Witches in Time: Favorite and Least Favorite Seasons

[Eva Marie]

I can't really comment on the best seasons because I've only halfway through viewing. Still to tackle S1, 6, 8 & 2nd half of 5.

So far my favourites are 2 and 7. They're polar opposites of each other and that's partly why I like them. I love S2 for the nostalgia, pre-Cole Phoebe, the episodic structure and the variety of demons like everyone says. The downside is that it's quite slow even for a patient viewer.

S7. So many excellent elements that should've been there throughout:

The Avatar storyline, Drake, Kyra; a healthy, minimal dose of Cole; finally a more tolerable wardrobe; some wacky humour. I didn't even mind Brody (isn't it weird how the actor was a dead-ringer for JM? The casting agent really had a type.) Although the season premiere was atrocious and just plain culturally offensive (and I'm not easy to offend in that regard).

...and then came Zankou, who deserved his own spin-off show (and he should've taken Inspector Sheridan with him). Was impressed with both those actors so much. The finale felt like the season finale - I don't why they bothered making S8.

 The downside is that the magic school is the ongoing deux ex machina. Need babysitting? Take the kids to magic school. Oh, a demon is coming? Magic school! Need to hide something? The magic school shield will protect it! Ugh....:-(

Nick Lachey was bad nostalgia personified. His punchable, greasy mug yanked me right back to 2004/5 - the last period of my life when I gave a damn about celebrity culture.

[Eva Marie]

More on the censorship: 

I'm so, so glad that the in-your-face steamy Phoebe/Cole relationship happened on this PG show. All the dancing around it makes it actually erotic and female sexuality-friendly. I shudder to think what cable/Netflix would've done with it.

On that front - AM and JM are noticeably more relaxed with each other in S4. Their morning-after scene in S3 was so, so uncomfortable and I don't think it's written to be that way.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Eva Marie]

On 3/10/2018 at 4:42 AM, iknowyouknow said:

Turns out I don't like or trust Cole any more as a human than I did while he was evil.

Now that I've seen his entire arc, my assessment of his character can be summarised as "volatile stalkerish violent chauvinist wanker" (with a fetish for strangulation). Seriously, I cannot believe that Phoebe got strangled by him 3 times or that he was practically hitting on Pru in the Wild West ep...It's like his only way of resolving conflict with women is to get flirty in an intimidating way. He was also didn't get the concept of NO from the beginning: Phoebe already told him to get lost several times in mid-S3. He's like the Stanley Kowalski of this show. His best period was early S3 when he was still in the flirtatious stage with Phoebe: they are adorable in those scenes.

Phoebe/Cole is the reason that S3-4 are not my favourites. All the highlights are there despite them than because of. He should have never been a demon, but a human who gets dragged into the magical world he can't quite accept, which drives him to suicide in S5 (if the show wanted to go dark). They could've still had a passionate difficult relationship.

My absolute favourite ep so far is Piper's wedding - it' truly Charmed at its best in all the elements.

[Guest]

To be fair, Phoebe kicked him in the balls, threw him across the room and burned him alive a fair few times too. The violence wasn't one-sided. Lmao. 

On 15/03/2018 at 8:47 AM, Eva Marie said:

 

Nick Lachey was bad nostalgia personified. His punchable, greasy mug yanked me right back to 2004/5 - the last period of my life when I gave a damn about celebrity culture.

Ugh, greasy. He always had more lip gloss on than Alyssa Milano. Yuk. 

[Guest]

On 15/03/2018 at 8:17 AM, Eva Marie said:

I focus on the acting so much because I was fortunate to grow up during the cable TV revolution , when Bryan Cranston was the Laurence Olivier of the time - and he was better than anyone you'd find in US movies. To me that standard of TV acting is the norm, so I kinda forget that it's only a recent thing and wasn't normal during the time Charmed took off (certainly not on public channels).

Overall, Charmed is so charming because it never has this post-modern coldness that I've seen in too many otherwise well-made shows. It has heart even during the worst of times (although I haven't seen the lowest ranked seasons yet - 6 & 8). The Halliwell manor feels like a real place and it's like you live there when you're watching. The original sisters feel like real women who live together.  The dialogue is endlessly quotable. The supernatural stuff isn't really the point - it's just an excuse for the fun shenanigans, sister bonding and their individual lives unfolding. The stunts and effects are entertaining when they usually bore me senseless elsewhere.

