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Power Progression - Could it have been done better?

posted 8 years ago by JustEs
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I've seen many posts at different sites showing how various fans think the Charmed Ones' powers should've progressed. I've always been one of those where I thought the original three powers - the power to move items with the mind, the power to stop time (not manipulate molecules...) and the power to see the future were more than enough, especially if they grew over time so the sisters could use them over longer distances and for longer periods, making the sisters dependent on each other and not turning into Powers of One like Piper with her explosions.

But I saw a post at another site that has changed my mind. I'm not nuts on all of the fancy titles for the powers, which the show never used but other fans love to use (I much prefer descriptions), but I *so* wish that this is the way it had worked:

I think the power progression could have been better. While I like the idea of them only having one power and it growing, I also like the idea of them having three powers: Melinda had three, so should they since it also enhances the power of three feel of the show. So in order to blend those two ideas together, I'd only progress the powers in a linear direction and no sister would ever have more than three powers.

Prue, with the power to move things with her mind, would have telekinesis or ability to move things that she sees; psychokinesis, the ability to move things that she cannot see; and finally, levitation, the ability to move herself.

Piper, with the power to stop time, would have immobilization or the ability to stop time in a certain area completely; deceleration, or the ability to slow down time in a more concentrated manner; and finally rewind, the ability to rewind time by a few seconds in a concentrated area.

Phoebe, with the power to see things with her mind, would have monitions, both retro and pre; astral projection, or the ability to see things she cannot see; and astral monitions, the ability to see things that her past or future self can see.

Paige, with the power to move things with her mind, would have apportation or the ability to move things to herself from a far away place; telekinetic apportation, the ability to move things that she can see in a manner of a teleportation; and teleportation, the ability to move herself to a far away place.

That's how I would do it. To me, that is a natural progression of each power, while staying true to the original definitions of the powers. I gave Paige apportation because it is still moving things with her mind, while also giving her something different than what Prue had. I also like how her power progression also mimics Prue's. That's how I would do it, but personally, if I could change everything, I think I'd give Piper deceleration right off the bat and have immobilization be the next power.

So?? What do you guys think?

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Larsii90 8 years ago

Cool idea, but I feel they would have too many powers combined eventually, and it would be like the end of the show, where Paige just orbed themselves and everything all the time, and they always got away, or Piper would blow up everything. That's (among the many reasons) why I like the first seasons better, because they had to rely on eachother's powers, and they weren't completely indestructable. However, I have to agree that their powers grew in a weird way, like Phoebe and her levitation and empath powers (suddenly she could control demon's powers after half a season and we didn't really know how?) I can't see the connection with her premonition powers. Not to mention Paige and ALL her whiteligher power, which I hated because she didn't seem like a witch anymore in the end. I liked Piper's blow up power in the beginning, but then she hardly froze anyone or anything the last seasons. Anyway, I totally agree that the power ideas above are very good because they're natural progressions of their original powers, but three for each would be a lot I think. Maybe two for each that's still connected to the original powers :)

[–] JonasArm 8 years ago

Phoebe's empathy is pretty logical (she even thinks it's an evolution of her premonitions). Already in the first season, she often says that she could sense the fear or pain of the victim...
Her empathy means that she can people's emotions, which incidentally, all powers rely. So she can tap into/play with other people's power as they are all emotionally charged.

Levitation for her was a bad idea.

[–] Ironic_Tonic 8 years ago

I agree. I liked Prue and Piper's power progression..but Phoebe's were just weird.

I think Phoebe's premonitions should have progressed initially to empathy, and then into the ability to send psychic energy..kind of similar to the power she was shown to have in Mortality Bites but I think it could be more versatile, like she could use it to heal people's mental scars or use it to move away demons.

I think Phoebe really did need an active power. I also think that the Charmed ones needed to be able to fight on their own, otherwise they couldn't really call themselves the most powerful witches could they?

[–] JustEs 8 years ago

I'm glad she never got an active power and wish she'd never gotten levitation (I would've preferred her getting astral projection, since that's passive, especially if unlike Prue's version it was more like Rex's, where she wasn't seen - especially if you then add the empathy as you said. I also would've preferred Prue getting levitation)

The more I watch the earlier episodes the more I love Phoebe using her brains and her martial arts to get them out of scrapes even more than her sisters' active powers. I hated it when the writers just let her stand around when she could've done so much.

[–] gzv969 8 years ago

Paige, with the power to move things with her mind, would have apportation or the ability to move things to herself from a far away place; telekinetic apportation, the ability to move things that she can see in a manner of a teleportation; and teleportation, the ability to move herself to a far away place.

