Season Five: Your views, before and now

[Charmed by Piper]

Based on my earlier poll, but wondering about just Season Five now.




What was your reaction towards Season Five the first time you watched it and what is your reaction now? Just choose one choice.

[sol]

When I watched for the first time I was annoyed by the presence of the magical community

The season was in my eyes redeemed by Centennial Charmed and the birth of Wyatt, an episode all tied to magic and full of humor

I keep my negative view on the magical community, but also keep a great fascination with Wyatt's story and above all I reconsidered Cole's story

Decline and Fall of Cole Turner: I had always thought that the love for a person'ld not be enough to change the entire your own world, your own value system
When Cole loses all hope with Phoebe, he is in total vacuum, with nothing to go back, this story is worth a season

[Esmeralda]

And, as usual, Sol, I'm the other way around. The first time I watched this season, I preferred the presence of the magical community over Cole's story (he should've remained in Season Four, never to be seen again, where he belonged) because Charmed needed the lightness of Season Five after the darkness of Season Four in order to go back to being Charmed rather than Buffy Lite. And much as I felt that Charmed had permanently jumped the shark when we found out that Prudence Melinda was actually Wyatt Matthew (with all the crap about his own prophecy), I definitely preferred it over the horror of the last half of Season Four.

The more I watch this season on TNT (no way I'd own the DVD, just like I'd never own S4-S8 - already have S1-3) I particularly like Piper in this season, when usually I don't like her once she decides that her heart belongs to Leo in S2. PhoeME is simply unwatchable in this season. I also like Paige in this season, even as I hate watching the assistant social worker turn into a ditzy Valley Girl.

This is the season when they all start turning into the ones in my signature, especially if you include Ms. Whinealot in 'Oh, My Goddess' - aka Poor, Poor, Pitiful Piper (Barf!)

But if 'Something Wicca This Way Goes?' had replaced 'Oh, My Goddess!' as the season finale and instead be the series finale, I'd still love all of Charmed, so I voted I still like it.

[Esmeralda]

WOW! Having voted I'm amazed at how divided we are regarding this season!

[unakite]

I agree about Cole, I think it was clean to emphasize that,closed his relationship with Phoebe, Cole has lost all interest in the human world, unlike demons as Kyra, who dreamed of being human, and rejoiced in walking in a field, and Drake, in love with literature
I liked the lighter tone and episodes like The Day The Magic Died, Cat House, Sense and Sense Ability
The writers opted for giving birth to Wyatt just because everyone was waiting for Melinda, to emphasize how the future changed and instill doubt thatt the child seen by the Seer was Wyatt, not Phoebe's unborn son
After all, who can guarantee that Phoebe's kid was a boy? And if Melinda was destined to be the first to be born?
The season finale could have been a good ending, if they had not given a version of the Greek goddess worthy of a children's book

[Granny Charmed]

Sept 15, 2016 14:15:33 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

And, as usual, Sol, I'm the other way around. The first time I watched this season, I preferred the presence of the magical community over Cole's story (he should've remained in Season Four, never to be seen again, where he belonged) because Charmed needed the lightness of Season Five after the darkness of Season Four in order to go back to being Charmed rather than Buffy Lite. And much as I felt that Charmed had permanently jumped the shark when we found out that Prudence Melinda was actually Wyatt Matthew (with all the crap about his own prophecy), I definitely preferred it over the horror of the last half of Season Four.

The more I watch this season on TNT (no way I'd own the DVD, just like I'd never own S4-S8 - already have S1-3) I particularly like Piper in this season, when usually I don't like her once she decides that her heart belongs to Leo in S2. PhoeME is simply unwatchable in this season. I also like Paige in this season, even as I hate watching the assistant social worker turn into a ditzy Valley Girl.

This is the season when they all start turning into the ones in my signature, especially if you include Ms. Whinealot in 'Oh, My Goddess' - aka Poor, Poor, Pitiful Piper (Barf!)

But if 'Something Wicca This Way Goes?' had replaced 'Oh, My Goddess!' as the season finale and instead be the series finale, I'd still love all of Charmed, so I voted I still like it.

You make a very interesting point Es. What if Season 5 had just taken the good parts of season 7 and moved them to season 5 and ended Charmed with a nice 5 year run. 



I find it is one of those seasons that falls somewhere in the middle and is underrated and rarely praised. I still like it. I must say I think if you take out "Lucky Charmed" and "Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun" dears, then people wouldn't be so quick to hate it. Because I find whenever people talk about season 5 - those two episodes are forever going to be associated with this season as terrible. 

I liked The Eyes Have and A Witch in Time. I also loved the Crone in Baby's First Demon and Sense and Sense Ability
. Oh wouldn't it have been fun to see more of her. I am guessing dears - they didn't want to have a big bad too similar to last season with The Seer in terms of powers.

