What Charmed got right...

[Nimue]

I apologize if there's already a thread about this, but I couldn't find one. Since we only seem to talk about the negative side of Charmed, what the show got wrong, I was wondering about some of the things that the show did get right. Because there must be some good things about it, otherwise we wouldn't be fans in the first place. Or maybe it's just me?

Anyway, in my opinion, one of the things Charmed got right was the sisterly aspect, in the first three seasons. Any other ideas?

[Esmeralda]

Dec 11, 2014 12:35:06 GMT -5 Nimue said:

I apologize if there's already a thread about this, but I couldn't find one. Since we only seem to talk about the negative side of Charmed, what the show got wrong, I was wondering about some of the things that the show did get right. Because there must be some good things about it, otherwise we wouldn't be fans in the first place. Or maybe it's just me?

Anyway, in my opinion, one of the things Charmed got right was the sisterly aspect, in the first three seasons. Any other ideas?

Not sure if I posted it here, but I started a thread like that at a different site. Here are the responses:

First, here's how I started it:

As long as there's a thread about what you hate about this show, let's do the reverse. These are mine as I thought of them, not necessarily in this order.

1. When it's a show about three sisters who happen to be witches

2. Prue as the Oldest Child; Piper as the Middle Child and Phoebs as the Baby

3. The special humor of Charmed - "They're Everywhere"; "Chick Flick"; "Sin Francisco"; "Sense and Sense-Ability"; "I Dream of Phoebe"

4. Piper and Phoebs in Season 1; Prue and Phoebs in Season 2; Piper in Season 3; Paige in Season 4; Piper in Season 5 (not counting "Oh, My Goddess!"); Paige in Season 8

5. Kit

6. Melinda Warren

7. Most of the innocents, especially Maggie Murphy (Amy Adams)

8. Barbas (even if he was overused)

9. Zankou

10. The Seers - both the one in Season 4 and Kyra in Season 7

11. Phoebs before "Sleuthing with the Enemy"

12. Phoebe and Drake

13. Andy and Prue after Prue told him her secret

14. Prue and Bane, and Prue and Micah

15. Piper and Leo in Season One

16. Piper and Dan before "Awakened"

17. Paige and Henry

18. The episodes before Season 6 that include Patty and/or Victor and the episodes before Season 4 that include Grams

19. The time-travel episodes before Season 6

20. Thinking about what the series *could've* been like...

I'm sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind right now. What about you?

Member #1 replied:

The beginning when it was just the sisters and no live-in boyfriends or husbands, and especially no children. I liked them young and without ties, and if the series had to be shorter to encompass just that time, I'd take it.

The first few years when it felt like three magical women living in the real world and trying to fit in, rather than later on when it felt like three magical women who lived around magic and had no connection to the real world anymore. Paige had no real job, Phoebe's climb up the ladder at the newspaper was a joke, and they practically lived in magic school at the time. I once heard someone say that the best way to present fantasy was to have 99% reality mixed with 1% magic, or something to that effect. Too much magic just ruins it.

I also love the boredom it helped me escape from as a teenager. It got my imagination working again and inspired me to want to do things like write. No other show has sparked my creativity quite like this one, and I'll always remember that.

Member #2 replied:

Paige. Especially in the later seasons when it seemed like Piper and Phoebe were more interested in their own lives.

Paige and Henry. That was one of the few things I actually liked about season 8, and wish he was brought in sooner. And Henry's acceptance of Paige's magic.

Prue going from emotionally uptight, to a more open person.

Zankou and Barbas.

The different powers until it seemed like everyone had plain telekinesis except Paige and most of the demons the sisters faced in the later season had the same powers.

The demons in the earlier seasons, where they actually looked like demons and not humans in leather.

The long term arc there was with the Source.

Phoebe finally finding a job at the Bay Mirror until it seemed like she got famous really quickly.

Phoebe's premonitions until they became about finding her baby daddy.

Piper's power to blow things up until that became the default power to dealing with the demons.

Using spells and potions to defeat demons. Especially using the Power of Three spell.

I don't necessarily love this, and wish they explored this further, but the Avatar's and "Utopia".

Cole, until he just would. Not. Stay. Dead.

Piper and Leo in season 1.

I agree with the sister dynamic in the early seasons with Prue as the oldest, Piper as the middle, and Phoebe as the baby. I wish once Piper became pregnant in season 5, Paige was given more of the older sister responsibilities even though she was the youngest.

