Season Four: Your views, before and now

[Aaeiyn]

Can't believe I didn't vote in this poll, yet. I chose "Liked it but now dislike". Like, it's OK, it's just not my first nor second choice to watch.

[rebooted]

After watching a lot of Season 1, I feel like the Season 4 out of all the Seasons has the right sisterly:action ratio. e.g. Hell Hath No Fury, Long Live the Queen, Size Matters.

It's something I like about Season 4 that always makes me want to rewatch this Season before any others, even though I do think the earlier Seasons are better paced.

I feel like they strike the right balance between the sisterly scenes and the live action with special effects and adrenaline. It keeps me glued. 

When rewatching Season 1 on the other hand, I can have it on in the background and miss entire scenes and lose interest but I can appreciate it being a solid first season that establishes the importance of the sisterhood and the romantic relationships it emphasizes on. 

[Elle Em]

Season 4 has a constant sense of movement to it. There are a few slower episodes here and there, but ultimately it all feels like there's urgency hanging over every situation. First there's the impending Source attack, and then there's Phoebe and Cole being evil. That combined with its dark nature make it a very exciting season for me. 

[Esmeralda]

This is what I posted on the front page:

Sept 6, 2016 23:05:57 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I didn't like it the first time I watched it. I felt like Paige was shoved in our faces too much while trying to make us totally forget about Shannen and Prue (Paige saying it was all right to hate Prue was Kern saying it was all right for US to hate Prue! The worst advice an assistant social worker could possibly give and should've made Piper a PERMANENT Fury and Paige right along with her!) and absolutely hated what they did with Phoebe and Cole, and also with Piper. The more I watch this one the more I'm convinced that Charmed ended with Shax saying, "The end" and this is the start of the alternate-universe spin-off "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "One Living Whitelighter Plus Two Witches Equals the Power of Three?"

Paige saves it for me when I'm rewatching this season, that, and, of course, Prue's funeral (but Charmed Again, Part One only - I HATE the idea that Paige can help Leo heal Cole because her whitelighter half offsets his demonic half - and also hate this whole "window of opportunity" crap.) lets me still just dislike it, not hate it.

I know I'm in the minority in looking at S4 that way - a lot of fans look at S3 and S4 as Charmed at its best. It's just not that way for me.

But now, six years later, the more we re-watch this season the more I hate it. I hate how getting rid of the Source is now their destiny and not saving innocents. I hate how quickly they forget about Prue. I hate the way Paige was shoved in our face, especially her being the most important part of Prue's funeral. The whole Cole-the-Source/Phoebe-Queen-of-the-Underworld is my least-favorite storyline of the entire series. I hate how this totally ruins Phoebe's character for the rest of the series. I hate Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper and Leo becoming their magical doctor/taxicab and not their guide. I hate that Paige is more of a living whitelighter rather than a witch, a Charmed Ones. I especially hate that suddenly your father being a whitelighter is more important than being a sister descended from Melinda Warren.

I hated how dark and scary the whole season was - I don't like being scared - and I especially hate 'Witch Way Now?' when the Demon of Destiny (nothing angelic about him!) doesn't warn them that the reason why he switched Melinda from 'Morality Bites' into Wyatt, the Twice-Blessed Child with the prophecy no one ever heard about before is because rather than their destiny going back to protecting innocent, it's now protecting the Twice-Blessed Brat.

I now count S4 as tied with S6 as my least-favorite season - note the change in my signature.

There's no doubt in my mind that I will always count this as the first season of the alternate-universe spin-off "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "Two Witches Plus One Living Whitelighter Equals the Power of Three?"

[Emmett]

Feb 22, 2022 9:01:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

This is what I posted on the front page:

Sept 6, 2016 23:05:57 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I didn't like it the first time I watched it. I felt like Paige was shoved in our faces too much while trying to make us totally forget about Shannen and Prue (Paige saying it was all right to hate Prue was Kern saying it was all right for US to hate Prue! The worst advice an assistant social worker could possibly give and should've made Piper a PERMANENT Fury and Paige right along with her!) and absolutely hated what they did with Phoebe and Cole, and also with Piper. The more I watch this one the more I'm convinced that Charmed ended with Shax saying, "The end" and this is the start of the alternate-universe spin-off "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "One Living Whitelighter Plus Two Witches Equals the Power of Three?"

Paige saves it for me when I'm rewatching this season, that, and, of course, Prue's funeral (but Charmed Again, Part One only - I HATE the idea that Paige can help Leo heal Cole because her whitelighter half offsets his demonic half - and also hate this whole "window of opportunity" crap.) lets me still just dislike it, not hate it.

