When Andy knew the secret

[Elle Em]

We didn't get many episodes when Andy knew the sisters were witches. Most of his time with Prue in season 1 was spent with her coming up with excuses and deflecting his questions. But when he found out about them, although he didn't want to be involved romantically with Prue anymore, he handled the whole thing pretty well. For a logical guy who worked as a cop, he was quite accepting of the whole idea of magic. He worked really well with Prue and Phoebe in the episode with the ghost from Alcatraz, trusting what they said and did and not getting too freaked out by the whole idea. And in his last episode, he wasn't afraid to storm into the house after realizing that Rodriguez was a demon. 

Did you enjoy Andy knowing their secret and working with them? Would you have liked to have seen him live and he and perhaps Daryl working with the sisters in the future? How might the show have been different in the coming seasons if he survived with things like Prue getting a new career and perhaps dating, he and Daryl having unique knowledge among the police force of the existence of magic, and even things like Cole? 

[Esmeralda]

Jul 14, 2016 6:33:51 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

We didn't get many episodes when Andy knew the sisters were witches. Most of his time with Prue in season 1 was spent with her coming up with excuses and deflecting his questions. But when he found out about them, although he didn't want to be involved romantically with Prue anymore, he handled the whole thing pretty well. For a logical guy who worked as a cop, he was quite accepting of the whole idea of magic. He worked really well with Prue and Phoebe in the episode with the ghost from Alcatraz, trusting what they said and did and not getting too freaked out by the whole idea. And in his last episode, he wasn't afraid to storm into the house after realizing that Rodriguez was a demon. 

Did you enjoy Andy knowing their secret and working with them? Would you have liked to have seen him live and he and perhaps Daryl working with the sisters in the future? How might the show have been different in the coming seasons if he survived with things like Prue getting a new career and perhaps dating, he and Daryl having unique knowledge among the police force of the existence of magic, and even things like Cole? 

Oh, yes, had it worked out the way it was originally supposed to be where Leo was only part of Season One and Andy & Prue would be the "it" couple rather than them, I think it would've been a much better show, since it would've been much more grounded with the show continuing to be how three witches managed to live in the real world rather than constantly battling demons in the magical one.

[Deleted]

I LOVED Andy knowing the big dark secret. His and Prue's Witch-Cop set-up in 'The Power of Two' was brilliant. I wish he'd stayed for Season 2 so we could've had more of this. I would've much preferred Andy to fill the role Darryl played in the sisters' lives for Season 2, and possibly longer, but ultimately  his death was kind of important to Prue's character development - a sober reminder of the cost that comes with "The Good Fight".

[Elle Em]

I totally agree about the tone of the show being better (at least for me) when it was more about the sisters still living in the "real" world and trying their best to be normal despite their witch duties. Having a cop (or two, with Daryl) as an ally was great because in a way, Andy is like a witch as well, although in a much different way than the girls. I love Leo, but him being the only guy that stuck around in a permanent sense really took a lot of the realism out of the show. Leo was in no way tied to the non-magical world. He wasn't even supposed to be aging. I love his character, but it really sets the tone for the show when even just one person is like that.

And I also agree that Andy's death was very important for Prue's development, but I wonder if that couldn't have been worked around. I love Andy, and I'm just trying to think of a way in which he didn't have to die but where Prue also grows as a person. Perhaps if he didn't die and stuck around to stay friends with the sisters and help them where he could (much like Daryl), Prue could still grow and change because she would finally accept that there was no way they could be happy as a couple. I'm not sure if either of them would ever get over the other completely if they were both constantly around each other, but I'd still love it if Andy survived anyway.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2016 12:40:29 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I totally agree about the tone of the show being better (at least for me) when it was more about the sisters still living in the "real" world and trying their best to be normal despite their witch duties. Having a cop (or two, with Daryl) as an ally was great because in a way, Andy is like a witch as well, although in a much different way than the girls. I love Leo, but him being the only guy that stuck around in a permanent sense really took a lot of the realism out of the show. Leo was in no way tied to the non-magical world. He wasn't even supposed to be aging. I love his character, but it really sets the tone for the show when even just one person is like that.