Don't hate me dears - but I actually didn't dislike the idea of opening the season with a light episode like A Witches Tail. Yes it isn't my favorite episode - but I did enjoy that they decided to open it up with an episode like this. I just hated part 2 and how Paige left her job. Oh did this girl truly hate how they had her leave one of the best jobs any sister had in the series. 

I think had they taken out two horrible episodes like "Lucky Charmed" and "Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun", Had Cole stay gone after season 4 and Paige remains in her job as a social worker and Phoebe was more likeable dear. I might go from liked it to love it. 

[Esmeralda]

And that's the funny part. Unlike so many other fans, I got a kick out of both 'Lucky Charmed' and 'Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun', much preferring the sisters in them as compared to the ones in dark episodes like 'Centennial Charmed' or 'Oh, My Goddess!'.

And I wouldn't have added anything from Season Seven *except* something like 'Something Wicca This Way Goes?' substituted for 'Oh, My Goddess!' and adapted to fit what was going on in Season Five.

But you do have the point. Had they figured a way to leave Cole in Season Four and substituted 'Seven Year Witch' (with a different title, of course) for 'Centennial Charmed' and then after 'Baby's First Demon', ended the rest of the season with the Drake/Zankou storylines, but with Wyatt substituted for Chris, it would've made a fantastic way to end the series.

[erikamarie]

The writers opted for giving birth to Wyatt just because everyone was waiting for Melinda, to emphasize how the future changed and instill doubt thatt the child seen by the Seer was Wyatt, not Phoebe's unborn son
After all, who can guarantee that Phoebe's kid was a boy? And if Melinda was destined to be the first to be born?

Very intriguing theory
The Seer talked of a powerful boy destined to come into the world, maybe she saw Wyatt
Maybe the first of the sisters having children, would have a girl, the nice Melinda of Morality Bites, when Piper was the first

[Chris]

I'm surprised I hadn't commented on this thread, yet I voted in the poll.

I said that I still hate it, and it still stands to this day. I honestly can't find a favorite episode of mine from this season. Sure, I'll watch A Witch's Tail, Siren Song, The Importance of Being Phoebe & Centennial Charmed, but I kind of force myself to watch it. I didn't like how the quality of the episodes changed from Season 4 to this season, I didn't like the introduction to the Magical Community, I hated the Nymphs and the Leprechauns, Cole's character got ultimately destroyed in the process of this season.

How I wish they just went with the Cole/Source and EvilPhoebe storyline in this season like BK had intended.

[Elle Em]

I enjoyed the darker episodes in this season quite a lot. A Witch in Time, The Eyes Have It, and Centennial Charmed are some that stand out. I'm in the minority, I'm sure, when I say I didn't mind the mermaid episode.

I didn't mind the lighter episodes so much, but there were just too many of them for me, and the silliness overtook any other part of the story.

When I first watched it I would have said I liked the whole season, but now I probably only like about half.

[Charmed by Piper]

I like this season heaps. Of course Piper/Leo have their child and seeing the birth was a highlight - but I did enjoy many episodes. I must say I did not like how Oh, My Goddess was done. Honestly better off just ending the season on a happy note and having Wyatt's Wiccaning ceremony as the final.

Centennial Charmed was a waste of time for me. If you can't bring back Prue - don't bother having an alternate timeline Cole set up where Cole wanted to go back to a time to before Paige was found. Oh man! Am I the only person here who felt this episode was recycled with ideas of how the Phoebe/Cole arc with them as King and Queen of the Underworld could of gone had it lasted longer.


I loved the episodes after Wyatt was born - except two of them. I even enjoyed Happily Ever After and Siren's Song - even if most people here might hate them.

[Miranda Turner]

Loved it, now like it.

If I can get past all the Cole material, I might like it more. Cole and Phoebe's story ran its course in season 4. I didn't need the extension of it into season 5. Now I wished season 5, had turned into season 2 with no real big bad and just saving innocents and a more lighter season. Now after season 4, we did get that. It just needed Cole out of the picture.

[Melinda Halliwell]

Yeah, season 5 did need to be a lighter year I think after what happened previously.

I liked it then but now dislike it because of what happened with Cole and the way Phoebe treated him and the fact he should've either stay dead the year previous or got a better send off in IMO and the other thing I dislike is the way they portrayed the magical community plus the Titans and Greek Gods not using the right mythology on them what so ever actually.

[rebooted]

Sept 16, 2016 8:37:31 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I enjoyed the darker episodes in this season quite a lot. A Witch in Time, The Eyes Have It, and Centennial Charmed are some that stand out. I'm in the minority, I'm sure, when I say I didn't mind the mermaid episode.

