Disclaimer: This is going to take me, awhile, to put together. For the most part, I changed quite a lot, for just the first episode. Because, I feel like the first episode could've been way more fine tuned, than what we got. That being said, here is my submission for the pilot episode, only (I'll have to finish up the rest of Season One, another time). I have to do this by episode, to help condense down my thoughts. It's going to take me awhile, to tackle, but I'll get it done!
S1E1 "Something Wicca This Way Comes"
Everything is pretty much the same, from how the episode starts out. The only difference is Piper is NOT dating Jeremy! She's too neurotic (not to mention) busy trying to become a chef, that that profession doesn't leave much room for a social life. She got the port, on her own, Jeremy didn't get it, for her. Piper & Prue's conversation, ultimately, remains relatively the same, there's just no mention of Jeremy because neither Prue nor Piper are dating him. I'm stealing this idea from
Esmeralda :
Roger Assford [Matthew Ashford] isn’t her fiancé but just her supervisor at Buckland’s (she never worked at the museum…). Roger is fired after the owner,
Rex Buckland [Neal Roberts] – and unlike Canon “Rex”, he truly is Rex Buckland…-- finds out that Roger stole Prue’s ideas, so Rex makes Prue one of the Buckland managers instead.
But, I'm putting my own spin on it. My spin is that Prue still works at the museum with Roger, but I'm stealing the idea that he's not her fiance nor ever was a romantic partner, to her. He's just a really bad boss that steals her ideas (kind of like me, right now, but I am crediting my source material, unlike Roger, but I digress). I'm not doing Es's Rex & Buckland's bit. That'll remain in Es's story, not in mine LOL Anyway...so, Prue will eventually quit the museum after having enough of such a bad and toxic work environment. The discovery of her powers will remain the same. The reason why that's stated first is because Prue & Phoebe won't be arguing about Roger (especially since this never got dug deeper into, anyway might as well scrap it, but I digress). Instead, it's going to be what they always argue about, Phoebe being irresponsible and untrustworthy. Things will proceed forward, as normal, when Phoebe arrives (just no mention of Phoebe may or may not have "touched" Roger). The only difference is Piper won't say Jeremy is her boyfriend, when she brings Phoebe some food, and Phoebe is watching the news. Phoebe will make a side comment about Jeremy being cute, though (more on that later). She'll say something along the lines of "that news reporter is kind of cute", verbatim of what she said (while under the influence of the Lust Sin Ball) in S3E18 "Sin Francisco". We proceed forward, as normal, from there.
After Piper leaves the phone booth, instead of running into Jeremy, she runs into Leo, instead. And, she takes notice of his "handyman" attire and offers him a job, at "fixing up" the manor, since Prue was having issues with the chandelier, earlier in the episode. He gives her his business card. After Prue & Phoebe leave the bar, where Prue says "you've turned me into a witch", Phoebe talks about bad witches and warlocks, but she'll (also) mention demons, as well. We proceed forward, as normal, and I'm going to add in an extra morning/day/afternoon and finally bring Jeremy, into play.
Phoebe is walking about outside and sees a small glimpse of Paige painting, when Jeremy runs into her, and she recognizes him, as the "cute" reporter, from TV (I want to keep in tact that she's a Warlock/Demon magnet LOL). He wanted to interview her, to see if her "case", had anything to do with "the murders". He makes advances towards Phoebe but upon his touch, Phoebe gets a premonition of "thorny" Jeremy, to warn her, that he's a demon (not a warlock). While, yes, Es said the same thing here:
Jeremy Burns [Eric Scott Woods], until they found out that he was their first adversary - a demon rather than a warlock.
However, I've always visualized him more as a demon, as opposed to a warlock, for awhile, now, so I'm not just "stealing" Es' ideas, I promise LOL Now, I'm having Phoebe already know how to physically fight. She grew up in SF and lived in NY for a bit and has connections with "the streets", so she already knows some basic street fighting skills and low kicks Jeremy, so she can make a quick escape.
She returns to the manor, and Prue & Piper are wondering why she's in such a panic, but there's no time to cast the spell to make him all "thorny" because he kicks open their front door and is all "thorny" because he's a demon. Prue doesn't tell her sisters to run up to the attic without her, and she stays down below to TK at him. They all run up to the attic, and we know what happens, from here. I'm going to tweak it, a little bit. Jeremy will turn into a weird slime slug, like he did, in the unaired pilot. Phoebe (like in the unaired pilot) will encourage her sisters to say the "Power of Three" spell, instead of Prue. Like in the unaired pilot, Prue will be freaked out, but Phoebe will encourage her, and everything proceeds, as normal, but Phoebe (instead of Prue) says "the Power of Three".