I know I'm in the minority in looking at S4 that way - a lot of fans look at S3 and S4 as Charmed at its best. It's just not that way for me.

But now, six years later, the more we re-watch this season the more I hate it. I hate how getting rid of the Source is now their destiny and not saving innocents. I hate how quickly they forget about Prue. I hate the way Paige was shoved in our face, especially her being the most important part of Prue's funeral. The whole Cole-the-Source/Phoebe-Queen-of-the-Underworld is my least-favorite storyline of the entire series. I hate how this totally ruins Phoebe's character for the rest of the series. I hate Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper and Leo becoming their magical doctor/taxicab and not their guide. I hate that Paige is more of a living whitelighter rather than a witch, a Charmed Ones. I especially hate that suddenly your father being a whitelighter is more important than being a sister descended from Melinda Warren.

I hated how dark and scary the whole season was - I don't like being scared - and I especially hate 'Witch Way Now?' when the Demon of Destiny (nothing angelic about him!) doesn't warn them that the reason why he switched Melinda from 'Morality Bites' into Wyatt, the Twice-Blessed Child with the prophecy no one ever heard about before is because rather than their destiny going back to protecting innocent, it's now protecting the Twice-Blessed Brat.

I now count S4 as tied with S6 as my least-favorite season - note the change in my signature.

There's no doubt in my mind that I will always count this as the first season of the alternate-universe spin-off "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "Two Witches Plus One Living Whitelighter Equals the Power of Three?"

I feel similarly, and haven't enjoyed S4 as much as before. Even some episodes I used to love like Saving Private Leo are now, not so beloved.

I think the string of episodes and period I enjoyed is 'A Knight to Remember' to 'Lost and Bound'. But there's an exception to this period with me not enjoying 'Black as Cole'. But it's the only section of S4, I could stand to re-watch again. If f I fast forward the parts and subplots I don't like. 

I remember in my last re-watch of S5. With the exception of Cole in the first half and PhoeME, I enjoyed the season. But might be the case of certain episodes being enjoyable and certain ones not great. We'll see in the S5 re-watch.

[Aaeiyn]

I knew I didn't like S4 as much, but I think I moved it closer to S5 than where it was before and moved S8 above it.  But then, I moved S8 below S4, again.  As I still think S1, S2, S3, S6 & S7 are still above S4, IMO.

[rebooted]

Yeah interesting how there are different views on this season. I feel like it is the most controversial along with Season 6.

As per the polls its equally liked and disliked - Very black and white!

Overall Seasons 2 and 4 are my preferred to rewatch. Season 3 leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I can see all the main characters moving in a direction I dont like... including death!

Season 1 is like classic 90's but still feels like it needs refinement which it gets in Season 2 I think.

Lol, I am not even going to bother talking about Seasons 5 - 8.

But again, each to their own opinions!

[Aaeiyn]

Feb 23, 2022 5:08:12 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Yeah interesting how there are different views on this season. I feel like it is the most controversial along with Season 6.

As per the polls its equally liked and disliked - Very black and white!

Overall Seasons 2 and 4 are my preferred to rewatch. Season 3 leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I can see all the main characters moving in a direction I dont like... including death!

Season 1 is like classic 90's but still feels like it needs refinement which it gets in Season 2 I think.

Lol, I am not even going to bother talking about Seasons 5 - 8.

But again, each to their own opinions!

IDK why S6 is so hated. I mean, I suppose Drew Fuller Chris might've made it unbearable for those that don't like him or w/e. I suppose (around my age) it's "eye candy" enough for me LOL Otherwise, I find a lot of its episodes pretty fun to watch.

What's interesting is the different types of communities between here and Reddit. Reddit's ALL about S3-S4, but here is all about S1-S2. And, S5-S8 is (generally) universally hated, but I've been analyzing Reddit a bit further and S7-S8 is the bottom tier, when it pertains to S5-S8. S5>S6>S7>S8 is how Reddit ranks them, that I've noticed.

And, I'm over here like...scattered all over the place xD

[Esmeralda]

You wondered why so many here hate S6...this is from the S6 version of this thread:

Sept 15, 2016 14:28:58 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I liked it the first time through, thinking that Chris was going to murder Wyatt, and just like in 'Oh, My Goddess', maybe Bianca wanted to save Wyatt, but Chris sure didn't. Was ecstatic when Chris was killed instead.

