Whenever I say to someone that I am a Charmed fan, I usually get a bemused look and snort followed by something along the lines of: “What, that show about three chicks with magical powers?!” To which my response is usually something like: “Yes, I do mean that show about three kick ass sisters with super cool magical powers! What of it?”
I appreciate it’s probably not cool to admit that you not only religiously watched the WB series on a weekly basis throughout the shows run but you’re also somewhat of a super fan. It certainly didn’t win me many friends at school! But as we mark nineteen years since the show’s premiere and now I’m old enough to no longer care what people think, I can proudly scream my love for Charmed from the rooftops of the Halliwell Manor!
So here are ten reasons why Charmed is still awesome, after all this time…
The Grimlocks
We first meet the Grimlocks in the Season One episode “Out of Sight”, written by Tony Blake and Paul Jackson, and the duo were two of the shows first (and probably most) truly terrifying villains. Creeping around the sewers and spying out of drainage systems like Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the Grimlocks would kidnap and steal the eye sight of young children in order to see the auras of beings of good, who they’d then telekinetically choke to death.
The bald headed and red eyed demons somewhat resembled Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars series but were considerably more aloof and menaced through silence and their spine chilling stare. The original gruesome twosome were seen again in Season Three as they returned to enact their revenge on the sisters in “All Halliwell’s Eve”.
P3
Piper’s club, P3, became a central hub after its introduction during Season Two and many an episode was closed with the sisters enjoying a performance from a guest artist. The Cranberries, Barenaked Ladies, Goo Goo Girls, Michelle Branch and four-time Grammy Award winner Pat Benatar all performed on the show. Often the acts themselves would make cameo performances during the episodes such as when Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo popped up at the Manor and asked to borrow their phone after their car had broken down.
The club itself also tied fantastically into a number of storyline particularly for owner Piper but also served as a brilliant location for episodes such as “Centennial Charmed” to show how in an alternate reality the world had fallen into ruin after the Power of Three was broken by Paige’s death.
Leo Wyatt
For every Buffy or Captain Kirk, you have a Giles or Spock by their side and Charmed is no different. Whitelighter Leo Wyatt is the sisters guardian angel who guides, mentors and magically heals them as well as serving as their connection to the Powers That Be.
Loveable Leo breaks all the rules when he falls head over heels in love with middle sister Piper and the pair are forced to overcome numerous challenges to not only prove they belong together but also to stay the course – love is never easy particularly when magic is involved!
Guest Stars
Charmed has never been short of big name guest stars such as Kung Fu legend David Carradine and Titanic heart throb Billy Zane, but it was the stars of tomorrow that were most impressive. The show gave roles to The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, Star Trek stars Zachary Quinto and John Cho while Grey’s Anatomy and The Last Ship‘s Eric Dane appeared in nine episodes as Phoebe’s boss and love interest Jason Dean.
Also Academy Award nominee Amy Adams appeared in Season Two’s “Murphy’s Luck” way back in 2000, which was one of her first named roles.
Time Travel
Some of the shows most memorable episodes were when the Charmed Ones travelled in time. Often they’d be sent forward or backwards in time by the all powerful Elders to learn a lesson or help discover how to overcome their latest foe. One of the shows finest episodes was Season Two’s “Morality Bites” which sees the sisters travel to a possible future where youngest sister Phoebe was being burned at the stake for killing a human.
The sisters are forced to learn that “wrong things done for the right reasons are still the wrong thing” and that their job is to “protect the innocent, not punish the guilty.” It’s just a shame that they later forgot that lesson!
The Book of Shadows
The families big, old, magical book was a central part of the show. The book contained information on demons, vanquishing spells, incantations and much more getting the sisters out of many a sticky situation.
Over the course of the show the magic book practically became a character in its own right and while it never saw human form like Doctor Who‘s TARDIS or Charmed‘s very own Kit the cat, it did regularly throw tantrums or try and help the sisters by turning its pages on its own or even shocking evil doers to protect itself. Also, the Book of Shadows was most certainly one of the most sought after mementos for many a super fan!
Cole Turner
The shows most compelling character came in the form of complex half human, wicked half demon Cole Turner. Phoebe’s troubled relationship with Cole was one of the most gripping storylines of the whole show and the pair were one of the many relationships on the show that served to teach viewers that not every story has a happy ending.
Cole was also central to one of my favourite eras from the show during Season Four where Cole himself became the Source of All Evil leading to Phoebe switching allegiances and becoming his Queen. Ultimately it all ended in tears and Phoebe was unable to ignore her destiny ending in her rejoining her sisters to vanquish the love of her life and banishing the Source once and for all… or so she thought!
Prue’s Death
While the exit of one of your leading actors can often spell an end to a TV Show, the axing of Shannen Doherty in Season Three did little to no harm to the show at all. Charmed battled on with Piper and Phoebe discovering the existence of a half sister who help reunite the Power of Three and continue the good fight. Prue’s death also brought about some of the finest episodes in the shows run starting with her exit directed by Doherty herself.
Season Three finale “All Hell Breaks Loose” was a rollercoaster of an episode which ended on a jaw dropping cliffhanger and while it’s quite common now for shows to end a season so abruptly, back in the early 2000’s it was almost unheard of. The following season also brought about some of the best performances from Holly Marie Combs who played middle sister Piper who struggled to move on from her sister’s death and accept her role as the eldest sister.
Losing Prue back in 1998 seemed unthinkable but considering Rose McGowan who played half sister Paige racked up 46 more episodes than Doherty, some would actually predict that the drastic change gave the show extra longevity.
Magic Powers
A show about the supernatural wouldn’t be anything without magic and boy did Charmed bring the magic! For a show that premiered in the 90’s, the special effects on Charmed were actually quite impressive and regularly the show would go to great lengths to better their effects by performing elaborate stunts to make the powers seem more realistic. Prue’s telekinesis would regularly see bodies flying through the air while Phoebe’s levitation power meant actress Alyssa Milano spent a lot of her time in a harness.
Many a night I spent imagining I had Piper’s ability to freeze time or Paige’s power of orbing allowing her to magically transport herself from place to place even Phoebe’s power of premonition would’ve come in handy!
The Sisters
Ultimately while the magic and the demons were often a big selling point for the show, it was the Charmed Ones themselves that were the real stars of the show. The relationship between the sisters is what fans keep coming back for as their chemistry was undeniable one of the shows greatest qualities. The already established relationship between friends Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs helped sell the bond between the two older sisters while Alyssa Milano perfectly completed the trio with her youthful energy.
Even after Doherty’s exit, Rose McGowan’s quirkiness brought a new dynamic to the table which complimented the existing relationship between Combs and Milano. The bond between the sisters was certainly what made me fall in love with Charmed!
So there you have it! Unfortunately the show is currently unavailable on Netflix but you can purchase it on Amazon Prime so watch it at your viewing pleasure.
Are you a fan of Charmed? Let us know!