And the credit sequence is just the greatest - it has so much energy, a memorable song and it introduces actors one by one with names under faces (which I've only seen one other time - on Tudors). Also, thanks to the stringent free-to-air TV censorship I can completely relax while watching and not have to clutch the remote ready to skip any gore/degrading & unsexy sex scenes/senseless violence/very boring swearing (the English language swear vocabulary is just pitiful) that you're routinely bombarded with in Prestige TV today.

Yeah, the difference in the TV landscape is amazing. Back then, cheesy and heartwarming was the norm, with a splash of other types dotted around it. 

Nowadays, dark and brooding and seriousness is the norm and popular with everything else dotted around it. 

I love dark shows, but because every show these days tries to be in the same mould it gets a bit samey. 

I think we're due another tide change soon. 

[Apprentice79]

On 3/17/2018 at 9:23 AM, Eva Marie said:

Now that I've seen his entire arc, my assessment of his character can be summarised as "volatile stalkerish violent chauvinist wanker" (with a fetish for strangulation). Seriously, I cannot believe that Phoebe got strangled by him 3 times or that he was practically hitting on Pru in the Wild West ep...It's like his only way of resolving conflict with women is to get flirty in an intimidating way. He was also didn't get the concept of NO from the beginning: Phoebe already told him to get lost several times in mid-S3. He's like the Stanley Kowalski of this show. His best period was early S3 when he was still in the flirtatious stage with Phoebe: they are adorable in those scenes.

Phoebe/Cole is the reason that S3-4 are not my favourites. All the highlights are there despite them than because of. He should have never been a demon, but a human who gets dragged into the magical world he can't quite accept, which drives him to suicide in S5 (if the show wanted to go dark). They could've still had a passionate difficult relationship.

My absolute favourite ep so far is Piper's wedding - it' truly Charmed at its best in all the elements.

Cole should have been a full demon out to destroy the charmed ones by targeting Phoebe. Phoebe would fall for him causing her to fight with Prue and Piper mediating. Cole would try to isolate her from her sisters.  He would have had a dark priest cast a spell on him to protect him from her power. However, they would not anticipate her premonitions to advance to include aspects of telepathy and empathy. Eventually, Phoebe would orchestrate his vanquish, culminating, in the season finale of season 3.

[Eva Marie]

On 3/19/2018 at 3:18 AM, Lost said:

Yeah, the difference in the TV landscape is amazing. Back then, cheesy and heartwarming was the norm, with a splash of other types dotted around it. 

Nowadays, dark and brooding and seriousness is the norm and popular with everything else dotted around it. 

I love dark shows, but because every show these days tries to be in the same mould it gets a bit samey. 

I think we're due another tide change soon. 

Actually, we're already seeing it: Stranger Things put heart-warming and nostalgic back in the game.

[Eva Marie]

Save for the final mad stage and the beginning seduction one, Cole's arc was frigging ridiculous throughout. It was a merry-go-round of:

Evil demon

Trying to be nice demon

Nice demon

Trying to stay nice (but can't quite trust him) demon

Bored human

Back to demon

Brainwashed demon

'Just won't die already' demon

....all the while doing the 'sauntering sexily while inexplicably obsessed with Phoebe' routine.

Seriously - you could just take the beginning and the end and truncate everything in the middle. What's worse is that he completely swallowed up Phoebe's life and personality: she became Mrs. Cole 24/7.

[Esmeralda]

On 3/24/2018 at 7:45 AM, Eva Marie said:

Save for the final mad stage and the beginning seduction one, Cole's arc was frigging ridiculous throughout. It was a merry-go-round of:

Evil demon

Trying to be nice demon

Nice demon

Trying to stay nice (but can't quite trust him) demon

Bored human

Back to demon

Brainwashed demon

'Just won't die already' demon

....all the while doing the 'sauntering sexily while inexplicably obsessed with Phoebe' routine.

Seriously - you could just take the beginning and the end and truncate everything in the middle. What's worse is that he completely swallowed up Phoebe's life and personality: she became Mrs. Cole 24/7.