Member #3 replied:

I love all the lead ladies performances Season 1 - 4.
I love Andy and Leo Season One.
I love Cole.
I love Grams and Patty Season One.
I love the Manor.
I love The Seer in Season Four (the best and best acted villain).
I love the sisters holding hands even just to walk to another room.
I love Rex and Hannah.
I love Paige's fashion in Season Four.
I love everything about Paige Season Four.

I'm sure there's more but this is all I can think of currently. And though I don't like some of the character choices they made along the way, during Seasons One - Four, the actors played them damn near flawlessly.

Member #4 replied:

I love the first season, I wish it would've continued like that.

I liked the combination of humour and darkness better. Later episodes were either too dark or too silly. I liked the sisters and the relationships between them better. Yes, Prue was a bit uptight, but she already began to change. I thought she became too goofy in subsequent seasons. Piper became nastier and more sarcastic, while she was sweet in the first season. Phoebe became too selfish and just a mess in general. I liked the "monster-of-the-week" episodes better, and also the mythology, which was more mysterious in the beginning. And I hate the continuity problems that just grew and grew. I prefer the setting of the restaurant instead of the club and I also liked the auction house. I liked the detective angle with Andy and Darryl, which was more prominent. The season also had a more gothic atmosphere that I really liked. And perhaps more superficial, but I like the sophisticated wardrobe of the first season much better than the messy and slutty look of later seasons.

Except for some cheesy acting, dialogue and special effects, I think the first season is pretty much perfect.

Member #5 replied:

Shannen, Holly and Alyssa as the original sisters, T.W. King and Dorian Gregory, most of seasons 1, 2 and 3 ,especially episodes with Patty and Grams, episodes with possible lovers for the Charmed Ones (like Dead Man Dating), the Book of Shadows, Leo before the Elders became too important, time travel episodes, Rose McGowan, some of seasons 4 and five, a bit of the rest.

and yes, I do love the monster-of-the-week format a lot more than the "Source of all Evil" approach.

Member #6 replied:

1. Prue in Seasons 1 to 3 being the big sister Piper and Phoebe looked up to and obeyed. At least tried as hard as possible to (Whatever Prue said goes)

2. Prue in later Season 4. Her Buffy like focus and zeal to kill demons was a part of her I liked.

3. Piper in early season 4. Yes she was crazy and "Charles Bronson cubed" according to Cole but in a way she was very effective and focused on demon killing. Pipers new cocky attitude didn't bother me as long as she focused it on demons and warlocks for the right reasons.

4. All Pipers funny comments and responses. Especially when the other sisters are quarreling or shouting and Pipers caught in the crossfire. Her facial responses are always hilarious. Especially when there is shouting in her ears. One part I always remember is when Phoebe got married magically S8 and pipers response to seeing phoebes ring on her finger. "Wow, That's Huge!

5. Cole as Balthazar and as the Source. He was smart, calculated and sometimes scary. We saw some of that again in season 5 only when he got tired of phoebe screwing with his head.

6. Cole and Phoebe in season 4 in love and teaming up to fight demons

7. Paige in Season 7 & 8 (She had come full circle into her own)

8. The Source in season 4 (Pity he didn't come back for longer in Season 8)

9. Zankou

10. Barbas

11. Evil Phoebe. (Best when Queen of the underworld and the Woogy Man and every other time she was possessed by evil)

12. Evil Piper (As a Furry, in Bride and Gloom and mean piper under the influence of the blood of the Windego. Piper: Screw you b*#ch.

11. Seer: To me she was very scary and unpredictable. I feared her more than the Source for some reason in season 4. Probably because the Source became wreckless.

12. Seer (Kira): She was hard to figure out and I always thought she was the most powerful seer. I always felt she had a bigger agenda and she would eventually pose a greater threat than any other demon did. I thought her quest for humanity and her befriending the charmed ones was just part of a bigger insidious plan until she died suddenly and unexpectedly. Thanks to Kern!

13. The Crone: I always thought she was more powerful than given credit. Feared she was going to steal baby Wyatt, and try and raise him evil and eventually rule the underworld. Until she suddenly dies at the worst moment possible. What did she See!! Thanks a lot Kern for the interuptus!

14: All the funny Charmed humor. Sin Francisco, Sand Francisco Dreaming, A Muse to my Ears, Sense and Sense ability, House Call, I Dream Of Phoebe, Hell has no Fury and all the episodes in Season 8 where Agent Murphy tried to use the Charmed ones to solve all his Cold Supernatural cases until it backfired.