My opinions haven't changed at all. The sisters are now the sister in my signature. Don't like any of them - hate Leo even more - just don't like this season. No, I hate it - my least-favorite season even over Season Eight, since that includes Henry and Little Wyatt.

Might have liked it a lot better had it been played by someone who could show the many sides of Chris, if indeed there were any sides outside of a murdering, self-centered brat. But when the only emotion Drew Fuller showed well was whining and sighing impatiently, no, I still think Chris died because he thought dying to save Wyatt would make his parents sorry for all the horrible things he think they had done to him like Daddy too busy saving the world to pay much attention to his poor, poor, pitiful son.

Drew Fuller never showed little signs of Chris caring or respecting his parents and aunts before they knew who he was (and a great actor could've/would've), so I was sure when he started acting like he did after they knew who he was, it was just that - an act.

I still think so.

Oh, I mentioned my old signature. Here it is:

There are a lot worse things than going through the Wall of Death:

LIKE A CHARACTER LOBOTOMY, courtesy of Brad Kern!

I miss our snarky Piper who cared about innocents more than herself,
our smart Paige who had graduated from college and should've been a social worker
and our sweet Phoebs who loved magic more than sex!
Did they ever miss Prue!
Me, too!

[rebooted]

Feb 23, 2022 9:30:30 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

You wondered why so many here hate S6...this is from the S6 version of this thread:

Sept 15, 2016 14:28:58 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I liked it the first time through, thinking that Chris was going to murder Wyatt, and just like in 'Oh, My Goddess', maybe Bianca wanted to save Wyatt, but Chris sure didn't. Was ecstatic when Chris was killed instead.

My opinions haven't changed at all. The sisters are now the sister in my signature. Don't like any of them - hate Leo even more - just don't like this season. No, I hate it - my least-favorite season even over Season Eight, since that includes Henry and Little Wyatt.

Might have liked it a lot better had it been played by someone who could show the many sides of Chris, if indeed there were any sides outside of a murdering, self-centered brat. But when the only emotion Drew Fuller showed well was whining and sighing impatiently, no, I still think Chris died because he thought dying to save Wyatt would make his parents sorry for all the horrible things he think they had done to him like Daddy too busy saving the world to pay much attention to his poor, poor, pitiful son.

Drew Fuller never showed little signs of Chris caring or respecting his parents and aunts before they knew who he was (and a great actor could've/would've), so I was sure when he started acting like he did after they knew who he was, it was just that - an act.

I still think so.

Oh, I mentioned my old signature. Here it is:

There are a lot worse things than going through the Wall of Death:

LIKE A CHARACTER LOBOTOMY, courtesy of Brad Kern!

I miss our snarky Piper who cared about innocents more than herself,
our smart Paige who had graduated from college and should've been a social worker
and our sweet Phoebs who loved magic more than sex!
Did they ever miss Prue!
Me, too!

I have to agree with Es here. 

I didn't mind Drew Fuller though - he wasn't the issue. In fact I loved him in the Spider episode and in Chris Crossed as well. He sort of reminded me of Prue a little bit too.

The Season 6 storyline just wasn't well thought out and the introduction of Magic School was cringeworthy.

Phoebe being powerful and then powerless was a let down. 

Clearly Paige could have been more effective helping people as a social worker, never becoming a witch, and would have grown more as a character

Piper is still likeable to me in Season 6 but I don't understand the Leo thing. Are you here or not here. What's the situation? 

[Too Much Coffee]

I think the issue I had with Season 6, is it was poorly executed. I hated, how we had to guess and pick up the pieces on just what happened in the Dark future. I really would have preferred them showing us what really went down.

I hated Magic School. And I hate a majority of the episodes. I wasn't particularly impressed with the way the sisters were portrayed.

Now back to S4. I really think the first half of S4 was okay, but the second half is SO bad. I'm kinda glad I missed the last few in the re-watch due to being busy watching the Olympics.

In this poll for S4, the last time I voted Liked it Now dislike it. Now after our re-watch, I'm going to likely be voting still dislike it.

[Aaeiyn]

I responded to all of the S6 stuff here, for those that want to continue that discussion.

Feb 23, 2022 23:26:22 GMT -5 Too Much Coffee said:

Now back to S4. I really think the first half of S4 was okay, but the second half is SO bad. I'm kinda glad I missed the last few in the re-watch due to being busy watching the Olympics.

In this poll for S4, the last time I voted Liked it Now dislike it. Now after our re-watch, I'm going to likely be voting still dislike it.