That was the problem with getting rid of the earlier writers (and producers) who could do different things. A lot of why IF I want to watch S4 (I very seldom do. since Last Half S4-First Half S5 is my least-favorite season), I hop from 'Lost and Bound' to 'Show Ghouls' and end with 'Something Wicca This Way Goes'.  Would never suggest such a jump to anyone who has never watched Charmed, because a lot of fans like what's boring to you and infuriating to me, but it sure works for me....

[Eva Marie]

I can see why Connie quit over the whole Cole story-line.  I also can't stand Phoebe's constant fawning over him (even the child Phoebe does it in 3 Faces of Phoebe!).  

I'm almost loving S1 so far. Almost because even at its' best Charmed feels sort of undercooked. Something is missing, but I can't quite grasp exactly what it is.

[Esmeralda]

Well, a lot of fans think that it took a while to figure out what exactly the show wanted to be.  My favorite season is Last Half S1 through First Half S2 (starting with 'The Truth is Out There...and It Hurts' and going through 'Murphy's Luck').  I don't like Prue before it and I don't like Piper after it, while this is when I loved Phoebs the most.  I'll be curious to see what you think when you get into that part, the only time I like all three sisters.

I'll be curious to see if you can figure out what's missing.  Hopefully whatever it is, that will be part of the reboot, although I don't think so, since the reboot seems more like a reboot of S4-8 than S1 despite them including cops.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Guest]

On 24/03/2018 at 3:27 AM, Eva Marie said:

Actually, we're already seeing it: Stranger Things put heart-warming and nostalgic back in the game.

I meant something fresh. There's always a place for nostalgia at any period of time on TV. Re-runs of old shows do very well. 

[Guest]

On 03/04/2018 at 7:45 AM, Esmeralda said:

That was the problem with getting rid of the earlier writers (and producers) who could do different things. A lot of why IF I want to watch S4 (I very seldom do. since Last Half S4-First Half S5 is my least-favorite season), I hop from 'Lost and Bound' to 'Show Ghouls' and end with 'Something Wicca This Way Goes'.  Would never suggest such a jump to anyone who has never watched Charmed, because a lot of fans like what's boring to you and infuriating to me, but it sure works for me....

Well that's unfair. Cole may not have been part of the earlier episodes, but they were just as repetitive. Just in a different way. 

Back then it was more "How can Shannen save the day this week? And how can Alyssa and Holly show how they need her?"

[Eva Marie]

Of course they were repetitive: this is a supernatural procedural with a demon-of-the-week format. Have you ever seen a non-repetitive procedural? It's just that pre-Cole both the innocents and demons had more variety and character.

[Eva Marie]

Am I crazy for not hating S8 1st half? Until Christie actually appeared it was watchable if you skipped past the demons hanging out chatting at magic school. I actually enjoy Kaley as an actress - she's spunky, likable and doesn't take the whole thing too seriously. In fact, she's pretty much Alyssa no.2. I remember liking her on 8 Simple Rules as well.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Eva Marie]

13 hours ago, Lost said:

I meant something fresh. There's always a place for nostalgia at any period of time on TV. Re-runs of old shows do very well. 

The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-GF, Enlightened, Eli Stone, even Dirk Gently's and Orphan Black to a degree. They're there but you really need to look for them. Smart, sensitive, humanistic shows never rate well, but they find loyal niche audiences.

Or you have to scour the international market for them. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Rita are very much in the life-affirming category.

[Esmeralda]

6 hours ago, Eva Marie said:

Am I crazy for not hating S8 1st half? Until Christie actually appeared it was watchable if you skipped past the demons hanging out chatting at magic school. I actually enjoy Kaley as an actress - she's spunky, likable and doesn't take the whole thing too seriously. In fact, she's pretty much Alyssa no.2. I remember liking her on 8 Simple Rules as well.

 

I really think I could've liked S8 if I didn't already hate Piper and Phoebe thanks to S4-7.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Eva Marie]

Actually, Kaley's presence really draws your attention to how much Rose hated her job in S8. Kaley was given thin, cliched material and silly outfits; but she was still obviously excited to be on the show. She had energy and was young & hungry. 