And I also agree that Andy's death was very important for Prue's development, but I wonder if that couldn't have been worked around. I love Andy, and I'm just trying to think of a way in which he didn't have to die but where Prue also grows as a person. Perhaps if he didn't die and stuck around to stay friends with the sisters and help them where he could (much like Daryl), Prue could still grow and change because she would finally accept that there was no way they could be happy as a couple. I'm not sure if either of them would ever get over the other completely if they were both constantly around each other, but I'd still love it if Andy survived anyway.

I have to agree with you here - I personally can't imagine them not being endgame. I suppose they couldn't dragged out their relationship "Ross-&-Rachel style" but as Shannen got fired after Season 3 I can't imagine Andy still being on the show with Prue dead, seeing him grief her would be too heartbreaking to bear. 

That's why I would've preferred him to be around until the end of Season 2 - that way we would've had him for longer but obviously he'd still die, with Prue also dying a year later. In some twisted way, they would be happily reunited in death.

I think I do agree on your Leo point too, he maybe should've died in Andy's place. 

[Sadrick]

Imagine the developmental implications not just for Andy and Prue but Piper as well. Taking away the idea of a long term committed relationship with Leo would not only have allowed her to focus on other aspects of her life such as her sisterhood and career but much of the conflict surrounding her aversion with the supernatural might have evaporated as well. Without Leo there's no contention with the Elders or Gideon flying off the deep end about their grossly overpowered baby who seems to be the poster child for Deus ex Machinas every episode. Inversely, without Leo's obligations anchoring himself to magic and thus compelling Piper to fight alongside him it's possible her interest in a normal life might increase. With no Leo in the picture the relationship with Dan is effectively cemented as being her one true pairing, which ironically coincides with her past life's actions. Who knows what the butterflies would be like if Dan is gradually exposed to magic. His past self didn't appear to be shocked by it, though from what we've seen of current Phoebe, people can be fundamentally different compared with their past lives. It's possible Dan would react in a similar fashion to Andy, who in spite of his acceptance towards the existence of magic and his love's role in it, established a boundary with the clear intention of separating his personal familial life from the supernatural.

[Deleted]

Many thought Andy would turn up a a white lighter in Season Two.  Of course, that never happened.

[Elle Em]

In my imaginary world of how things might have been, I picture Andy and Prue both surviving the entire run of the show, with it ending after finally vanquishing the Source, however long it takes. I can see Andy not wanting to be with Prue due to her connections with magic, and she accepting that, and the two of them working around each other but otherwise moving on with their lives. I can see them being able to stay friends, although it would be hard at the beginning given their history.

Then after the Source is vanquished, it's implied that Prue and her sisters will have a lot less demon fighting and innocent saving to do from now on. And perhaps it was a dangerous battle in which one or more people almost died. Andy and Prue would realize that life is short, and that since things will be a lot calmer now that the Source is dead, Andy decides that life with Prue is worth it, despite the fact that it will never be entirely normal.

I'm glad Andy wasn't turned into a whitelighter. That would be so unfair to him given that he really didn't want to be that involved with magic at all.

And I wonder too about the implications of Leo potentially dying instead of Andy. I think in that case, Piper and Dan would be a lot closer, and maybe he would have eventually been okay with the witch thing if it had been introduced slowly. Maybe it would be the same as Andy, where he was initially against the idea, but slowly accepted it. Although I can't say I'm super excited about the idea of Dan sticking around permanently.

But if Leo weren't around, would they get a new whitelighter? Or would they act like most witches actually never had them, and Leo was just there to help out their first year of being witches?

If Leo died, Wyatt would never be born. I wonder if they would still make the latter half of the show more about a magical child, though. In this case, Phoebe and Cole's child would probably have been born to take Wyatt's place.