Yes, I'm not super hyped about this season. Some episodes are good and some episodes are terrible. Not enough good episodes to justify placing S4 over other seasons including S8 (though, I still place S8 below S4, still) & S2. Yes, S2 (I'm notorious for not liking this season, as much as others) I feel is better than S4. Than again, I don't think this board ever thought S2 to be terrible, in the first place LOL

---

I wanted to express another thing to rebooted . I think Reddit likes S3-S4 because they want to make Charmed like Buffy. And, S3-S4 really gives me "Buffy" vibes.

[rebooted]

Feb 24, 2022 0:00:23 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

I responded to all of the S6 stuff here, for those that want to continue that discussion.

Feb 23, 2022 23:26:22 GMT -5 Too Much Coffee said:

Now back to S4. I really think the first half of S4 was okay, but the second half is SO bad. I'm kinda glad I missed the last few in the re-watch due to being busy watching the Olympics.

In this poll for S4, the last time I voted Liked it Now dislike it. Now after our re-watch, I'm going to likely be voting still dislike it.

Yes, I'm not super hyped about this season. Some episodes are good and some episodes are terrible. Not enough good episodes to justify placing S4 over other seasons including S8 (though, I still place S8 below S4, still) & S2. Yes, S2 (I'm notorious for not liking this season, as much as others) I feel is better than S4. Than again, I don't think this board ever thought S2 to be terrible, in the first place LOL

---

I wanted to express another thing to rebooted . I think Reddit likes S3-S4 because they want to make Charmed like Buffy. And, S3-S4 really gives me "Buffy" vibes.

I have never watched one full Buffy or Angel episode. 

I think that's why Season 3 and 4 are so 'mainstream' popular (since I hear Buffy was a better show?/and its probably more of an iconic 90s show). So nostalgically they remember Season 3 and 4's storyline the most because of the romantic storylines, Prue's Death, Paiges Arrival and baddie like Belthazor, Shax, The Source. 

And I think personally I have to identify that I was in my first and second year of highschool (Season 1 and 2 being middle school) when Charmed was in its mainstream peak during Season 3 and 4. So I have a bias there about my early teen years being full of Charmed chatter memories at school. 

But from the 5th season onward as I got into my later teens just made me feel embarrassed to be a fan, and it feels like it passed its shelf life after the 3rd wave of feminism faded away into the mid 2000s.

[CharmedFaith]

Taking my thoughts from another board of my recent rewatch:

Watching Charmed Again....again. Anyone who calls Charmed on their many faults can not deny that this is probably one of the best wrap ups to a cliffhanger that resulted in a main character being killed off screen.

It is a shame that they wrapped up Cortez in the premiere instead of making it an ongoing storyline that have the sisters afraid of another AHBL situation. They kind of went back to normal after the premiere with how they acted in public. The sisters treatment of him was not a good look and also could've been the start of their journey towards Morality Bites. They send him off w/a spell and dont even care about what happened to him until Daryl reminds them of him. It definitely shows a road that the sisters start to go down without Prues guidance. Not to mention that Grams could've informed them of a little spell that she used to use on them to make them forget magical moments....

The Shax of it all....confuses me every.single.time. What the hell happened between AHBL and CA that the makeup artist failed so miserably in recreating his look? And even the special effects have a change. In CA his "wind" is minimal and now has some type of ball appears.
vs

When it comes to Prues things...I kind of get why Phoebe wouldnt be interested in Prues car but I also dont know why they didnt just have her take the car. She's spent the last 3 years without a vehicle of her own. She drove Prues car A LOT so take it and treat it with care. there's memories there. They couldnt show Shannen but Prue had a lot of clothing, a necklace, a lot of things that they could've incorporated into Piper/Phoebe that kept her "alive". Seeing Piper wear the Prue necklace throughout the years would've been so sentimental.

Grams talking about Paige and making it very known that she is their half-sister always intrigued me. Part of me thinks that she had amphrensions about Paige and didnt view her as a true Halliwell. I dont think they ever really touched on it.

The Oracle was a nice addition to Team Source. To bad they never really used her to any big potential.

Speaking of The Source....when we see him in AHBL he's a red guy with wings, very much of a "fallen angel" and now he's a red guy in a black cloak with no wings. And of course when they reveal him he's not even red!

Hell Hath No Fury is a great episode and Piper having to deal with her anger with Prue at the end was of course very good. I think they probably should've pushed that out a couple of episodes though instead of doing it so soon. I also wish that they had dealt with Piper partially putting some blame on Phoebe like Phoebe says when shes defending herself from Fury!Piper "you blame me for Prues death". Phoebe running after love is partially what got them all separated. And its never addressed that Cole was willing to practically kill Piper out of anger.