Contrast that to Rose who looked like she had a gun pointed to her head (even though she finally had a decent love interest and was freed from skimpy wardrobe duty). Really drives home how misguided her casting was all along.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Guest]

On 14/04/2018 at 2:45 PM, Eva Marie said:

Of course they were repetitive: this is a supernatural procedural with a demon-of-the-week format. Have you ever seen a non-repetitive procedural? It's just that pre-Cole both the innocents and demons had more variety and character.

Of course, which is exactly why I'm pointing out the repetitive nature of the show outside of any one plot line. 

I don't think there was all that much variety in those pre-Cole episodes when it came to innocents and demons, especially the innocents who were cliche goody-two-shoes. 

On 15/04/2018 at 5:31 PM, Eva Marie said:

Actually, Kaley's presence really draws your attention to how much Rose hated her job in S8. Kaley was given thin, cliched material and silly outfits; but she was still obviously excited to be on the show. She had energy and was young & hungry. 

Contrast that to Rose who looked like she had a gun pointed to her head (even though she finally had a decent love interest and was freed from skimpy wardrobe duty). Really drives home how misguided her casting was all along.

 

Well, Kaley hadn't spent the last 5-8 years of her life on that same show so of course she would have a very different kind of energy. Unfortunately, it didn't translate to a good performance nor an interesting character. 

But that is one of the biggest things of the eighth season, just how bored all of the cast really are. 

On 14/04/2018 at 2:58 PM, Eva Marie said:

The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-GF, Enlightened, Eli Stone, even Dirk Gently's and Orphan Black to a degree. They're there but you really need to look for them. Smart, sensitive, humanistic shows never rate well, but they find loyal niche audiences.

Or you have to scour the international market for them. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Rita are very much in the life-affirming category.

You misunderstand. I'm talking about the "in-trend" that permeates across TV and film for an "era". 

Of course you can find TV and films of all styles, niches and genres when you look but when it comes to what's big and popular there's always a current "trend".  That trend then informs what gets made more or given more prominence during a specific time. Like the period we had a slew of "the next Lost" with incoherent narratives and time-wimey messing about. Lol. 

Edited April 22, 2018 by Lost

[Esmeralda]

Since this post was about the reboot and we're not supposed to discuss it any more, I've deleted it.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Esmeralda

[alonenotlonely]

I just want to sob with happiness that other folks out there still love this show! And also still feel free to snark about the many things that are wrong with it. Even when this show disappoints for long stretches of time, I forgive it because it stole my heart from the very first episodes. To borrow from a sentiment that others expressed far better, it diverts me, it lifts my spirits, it energizes me. It's inspired me to write my first fanfiction and an incoherent rant about why it gets so little critical acclaim.  

Season 4 is my favorite. I'm an unabashed Cole fan, and this is by far his best season, but that's not even in the top three reasons why this one is at the top of my list. It just seems to offer more - more substance, more pathos, more depth, but also humor, heart and hope. I love how the season honors Prue's memory while integrating Paige. My initial post for this thread had a list of my favorite episodes, which I deleted after reading that the moderators frown on lists. But most of the episodes on that list happened to come from this season.  

Seasons 1, 2 and 3 are deadlocked. They all showcase a lot of what I love about Charmed and a little of what I don't love as well.

The later seasons are at the bottom, but there's a lot I enjoyed about them once I adjusted my expectations and learned to skip through certain scenes! 

[Esmeralda]

OH, I wish I could've done what you did - adjusted your expectations.  I was the other way around, never missing an episode because I kept hoping it would go back to being what it was. For me, once you got past Season Three,"Show Ghouls" and 'Something Wicca This Way Goes' were the only times it did.

I'm curious about your fanfic.  If Cole is the star and hero, then I'm not interested (sorry, don't like him at all because being obsessed with him turned my favorite sister, Phoebs, into my least-favorite sister, PhoeME.  But if the sisters star (first set preferred, but second set, okay), I'd love to read it, so if it's posted online anywhere, please post a link!

Edited June 21, 2018 by Esmeralda

[SilverShadow]

I agree with the majority that Seasons 3 and 4 are my favorites, followed by 1, 6, and 2.