This could go on forever. I'd like to think that in some alternate reality, both Prue and Andy survive and continue to work together and be in each other's lives, despite what the potential implications are of it.

[Esmeralda]

Brian Krause was only supposed to be part of the first season - that's why Leo told the sisters that he was only supposed to be their guide for their first year as witches. So, no, if Ted King had stayed, we never would've heard the word "whitelighter" or "Elder" again, and never hear "half-whitelighter" or "witchligher". Sam would've never been part of the show and neither would Paige.

I'm not sure if they would've matched Piper with Dan or not - it's possible they might have used Dan to get Prue and Andy together the same way they used him to get Leo and Piper together, since Shannen was supposed to be the star with the other two just co-stars - she was always supposed to get the most money. Perhaps after realizing that her heart will always belong to Andy, Dan and Piper would be attracted to each other instead.

Naturally that's not the way the show worked, but I think Ted leaving and Brian staying had a lot to do with that.

More likely than not, when they went to the future, it would be Prue who would've had Melinda with Andy telling her why they didn't stick together...you can continue in that vein the same way you did.

But I like both your scenario and Deano's - actually preferring Andy dying at the end of Season Three instead of Prue so she has to learn that way, especially when both Andy and Phoebe die...there would be my dream scenario if you keep Andy, especially if it eventually led to Prue and Cole admitting to their attraction to each other and *they* become the *it* couple - especially when Phoebe and Andy appear to give their blessing. For me, that would be the perfect ending to Season Four...and Charmed.

[magena]

If Andy had accepted Prue as a witch after some time, it would not have been Andy

Andy is a man who knows what he wants, the life that intends to have
I believe he'ld always love and help Prue but never he'ld build a life with her, he'ld never come back

[ShadowCat]

I have only just stopped by here. I was working on Charmed Psych 101 and after the rewatch I just did of season 1 episode one I felt I needed to mention that Andy was connected to their magic early on. Then I saw this and it's opened by Elle Em. Huumm ..... I loved Prue and Andy together. His death broke my heart. I felt Prue's loss. In my perfect world I would have kept them together. I felt that from the beginning it was meant to be, after all he did return just after they received their powers. Their connect was strong. He did after all check up on her. Maybe Prue could have approached this with a different spin if he had been allowed to stay. She didn't remember that as a child she and Piper were using their powers. Didn't Piper freeze him a time or two? If he had lived and the girls remembered their past she might have had something else to work with.

[Charmed by Piper]

I really am sad that we never got many episodes once Andy knew the secret. I wished he found out much earlier and we got more time. But I would of been more happy had he not died and stayed on. Even if Prue still died, Andy still has a purpose with his job (like Darryl) and his connection to the sisters still, as a childhood friend. However even then, he would most likely still leave in a similar way to Darryl. Am I right?

[ShadowCat]

Sept 6, 2016 23:11:52 GMT -5 Charmed by Piper said:

I really am sad that we never got many episodes once Andy knew the secret. I wished he found out much earlier and we got more time. But I would of been more happy had he not died and stayed on. Even if Prue still died, Andy still has a purpose with his job (like Darryl) and his connection to the sisters still, as a childhood friend. However even then, he would most likely still leave in a similar way to Darryl. Am I right?

I think they could have kept him on the show for another year at least. I believe he was the love of Prue's life and I would have liked to see more of that unfold.

[Granny Charmed]

Sept 6, 2016 23:55:39 GMT -5 ShadowCat said:

Sept 6, 2016 23:11:52 GMT -5 Charmed by Piper said:

I really am sad that we never got many episodes once Andy knew the secret. I wished he found out much earlier and we got more time. But I would of been more happy had he not died and stayed on. Even if Prue still died, Andy still has a purpose with his job (like Darryl) and his connection to the sisters still, as a childhood friend. However even then, he would most likely still leave in a similar way to Darryl. Am I right?

