermining it's own feminist message by giving them a crutch from the very beginning. I also thing it was a mistake to make the two creepy guys into the bad guys. It made it obvious who the demon was and it gave an excuse for the bad behavior.

I would have preferred if the mom's murder hadn't been solved in the first episode. Leaving that a dangling thread would have been a better explanation for why they choose to be witches. 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Guest

[iMonrey]

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 It made it obvious who the demon was and it gave an excuse for the bad behavior.

Actually . . . I spent the entire episode confused because I thought Harry was the one that had been accused of either sexual assault or harassment. I think it was the strongly antagonistic way Mel reacted to him at college that gave me that impression, followed by the next scene in which she is complaining about the guy her mother was going after while papering the billboard with flyers. It wasn't until the very end I realized it was the old guy they were talking about. 

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I would have preferred if the mom's murder hadn't been solved in the first episode. 

Was it though? The demon they vanquished said something like "You think I murdered your mother? You have no idea" or some such.

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I hated the 24 hour time limit to make a decision.

It was actually 48 hours but . . . I'm not sure what the point of that was either. Maybe to give the show some suspense but, duh! There would be no series if they chose not to be witches. It occurred to me that it was sort of a callback to when they found Paige in the original series. There was said to be some kind of 48-hour window where a new witch can choose to be good or evil. It also reminded me of the original Season 4 finale when the Angel of Destiny offered to give them back their "normal" lives and they wouldn't have to be witches anymore.

[janeta]

i thought it was cute enough.  (never saw the other one; weren't they both based on a book/s?)  nothing much else on on sundays so i'll probably stick with it a while.