It's always funny that since Piper got Molecular Combustion she was afraid of accidentally blowing up a mortal. Each power has limits, she cant freeze witches so I would suspect that she cant blow up mortals/witches.

General 4A review....while its a good season, it is definitely under season 3. The writers didn't seem like they were able to properly handle the introduction and development of Paige along with setting up the big showdown with The Source.

S4A has A LOT of stand alone episodes and subplots that pertain to the sisters individual lives like Piper/Leo having a baby, Phoebe/Cole getting married.

They fail to have the sisters deal with demons that are a threat to them that prepares them to go up against The Source like they did in s3. We just jump into Charmed and Dangerous out of nowhere.

The previous episode states that The Source has body guards that are fire starters....where are in C&D? Why doesn't he have any body guards? He has assassins that are...MIA. Even the storyline with demons challenging The Source is suddenly dropped.

We started the season w/The Source being red and this menacing voice to this white demon w/an annoying voice and questionable facial hair.

They failed to treat The Source being vanquished as an event and more like a regular episode compared to S1&3 finales. They seemed like they just grew tired of the storyline and had to find a way to make Cole evil again. All of this should've been pushed to at least the finale.

[zoeysmom]

I liked it okay initially, but after watching the whole series at least once now, I've decided I dislike it now. The longer the show went on, the more the plot holes increased. Plus, as the series wore on, the sisters in general seemed like they got more selfish, more shallow, and more self-absorbed. In the first couple of seasons, they cared about innocents, tried to help them, and cared more about their other sisters. In later seasons, they feel more like a couple of roommates who happen to be magical, and having to help innocents seems like it's more of a drag on them than anything.

[rebooted]

Mar 22, 2022 14:23:31 GMT -5 zoeysmom said:

I liked it okay initially, but after watching the whole series at least once now, I've decided I dislike it now. The longer the show went on, the more the plot holes increased. Plus, as the series wore on, the sisters in general seemed like they got more selfish, more shallow, and more self-absorbed. In the first couple of seasons, they cared about innocents, tried to help them, and cared more about their other sisters. In later seasons, they feel more like a couple of roommates who happen to be magical, and having to help innocents seems like it's more of a drag on them than anything.

Yeah I agree. I think Season 4 is the last time I tolerate the sisters. 

[latincoffee]

When Charmed introduced us to Paige, I wasn't feeling her character at all. As I rewatch Paige's part in the show, I have learned to accept and like her. After all, These are the original Charmed witches. I love them!

[lunchking]

Loved it now dislike it. I don't know, there's good episodes in S4. But, I don't love it like I used too. It's a depressing season depending on your mood. But I'm in the minority that didn't mind S6, at least it wasn't as depressing as S4.

Yeah the execution with battling the Source was a huge letdown. For something that should've been more a grand event, it really wasn't. But Charmed I always felt was great with strong one-shot episodes not developing big arcs. Maybe that's why its so watchable compared to so much serialized television these days I can't get into. I don't mind two-parters or some arc building, I just hate when things drag out so much or every episode ends on a cliffhanger.

[wiccawonder]

At first, of course as a Prue fan I come into the season expecting her to be there and she wasn’t. I disliked it, no doubt about it. I had more questions than answers and was very confused.

After a few rewatches, I came to like S4 and actually grew to really like Paige and her story.

[chromaticanmomdasia]

Season 4 for me is PEAK Charmed season 3 also is incredible but 4 marked a huge shake up too these two seasons I felt charmed was just the pinnacle of how to push standards

I mean in this time period was - Buffy season 5 and 6, angel season 2 and 3 and if course charmed season 3 and 4 this for me was GOLDEN AGE of cult TV !! Season 5 of Buffy is the ultimate peak but charmed season 4 is imo right behind

As a fan of Scream I was excited Rose McGowan was joining though mortified to see Prue go she brought a different fresh energy to the show ... I missed Prue but I gained Paige ...the stakes were higher than ever this season

Phoebe being my fave sister of the show I was so invested in her arc with cole and the convergence to the dark side too which was so exciting too , loved Paige's inheritance of Prue's distrust in Cole too which added a strain too and Piper was good this season too...not a huge piper fan but this season gave her a lot of conflict to deal with too

It was genuinely exciting weekly my fave storytelling is a long arc spanning episodes and season 3 to now e felt just so exciting BRILLIANT even

The Seer is my favourite villain ever too , loved it still do