Season 1 Discussion - Share your opinions on this season

[Deleted]

Hello Cafe Members! I am new here and have been searching for threads regarding each season of the show and couldn't find any. I've decided to make my own discussion thread pertaining to each season. Share and discuss anything you'd like about season 1.

What did you like about the season? What bothered you? Favorite moments? Do you feel this season was a great start for the show? These are just few examples, you don't have to answer these questions. If you would like to share your review of the season, please do. If you yourself have any questions regarding anything in season 1, feel free to ask.

[Esmeralda]

Since the admins who can set up new boards aren't around, and since you missed out on our S1-4 discussion, this is a great idea, COLEtheSource!

I'll get the discussion going by posting two different Season One reviews - the first one I did shortly after Charmed ended, and the second after my most recent re-watch.

First, here's the review I posted after Charmed first ended:

SEASON ONE: Finding their Destiny

The more I watch this season on DVD, the more I enjoy it. I remember coming into it excited to see Alyssa, who I knew from "Who's the Boss?" and Holly, who I knew from "Picket Fences." I'd never watched Beverly Hills 90201 and everything I'd heard about Shannen was negative, so I wasn't looking forward to seeing her, but Prue had me caught before the end of the season, just because she was so much like me.

I liked the relationship Prue had with Andy, and with Darryl, too and still cry when I watch the last episode of that season, when Andy dies. So much of this season reminds me of what Charmed was and what I wish it remained:

• I wish that whitelighters and Elders (darklighters, too,) remained more the way Leo described them back then - messengers and guardian angels, not supernatural taxicabs and doctors.
  
• I wish that when the sisters used magic for personal gain that it would just fade away like Phoebe's lottery ticket.
  
• I wish that saving innocents remained more important than personal desires.
  
• I wish that Piper could still want a normal life without constantly whining about it. 
  
• I wish Phoebe was still our Phoebs rather than PhoeME/Freebie--more interested in magic than sex.

Favorite eppis includes all the ones that include Leo, least-favorites include all the ones that don't, except for "That Seventies Episode", which is my favorite of that season with "Love Hurts" just a little bit behind it--I LOVE the sacrifice Piper is willing to make in that one; a sacrifice she won't make in S6-8--she SOOO should've given up her powers before she had kids!

B+// 8 out of 10 stars // Very Good!

And here's my review after my most recent re-watch:

SEASON ONE - Summary

Like I've been saying all along, I've been thoroughly enjoying my first Charmed re-watch in several years, getting to see what the sisters started like, and wishing they could've remained more like them. Yeah, it took them a while to get their footing, but once they did, oh, it was such fun!

As always, I loved it best when they were acting like sisters, with the supernatural part of it a distant second, especially when that part would scare the bejesus out of me, the reason why I don't watch most supernatural shows which are usually all about special effects trying to (and usually succeeding) in giving me nightmares, or teenagers with a lot of teenaged angst, neither of which appeal to me, but since it appears that both do appeal to others, I can see why others (especially teens and early-twenties) like those shows. It's why I've never watched Buffy or Supernatural, but I can see why others have enjoyed those shows.

I loved Prue and Andy's love story, but I wish that Andy had found out Prue's secret much earlier and that she hadn't lied to him, the way I will always wish that Phoebe didn't lie to Prue about vanquishing Cole - turnabout is fair play, Prue! I wish Prue and Andy had been the couple we got to follow throughout the entire series (with them always being lovers but never married and never having kids, at least not until the truce in Season 8) rather than Piper and Leo, whose love story I ADORED during this season, but makes me shudder as I remember what happens to it in latter years.

What I didn't like was the glimpses of what they're going to turn into - Prue's pride; Piper's self-centeredness; Phoebe thinking that sex=love. People who love moral ambiguity probably loved those glimpses. I, who don't no matter how unrealistic that is, don't. When I watch a pure fantasy show, which I'm partially watching so I can get lost in a fantasy world and totally forget about the real world and all of its problems, I want my good characters to be good and my evil characters to be evil and never the twain shall meet.

In most cases this happened during this season, part of why I like it so much and can't wait to watch Season Two, while not looking forward to Season Three when Brad Kern takes over and introduces a morally-grey Cole who messes up the whole thing.  He so should've remained pure demon and evil!  But that's for a different season's discussion; not this one.

EPISODE GRADES

1. Something Wicca This Way Comes - A
2. I've Got You Under My Skin - B
3. Thank You For Not Morphing - A-
4. Dead Man Dating - A+
5. Dream Sorcerer - C-
6. Wedding From Hell - C-
7. The Fourth Sister - A
8. The Truth is Out There and It Hurts - A
9. The Witch is Back - A+
10. Wicca Envy - A+
11. Feats of Clay - B-
12. The Wendigo - C-
13. From Fear to Eternity - A
14. Secrets and Guys - A+
15. Is There a Woogy in the House? - A
16. Which Prue Is It Anyway? - A
17. That Seventies Episode - A++
18. When Bad Warlocks Turn Good - A
19. Out of Sight - A-
20. The Power of Two - A
21. Love Hurts - A+
22. Deja vu All Over Again - A++

Season Overall Grade: A

So? Reaction, anyone? Or do you want to post your own review and/or Episode Grades?  If so, go for it!