3 and 4 feel like when the show found its groove, mixing longer-term storytelling with the adventures of the week. Shannen does her best work in 3 and her departure gives a lot of really good storytelling opportunities with the fallout of Prue's death. The sisters get more powerful, the Cole arc is mostly coherent, and things still have emotional weight,  

1 is of course where it all began and it;s fun to watch the show find itself and evolve. 

6 is really only ranked so high because I'm a sucker for time travel and I really like and enjoy Chris's character and arc, the idea of future Wyatt being bad, and how the consequences spiral out into Halliwell family.  I just wish they spent more time developing that and less on the bullshit. 2 is also hurt by all the Dan stuff that I super don't care about and the overall slower pace. 

I also like lots of the bits and pieces of 7. The Avatars, Leo struggling with his morality, Drake, and Zankou. On the other hand Sheridan, Brody, Magic School, and the asshole Elders put me to sleep.

5 is mostly terrible, but again, even in that there are bits and pieces I enjoy. The show recalibrating itself to appeal extra hard to both 8-12 year old girls and perverted adults men is really obvious and weird. I hated how the show tried to retcon Cole being possessed against his knowledge and will as him having made a free choice to be evil, while Phoebe, who did make many, many, questionable decisions of her own free will, was treated as a passive victim who had no choice. I know a lot of the issues stemmed from the aborted Cole/Paige/Phoebe love triangle-but that also would have been a stupid idea that came out of nowhere and Julian was right in running for the exit either way.

 

8. Good lord 8. The fallout from the fake deaths takes forever and is boring. As is Phoebe's quest for her baby. And dear God Billie. I like Kaley in her other work but her acting, plus whatever direction she was given just made her nails on a chalkboard to me. And when her quest to find Christy takes over the plot and she gets her stupid-ass projection power it's just awful. That said Henry is by far Paige's best love interest and I find Kill Billie and Forever Charmed to be decent enough finales. 

Edited July 3, 2018 by SilverShadow

[Guest]

On 15/03/2018 at 8:57 AM, Eva Marie said:

More on the censorship: 

I'm so, so glad that the in-your-face steamy Phoebe/Cole relationship happened on this PG show. All the dancing around it makes it actually erotic and female sexuality-friendly. I shudder to think what cable/Netflix would've done with it.

On that front - AM and JM are noticeably more relaxed with each other in S4. Their morning-after scene in S3 was so, so uncomfortable and I don't think it's written to be that way.

Are you sure? 

From what I remember, that was the moment Cole started to fall for Phoebe and doubted his plans to kill her and her sisters and Phoebe started thinking he'd used her for a one night stand and was going off her? From memory, it was supposed to be highly awkward? 

[TheLovelyAnomaly]

I don't have favorite seasons so much as favorite episodes. That said, though, I really like Seasons 3 and 7. 

Edited August 29, 2018 by TheLovelyAnomaly

[Guest]

On 03/07/2018 at 5:16 PM, SilverShadow said:

5 is mostly terrible, but again, even in that there are bits and pieces I enjoy. The show recalibrating itself to appeal extra hard to both 8-12 year old girls and perverted adults men is really obvious and weird. I hated how the show tried to retcon Cole being possessed against his knowledge and will as him having made a free choice to be evil, while Phoebe, who did make many, many, questionable decisions of her own free will, was treated as a passive victim who had no choice. I know a lot of the issues stemmed from the aborted Cole/Paige/Phoebe love triangle-but that also would have been a stupid idea that came out of nowhere and Julian was right in running for the exit either way.

That was only written because Julian was leaving anyway. He didn't want to out-stay his welcome, so agreed to stay until the 100th episode. Originally the Source arc was supposed to run until then. 

Also, I disagree about Phoebe making questionable choices of her own free will. She was pregnant with the Source's spawn, which we saw have major effects on her, and then later had that coupled with the Seer's potion, helping to make the baby and its influence more powerful. 

[kiddo82]

So, I'm about to do the nerdiest thing I've ever done.  I'm doing a whole series re-watch (for the about the 12th time), keeping notes, and developing my own personal top 101 moments of the series.  I tried to do it when I did a re-watch years ago but never finished and  then my original thumb drive broke.   This all got reignited when I caught a couple of re-runs on Pop and got sucked into the vortex again.  I don't know what hold this show has over me but it is real and it is strong.  I mostly blame Holly Marie Combs.   It's been about 8 years since my last full series re-watch.  I'll do spot ones every so often when I see, like, the final third of season 3 is cycling around on syndication but it will be interesting to see how, or if, my opinions have changed over time.

