How Charmed lost its charm

Pretty much what we've all been saying forever on this board, so yes I agree with it all

Wow, yup, they nailed it. If magic school, Gideon, Billie and her wretched sister had never happened we would have all been better off.

Pretty accurate. The article didn't even dive deep into the issues with Piper and Phoebe, but yes they were largely responsible for why the show lost its spark.

Piper was supposed to be the matriarch, but they turned her quirks (her worrisome) that was once witty and welcoming into bitterness and agitating. She was just straight up mean. I can't fanthom why she is a fan favorite. She constantly complained about wanting a normal life and never wanted to save innocents. She was not a cool character outside of her ability to freeze things.

Phoebe was once the witch we wanted to be. She may not have had the coolest active power, but she made magic look like fun. Then Phoebe 'grew up' and became a fan fic. She was a celebrity whose greatest power was love, as many of her dream men had to remind her....all while being a terrible person. No time to save innocents and all the time to hate Cole for the choices she made.

The show definitely became too self indulgent. It never should have lost touch with sisterhood and the ancestral roots that made the show messy but charming

That was the most accurate thing I've read all day.



1. A game of dress-up - I don’t know, I feel like the early seasons had it too. Prue became a man in one episode, the “All Halliwell’s Eve” episode they all dress up, Phoebe is a banshee and Prue a Dog in season 3, Season 1 Piper turns into a Wendigo. However, it did become more excessive in the later seasons.

2. Prue’s Uneasy death - Don’t agree! It made the show more realistic and it wasn’t about rainbows and butterflies and every sister surviving anything. It also opened the door for a great season for, Prue’s death did have a huge impact on the other characters and we see it throughout the series and especially in season 4. Piper has a whole storyline decided to the death and how it affects her life. It added more depth to the characters and they grew and changed from it.

Having said that, at some point Shannon needed to return somehow even if it was just guest appearances like their mother and grams did or a storyline that brought her back.

3. The trouble with Phoebe - Disagree! All the sisters continually change jobs, that was happening from the beginning of the show. Piper and Prue change constantly. It’s hardly a reason what was wrong with the show.

4. The sufferings of Cole - Don’t agree! LOL The couple needed conflict in the beginning and some strong storylines, and they got it! He was only on the show for two and a half seasons.

Also, their "unborn child" wasn’t blown up by Piper nor was it their child!  LOL Technically, it was the source reborn is her. This was clearly explained in the show. The Seer even says it. As for “the unborn child” or unborn source, the power of three spell vanquished it.

Where it went wrong: Julian McMahon and Alyssa Milano had amazing chemistry. It really hurt the show when they were trying hard to find someone in the the later seasons to fill his spot, as none of them worked. At some point Juilan McMahon needed to come back and Cole and Phoebe have a happy ending fans wanted to see.

5. Everyone’s least favorite mum - I feel like this is true but the same can be said for all the characters. The writing really got lazy! Let’s face it! I mean when you have paige saying in season 8 that she didn’t remember how they vanquished the source, and Piper not being able to tell that Phoebe wasn’t Phoebe in “Freaky Phoebe”, theres a problem. The sisters seem to become weaker as the series came to an end and not as smart when they should’ve been unstoppable and at least being able to sense things easier.

6. Incest keeps a family together - NO! It was obvious that the writers had not thought threw exacted who they wanted Chris to be. They liked him and wanted to keep him on the show the next season, so him being her nephew happened. You can pick up on thing like that threw out the show. I feel like past season 5 it wasn’t planned out fully or at all. For example: Chris says that Paige died on the day he comes to their time and Paige is turned to stone. Later, in the season he says that Paige is always the one that he borrows money from in the future. That obviously shows how unplanned anything was. The writing was a train wreck at times, I can’t!!! 

7. The Gruesome Twosome aka Billie and Christy - Agree! The focus was more on them and they were more powerful than the Charmed Ones. LAME! Plus they were so whiny

8. Hollywood Hogwarts aka Magic School - Agree! An attempt to cash in on Harry Potter and/or lack of ideas

I would have to add:

The avatar storyline: That was absolutely horrid! I would had much rather seen a season dedicated to another run in with Bacarra, a season focused on the episode “Morality Bites”, or someone finding the Grimoire again. At least something that would had brought the show back to its roots.

Phoebe losing her powers and the empath power: Beyond dumb! Stupid reason to lose her powers and didn’t make any sense at all.  The empath power was just messy and didn’t help her THAT much. It was LAME! They only thing she should have gained was mind control, she needed a kick ass power like that! She should have all kept the electric power she obtain in “Witch Wars” since she seen herself in the future in “Morality Bites” having that power.

Phoebe moving out: Why not at least have her move across the street, they already went through that with Paige and it was a mess and left them vulnerable!

Leo becoming an elder/avatar/absent in season 8: Leo is part of the Charmed ones, it didn’t make any sense to give his role to Chris in season 7. POINTLESS! The avatar storyline was like a recycled Cole storyline, and it was useless! And the fact that the budget didn’t allow Leo more scene time was stupid! Then why have Billie and Christy on? Cut their scene time, not Leo

That is all

Personally I love this show from beginning to end any changes did not affect me at all.