[Chrisaholic]

Oha, the season just started here again as well. To be honest, it was refreshing to see the whole start again. I mean, we know the end and all but the beginning has something. Vanquishing Piper's boyfriend right in the first episode and then she fell in love with a ghost. I just wished Mark's message about birthdays would have remained through all seasons. *sighs* At the moment, and this week over, we have then reached 10 episodes, starting on Monday with episode 6: "The Wedding from Hell".

[Deleted]

Season 1: 3 sisters with issues find a book that will ultimately change their lives forever, including ours!

Pros:
Excellent written premier that immediately hooks the audience in.
Outstanding acting and chemistry between all the main leads.
Strong supporting characters throughout the season. Andy, Leo, and Darryl
Shannon Doherty. Regardless of what you may think of her, she certainly demanded every screen shot and was a solid element of the show.
A genre like no other. This season was able to mix every single element that made it truly unique and focused on a subject that was never really explored on television, Wicca.
The Elders being literally unknown and mysterious was a huge plus

Cons:
The show struggles to find itself in its own mythology as there are noticable inconsistencies.
The season tends to suffer from pretty bad pacing due to huge amount of filler episodes.
Underwhelming big bads Rex and Hannah

Overall:
This is an excellent starting foundation for a show that would last on for a total of 8 seasons. Regardless of how much the show has changed in its later years, Season 1 will always be Charmed in its truest form. The acting is superb and you immediately believe these women are sisters.

Episode list with number ratings.

1 = Awful
2 = Bad
3 = Good
4 = Great
5 = Amazing

Something Wicca This Way Comes = 4
I've Got You Under My Skin = 4
Thank You For Not Morphing = 1
Dead Man Dating = 4
Dream Sorcerer = 2
Wedding From Hell = 1
The Fourth Sister = 4
The Truth Is Out There And It Hurts = 3
The Witch Is Back = 4
Wicca Envy = 4
Feats Of Clay = 3
The Wendigo = 3
From Fear To Eternity = 4
Secrets and Guys = 2
Is There A Woogy In The House = 5
Which Prue Is It Anyway = 4
That Seventies Episode = 5
When Good Warlocks Turn Good = 3
Out Of Sight = 4
The Power Of Two = 4
Love Hurts = 3
Deja Vu All Over Again = 5

Season 1 overall score 3.5 / 5 = VERY GOOD and RECOMMENDED

Brief Discussion

I remember seeing the promo on the WB for a new show hitting the station titled Charmed way back. I was instantly excited because Alyssa Milano was part of the project. I grew up with Alyssa as a child watching her on Who's the Boss. I honestly had no idea who Shannon Doherty or Holly Marie Combs was, my lure was Alyssa only. At the time I was crazed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and in school Buffy was a huge deal. I remember sharing and trading Buffy merchandise such as pencils and book covers with friends. I had no idea that this new show "Charmed" would be my new obsession. While Buffy still remained my #1 through my years of grade school, Charmed certainly had a place in my heart. It was a shame though, because while I was able to discuss all things Buffy with friends, no one was really into Charmed. Roswell and Dawson's Creek also became popular in my area.

As a kid one of the things that fascinated me of course was the supernatural lore. Not just that, but I liked the fact that the main characters were actual adults and not high school students. I became almost anti high school show because back then it felt like there were so many of them. Every week I would wait eagerly to see the next new episode. Alyssa Milano/ Phoebe *WAS my favorite. Mainly because of what I mentioned before about growing up with Who's The Boss. Now many years later as an adult, my opinion and view has changed. And I'm now aware of who exactly Shannon Doherty is and Holly Marie Combs. I even met Holly at a Comic Con convention! Yay me! lol anyway. Now that I'm older, I'm able to see things within the show that I hadn't as a kid. I guess because as a child you don't look for the suttle nitpicks as an adult.

There have been many years where I stopped watching Charmed. Mainly in my teen years. I just stopped caring about the show altogether and it became completely oblivious to me. There wasn't any reason for it, I just stopped. The last time I watched Charmed on actual television while it was still on the air was way back in 2005 for a season 8 episode and the Series Finale. I got back into Charmed about 3 years ago, when my daughter starting getting into it while watching re runs on TNT. I started to buy her seasons for her own collection and since have re watched the show altogether.

When it comes to season 1, now that I'm older I have a different perspective of the season. I no longer have 1 sole favorite character. I think all the characters are great. I love Prue, Piper, and Phoebe. Each bring a different dynamic to the show.


I did find Prue to be a bit overwhelming with her attitude upon my 1st re watch. There were moments where she seemed pissed off for no reason. I know they wanted Prue to be a strong character but theres a difference in being strong and being uptight/b*tchy she also displayed signs of being a controller. As the season progresses though, you can see a gradual change in her character. Prue certainly undergoes very natural like development in character. I appreciate this because I don't think I could've handled mean Prue for a whole season. I'm not going to list everything that happens to her this season because we've all seen it and know what happens.