I think they could have kept him on the show for another year at least. I believe he was the love of Prue's life and I would have liked to see more of that unfold.

Very interesting to think dear if Andy had stayed. I would of liked to see him stay even one more year - especially if his storyline was Darryl learning the truth. It is the one thing I did miss from season 1 dear - When Andy and Darryl were together on cases. It felt like we had the human POV of each episode explored in addition to the Charmed Ones. Once Andy left - we got too involved with the magical world with Leo's bigger role and whitelighters. *sigh* This girl would of adored to see more of Andy and less of Leo. 

[Elle Em]

Going off of what you said, Granny Charmed, I felt that the lack of a nonmagical human perspective on the show is one of the things that, ironically, made it less magical to me. Charmed was so appealing to me in the first place because their magic was kept as this mysterious thing that they had to balance with the rest of their lives. When their lives became all about magic with no boundaries anywhere (the existence of whitelighters and elders and the amount of impact they had on the show primarily), the magic that was on the show seemed-- for lack of a better way of putting it-- less magical.

For me, the best part of the show was watching the magic and nonmagic worlds collide and seeing how the sisters dealt with that. I liked Daryl's involvement with the sisters, but since Andy had a history with them, I prefer the time, if short, when he was there. I liked Leo as a character just fine, but he and others like him pulled the show very far one direction with no balancing force pulling it in the other. Then the next thing you know, we have magical creatures sitting at the bar in P3 in that one season 6 episode, and from that point on there was just no balance for me at all.

[erikamarie]

Sept 7, 2016 6:59:49 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

Going off of what you said, Granny Charmed, I felt that the lack of a nonmagical human perspective on the show is one of the things that, ironically, made it less magical to me. Charmed was so appealing to me in the first place because their magic was kept as this mysterious thing that they had to balance with the rest of their lives. When their lives became all about magic with no boundaries anywhere (the existence of whitelighters and elders and the amount of impact they had on the show primarily), the magic that was on the show seemed-- for lack of a better way of putting it-- less magical.

For me, the best part of the show was watching the magic and nonmagic worlds collide and seeing how the sisters dealt with that. I liked Daryl's involvement with the sisters, but since Andy had a history with them, I prefer the time, if short, when he was there. I liked Leo as a character just fine, but he and others like him pulled the show very far one direction with no balancing force pulling it in the other. Then the next thing you know, we have magical creatures sitting at the bar in P3 in that one season 6 episode, and from that point on there was just no balance for me at all.

I agree
In Charmed I loved the magic more than anything, I'ld like better if the powers were put aside
I was happy that Andy knew about magic, but even if I liked his character, there was a chance that the sisters becamea kind of Charlie Angels

[ShadowCat]

I love chocolate cake. I don't want it all the time. Too much of anything soon becomes commom place. For all those who thought too much magic was just too much, I totally agree. I loved the episodes where the girls were dealing with the real world that they had to continue to abide in. One of my favorite episode was "Dead Men Dating". It was a nice mix of the supernatural crashing into reality. In fact, they could have brought Mark back for another show somewhere down the line. I think she would have loved seeing him again and he could be there to offer some advice or ask for help with say his mother.

"Ex Libris" is another good one as Charlene was not magical, but had book learning and therefore knowledge. She could have made another appearance too. With what she had in her head she could have brought forth something.

"Secrets and Guys" was a nice touch. Helping a young boy who will grow into his witch powers and save him from very mortal thugs gives us both mortals acting badly and a child protected. This is what I really wanted Charmed to focus. Near the end of the series I would have liked to see how the kid was doing.

They needed mortals in their lives. Lets face it, there are more of us. Andy's time was cut off way too early. Having more than one contact at the local PD, might have been a good idea. Andy could have been schooled in this and since he loved Prue he was the best canidate out there.

[Elle Em]

ShadowCat, your point about too much of a good thing is very true. When I first watched the show, I just wanted more and more magic. It's funny now because I watch the show again, and I want less and less.

