u/Familiar-Fondant-733

This pairing would have worked if they didn't retcon so much stuff the last season. The season prior, Phoebe had a lot of growth, and she comes to learn a lot from Drake in their short time together. And then come the final season, they squandered her character growth from the season prior. The only thing I liked about Phoebe the final season, is her concern/care for Billie, that Paige and Piper didn't show most of the time.

Billie even points out much earlier, when Wyatt orbs to the manor, and seems concerned for him being there. And his well-being. I think at that point, Billie knew that they were in deep, and it was about to get ugly.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't Season 2 along with 8 considered one of the more low seasons? I admit, I much prefer Seasons 1 and 3, over 2. I think because I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Piper and Leo star crossed lovers storyline. It truly ruined any potential that Piper, and Dan, could have had (or been).

Though, you really can tell when Constance was no longer a part of the show, I think people often look at seasons 1-4 as like the holy grail seasons, with no flaws. But, I know a lot of that is nostalgia talking, and not actual in-depth thinking because the early seasons had some rough moments, too. While Constance was on board.

I do think Cole should have been in the storyline, even if Constance had stayed. I think it made for good TV. Like it, or not, Phoebe and Cole were a whole lot more memorable than Piper, and Leo. Sure. I definitely think they had no clue how to wrap up Cole in the end. He definitely deserved better. But, he made it all the way to Season 5, and came back in Season 7 as a surprise to everyone. So clearly his character was well loved.

I do often think about the seasons of not getting the more dark toned, that Seasons 3, and 4, teased really. Like you can tell Constance was wanting to take the show in a more serious vibe. Because by the time Season 5 comes, it felt like a soft-reboot, and was more light, and whimsy. Sure. It had some serious moments in the later seasons. But, the dark tone of it was mostly gone, until sort of in Season 8.

The crazy thing is in Season 1, they state that Blinking was a power stolen from a Witch..though, in Season 2 moving forward, Blinking was then ret-conned to a Warlock/Demonic power fully. Despite the first season stating otherwise. Which is why in Season 3, was saw Piper and Phoebe blinking because they were turning evil/into Warlocks.

So wild thing is: Phoebe was always an empath. We saw this early on in the show, even before they were XYZ Phoebe is an empath. Think about in Season 2, where Phoebe was able to feel the emotions of what was happening the day their mom died in that one episode. While having a Premonition, she was able to tap into Empathy even then and this was seasons before they said she now has that power, too. I also am pretty sure she was also doing the same in Season 1, in small doses. They just never really explained it well enough for the viewer.

So, I'm of the mindset that before she was able to channel her Empathy on it's own, it manifested in combo with her Premonitions. But, as she got stronger as a witch, she was able to eventually tap into it without a Premonition. I think about it like how Phoebe was at first, only able to get Premonitions by touching people, or things..but over time, she actually could get them on command so to speak.

I find Season 1 more dark, and witchy....though, a bit cheesy these days. It was the most..um witchy feeling of all 8 seasons. The second season tried to hold onto that, but shifted more into the sisters personal lives, wants, goals, etc vs the super dark witchy aesthetic of the 1st Season. The lighting even changed a bit too from season 1, to 2. I always noticed how much darker the manor seemed in Season 1, and they did a lot more night shoots to give it that vibe, vs day ones.

Season 3 has a more serious tone in shift, when comparing to seasons 1-2. Prue is at her top best, and maybe over-confident..but there's a sense of dread throughout most of the season. Though, we start to notice that it's became more Prue and her sidekicks, vs Charmed Ones. They really put so much focus on Prue, while Piper and Phoebe, are just there to pick up the pieces if need be.

Though, I would disagree that Season 4 onward became more family oriented. I'd say that change came with the later seasons..especially when it got super more whimsical. Season 4 still held onto the vibe of 3, IMO. While 5 felt like a soft-reboot, and now all of a sudden Piper is witchy mommy to be in charge, no-nonsense have you. While Phoebe is all of a sudden famous (just as an advice column writer). And you have Paige feeling hopeless, and lost because she still hasn't found her place yet in the sisterhood.

Season 8 kind of shifted back into the vibe of 3/4 IMO. It felt more serious, and dark comparing to seasons 5-7. I think this was intentional. Especially the latter half of the season, it really felt like oh we're back into the serious threat of that feeling of Season 3.

