The Hardest decisions made on Charmed by Season
These are my top moments in each season when I felt the charmed ones had been faced with making hard and difficult life or death decisions to either cast a spell or follow through on a plan that were like coin tosses with no back up plans and they had no way of knowing the outcome. And if they failed or even succeeded there could have been huge consequences or losses. Some of you may have different moments.
SEASON 1: 1x22 DejaVu all Over again
The moment when Prue decided to cast the Time Acceleration Spell to kill Tempus at the expense of Andy instead of trying to find a time reversal spell
Prue: Where's the spell that you saw to accelerate time?
Rodriguez: What are you doing?
Phoebe: There.
Rodriguez: What's going on?
Piper: But we don't want to accelerate time, we want to reverse it.
Prue: No, we don't, trust me. The only chance that we have to get rid of Tempus is to do this by breaking the time loop, okay.
Phoebe: But if we break the time loop we won't be able to save Andy.
Prue: I know.
Piper: Prue, are you sure?
Prue: No, I'm not. (She starts reading the spell.)
SEASON 2: 2x21 Apocalypse Not
Toss up for me between Astral Monkey (letting go of the spinning metal object and killing the Doctor) or Apocalypse not. I went with Apocalypse Not when Phoebe and Piper agreed not to cast a spell with the Horsemen to open the vortex knowing they could lose Prue. That seemed like a tougher decision but Astral Monkey had bigger consequences especially for piper.
Phoebe: Leo's right. I saw what's gonna happen, Piper. We can't do this, we can't be selfish.
Death: Why aren't you two chanting? (to Strife) You keep going. (to Phoebe and Piper) Why did you stop?
Famine: We're running out of time.
Death: Do you know what you're doing? You're killing your own sister.
Phoebe: There's more at stake here then sisterhood.
Strife: Finished. Did they finish?
Piper: No, and we're not going to.
Strife: We had a deal. We shook on it.
Piper: That was a mistake in more ways than one.
Phoebe: We know what you want. And we're gonna make sure you don't get it.
Piper: Even if it means losing our sister forever.
(The vortex opens.)
Prue: You know, you two faced an incredibly hard thing and, um, you made the right decision. Through your own free will.
Phoebe: I am so, so, so sorry, Prue.
Piper: So am I.
Prue: There's no apologies necessary. You were all just doing our jobs, I just have to deal with that.
SEASON 3 3x22 All Hell Breaks Loose
I couldn't find a great moment in this season when a decision was life or death but there was the one time they asked Cole to make a decision to go in to talk to the Source. Cole could have been killed on the spot and the charmed ones could have gotten screwed in the process.
(Leo orbs into the underworld.)
Phoebe: Leo?
Cole: Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?
Leo: Trying to save my family. Prue and Piper have been exposed, Phoebe. The whole world knows you're witches.
Phoebe: What? How?
Leo: It doesn't matter how. What matters is getting them out of it, (to Cole) which requires your help.
Cole: Come again?
Leo: You have to get Tempus, you have to get him to reverse time.
Cole: Ah, you've gotta be kidding. There's no way.
Leo: It's the only way there is, Phoebe, but we have to move fast.
Cole: A-a-I couldn't summon Tempus even if I wanted to, I don't have that kind of power.
Phoebe: But you know somebody who does.
Cole: Wait, (he laughs) you want me to ask The Source to help witches?
Leo: It doesn't just help witches. The demonic world has been exposed too, Cole, why do you think he's here? Resetting time solves everybody's problem. But make it your idea, pitch it like you're doing it to save him, not them. Whether that's why you're doing it or not.
(Silence.)
Cole: This is suicide.
SEASON 4 4x20 Long Live the Queen
Piper and Paige deciding to go to Coles apartment to vanquish him and hope that Phoebe would play along. Could have ended badly for both of them. Plus Phoebe making the decision to go along and Kill Cole.Two tough decisions to make with no favorable outcome either way. That kiss Phoebe gave Cole was a real defining moment. Didn't know what side Phoebe was about to choose.
Phoebe: What do you mean, what ever happens next?
Cole: The Conroy thing got serious, I had to take care of it.
(She pulls away from him.)
Phoebe: You killed him?
Cole: It was your mess, I was just cleaning it up.
Phoebe: Cole, they're gonna come after you, they're gonna come here!
Cole: Well, if they do...
Phoebe: No.
(She starts to leave the room.)
Cole: Phoebe, if it comes down to them or us...
Phoebe: Oh, god.
(She runs into the bathroom.)
Cole: Phoebe, wait.
Phoebe: Forgive me.
(She goes into the living room. The fragments of Cole is pulled back together and a fireball appears in his hand. Phoebe picks up the crystal that bounced across the floor.)
Cole: (to Phoebe) I'm sorry, it's, it's for the best.
Phoebe: I know it is.
(She walks over to Cole and the fireball disappears. Phoebe kisses him.)
Piper: Phoebe?
(Phoebe moves away from Cole.)
Phoebe: I'm sorry too.
(She places the crystal in its place and the trap is activated.)
Cole: Phoebe, no. No!
Phoebe: I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry.
Piper: "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda..."
SEASON 5 5x08 A witch in Time
This was more about not having any plan at all and everything ending badly until piper had to go back in time through a portal to fix the entire mess
(The two Bacarra's blink in.)
Bacarras: "For the passing of this hour, take away all their powers."
Piper: Huh? What does that mean?
Paige: I don't know but I don't like that smug look on their faces. (She throws a potion at them and nothing happens.) Okay, that didn't go so well.