Member #7 replied:

I loved the show when evil was evil and good was good. It really felt like a battle was brewing between heaven and hell. The sisters felt like they were the world's most powerful witches doing that time and lead to some cool eps that expanded on it. Also loved the atmosphere 1-4 and how they really tapped into their mythology in season 3.

Member #8 replied:

I loved Prue, Piper, and Phoebe as sisters. They were the perfect combination and Prue was perfect as the oldest, Piper as the middle one, and Phoebe as the baby. Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano, and Holly Marie Coombs seemed like real sisters.

I loved Darryl as their close friend.

I loved the monster-of-the week approach best.

I loved Kit, the cat, on the show.

I loved Seasons 1 and 2 the best.

I loved Piper and Leo's relationship.

I loved Andy and Piper's relationship.

I loved Prue with Bane and Jack.

I loved Phoebe with Eric and the original Cupid.

I loved Victor, Grams, Patty, Jenny, and Dan.

Member #9 replied:

Prue as the responsible tough mature big sister, Piper as the sweet, kind and funny neutral middle child and Phoebe as the trouble making, careless baby sister!

What about you guys?

[Nimue]

Wow, Es! How do you keep track of all those replies? It's quite impressive.
Ok, taking inspiration from these replies, here are some of the other things I like about the show, in no particular order:

1. Zankou, until "Something Wicca this way Goes?"
2. Cole, until Season 5.
3. The Seers from Season 4 and 7.
4. Tyler the Firestarter.
5. The beginning of the Avatar's Saga.
6. Paige's introduction.
7. The Source's Arc.
8. The serious and dark tone of the first four seasons.
9. The Rex and Hannah Arc.
10. Melinda Warren and Matthew Tate.
11. Rodriguez.
12. Prue, Phoebe and Piper in Season 1 and 2.
13. Barbas.
14. Phoebe possessed by the Boogyman.
15. Paige with Henry.
16. Patty.
17. Victor, from Season 3 onwards, not the one in Season 1.
18. Kit.
19. Piper's sarcastic humour in Season 1 and 2.
20. When the sisters used spells and potions and didn't exclusively rely on their powers.
21. The Crone.

[Esmeralda]

Hehehehe, that's easy! I just copy them from one site and paste them to another. It helps keep the conversations going at both sites!

Good job with your list - anyone else want to join the party?

[Darkhorse Christian]

Okay, here goes.

In general:

• The world-building that was involved in the show, even if some of it was haphazard and half-baked, due to the imaginative potential that it gave the Charmed universe.

For the sisters:

• Prue's character development through her three seasons, learning to trust Phoebe (before Phoebe became untrustable) and gradually losing the ice-queen/one-girl-army mentality.
• Piper's caring heart through the first four seasons, including her ever-touching grief over losing Prue in early season 4.
• Phoebe's innocent curiosity, cautious optimism, and warm and giving nature through the first two seasons.
  (It was the "cautious" part being thrown out the window in season 3 that led to her being so disastrous with Cole, which of course led to her degradation into a selfish character altogether.)
• Paige's growth into the craft in season 4 and her continued (if slowed down) care for innocents and charges throughout her time.

For other major/recurring characters (appeared in at least either 7 episodes or 3 seasons):

• Cole and his redemption arc, with the clear and emphatic exception of season 5.
• Leo whenever he got to be the voice of reason or show that he could actually be badass when required.
• Darryl, for being loyal to the sisters yet never failing to lampshade when things were getting ridiculous.
• The Elders pre-season 6, before survivalism and fear turned them from responsible authority figures into glorified political bureaucrats with figurative halos.
• Victor, particularly the James Read version who didn't look like a mobster flirting with his own girls.
  (IMO, Tony Denison's face on Victor in season 1 was a demonic illusion to keep them from fully accepting him. They just didn't notice because the illusion died off mid-season 2.)
• Patty, for consistently being a cool lady Halliwell with a fun and warm heart.
• Henry, who I thought was probably one of the few good parts of season 8.
• Elise, especially when it became clear there was more to her than the hardass boss. Her bond with Phoebe is one of the consistently better parts of both characters in her seasons.
• Simon Templeman as Death. I love how he was never portrayed as evil, just brutally honest, because death isn't evil in and of itself, but rather it's a brutal fact of life in an imperfect world.