Sad part is that Paige didn't tap into her healing truly until the final season..which I find so crazy to me. She was advancing quite well as a witch whitelighter. But they only ever focused on her Telekinetic Orbing, Orbing in general, and Glamouring powers vs anything else. I feel like after they introduced Wyatt and Chris (other Witch Whitelighters), they had no clue what to do with her powers further. Which is sad. She deserved better.

If Paige had never been introduced, one of them was gonna have to get teleportation, or healing of some kind. We can already rule out Piper. Since her powers were molecular. So it would fall on Prue, or Phoebe.

The power you saw wasn't a lightning power (elemental). It was an advancement of her Empathy power. It's called Psychic Reflection. It didn't get a name in the show..but in the comics etc, it eventually gets a name, and Phoebe gets this power much like she was shown using it in that one future episode.

It became so much more useful in the future, while Leo (Also a Whitelighter), was pretty useless at times.

I think the only time it felt a bit realistic, was right after, they had an episode of where it showed the club not doing great. Sucking even. I think it was EP 4 in Season 2. But not long after that? The club was instantly on the map

I don't know..I'm a Dan ride or die over Leo, and Mark both. I just found in the relationship with Dan, Piper was the one who blew it. Mark, though she only knew him for a short period, I never really got the chemistry. He was a good one-off character. But, long-term? He would have faded away. I also feel like him and what Piper became later in terms of personality, would have had them two clashing.

I always found it weird that in Season 8, that despite the fact ya..the sisters were taking care of the school, but in their absence, The Elders just allowed demons to move in and have their way with so much knowledge on magic, power, etc?

I would say seasons 2-5 were probably the more profitable years. Season 5 also introduced a lot of costume looks vs casual clothes.

It's the drawing The Charmed Ones from memory challenge.

It's been well known, that in the later end seasons, the actors were over the show. The 7th season, was actually meant to be the final one. It's why it ended in such a way, with the sisters taking on new identities, so they could escape and start over magic free. But, they got picked up for one final season.

I feel like even if Prue had survived Season 3. She would have met her demise eventually. Or, the show would have been canceled. I say this because Shannen (RIP), was a strong-willed, and had opinions. She took her work very seriously (which has been documented). But, when people are strong-willed, and take things seriously, they often at times get labeled and pushed into the narrative of "hard to work with", or "bitchy". Even if they're not really neither of those things.

And I think she took the role of Prue seriously enough, where friction became more of a BTS issue, because people couldn't match her energy. And we can't put all the blame on Shannen. Everyone there had some part to play in it. I'm sure of it. But, Shannen became the scapegoat, because of her issues from her other work in Hollywood. So, taking the route of killing off Prue was easy for them.

But, let's say it never happened..and she went on into Season 4? They were gonna have to change the dynamic eventually. Prue became more, and more, of the focus of the three before her death. And as much as people miss her character in the later seasons, bringing Paige into the fold, actually restored some balance. It felt more equal, even if it was a bit hard to watch Piper, and Phoebe, treat Paige like she was an idiot, and not worth believing at times, early on.

So unless they were able to tweak Prue as a character, and make her less of Prue, and my side-kicks in the following seasons? I'm not sure how long the show, would have really went on for.

I agree. Though, I do believe the involvement with The Angel of Death, was just a weird coincidence that unfortunately for fans of the show, has made them think it played a part into hinting her passing.
I just think the higher ups knew that something had to change, and it's why the finale of Season 3 was done the way it was. Because at the end, we don't know what happens to Prue. Nor Piper.

It's not until the following Season 4, where we see that it was Piper who survived. And Prue succumbed to her wounds from Shax.
Also there was a lot of weird foreshadowing, and hinting throughout Season 3. Prue got extremely more reckless as a character, compared to how she was in Season 1.

Actually..I recall Shannen giving an interview, where she said herself, she decided that Prue needed a career change. She wanted something different for Prue.

So of course, they randomly throw it into a storyline about future Prue being lonely, and not close with her sisters because she put all of her time into Bucklands (and became the CEO mind you). So, they needed to lay the foundation (a shaky one at that), to give a means for Prue to doubt her time, presence, and future at Bucklands.

