Favorite Brad Kern episodes of Charmed?

[Granny Charmed]

What were your favorite Brad Kern episodes of Charmed?


Note: Ex Libris is only by Brad Kern for the teleplay (e.g script used for the episode). Thanks to Es and Rebooted for noticing dears.

[Melinda Halliwell]

I chose The Power Of Two, De Ja Vu, and Ex Libris.

[Miranda Turner]

The Power of Two, Deja Vu & Ex Libris.

[Esmeralda]

I chose those three along with Charmed Again, Part One and Cat House.

[rebooted]

De Ja Vu
Ex Libris (which doesn't feel like a Kern episode)
AHBL
Charmed Again P1
Black as Cole

[Esmeralda]

Dec 10, 2017 3:12:42 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Ex Libris (which doesn't feel like a Kern episode)

That's because he just wrote the teleplay (the script) while Connie Burge wrote the actual story. It does feel more like a Connie episode.

Since he only wrote the teleplay, I unchecked it.

The same is also true for "The Power of Two', so I unchecked that one, too.

[rebooted]

Dec 10, 2017 8:38:22 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Dec 10, 2017 3:12:42 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Ex Libris (which doesn't feel like a Kern episode)

That's because he just wrote the teleplay (the script) while Connie Burge wrote the actual story. It does feel more like a Connie episode.

Since he only wrote the teleplay, I unchecked it.

The same is also true for "The Power of Two', so I unchecked that one, too.

That makes more sense.

So what does a writer actually do? Heck, what does a producer and director do?

He wrote a lot of series-changing episodes, like AHBL and Black as Cole which I am on the fence about whether I liked or not.

[Esmeralda]

Dec 10, 2017 18:41:15 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Dec 10, 2017 8:38:22 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's because he just wrote the teleplay (the script) while Connie Burge wrote the actual story. It does feel more like a Connie episode.

Since he only wrote the teleplay, I unchecked it.

The same is also true for "The Power of Two', so I unchecked that one, too.

That makes more sense.

So what does a writer actually do? Heck, what does a producer and director do?

He wrote a lot of series-changing episodes, like AHBL and Black as Cole which I am on the fence about whether I liked or not.

You got me curious about written by vs teleplay by, so I googled it and here's what I found:

When it comes to “written by” credits, writing a script involves two main processes. Coming up with the story, plot characters etc and the actual act of sitting down and typing out the script. Often times, especially in television, two writers will work on an episode but only one of the writers will write the actual episode while the other writer helped with the outline, plotting etc. In this case, the writer who actually wrote the script would get a “teleplay by” credit and the other writer would get a “story by” credit. In other words, a “story by” credit is usually accompanied by a “teleplay by” credit if the script is not written by both writers.

Source: filmescape.com/teleplay-by-vs-written-by-whats-the-difference


As for producer vs director, I didn't find anything as succinct as that, by simply, the producer reads the script the creator wrote and decides if s/he thinks it will be successful, and if so, hires and pays the writers, the directors, the actors and all of the crew, while the director interprets the scripts and decides what's going to be shown on the screen.   The showrunner actually decides on the overall storyline and gives the ideas to various writers to write.

Somehow the producer sounds more like what Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent did, who were counted as executive producers.  Not really sure what all of the various producers on the show did.

[Granny Charmed]

Dec 10, 2017 8:38:22 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Dec 10, 2017 3:12:42 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Ex Libris (which doesn't feel like a Kern episode)

That's because he just wrote the teleplay (the script) while Connie Burge wrote the actual story. It does feel more like a Connie episode.

Since he only wrote the teleplay, I unchecked it.

The same is also true for "The Power of Two', so I unchecked that one, too.

Thanks dear for noticing my little mistake with Ex Libris. The story was written by a man named Peter Chomsky, while Brad wrote the teleplay script for the episode. Peter didn't write any more of the show's episodes, and more a crew member and producer according to his IMDB profile. So *perhaps* the idea was something he had, and Brad just wrote the script.