In my dream version of Charmed, Andy survives and both he and Daryl know the girls' secret and help them out. That creates a better balance because we see the sisters fighting evil magic and the cops fighting evil mortals. And as skilled as both sets are at what they do, the sisters aren't detectives and the men aren't witches. They need each other and can benefit from working together.

[ShadowCat]

Sept 8, 2016 6:50:38 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

ShadowCat, your point about too much of a good thing is very true. When I first watched the show, I just wanted more and more magic. It's funny now because I watch the show again, and I want less and less.

In my dream version of Charmed, Andy survives and both he and Daryl know the girls' secret and help them out. That creates a better balance because we see the sisters fighting evil magic and the cops fighting evil mortals. And as skilled as both sets are at what they do, the sisters aren't detectives and the men aren't witches. They need each other and can benefit from working together.

You and I are in the same boat. Though I didn't see it in the beginning, after a while all that magic was like a sugar rush and you start bouncing off the walls.

Having magical sisters working with mortal police detectives creates a good blend of both worlds.  I think it would have also opened more doors for the girls to bring to justice some nasty human criminals. It's not as if they are in short supply. Another show that pulled this off was "Forever Knight", which was on from 92-96. There we had a vampire cop working with  mortals in the police department and a doctor in the coroner's office, who knew who he was.  

Here is a crazy long shot.

Andy survives the attack at the end of season 1. In the opener of season 2 they get married, and at the close of it Prue has a daughter. Andy looses his life in season 3's final. (Since I believe it was said some place that Shannen still had another year on her contract, and as Es pointed out you could never tell from the shows that SD and AM were at odds with each other, let her finish off her written obligation and depart at the end of season 4.) If that will be the case they can find a way for her to exit on a better note. During this time period Prue is composing a junior Book of Shadows for her child, realizing that anyone one of them could come to an early end, and so she does at the close of that year. When season 5 opens we have moved into the future about 5 years. This would make Prue's daughter around 7. She has received her mothers powers but was being trained all this time and not allowed to use than until this birthday. With Prue gone all this time they are for the most part off the radar. still helping innocents but not dealing with the major big bads of the underworld. This does not mean they are not studying them and taking notes.

Since I have to call Prue's child something I'll name her Peyton. Now at 7 she is too young to fight battles, but with all the training she has had she is better prepared at this age than the girls ever were. She does understand who she is and takes it very seriously. She lives at the manor and Grams and Patty look after her when her aunts are busy. When she comes into her powers she also has a visit from her late father. He shows up every now and then to advise and councill. He tells her about her mother and explains that she is now a white-lighter but she cannot come here until her 21 birthday. He doesn't tell her way.

With the girls off the radar they have been generally safe the past five years, and doing the best they can not being The Charmed Ones any more. They except this as they alone know that it will not always be the case. Peyton is now able to work with them on certain levels. She like her mother can astral project, so when they need the power of three she can get there and when the spell is finished she just vanishes. With the viewers knowning that at some point the power of three  will become full blown again, I think it would keep them tuning in.

With this set up a half sister would never be needed, and bringing white-lighter powers to the girls would never have happened. I didn't much cared for the elders, but I think they got it right when they were opposed to witches getting together with that supernatural sector. Yes, I know everyone loved Piper/Leo and at times Phoebe/Cole ..... but relationships are hard enough to manage in the world we live in. With all the girls had on their plate, adding this to it would  have killed me sooner.

[ShadowCat]

Jul 18, 2016 10:52:36 GMT -5 magena said:

If Andy had accepted Prue as a witch after some time, it would not have been Andy

Andy is a man who knows what he wants, the life that intends to have
I believe he'ld always love and help Prue but never he'ld build a life with her, he'ld never come back

I both agree and disagree with this. Andy was a man that knew what he wanted, but since he had been keeping tabs on her, we know what he wanted. I think that after a while the girls taking out human monsters would have been just fine with him. it's the underworld I suspect would have given him cause for pause.