[libgirl2]

On 12/9/2018 at 1:29 PM, kiddo82 said:

So, I'm about to do the nerdiest thing I've ever done.  I'm doing a whole series re-watch (for the about the 12th time), keeping notes, and developing my own personal top 101 moments of the series.  I tried to do it when I did a re-watch years ago but never finished and  then my original thumb drive broke.   This all got reignited when I caught a couple of re-runs on Pop and got sucked into the vortex again.  I don't know what hold this show has over me but it is real and it is strong.  I mostly blame Holly Marie Combs.   It's been about 8 years since my last full series re-watch.  I'll do spot ones every so often when I see, like, the final third of season 3 is cycling around on syndication but it will be interesting to see how, or if, my opinions have changed over time.

I received the entire series for Christmas (in its own "Book of Shadows"). I just finished season one. I always loved the show though I wasn't a fan of the last season. Lets see how I feel when I get there. 

[Apprentice79]

I loved season 1 and the dark feel to it. I loved the sisters dynamic as sisters, them discovering their powers, relying on their wits and the book of shadows and not on Leo and the useless elders. I loved the anvils that Constance dropped regarding how powerful the sisters were going to be as time went on. Phoebe was so useful and her power was so powerful and I love how her power was growing. I loved her being able to get premonitions on command, like the time she got the lottery numbers for that elderly couple.  Piper's freezing power was also powerful and I hated how she stopped using it after Prue died and her freezing power never grew and evolved. I truly believe that in time she would have been able to freeze time literally and be able to propel herself  in time. Also, demons being immune to her freezing power after season 2 was BS. I know people complained  about Prue being superwitch in season 3, I disliked it too because it should have been Phoebe. However, I loved how Prue's powers evolved in season 1.  First, she channeled her powers through her eyes, then her hands. Then, in season 2, she was able to move herself out of her body. The piece de resistance was Prue eventually developing the awesome telekinetic wave as shown in morality bites.  

Edited January 3, 2019 by Apprentice79

[kiddo82]

I'm about 2/3 through season 2.  Not sure when the behind the scenes drama actually began but it's really a shame because the chemistry among the three leads, even from the beginning, was outstanding.   Prue/Piper, Prue/Phoebe, Piper/Phoebe, all three.  It didn't matter.  I mean, I always knew this, but I guess I just took it for granted over the years and seeing it again for the first time in a long time really underscores it.  I've always been a defender of the post Shannen years, and I still believe there are some gems in the later seasons, but the dynamic between the ladies early on really was something special.  Too bad it evaporated so quickly because it's fun to watch.

 

Also, since I'm waist deep in season 2 and all the Piper/Dan drama I just can't help but imagine the heads of hair their offspring would have had.  Yeah, his was greasy but still impressive.  Just give it a good wash and rinse.  Then combined with hers?  Good Lord.  The world would just not be ready for that.

Edited January 12, 2019 by kiddo82

[Esmeralda]

The problems - if there were problems; I've always believed that was just spin, done to get rid of a woman who dared to figure out how to make each scene better because she and the other actresses thought they were doing the same thing over and over - didn't start until Season 3 when Connie was out (advisor only, but, of course, the men didn't listen to her advice...) and Kern had full control.  The three actresses were BFFs during S2 - Shannen and Holly were bridesmaids at Alyssa's wedding!   

I'll be very interested to see what you think of S3.  I didn't know anything about the problems until I joined a Charmed message board during S5, so I was *really* shocked at the ending of S3 and even more shocked by the beginning of S4! I personally never saw any stress between Shannen and Alyssa, unless it was also stress between Prue and Phoebe, like when Phoebe lied about vanquishing Cole.  Both Shannen and Alyssa are professionals - have been since they were children - and dropped any personal problems as soon as the director said, "Action!" I think trouble between the two was the very last real reason why Shannen was fired.

Edited January 12, 2019 by Esmeralda

[kiddo82]

I've always loved season 3.  I maintain that the back end is one of the best paced seasons of any show I've seen.  And you're right about Shannen and Alyssa being professionals.  It's always impressed me that as late as Sin Francisco (an episode that has maybe the last gently fun sister scenes between Prue/Phoebe) I still don't think you can tell there was anything going on between the two actresses, spin or no spin.   