And, we all know the rest, from here. This is my vision, for how the pilot episode, should've worked out. I don't have the energy to write out, a whole season, but I like my version of the pilot, better LOL
S1E2 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
This episode will remain relatively the same with the exception that Leo will be in this episode, as well. I take issue with Piper & Prue (from the attic) hearing Brittany collapse to the floor (in the kitchen), but Piper & Leo (in the attic) can't hear a fire alarm, going off (in the conservatory), in S8E7 "The Lost Picture Show", but I digress. Leo will be at the manor, doing his usual "repairs", when Piper brings Brittany, to the manor, for "safekeeping". Besides, both Piper & Prue just "abandon" her (all alone), back at the house, when they go and rescue Phoebe. At least with Leo around, he'll be able to look after her and make sure she's OK. This will give us more of an idea that Whitelighters are to "guide" and/or "heal". That being said, Leo will be the one to run up to the attic, to let Piper & Prue know that Brittany just fainted. When Brittany "comes back" from being old, Leo won't look surprised, and the audience will have an early reaction that Leo is "sus"/"up to something"/"isn't what he appears to be". Him and Brittany have a mild conversation 'cause Leo is concerned for her and wants to make sure she's OK, and he helps reunite her with her boyfriend or whatever. Also, the lottery numbers don't erase, magically. Phoebe decides, herself, that she's going to allow the old couple to take the full pot, instead of the pot being split between her and them. As she realizes they need the money more than she does. I don't like how the numbers erased, magically. Defeats the purpose of not only free-will but the growth of characters, naturally.
That's how I would "touch up" this episode.
EDIT: I'm going to add in that Chef Moore does not quit, in this episode. He hired Piper back in S1E1 under the illusion she would be a chef but is having her "work her way up" from restaurant manager, instead. And ends up going on vacation, in the middle of all of this, so Piper can't really confront him, about him misleading her into a position she didn't audition for. Plus, I found it strange how he "quit" in this episode but is on vacation in a later episode, so we're just going to switch that around, a little bit LOL
S1E3 "Thank You For Not Morphing"
Aside from having James Read as Victor instead of Anthony Denison, from the very beginning, I would change up the fact that the spell wouldn't kill Victor, as well. Never understood why the spell would kill Victor, considering Victor is not magical. Plus, I hated the concept of the protection ring. The ring won't protect Victor, from anything, in my version, of the episode. Plus, Victor would reach out to Phoebe instead of Prue, since Phoebe is the more open-minded (at least, at the time) one, out of the three of them. And, Phoebe would be the one convincing her sisters to see him instead of Prue stopping them from seeing him. She would still get her premonition about him and everything but would suppress thinking he's evil, just like she did, in the episode. For the most part, this episode will play out the same. The ring is just an accessory piece instead of being able to actually provide a magical shield, and the spell won't kill the actual Victor.
S1E4 "Dead Man Dating"
The only thing I would change about this episode is Phoebe isn't wasting time saving the guy from the pink Cadillac. IK it's like a staple moment, that's used in the Intro and everything, but we can just do away with that whole storyline. The character is still there and everything (because we're not supposed to take away any characters, according to the OP), just Phoebe quickly hands him his wallet (as quickly as he forgot it). That's it! Character is still there, and everything else plays out, as normal. "Dead Man Dating" is like, one of my favorite S1 episodes, so there's not much I would change about this episode, aside from Phoebe's side quest in protecting the guy from the pink Cadillac. Otherwise, this episode is pretty well done, for me, anyway.
S1E5 "Dream Sorcerer"
There's not much I would change about this episode, either, except Leo will be in this episode, as well. He shows emotional support, for Piper, as Prue is in the hospital and dealing with the Dream Sorcerer. Other than that, not much I would change, regarding this episode. Which is surprising because I consider "Dream Sorcerer" a "meh" episode. I wouldn't list as a favorite nor worst episode, but I digress.
