Phoebe Season 3: Your views, before and now

[Charmed by Piper]

Based on my earlier polls asking about each season, now a spin-off on each sister. So wondering about Phoebe Season 3.


What was your reaction towards Phoebe during Season Three the first time you watched her in the season and what is your reaction to her during season 3 today? Just choose one choice.

[Melinda Halliwell]

I really liked Phoebe and Cole's relationship beforehand and what happened between them like him surpressing Belthazor because of her actually.

I liked the fact Phoebe got a new power which she could use on demons coupling her martial arts actually although my view on that changed years later evidently.

Going back now though this was the season she started to change not being the same free loving spirit she was the year beforehand because of Cole although not as much as later years though.

Her relationship with Prue and Piper was different I.E lying to them Cole was dead when he wasn't which she should've told them about obviously.

And finally I couldn't understand what usage levitation had for her when it didn't go with her premonitions power wise which astral projection would've done had Prue got Phoebe's power beforehand because that went with telekinesis and AP the ability to travel the point of her visions which she done a couple of years later then.

[Esmeralda]

This is the season when I first started hating Phoebe. As I keep saying, a Halliwell in love is not a nice person and Phoebe proves it in this one. I'll never forgive her for constantly putting a half-demon who had been a mercenary demon for a hundred years in front of her sisters, the innocents who were always so important to her before, and the Power of Three, which should've died this season.

My favorite sister, Phoebs, died this season, and my least-favorite sister, PhoeME, was born.

However, I didn't know she was going to do this as badly as she did until after I watched the rest of the season and I love her so much in 'All Halliwell's Eve' (but the only episode this season when I do) that I voted like, hate.

[mavbay]

I thought she was okay for most of the season, until "Exit Strategy". Boy was she annoying in this episode. My vote is disliked her, still dislike her.

[Granny Charmed]

Well for this girl when I originally saw season 3, I liked her. Now viewing it is hate. Especially knowing what happens to my beloved Phoebe after she lies to her sisters about Cole. That was the turning point for me dears.

[craig]

Well back in 2000 and 2001 when this season was broadcast, I was only 15 or 16 years old and in the closet. So Phoebe was always my favorite sister. I did like seeing her fall in love with the bad boy, who I started to feel odd feelings with Cole given my sexuality back then. It excited me and I couldn't get enough of them.

So I voted still love her. But my partner who is older than me by a few years has a completely different opinion on Phoebe. He hated her.

[unakite]

Phoebe is the sincere and tender friend that I hope to have always present in my life
She was patient and fair even with Billie!

[fallingsnow6136]

I love Phoebe I didn't like her lying to her sisters but all is fair in love and war right?

[West]

What always upsets me with season 3 is Phoebe lying to her sisters.

It's funny that over the years when I rewatch the series and watch season 3, I just can never get beyond Wrestling with Demons, that final scene between Prue and Phoebe makes me sad. Maybe I'm best to just skip over the whole Phoebe lying arc and go straight to when Cole is back.

But I guess the show needed drama, and with two seasons of building up Prue and Phoebe's relationship, it went downhill from here. Maybe knowing Prue will soon die, what becomes of Phoebe and watching this episode both just make's it that much harder. But I hope this can change on a re-watch. Maybe? Maybe not?

[codebox]

I never gave much thought to Season 3 Phoebe when I was younger mainly because I was focused more on Cole's storyline in how it related to Cole himself. As well as the more involved action. However as I'm 25 and giving it a watch more and more I really hated PhoeME in this season. As it began her rapid decline in character. The same Phoebe we got in Season 2 who was always free spirited, into magic and the heart when it came to magic (just look at Witch Trial for instance) is the same Phoebe in Season 3 who after instantly seeing Cole becomes fixated on him, then within a few episodes is possessive of him. Then in "Sleuthing with the Enemy" her entire personality just shifts out of nowhere. That last shot we get of Phoebe on the broomstick in "All Halliwell's Eve" would be the last time our free spirited Phoebe was shown as a highlight onscreen!

It's so odd how Kern manage to 180 change Phoebe into PhoeME within the 5 minute span of the episode. It's like she became a totally different person offscreen between "Power Outtage and Sleuthing with the Enemy" and instead her only motivation, focus and time was just dedicated to just spending time with Cole, and this is right before even finding out he's a demon so she could "help" him! She has an annoying exchange with Prue that segmented Phoebe's death and it was this line

Prue: Prue: Hey.