There's a lot of weird retconning going on for sure. And things don't really make sense.
There's also the foundation of them throwing in that Prue and her past life was her being a photographer.
Which always felt weird to me to use that as another reason for her to quit her job. Like..just because your past-life self was a photographer, doesn't mean you should be one as well. Oh...and don't forget, they done this same thing with past-life Piper...who guess what? Ran a Speakeasy....a nod to future Piper running P3.

Another thing: If I'm not misremembering, by the time Prue quit her job, the club really had only been around a few short months (if we take realism into consideration). On top of being a new establishment, having to hire staff, pay said staff, pay to keep P3 stocked, pay taxes, pay for maintenance, pay acts to come to your club..and all the other expenses..I genuinely don't know how they were keeping anything on around the manor.

Prue had no job at the time. Neither did Phoebe.

Though, Paige stays pretty unemployed throughout the show after quitting her job in Season 5. Because them temporary jobs weren't paying the bills.

Phoebe was a better witch pre-having an active power. I think they started relying too heavy on Levitation, after she advanced, and came into that. While having Premonitions alone, she felt more in-tuned. She cared more about the craft. Cared more about innocents. And we already know during the time of her getting Levitation, they threw Cole right into the mix.

This is such a valid point. Tho, there are moments where they discuss finances, and even Piper talks about how Phoebe is essentially the bread-winner in one of the seasons, because the club is not bringing in the money these days. But, in truth? They were privileged. Not only that, we can presume Prue was careful, and good with money. Plus..people forget that Prue drove pretty nice vehicles throughout her character arc on the show.

And yes, having connections really REALLY saved them so much trouble. Also, I think of how many times Prue would just leave work, Phoebe as well, and Paige and I'm thinking..in the real world? You would not be allowed to just casually do that. No matter what position you were in. Unless you were like the CEO/or your own boss.

I think another instance of being privileged, or whatever..was when Prue bought all of her camera equipment etc for her photography thing. Sure. She probably had money on the side, just in-case..but the average person quitting their job, would not just able to spend money like that, while having to worry about how they're gonna pay their bills (or keep their home). She just quickly right after quitting her good paying job, is spending money on all this stuff that isn't cheap.

What sets Chris apart from normal Whitelighters/Elders, is that much like Paige, he's a product of a Witch having a kid with a Whitelighter. And much like Patty, and Sam..Paige was born with Telekinetic Orbing powers etc. Much like Chris (Wyatt as well since Leo was still a Whitelighter when they had him). NOW.. Leo, nor any other Whitelighter/Elder has Telekinetic Orbing powers. They only have the basic Orbing powers, that all Whitelighters/Elders have. And the other powers that come with being a Whitelighter.

But I also do believe on top the fact they're special (Chris specifically), he was born with the power of Telekinesis, and so on top of having Telekinesis, his Whitelighter powers work differently. Just like Paige was born the same way. Now, Chris (and Wyatt as well), can use normal Telekinesis, which we have seen them both do. But, they seem to interchange depending on what they're trying to do.

I have a theory, that it has something to do with feeling less than powerful, than a woman. Instead of the man feeling like he's there to protect his girl. Instead, the sisters are pretty okay on their own, and don't need men to protect them. In-fact, they touch up on this in a season, where Cole feels insecure without his powers around Phoebe, because now she holds all the power in the relationship. And he felt like he could no longer protect her, and to him..that just couldn't do. Which is why he goes out, and buys a gun. Because he no longer had the powers to defend her like he normally would have.

I also find that the power imbalance was very obvious. Like sure..Piper, and her powers were pretty OP by the end of the show. But, Billie and her Projection power was no joke. And she seemed quite experienced with her Telekinesis power. And the fact she made her own scrying system, that was more advanced than what the sisters had been using for years..was kind of like huh? Though, it was very obvious they were trying to build up Billie for a spin-off. Because they needed to fill a void of no Charmed Ones..so introduce this witch, who is pretty strong and pretty. So maybe audiences will love her (they did not).

Though, Christy was definitely more hated.

A third sister would have been interesting. It makes me wonder what her powers would've been? If they had went that route. Billie was a pretty good Telekinetic, with Projection. Whereas, Christy, was a Telepath, and had Pyrokinesis (an elemental power). I could see the third sister having a Replication power of some sort. Or a Sensing power.