[Esmeralda]

And I don't like S3 because it was the beginning of the end of the sisterhood and I no longer had a sister I liked.  Prue was on the verge of becoming Superwitch (the reason I'm glad she died...); Piper was turning into poor, poor pitiful Piper and my favorite sister, Phoebs, had died in 'Sleuthing with the Enemy' and turned into PhoeME.   Paige saved S4 for me, but then she turned into ditzy Valley Girl...

Although if Charmed had ended when I think it should've - when the doctor asked "What is this?" and Shax said,, "The end" - I'd probably love the whole thing (I did the first time through).  It's remembering what Piper, Phoebe, Leo and Cole will turn into in S4-8 that makes me dislike the end of S2 and most of S3. 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Esmeralda

[jqdeco]

I loved the first 4 seasons.  I loved Prue, Paige was ok once she got over her insecurities. Season 8 was the worst. Billie was a complete waste and hated her whining about her sister, who had the personality of an ironing board.

[AMtoPM]

Watched this show on Netflix and joined just so I could talk about my feelings on the seasons!

From favorite to least favorite

Season 3 - The show found its perfect balance. The procedural/episodic storylines intertwined a season long arc. An interesting season long arc that I could invest in. Cole was an excellent antagonist turned protagonist. The only episode I disliked was Astro!Prue making Piper's wedding all about her. That was not cool. I thought Phoebe being pulled to Cole and away from her sisters was an interesting temptation. The show didn't present it that way, but that's what happened. Her love for him became bigger than everything else and that led to Prue's death. Of course, Prue's death was easily avoided and another slopped together and nonsensical plot point, but I'm not watching this show for tight plots or even episode to episode consistency. Though, this is the most consistent season in terms of the magic usaged and the characterization my eyes.

Season 2 - The sisters had some mastery of their powers and the book of shadows, and Leo was off in the periphery with his will they/won't they status with Piper, allowing them tons of agency. This is what I love most about the first three seasons. It was them using their wits and occasionally help from others to figure out was happening. Phoebe was the master spellcaster and potions creators while Prue and Piper had the cool powers. It all worked out well.

Season 4 - Much like seasons 3, good balance of season long arc and procedural. The creepy guy who shrinks them into dolls is one of the scariest villains for me. I loved that episode (ignoring all the stupid P3 drama). Paige was surprisingly easy to like, even if she could never really replace Prue and the show was better with the original "Power of Three." But, it was interesting to see how Piper and Phoebe were able to become stronger without her always there to be "Super Witch." The downside for me is that this was the real start of "Leo! Leo! Leo!" Hated how they lost their ability to craft and figure things out without him. When the girls jump into the portal after the Evil Enchantress, I cannot help but compare it to the Halloween episode in S3 where they fended for themselves and learned how to use magic back then. In S4, they are chained to the wall and Leo has to fight off the guards. Leo who always got his ass kicked, um, okay. B

Season 1 - Solid first season. Really established the 3 women and their complicated dynamics. Some boring episodes here and there. A little too Prue-centric, One of my favorite episodes of the series is the Woogieman. So good. Also, in all the one episode boring and personality-free love interests Mark Chao stands out as one of the best. I wish he and Piper had a real shot!

Season 5 - The beginning of the end for me.

Season 6 to 8 - The introduction of many things I did not like. Chris, Bille, Magic School and Leo the Elder/Avatar/Whatever. What makes these 3 seasons the worst for me is what became of Piper and Phoebe. Piper always longed for a normal life, but she still valued saving innocents. I remember her crying when they couldn't save that doctor who was going crazy from gaining their powers. Suddenly, all she does is moan about having to save people and yell at Leo for spending way too much time focusing on trying to save the world and no on their family. Seriously? Is this the same Piper who didn't want him to clip his wings because he was better off doing good? Phoebe. Her fall was so sad to see. She had the biggest, bleeding heart at the start. She became so self-involved and narcissistic. They acted like she was "sexy Oprah" when all she did was write an advice column in her local newspaper. She couldn't act more bothered or annoyed every time she had to forgo her dumb column or boring dates to save a lives.