For minor characters:

• Inspector Cortez from "Charmed Again". Tough-but-fair cops with hidden depths like him are a sight for sore eyes. I would've loved to see him come back later at some point.
  (Hell, I would've loved to see him outright replace Elliot Stabler in Law & Order: SVU, and that's a completely different canon.)
• Kira's beautiful endearing clever self, for proving to be worth something. Her death hit surprisingly hard.
• Drake, for making being a total cheese-ball whose favorite subject is love actually be both cool and meaningful.
• The Paradise Island Valkyries. Despite being conceived just to get the leads wearing skimpy costumes in a season opener, their basic place in the universe was set up pretty well and left room for expansion.
  
• Maggie Murphy, who came across as a genuinely amazing person and whose pain, while influenced by evil, was so relatable and real it stung.
• Brent Miller was a great example of when Charmed actually put thought into its innocents. I wouldn't have minded if they had him and Phoebe actually date for a brief period of time.
• Serena Fredrick, because immortalizing an ordinary witch with no connection to the sisters by having her be killed in the opening scene by the first heel they had to face is just epic.
• Aviva, the wannabe fourth sister. Like Kira above, Phoebe's bond with her at the time of her appearance was really good for the both of them.
• The Tribunal actually calling the Halliwells on their selfish tendencies and not being treated or portrayed as deserving to be vanquished for it.

For villains who either made me think or who I loved to hate:

• Barbas. He came across as cool, but in a creepy way, which definitely fit the "demon of fear" motif.
• The Seer. She was deliciously evil and calculating and irritating as f-
• The Avatars, before they anticlimactically gave up on their vision to live another day and then got to be treated as tweeners.
• Zankou, before he got easily provoked into a villainous breakdown.
• Paul Haas, mainly because I'm a sucker for seeing a fellow black man be smooth yet ambitious.
• The first major villains, Rex and Hannah the warlock identity thieves. Deceptively clever and actually a bit fun.
• The Source of All Evil...at least before his devilish character aura became grossly understated via the first half of season 4.
  
• The Brotherhood of the Thorn. I liked the demonic mafia concept, yet at the same time the leaders made me want to see them die.
• Masselin. Simply for being the most utterly disgusting abomination on the show ever. If any creature deserved to die based solely on its existence, it's that thing.
  (And quite possibly the inspiration for the Fullmetal Alchemist interpretation of the Philosopher's Stone.)
• Ziva, for proving the evils of unchecked hardline feminism and how any woman who seeks power under those ideological stripes really doesn't even care about other women, much less men.

[ljones]

It had a first-rate regular cast. And it one thing over "BUFFY" - its portrayal of Wicca was somewhat closer to the truth.

[Astral Alex]

For me, there are many more things that are good than bad.

Good

• The original powers and how they were tied to their emotions and personalities. I loved how Piper was a panicking wreck during Season One and freezing represented that.
• The development in their charactersiation. It made sense that being witches gave them confidence, especially in Piper and Phoebe's case. Some people hark back to the first two seasons as being the golden era of Charmed, but I disagree - I think the development of the sisters and the show was brilliantly done.
• Prue's death and Paige's introduction. I loved Prue, but she was always my least favourite sister. Therefore if any of the three had to go I would've chosen Prue.
• Paige's introduction didn't seem far-fetched, it was believable and staggered. Season Four is my favourite of all the seasons, and the balance of losing Prue and accepting Paige is the reason why.
• The Cole/Phoebe/Baby story. Epic.

[Deleted]