She can already orb. Wouldn't teleportation be redundant? I agree it would be much quicker though. I would also see a progression where Paige doesn't have to call out for things. Just make it happen with her mind. And in moving things to herself as mentioned also to include much larger objects and people. Imagine her orbing her sisters and people at will to herself to talk to them. Though I think she was already doing that since season 7 like in Season 8 "Vaya Con Leos" when Phoebe was called for from the underworld where she was interrogating the demon with Billy. Phoebe heard the jungle, said Uh oh, then dissapeared in orbes and appeared in orbs in the manor. Had to be Paige. She must have been doing it to phoebe alot for phoebe to know what was about to happen to her, ever since season 7 "Charmed Noir".

Phoebe, with the power to see things with her mind, would have monitions, both retro and pre; astral projection, or the ability to see things she cannot see; and astral monitions, the ability to see things that her past or future self can see.

All perfect but I would keep astal projections with Prue since Prue had it already. In addition I would still keep levitation with Phoebe as even in Morality bites it was one of her future power progressions. And also I'm not sure what the power is called but the ability to have psychic connections to her sisters or to others by touch or remotely so she can communicate telepathically. That way be able to summon the power of three without all sisters being in the same room or place. Obviously doing this with mortals and non magical beings could kill them. That is getting into their head psychically. And for her premonition advancement she can hold or touch any object or person and easily get a premonition of anything evil related it it whether in the Past or Future. And her empathy to the point where she can anticipate next moves just a few minutes ahead like Kira could do in "Witchness Protection"

Piper, with the power to stop time, would have immobilization or the ability to stop time in a certain area completely; deceleration, or the ability to slow down time in a more concentrated manner; and finally rewind, the ability to rewind time by a few seconds in a concentrated area.

Love this one for Piper especially the rewind time part. Also I would add that she could also permanently freeze people and objects until she decides to unfreeze them. No ware-offs. The way the permanent freeze would work is if she doesn't unfreeze the person or object over the hours and time will start turning ice cold and eventually turn to ice for self preservation until its permanently in a block of ice that can't be melted. Could be years if she wanted and she can still unfreeze them. Permanent freeze would be something she does to demons or warlocks that have no known vanquish. And also if she can rewind time she should be able to freeze time entirely but that will have like a 5 min time limit due to the scope and reach of the power.

Prue, with the power to move things with her mind, would have telekinesis or ability to move things that she sees; psychokinesis, the ability to move things that she cannot see; and finally, levitation, the ability to move herself.

In my opinion I would still keep levitation with Phoebe as I previously mentioned. But I would also add that Prue could eventually move things so fast that the molecules heat up real fast and sometimes com-bust/explode. So she's not actually blowing demons up at will but occasionally in a heated battle when using telekenisis to throw them across the room the effect could be spontaneous combustion. And also since she could already Astral Project, be able to use her powers while in astral projection and when the pull is to be in more than two places at once she can astal project to as many places simultaneously as needed. This will obviously be a physically draining power that she can't sustain for extreme lengths and periods depending on how many ways she astral projects herself into. The more Prue's the more physically draining it will be since she has to keep up with all her various self activities. just One or even two astral Prue's she can sustain for quite a very long period but beyond that it becomes harder to sustain as long

[–] thecherrypop 8 years ago

Season 1 was great because it was so simple. Three witches, three powers and the only way they could get out of tough situations and battles was by working together or by using a spell or potion.

I really wish there were no power progressions and it was kept more simple

[–] WickedRising 8 years ago

Piper couldn't actually freeze time, just molecular immobilization.

Like in "That 70s Episode" when the warlock arrives with the flowers at a certain time like he does every year. He purposely drops them to see if the sisters have their powers yet. This year, they do have them, and Piper freezes the flowers so she doesn't have to clean them up. The warlock knows that she froze him because he counted the clock chimes up until she froze him, meaning time continued on while he was frozen and the clock stopped chiming.

[–] JustEs 8 years ago

True. Melinda Warren only saw her power as freezing time, since she wouldn't know anything about molecules.

Although it's *not* molecular immobilizatin (the reason I hate those fan-made terms). She slows down the molecules so much that they *appear* to be frozen. If they truly were, anything living's heart would stop and they'd die. If anything, molecular deceleration works better, but even that isn't quite it.

But like the earlier posts, I wish time manipulation *was* her power. Then it wouldn't have turned into molecular acceleration which turned her into the Power of One who had no need of her sisters or the Power of Three - one of the worst mistakes made on the show.