[Esmeralda]

On 4/2/2019 at 11:45 AM, jqdeco said:

I loved the first 4 seasons.  I loved Prue, Paige was ok once she got over her insecurities. Season 8 was the worst. Billie was a complete waste and hated her whining about her sister, who had the personality of an ironing board.

[Esmeralda]

Darn! It won't let me add my comment to the above quoted post.

If S4 didn't include the Phoebe/Cole story, I'd love S1-4, too.  As is, I can't enjoy a storyline that totally ruined my favorite sister, Phoebs, and turned her into my least-favorite one, PhoeME. 

As is, if I could just forget S4-8 and what it did to my other favorite couple, Piper & Leo, then I'd still love S2 & S3.  As is, it's hard to re-watch S2 & S3, but S1, with a few exceptions (I don't like being scared), I could re-watch over and over and over again. 

I wonder if those watching the rip-off are feeling the same way about their S1 - could they re-watch it over and over and over? I haven't watched a second and have read nothing that makes me regret that choice.  But then I haven't watched a single second of The CW since it became The CW - at age 65, just not my thing, the way S1-4 were the first time I watched them.  After that, I kept watching just because it's what I did and because I hoped I'd get to see my Phoebs or my Piper and not Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper and PhoeME.  Only in 'Show Ghouls' did I get to see my Phoebs, and once Prue died, I never saw my Piper or my Leo, my favorite male character in S1-3, except in 'Saving Private Leo'. How I wish Piper always saw Leo that way - but she didn't, not after she guilted him for saving her rather than Prue, the moment he changed from being their guide (which I loved) to being their magical doctor/taxicab (which I hated).

All part of why I count S4-8 as the alternate-universe spin-off, "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "Two Witches Plus One Living Whitelighter Equals The Power of Three?" where the only thing similar is the name of the show, since having saving innocents as their destiny and being sisters who happen to be witches became having vanquishing the Source and taking care of the Twice Blessed Brat who is more powerful than them as their destiny and being demon-hunters who happen to live in the same house, which is what it sounds like the rip-off is going to do next season. 

From what I've read, why do they keep rebooting the worst parts of Classic Charmed without fixing them, the only thing that could tempt me into watching it?

Edited April 4, 2019 by Esmeralda

[kiddo82]

I am more than half way through my great rewatch and no matter what anyone says, it seems I will always, always have a soft spot for season 5.  I'm having so much fun revisiting it.  Season 4 is probably a better season but I almost never watch any of those second half season 4 episodes out of context, the very episodes that probably elevate the season for a lot of people.  However, I would (and do!) watch many season 5 episodes randomly either because I catch them in syndication or seek them out.  Long Live the Queen is probably a top ten episode of the series but given the choice of what to do for an hour?  Give me Siren Song, Sympathy for the Demon, A Witch in Time, House Call, or hell, even The Day the Magic died with its unicorn and all.

Edited April 7, 2019 by kiddo82

[kiddo82]

I finished season 6 the other night and started season 7.  I used to hate season 6, and it's still not my favorite, but I didn't mind it as much this time around.  I just found most of the episodes rather nondescript.  Like season 7 with the Avatars/Zankou, I think whether or not one enjoys season 6 is pretty dependent on the amount one is into Chris/Wyatt turns evil story line and that was never really my jam.  It was intriguing the first 3 or 4 times they went to that well but it seemed as if some cast member was contractually obligated to say "this could be the demon that gets to Wyatt" every single episode.  I also think the season suffers secondary to a definitive lack of Piper/HMC in the latter third as a result of HMC's real life pregnancy.  Even an episode like Hyde School Reunion, which is much maligned, has some really nice gems between Piper and Victor and Piper and Chris.  Moments like that were lacking with the strongest acting lead of the series, IMO, understandably on light duty.

Now, having said that, I also think Milano does a fine job given the right material and it's never more on display, ironically enough, than in season 7 when she'e paired with Nick Lachey.  I've said this before but she has a very easy naturalness about her that is all the more underscored when juxtaposed with that block of wood.  Goodness, they might have well have given here a 2x4 to work with.  I still don't like their scenes together but they do make me appreciate her more for whatever that's worth.