S1E6 "The Wedding From Hell"
There's going to be a few differences, in this episode, compared to what we, normally, see. First thing's first because I didn't have Piper with Jeremy (in my S1 re-write), we won't have her concerned about possibly being pregnant, by him. Phoebe will get her premonition regarding Hecate, when she touches the knife, Prue brings, that Andy gave to her, from his investigation. Secondly, this is where I'll have Chef Moore return from his vacation and ends up quitting Quake, before he can do what he said he was going to do, cater this wedding which puts more on Piper's plate (literally) in having to show/prove what she can do, being a chef. When, Piper & Phoebe go down into the basement and are trying to dodge the Hecate Bride's maids, Phoebe actually utilizing her physical fighting abilities against them, and Piper & Phoebe leave the basement and run into Prue, who was going to go and get them. When they confront Hecate, Hecate will put up more of a fight, than what we saw, she'll knock Piper out, unconscious, and Phoebe using her physical fighting abilities against Hecate, who's putting up a good fight, as well. Prue tries to quickly find the knife, but one of the Bride's Maids knocks it out of her hands which is how Elliot gets the knife in his hands, but it doesn't do anything. Hecate knocks out Phoebe and takes the knife from Elliot, until Prue TK's the knife, from both of them and points it at Hecate, but the knife still doesn't do anything. So, she grabs Phoebe's hand, and Phoebe holds Piper's hand (who's slowly waking up from being unconscious), and Prue encourages them to "tap into" the "power of three" (as seen in S5E2, when they banish the Skeletal being, and I'll bring leadership Prue from S1E1, into this episode) which then activates the knife to actually banish Hecate. This new take will allow Hecate to be less underwhelming, and the sisters to be more heroic, than what we saw, in the episode.
S1E7 "The Fourth Sister"
Like "Dead Man Dating", this is one of those episodes that I like, so I wouldn't really change much about this episode with one exception, Aunt Jackie is a twin to Elise Rothman (Phoebe's boss, at the Bay Mirror). Just to "tie up" Aunt Jackie being the same actress as Elise LOL That's pretty much it. This episode remains the same.
S1E8 "The Truth is Out There...and it Hurts"
Another great episode that I really wouldn't change much about it. I'd (might) have Rex & Hannah team up with Gavin, just to have some change, but it's not necessary. So, this would remain the same.
S1E9 "The Witch is Back"
Another great episode, that I wouldn't really change anything about it. This episode will play out, the same.
S1E10 "Wicca Envy"
So, the only thing I would change, here, is Leo healing the book which caused the sisters to get their powers back. I'mma have them duck, when Panther Hannah does her pounce which will still kill Rex. And, the lantern breaks, giving the sisters their powers back. Before, they can use their powers on her, Hannah runs away. I'm not having "the Source" (I'm assuming) "kill" (I guess) her, here. I like Hannah, and this isn't the last time, we'll see her (in my version, that is LOL). This is how I would "fix" this episode, personally. I always hated Leo healing the book. I'd rather this episode be the "finale" than S1E22 "Deja Vu All Over Again", and I'll work in how Claire fits into the future episodes. For now, just know that I'm making "Wicca Envy" the "finale" of S1 instead of "Deja Vu All Over Again".
S1E11 "Feats of Clay"
This episode remains relatively the same. Rex & Hannah are dealing with "real world" problems such as the auction house (Buckland's) possibly going into bankruptcy, and the bank assigns Claire to "deal with it", per usual. Both, Rex & Hannah put a lot of stress on Prue to "save Buckland's" from bankruptcy, as their own "punishment" for Prue (and her sisters) "vanquishing" Matthew Tate, back in S1E9 "The Witch is Back". Otherwise, this episode plays out, normally, for the most part, other than that minor detail.
S1E12 "The Wendigo"
This episode remains relatively the same. Rex & Hannah are trying to keep their cover from being blown, while the auction house remains under investigation by Claire. This is when Phoebe is first introduced to Rex and kind of likes him, but Prue has her doubts with Phoebe having an inappropriate relationship with (at this moment in time) both of their bosses (because Phoebe technically worked at Buckland's, during this episode). Phoebe, upon giving Hannah a handshake, after meeting both Rex & Hannah, will have a premonition of Hannah shapeshifting into a panther. This will put Hannah even more on the sister's radar, that she isn't who she claims to be. When Agent Fallon and Andy are at the park, and Agent Fallon flirts with him, but Andy turns her down, I'm having him turn her down, after she kisses him. Billy Waters and Piper will share a small kiss, as well, but they'll both turn each other away because Piper has a complicated relationship with Leo, and Billy didn't want to disrespect his dead fiance. For the most part, this episode will play out the same. Just adding in some minor details.
S1E13 "From Fear to Eternity"
Not sure what I would change about this episode, other than having Finola Hughes actually being their mother since this episode. I believe Finola Hughes didn't first appear until S1E17 "That 70s episode", but I could be wrong. I might have Prue actually save Zoe (the witch she was trying to visit). I don't like how Andy was able to save Prue, mid-way through her moment of being locked in her fear but Prue couldn't save Zoe mid-way through her moment of being locked in her fear. That'd be the only thing I would change, and they would have a fellow witch to help teach them about the demon of fear. Otherwise, most of this episode will remain relatively the same.