• The original three powers and, like Alex just said, how the represented a different aspect of her sister's personality, and also helped them grow in some way: Prue's fierce, mother lion protectiveness was augmented by her telekinesis, allowing her to continue to protect her family; Piper's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, plus her panicky and frazzled nature, were soothed by her being able to freeze things and take time to assess situations and gain confidence; Phoebe's premonitions, the most serious power, gave her the maturity she was lacking as well as something to focus her naturally caring and friendly personality on: Innocents.
• The Manor was beautiful and a fitting home for the Charmed Ones. 
• Leo and Cole as Piper and Phoebe's epic loves.
• Andy as Prue's lost soulmate. 
• Penny and Patty, both strong women but in different ways. 
• San Francisco as the show's setting.
• The concept of new powers (just not the new powers they got).
• Powers original to the Charmedverse, like Blinking, Energy Balls and Shimmering. 
• The fact that Sam was introduced in S2 made Paige's later introduction seem legitimate. 
• Paige's quirky and enthusiastic personality in S4/5.
• When the Halliwells' had real jobs (social worker, appraiser, restaurant manager) that forced them to balance the real world and the magical world and didn't make it too easy for them to retreat into their own bubble (as being a club owner and an advice columnist did).
• When Innocents were real people and not magical creatures.
• The Demon-of-the-Week structure of S1-2; the Liper/Phole Sagas of S3; Prue's Death, Paige's Ascension, the Source's Vanquish and Phole in S4. 
• Paige and Glenn; Paige and Kyle. 
• Demons/enemies who were actually frightening/genuine threats and didn't prance around in leather: Grimlocks, Barbas, Tempus, Rodriguez, Four Horsemen, The Triad, Belthazor, Troxas, Andras, Vinceres, The Brotherhood, Shax, Furies, The Source, The Seer, The Crone, The Avatars and Zankou.
• Phoebe's martial arts! And I even liked her Levitation power because she could kick ass even more, even though it would've made more sense for Prue to get it.

[/ul]

[Esmeralda]

Very good lists, guys!

I love the fact that Wyatt, Chris and Billie (and all of Paige's and Phoebe's slampieces) are hardly mentioned at all.

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2014 12:42:21 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Very good lists, guys!

I love the fact that Wyatt, Chris and Billie (and all of Paige's and Phoebe's slampieces) are hardly mentioned at all.

I just had to mention Glenn and Kyle because I felt they had good chemistry with Paige, so were 'significant slam pieces'

[Astral Alex]

Dec 16, 2014 12:42:21 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Very good lists, guys!

I love the fact that Wyatt, Chris and Billie (and all of Paige's and Phoebe's slampieces) are hardly mentioned at all.

The majority of Phoebe's love interests (bar Cole) I cannot stand - one of my least favourite characters EVER is Coop. I hate how because of the flashforward in Forever Charmed there is no artistic licence for the comic writers to kill him off either, I think he's a real sap of a character. Hastily written in, Phoebe falling in love with a cupid? Oh jesus. One of my least favourite pairings ever.

However, most of Paige's relationships throughout the series I enjoyed. The majority were not serious apart from Richard/Kyle/Henry and I liked all three of these relationships. I found it sad that she and Richard split as it was nice to see her with another witch, I think Season Six was full of ideas that could've been good and were ruined.

I enjoyed her and Kyle, but for the sake of more realistic story-telling I would've introduced Henry in Kyle's place, not killed him off and therefore their marriage in Season Eight would have taken place after an ample amount of dating/audience introduction and not seem rushed.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2014 11:16:11 GMT -5 Astral Alex said:

I enjoyed her and Kyle, but for the sake of more realistic story-telling I would've introduced Henry in Kyle's place, not killed him off and therefore their marriage in Season Eight would have taken place after an ample amount of dating/audience introduction and not seem rushed.

Or else, they could've kept Kyle on in Season 8 as he was reincarnated as a Whitelighter. Their 'goodbye' made no sense considering the Elders rule against Witch-Whitelighter pairings was long gone.

Either that, or they could've had the Avatars revive him, it was stupid that they could bring back everyone they had 'erased', but not him. 

[Melinda Halliwell]

Dec 21, 2014 12:49:41 GMT -5 @deano said:

Dec 20, 2014 11:16:11 GMT -5 Astral Alex said:

I enjoyed her and Kyle, but for the sake of more realistic story-telling I would've introduced Henry in Kyle's place, not killed him off and therefore their marriage in Season Eight would have taken place after an ample amount of dating/audience introduction and not seem rushed.

Or else, they could've kept Kyle on in Season 8 as he was reincarnated as a Whitelighter. Their 'goodbye' made no sense considering the Elders rule against Witch-Whitelighter pairings was long gone.

Either that, or they could've had the Avatars revive him, it was stupid that they could bring back everyone they had 'erased', but not him. 

Or he could've become the Charmed Ones new whitelighter maybe after Leo became mortal but then Paige wouldn't do what she was doing with her half side or had met Henry obviously.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2014 22:59:02 GMT -5 Melinda Halliwell said:

Dec 21, 2014 12:49:41 GMT -5 @deano said:

Or else, they could've kept Kyle on in Season 8 as he was reincarnated as a Whitelighter. Their 'goodbye' made no sense considering the Elders rule against Witch-Whitelighter pairings was long gone.