Phoebe: I'll be back.

Prue: Um, where you going?

Phoebe: I am going to school (they go into the living room) and then I'm going to Cole's.

Prue: Okay, aren't you forgetting a little something? Like vanquishing Belthazor?

Phoebe: Wait, I though you had to write a spell to summon him first.

Prue: Yes, and it's done. I'm using the one that we called Melinda from the past with, just re-wrote it a little bit.

Phoebe: Really? Think it'll work?

Prue: Well, yeah, I mean, it should. It's magic calling magic. Although in this case dark magic. Phoebe, why are you going to Cole's again? I mean, what do you really expect to find?

Phoebe: Mmm, actually, I was gonna go to his office. And how do you know I've already been to Cole's?

Prue: Well, you got a parking ticket there yesterday when you borrowed my car.

Phoebe: Oops, sorry, I'll pay for it.

Prue: Phoebe, that's not the point. Look, please, don't take this out on me, all right. I'm not the bad guy.

Phoebe: I know, I would just like some understanding, you know, some support here.

Prue: Look, I can't support you when I think you're just setting yourself up to get hurt. I have to be honest with you, we have to be honest with each other. That's the promise we made when Belthazor tried to split us apart, remember?

Phoebe: Yeah, it just doesn't help that you never really liked Cole from the beginning.

Prue: Yeah, well, I mean, you never really like any of my boyfriends either.

Phoebe: That's very true.

This scene within the first 5 minutes of the episode showed PhoeME's birth on full display. In Seasons 1 ans 2 Phoebe would've never blew off demon hunting simply for the sake of her personal ideals. She'd be the first one to be on board demon hunting. Here she's blowing off fighting Belthazor (before they knew it was Cole mind you) simply so she can see Cole, while blowing off her sisters in the process. Even when Prue tries to look on the realistic side Phoebe responds by throwing Prue's distrust of Cole right in her face.

Phoebe then acts like a hypocrite when Prue states "You never liked my boyfriend's either" so it's fine for PhoeME to disapprove of who her sister's date, but one slight distrust of Cole and she acts defensive? It also shows a step back in Prue/Phoebe's relationship. Prue wants them to be truthful and honest and all PhoeME can think about is ditching her and Piper in favor of Cole! Not only that is completely apathetic toward the fact she got a speed ticket in Prue's car. Anything about Phoebe we knew is destroyed in this one bit of dialogue, then PhoeME was fully morphed when she let Cole go and lied to her sisters! I hate Halliwell's in Love!

And then she ditches her sisters AGAIN simply to go see Cole and leaves her responsibilities onto Piper who had her own problems to deal with. It feels so much this season as if Phoebe doesn't connect or care as much about her sisters as she did. She's barely present in the same room as them most of the season.

As Season 3 progresses you see the same cycle of behavior with Phoebe in that she's either not present in the same room, chooses her love for Cole over Prue and Piper, then berates Cole when she thinks he's related to evil. This problem is further escalated in "The Demon Who Came in From the Cold" with Phoebe's line here

Cole: There is one way. For me to go back.

Phoebe: Cole.

Cole: If you want to know what they're up to we have no choice.

Phoebe: Okay, but you'll be exposing yourself to the source. They'll kill you.

Cole: Maybe not. They've probably already surfaced, set up camp in this world. I won't have to go under completely.

Prue: It does kind of make sense.

Phoebe: Well, if course it makes sense to you, Prue, you're always looking for a way to get Cole out of our lives.

Piper: Phoebe.

Cole: This isn't about her, Phoebe, it's about me.

Phoebe: No, it's about us.

Phoebe just assumes every little thing Prue says is just because she hates Cole, even when Cole says it was about him. There's such a bitterness with PhoebME in this season that it's so hard to watch her. Then you have the ending of Exit Strategy which makes everything worse. Then there's her ditching Piper and Prue AGAIN in All Hell Breaks Loose simply so she can save Cole, even when being convinced Shax isn't dead, nah that's not important. Her only focus is if she can save Cole or not, she doesn't even take into consideration Prue and Piper need Tempus to turn back time until Leo informs them of it, which leaves both of them without a way to heal Piper's injuries. Hope Prue's death was worth saving Cole PhoeME, because that's what you did! 

Bottomline I thought PhoeME was okay when I was younger, looking back now she's the thing I hated the most in Season 3. And still hate if I haven't made it clear enough. A completely different person than who she was in Season 2.