Phoebe: Okay, how about this? "We call upon Medusa's bones, turn their flesh into stone." No, okay, Piper, blow up something.
(Piper tries to blow them up and nothing happens.)
Piper: I got nothing.
Paige: I can't orb.
(The two Bacarras recite a spell and a ball of flame forms in their hand.)
Piper: Leo!
(Paige quickly grabs an athame and Bacarra throws the ball of flame at her, turning her into dust. They throw another at Phoebe, turning her into dust. Leo orbs in.)
Leo: Oh my god!
Bacarra: And then there were none.
(Leo dives on Piper as Bacarra throws another ball of flame at her. He orbs out with her just in time.)
[Scene: The walkway where Miles was saved the first time. Piper and Leo are there. Piper is crouched down against a wall bawling her eyes out.]
Piper: Leo, why are we here? Do you realise that I think I just watched my sisters die?
Leo: This is the alley where you saved Miles. Just try and stay calm. We still have a chance.
Piper: A chance? I just saw my sisters get incinerated, Leo, you can't heal ashes.
Leo: I don't wanna heal them, I want to set destiny back on track.
(Piper gets up.)
Piper: What? It's already happened, there's nothing we can do.
SEASON 6 6x23 It's a Bad Bad Bad Bad World
Leos decision to kill the elder Gideon and commit an act of Great Evil. He wasn't too sure it would work. That is be an evil enough act to reverse and balance of good and evil
(Security guards are about to take out their guns. Everything, except Phoebe and Paige, go in slow motion. Paige shakes her head.)
Paige: What's going on? (Phoebe shakes her head. It becomes night. When the slow motion ends, the security guards walk past Paige and Phoebe.) Phoebe, it’s night.
Phoebe: Everything’s back to normal?
(They turn back to Doctor.)
Doctor Roberts: I’ll do everything I can. I promise. (Paige nods.) Excuse me.
(He leaves.)
Paige: Leo must’ve done something.
[Cut to Underworld. Leo stops. Gideon drops to the ground in front of the mirror, smoking.]
Gideon: (rasps) You have no idea…what you've done.
(He closes his eyes and dies. He turns into black dust.)
Evil Leo: Didn't know you had it in you.
Leo: Our worlds can never cross over again.
Evil Leo: Take care of your family.
SEASON 7 7x22 Something Wicca This Way Goes.
The charmed ones deciding to go up against zankou in the basement when he takes in the nexus, It could have killed them all
(In Magic School)
LEO: You know, maybe I should get Wyatt to heal this.
PIPER: No. I don't want to traumatize him again.
PAIGE: Well, he's gonna be traumatized soon enough. I mean, who are we kidding? We're screwed.
PHOEBE: Okay, well, if we're going down, we are not going down alone.
LEO: We can't think like that.
PHOEBE: Leo, I mean, come on. Let's be real. It's over. He's got our house, he's got our Book, he's got two of our powers. I mean, the only real question is whether or not we could take him down with us.
PAIGE: I can't believe we're even having this conversation.
PHOEBE: Yeah. Well, believe it.
PIPER: How do we do it?
PHOEBE: We've got to get that spell from the Book, the one that destroys The Nexus. LEO: And how is that gonna destroy Zankou?
PHOEBE: We let The Nexus take in Zankou first and then cast the spell -- hit two birds with one stone.
PIPER: Don't you mean five? We're gonna have to be in there to say the spell. PAIGE: Can't we just say it from here?
PHOEBE: Not and get the timing right, no.
PAIGE: Well, it's been nice knowing you ladies.
SEASON 8 8x21 Kill Billie Vol 2
The charmed ones agreeing to take in the hollow. That decision was one where the outcome could not be predicted. It was leaning more to having a negative outcome that a positive one knowing how the hollow works
NOMED: ......But the big news is what they want Billie and Christy to get to kill you. The Hollow.
PHOEBE: The Hollow?
NOMED: Actually, you should take it as a compliment. They obviously want you dead at all costs.
ZOHAR: And even potentially all of mankind's.
PAIGE: Well, that's really great because even we can't stop the Hollow.
(Piper starts flipping through the Book of Shadows.)
PIPER: Which is why we need to get it before they do.
PHOEBE: Wait. What?
PAIGE: Piper, do you remember the last time somebody unleashed the Hollow?
PIPER: Yes, I do. The Source used it to steal our powers, which I think is the point.
PAIGE: But then he went nuts, and then it went into Cole and he went nuts and then he turned evil, and we had to vanquish him. Is that ringing any bells here?
PIPER: Yes, which is precisely why we need to get it first.
ZOHAR: But with the Hollow, you'll have the power to vanquish them once and for all.
PAIGE: How do we know you're not gonna come after us next?
NOMED: We might. But probably not anytime soon. We're not powerful enough to challenge the Charmed Ones. No demon who remains is, save for the Triad. You've decimated the old guard, and we -- well, we need time to rebuild. We might be ready when your next generation takes power.
(Piper finds it funny.)
PIPER: I'll be looking forward to it.
NOMED: Oh, there'll be nothing to look forward to unless you take in the Hollow now.
(Piper glances up and Leo appears to her again. She stops and stares. Phoebe notices Piper's silence and turns to see what she's looking at. Paige also turns. They both see nothing.)
PHOEBE: Do you see him again?
PIPER: Yes. (Leo nods at Piper. Then, he vanishes.)
(Phoebe turns and looks at the demons.)
PHOEBE: Let's do it.
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