Theres also the "Personal Gain" issue. Why wasn't phoebe allowed to win with those lottery numbers? Because its personal gain. Simple right? Um no. That never made any kind of sense what so ever. If Phoebe's ticket went completely blank because it was personal gain, then why Prue never suffered from any kind of consequence? Yes thats right. Prue throughout this season constantly uses her powers for personal gain and nothing ever happened to her. One moment that comes to mind, her locking a bunch of people in an elevator, then lifting it with her powers so she wouldn't be late to an interview. That has personal gain written all over it. or how about the constant times she uses her powers to slide shoes across the floor to her feet? Its a reason why I tend to ignore that personal gain issue altogether. It was so poorly explained and never followed properly. I've seen some complaints about this in the later seasons, like when Paige orbs ice cream to herself in season 7, why is it wrong for Paige but not for Prue who constantly misused her telekinesis? Also, with Prue being a hypocrite yelling at Phoebe for getting a premonition knowing she couldn't control her powers, yet uses her own for personal gain earlier that day. It was an instant where altogether I would've jumped off Prue's bandwagon.

I also really liked Aviva. I was hoping she would've been a recurring character but she was a one time deal character. I liked her relationship with Phoebe and she could've been someone they shared the craft with. But luckily we get Jenny in season 2  >_______>

Nonetheless, season 1 may not be my favorite, but its certainly one of the best.

[Esmeralda]

So??? What about you? What is your opinion of Season One and what's your favorite memory of it?

[Melinda Halliwell]

For me the freshness of the show something new I'd never seen before about 3 sisters being witches and what happened to them in it and the empowerment of women.

[Deleted]

I think Season One is Charmed at its best. The later seasons never topped it. Season One rocks because.

1. Rex and Hannah.

2. The sisters actually cared about saving Innocents.

3. Magic used for personal gain always had consequences.

4. Phoebe managed to keep all her clothes on.

5. Rex and Hannah.

6. Piper works at Quake, following her dream of one day becoming a Chef. (he only reason they had her open P3 was so that they could have muscial guest stars. *cough!* ratings gimmick! *cough!*)

7. No Elders, no Avatars, no Magic School, no fairy tales, no Magical Community.

8. Rex and Hannah.

9. The sisters were sisters who happened to be witches, not the other way around.

10. Have I mentioned Rex and Hannah?

[West]

Having rewatched season 1 recently, I got to say so underrated.

I love the old background score music, never should of changed. It suited the show.
I love the sisters and their relationship.
No elders, magic school, magical creatures, less Leo.
Sisters cared for their innocents more.
I like the balance with Andy/Daryl and the sisters vs. demons, better than later seasons once Leo stayed and it was the sisters, their whitelighter, the elders vs. demons.

There was more suspense, when Leo wasn't around much or in the background and didn't heal them all the time. The sisters think for themselves, no checking on the elders for help.

Its interesting how many episodes ended with a Prue and Phoebe scene, on my rewatch. I've come to really really love there relationship more. Sure Prue and Piper were closer, but Prue and Phoebe I felt had this bond that I really liked.

There needs to be more fan fiction where Piper dies, and Prue and Phoebe meet Paige. I just would love to see how there relationship changes with no Piper.

[Deleted]

I agree.  Season One was Charmed at its best.

[zoeysmom]

It's definitely my favorite. There's less continuity errors, I like the wardrobe/costumes better in Season 1 than in 5 Season 5 and later, and I like how Season 1 and most of Season 2 focuses on the girls' bonds as sisters. In later seasons, the wardrobe and costumes felt kinda tacky, and it feels like three women who live together and happen to be witches, not three sisters who happen to be witches.

[zoeysmom]

Aug 16, 2015 12:41:43 GMT -5 @Deleted said:

I think Season One is Charmed at its best. The later seasons never topped it. Season One rocks because.

1. Rex and Hannah.

2. The sisters actually cared about saving Innocents.

3. Magic used for personal gain always had consequences.

4. Phoebe managed to keep all her clothes on.

5. Rex and Hannah.

6. Piper works at Quake, following her dream of one day becoming a Chef. (he only reason they had her open P3 was so that they could have muscial guest stars. *cough!* ratings gimmick! *cough!*)

7. No Elders, no Avatars, no Magic School, no fairy tales, no Magical Community.

8. Rex and Hannah.

9. The sisters were sisters who happened to be witches, not the other way around.

10. Have I mentioned Rex and Hannah?

LOL. Yes, you did mention the Rex and Hanna thing. Yeah, the club does seem like a rating gimmick. I think I would've preferred something like what my favorite eatery in town does over Piper's club. It's an urban tea shop with lunch and brunch options, and modern tea options. Pre-pandemic, they would bring in bands and stuff periodically.

[Aaeiyn]

What did you like about the season?
I enjoyed learning about a life with magic, with the sisters.  S1 is a great start, for that.

What bothered you?
Probably it's slow start, in the beginning but then it really started to pick up its pace, as the series went on.

Favorite moments?
The entirety of the Power of Two episode.  I, absolutely, love the concept of Andy working with Charmed Ones, to do good.

Do you feel this season was a great start for the show?
Most definitely.  It's still one of my favorite seasons, to date (despite it being horribly dated LOL)