I checked for The Power of Two and that is *definitely* a Brad Kern episode written by him according to IMDB. 

Dec 10, 2017 21:14:10 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Dec 10, 2017 18:41:15 GMT -5 rebooted said:

That makes more sense.

So what does a writer actually do? Heck, what does a producer and director do?

He wrote a lot of series-changing episodes, like AHBL and Black as Cole which I am on the fence about whether I liked or not.

You got me curious about written by vs teleplay by, so I googled it and here's what I found:

When it comes to “written by” credits, writing a script involves two main processes. Coming up with the story, plot characters etc and the actual act of sitting down and typing out the script. Often times, especially in television, two writers will work on an episode but only one of the writers will write the actual episode while the other writer helped with the outline, plotting etc. In this case, the writer who actually wrote the script would get a “teleplay by” credit and the other writer would get a “story by” credit. In other words, a “story by” credit is usually accompanied by a “teleplay by” credit if the script is not written by both writers.

Source: filmescape.com/teleplay-by-vs-written-by-whats-the-difference


As for producer vs director, I didn't find anything as succinct as that, by simply, the producer reads the script the creator wrote and decides if s/he thinks it will be successful, and if so, hires and pays the writers, the directors, the actors and all of the crew, while the director interprets the scripts and decides what's going to be shown on the screen.   The showrunner actually decides on the overall storyline and gives the ideas to various writers to write.

Somehow the producer sounds more like what Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent did, who were counted as executive producers.  Not really sure what all of the various producers on the show did.

Interesting dear, thanks for sharing. I remember a while ago we tried to work out what a story editor did versus a writer. So it is fun trying to learn how the behind the scenes work on getting episodes done. 

I must say I doubt Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent had much to do with Charmed apart from the credit and being apart of the production company. I very much doubt they had much input in episodes or scripts, apart from producing behind the scenes. Especially since Aaron's health was pretty bad up to his death not long after Charmed ended. 

[Esmeralda]

Yup, you're right - he truly did write 'Power of Two', so I rechecked that one.

[Ruth Marie]

Just Deja Vu All Over Again, Ex Libris and Witch Trial.

The rare times Kern actually managed to write well. But it helps when most of them is with other writers.

But Witch Trial might be his only solo written episode, I truly loved. Most of his others, I end up hating the episode, and I have for all the others during our S1-S3 re-watch.

[stratego]

Wicca Envy, Déjà Vu All Over Again and Witch Trial.

[Julian]

Just Deja Vu and Witch Trial for me.

[Aaeiyn]

The 5 I chose (in no particular order):

The Power of Two
Deja Vu All Over, Again
Ex Libris
Payback's a Witch
Forever Charmed

[Aaeiyn]

Aug 24, 2021 14:56:10 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

The 5 I chose (in no particular order):

The Power of Two
Deja Vu All Over, Again
Ex Libris
Payback's a Witch
Forever Charmed

Changed my mind to the following:

S1E2 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
S1E20 "The Power of Two"
S4E1 "Charmed Again, Pt 1"
S4E22 "Witch Way, Now?"
S8E12 "Payback's a Witch"

[Aaeiyn]

Jul 21, 2022 20:36:27 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

Changed my mind to the following:

S1E2 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
S1E20 "The Power of Two"
S4E1 "Charmed Again, Pt 1"
S4E22 "Witch Way, Now?"
S8E12 "Payback's a Witch"

Changing my mind, again, to the following:

S1E2 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
S1E20 "The Power of Two"
S4E1 "Charmed Again, Pt 1"
S4E22 "Witch Way, Now?"
S6E16 "The Courtship of Wyatt's Father"

---

With all this conversation, from me, about Kern deserving just criticism, from my end, about some (not all) of his garbage episodes, I figured a bump of this thread is justified. So, let's talk about some (not all) of my criticisms towards Kern.