I didn't mind the lighter episodes so much, but there were just too many of them for me, and the silliness overtook any other part of the story.

When I first watched it I would have said I liked the whole season, but now I probably only like about half.

I enjoy watching Season 5 but its just not the same show anymore.

I didn't mind Cole coming back even though I would have preferred him staying dead in Long Live the Queen.

The thing is that Julian and Holly were the legacy of Shannen Doherty. With them, Charmed still had a 'Prue' feel with the serious and dramatic acting. They were also the ones with the closest relationship to Shannen in real life.

Once Julian left as well as T.W. King, Greg Vaughn and lead Shannen Doherty, the show became harder for irregular viewers to connect to the show especially when Rose McGowan replaced her (who I thought fitted in well initially) and Alyssa Milano's character Phoebe changed from being the fave free-spirit funny to the paranoid and uptight funny sister. Add that to a revolving door of guest stars pimping out Phoebe out, no destiny to fillfull anymore, the crew on better salaries and budget - renewed for 3 more seasons, the writing got complacent. The commonality after the show left, with previous seasons was the love story between Piper and Leo. And it became the Ross and Rachel series focal point with death by baby officially making Charmed jump the shark when Wyatt was born. And let's not forget that although Romances were a key part of 'Charmed', this show was about the sisters and their family history which they had A LOT to work with.

The show from Witch Way Now? didn't have any direction to go in anymore. It was done. The network was trying to capitalise off the success of the first 4 seasons, of which the quality just never returned.

In my  mind I try and come up with better ways that Season 4 could have finished or that Season 5 could have started but there is no way - without Prue at least returning. They were making up excuses for the power of three to exist and most attempts just didn't give loyal fans, let alone irregular viewers what they were craving which was the reuniting or Prue with her living sisters.

[rebooted]

Arg. I can't help but have a love-hate relationship with this season.

Season 5 is such a let down to the entire series.

For me, the jump the shark moment is when Charmed 'Jumped The Mermaid'.

From the opening scenes of 'A Witch's Tail' when Phoebe has to be forced to come see her future nieces new cut out wardrobe room in Piper and Leo's bedroom.

And makes me think what if we never lost Fun Phoebe?

I do still like Cole and I still find the morality/good/bad/trying to be good storyline.

And Piper's pregnancy at first until Wyatt was born instead of Melinda or Prudence Melinda.

That's where I feel it had it's second 'Jump the shark/mermaid moment' after the premier episode, 'A Witch's Tail'.

Still though, like Season 5. The earlier part moreso up until Centennial Charmed.

[gzv969]

I liked season 5. The only issue I had was once Cole was gone after "Centennial Charmed", it seemed like the writers started toying a lot with fairytale stuff.

But there were still a few really good episodes after "Centennial Charmed".

House Call
Cat House
The day that magic died
Baby's first demon
Sense and Sense Ability
Necromancing the stone

[rebooted]

I keep thinking about how Charmed should have started in Season 5 and what the storyline should have been about.

It's the point where I feel is the point of no return.

However, I can't help but think of my own way or re-writing Season 5 from the beginning. My thougts have been:

Bringing in Paige and Henry here and having the beginning of the season focus on her romantic interests, just like Prue did in Season 1, Piper in Season 2 and 3, Phoebe in 3 and 4. She'd continue to work at South Bay Social Services.

Phoebe becomes a Martial Arts instructor and creates a woman's support network after dealing with a depression. She's pretty much single. Dating . But happy helping the community and having fun.

Piper is pregnant Melinda and her pregnancy in showcased more appropriately over the entire season.

Cole is dead.

Leo is in the background doing repairman stuff and being a whitelighter.

Charmed has more of a Season 2 feel with faction big bads.

The focus is on the sisterhood still. With Paige moving out, in with Henry/whoever. Phoebe and Piper live in the manor. Tension between sisters and their relationship is Paige wanting her own identity, Piper wanting to run things her way and Phoebe in the middle as the appeaser.

[Ruth Marie]

I see people either like it or disliked it now hate it. It's one or the other with opinions.

I don't hate Season 5 like I do Season 4, 6 & 8. I voted still like it, but it has been a while since I've seen it. So it might change in the future.

[Sasha]

I really liked the second half, especially once Cole is dead. If I can get past the first half, I can enjoy watching the second. Not perfect or as great the earlier seasons, which I see as Charmed at its best, but nowhere near the horrors that await me with Season 6.

If Cole was dead and not apart of it, Phoebe's character didn't jump into a new relationship and Paige didn't quit her job. This season might just be more enjoyable.

[fallingsnow6136]

I liked it once Cole died because I felt he shouldn't have been in S5 at all. He should have stayed dead in Long Live the Queen