Either that, or they could've had the Avatars revive him, it was stupid that they could bring back everyone they had 'erased', but not him. 

Or he could've become the Charmed Ones new whitelighter maybe after Leo became mortal but then Paige wouldn't do what she was doing with her half side or had met Henry obviously.

I think I'd have just preferred him to be revived, because I liked that he was a cop and he could've taken on Henry's role in S8, with Paige helping him solve cases. 

[Astral Alex]

I'd stick with introducing Henry, I find him likeable as a character and he fit in well the family - it's a shame there wasn't more time to show his interactions with Piper and Phoebe as well. Paige and Henry were one of my highlights of Season 8.

Also, after finishing watching Season Six again... I've changed my mind slightly, I think that the latter half of this season has some really good episodes. It may not be the direction I want the show to go in (e.g Phoebe losing her powers, becoming baby-obsessed) but I forgot how much of a dramatic finale It's a Bad Bad Bad Bad World was. I'd probably place it after All Hell Breaks Loose, Deja Vu All Over Again and Something Wicca This Way Comes, but still.

[Darkhorse Christian]

Jan 17, 2015 16:52:30 GMT -5 @deano said:

Dec 21, 2014 22:59:02 GMT -5 Melinda Halliwell said:

Or he could've become the Charmed Ones new whitelighter maybe after Leo became mortal but then Paige wouldn't do what she was doing with her half side or had met Henry obviously.

I think I'd have just preferred him to be revived, because I liked that he was a cop and he could've taken on Henry's role in S8, with Paige helping him solve cases. 

He wasn't just a local cop, though, he was a DHS agent, number one. Secret agent characters in our media don't tend to always stick to cases which can involve the leads yet still be contained as side stories. Number two, at least in the show he had this tunnel-vision tendency which really showed in his obsession to get the Avatars. And while he was right that they were up to no good, I'm not sure that that single-mindedness would've boded well for their relationship in the long run.

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2015 17:31:06 GMT -5 Darkhorse Christian said:

Jan 17, 2015 16:52:30 GMT -5 @deano said:

He wasn't just a local cop, though, he was a DHS agent, number one. Secret agent characters in our media don't tend to always stick to cases which can involve the leads yet still be contained as side stories. Number two, at least in the show he had this tunnel-vision tendency which really showed in his obsession to get the Avatars. And while he was right that they were up to no good, I'm not sure that that single-mindedness would've boded well for their relationship in the long run.

I know he wasn't a local cop. If the sisters could help Agent Murphy with his 'cold cases', there is no reason Paige couldn't have done the same for Kyle had he lived. Or else, Kyle could've left Homeland Security after the Avatars sage and may have become an ordinary police officer, or even a parole officer. I just meant I liked the law enforcment element of his role, because it kept those vanishing innocents in the show, much like Henry's job did.

I doubt Kyle would've been as obsessive and intense after the Avatars were defeated. They were his sole fixation. Plus, it would've been interesting to see him adjust to life without tracking the Avatars, instead of bringing in Henry five minutes before the show ended.

[West]

Everything in early years season 1 and 2 except a few instances.

Time travel pre season 6.

The mystery of them and he e.g elders and source (pre season 3).

[Esmeralda]

Was looking for something else and found this.

Very curious to find out what our newbies think Charmed did right...

And if you've been a member for a while and never replied to this - feel free!

[pheebs]

The relationship between the sisters. Especially in the earlier seasons.

The blend in S1 with the sisters, Andy/Darryl and then the supernatural forces. Not how they set up proceeding seasons.

The original powers. Once Piper can explode things, It was no longer about the Power of Three unit. One of thr biggest jump the shark moments.

Making the Source and The Elders known as them or He or him etc.

The show setting up its mythology and demons in S1 and S2. Not trying to Rip off other shows, movies or being all the same with powers or shifting too heavily onto demons full time.

Paige in S4. Everything went downhill after. Way too much Whitelighter. Social servives was the best job out of all four sisters.

Phoebe's love of magic and her characterization is spot on my all time favorite in S1 and S2. She is my favorite. It's Phoebe wishing for a boyfriend as good as Leo in Astral Monkey that really makes me sad knowing what comes after.

Again if they kept Andy and Quake from S1 over to S2. I'd probably think it would ground the show more. I never realized how the show already made changes that earlier that have an impact. But S2 is so good regardless, helps Connie was still around and the sisters were still written consistently.