(Story & Teleplay) S1E10 "Wicca Envy" & (Story) S1E14 "Secrets & Guys"
I'mma criticize BOTH of these episodes, for the same reason. Kern really PUSHED for "Leo the Savior". Leo saved the sisters in S1E10 "Wicca Envy", and Leo saved Mr. Franklin in S1E14 "Secrets & Guys". Kern took inspiration from Touched by an Angel and turned Leo into a male version of Monica (the main Angel, in "Touched by Angel")

S2E1 "Witch Trial"
Kern wasted such an AMAZING demon to just book reading. I was greatly disappointed, in the wasted potential of Abraxas.

(Story & Teleplay) S2E22 "Be Careful What You Witch For"
Cute episode, but why is this the S2 finale?

S3E22 "All Hell Breaks Loose"
I'm of the minority opinion regarding this episode. I HATE this episode with a burning passion! Kern, doesn't understand the Prue character, AT ALL. And, just made all the girls not think rationally. I get they were under pressure but like...not to the point they're not thinking. And really exited the Prue character in the most horrible fashion. Screw Kern, for such a horrible episode!

S5E12 "Centennial Charmed"
Kern WISHES he had the talent of Krista Vernoff (who wrote S4E20 "Long Live the Queen"). This episode STRAIGHT UP rips off her S4E20 episode. And, Cole's death just doesn't hit as hard, in this episode, as it did in S4E20.

S5E18 "Cat House"
A weird way for the Kit character to be exited from the series and explain away why Kit is no longer around. Plus, just Kern glorifying his golden Piper & Leo couple -_-

S6E1-2 "Valhalley of the Dolls, Pt 1 & 2"
While, he didn't want this episode as a premiere (as lunchking pointed out, in our S6E8 "Sword & the City" Re-Watch thread)...or at all, he STILL could've gotten his mythology correct, though regarding the differences between Valkyries and Amazonians...I can somewhat forgive him, if he had to write up some bogus premiere because his S6E8 "Sword & the City" episode was rejected by the Network to be the S6 premiere. Still frustrating, that Kern didn't do much of his homework...

S7E1 "A Call to Arms"
Literally, one of the WORST Charmed episodes. I can't even with this episode.

S8E1 "Still Charmed & Kicking
Not much of a premiere...especially since the Charmed Ones didn't really do anything except Piper posing as baby Wyatt to scare away some demons...but still.

S8E2 "Malice in Wonderland"
I can't with the Phoebe narration to make this episode like "Sex & the City" -_-

---

Just some of my criticisms of Kern's work.

[zack]

Courtship of Wyatt's father was a Kern episode. I liked it.

Kern you can pull a good episode when you can. LOL

[chromaticanmomdasia]

Funny how I agree with a lot of you that when I was younger watching charmed Brad Kern episodes felt like OOH here we go the head showrunner is writing it or whatever this is the equivalent of Joss whedon writing a Buffy one BUT in time and through being a Dr Who can I guess is that the head writer and showrunner doesn't always HAVE to pen the best ones of the season (unless you're Steven Moffat I guess)

So that aside Kern wrote some classics but also a lot of duds and actually I think Krista Vernoff was my favourite writer overall I wondered why she wasn't head writer or whatever too because hers felt like huge events I mean long live the queen should've won Emmys

All hell breaks loose, it's a bad bad bad bad world, something Wicca this way goes, witch trial, ex libris, charmed again are however top tier episodes and classics

[Aaeiyn]

Changed my mind to the following:

S1E20 "The Power of Two"
(Teleplay) S2E19 "Ex Libris"
S3E1 "The Honeymoon's Over"
(Teleplay) S4E8 "Black as Cole"
S8E12 "Payback's a Witch"

These feel more "Protect/Save the Innocent(s)" type, to me.

[missjessica]

The Power of Two
Deja Vu All Over Again
Ex Libris
Courtship of Wyatt's Father
Paybacks A Witch