No whitelighters or Leo but a different mentor/guide?

[pheebs]

If Leo and whitelighters never were brought into the show in Season One, and instead the sisters had a different mentor and guide even if it were for a short time. Who would it be?

[Elle Em]

I chose either no guide or familiars. I loved in season 1 when it truly felt like they were on their own, and it was just the three of them. I don't think that formula could have worked for the whole show, but I would have liked to see it be just them for longer, maybe two or three seasons instead of just one.

And I chose familiars because of how a cat like Kit or something similar could be in their lives and help them in subtle ways, but not be as much of a presence as a whitelighter or another witch. It still feels like it's just the sisters this way, but with a little outside help here and there.

I would have been okay with a Wicca store owner or someone similar being a resource for them from time to time, but if other people are going to be involved, I definitely wouldn't want it to be a family member. A big part of the appeal of the show for me was how the sisters had to rely on just each other, and how they seemed like adults in many ways despite how young they were. Having Grams or an aunt around would make them seem much younger and less able to be independent.

[Ruth Marie]

I voted Wicca store expert but a recurring character woven in episodes like Darryl was but not every one.

Personally for me no guide and just keep Andy/Darryl for the whole series. Maybe throw in your witches and covens every so often who offer the sister some tips.

[Granny Charmed]

I love Grams, but even I know she might *not* work as a permanent character on the show, so she would most likely die in the same spot Andy did. Maybe in her own spin-off show, she can star. But I do feel her being alive in the first episode and dying and that being the set-up for the sisters might work.

I really think maybe just a recurring character like Ruth suggested above, doesn't get in the way of the story or sisters like Cole and Leo did, but can provide assistance and help when needed.

[Aaeiyn]

The 2 that I chose (in no particular order):

No guide (The sisters just meet various witches and covens who give knowledge from time to time)
Kit/Familiars (Either a shapeshifting person or just the mythlogy of Familiars done earlier)

[The Crone]

No guide, they can get by with just the book of shadows, researching, asking the right questions out in the field with innocents, and their non-magical allies Andy and or Darryl.

Basically, what they did in S1 anyway, since apart from Love Hurts, they really had no mentor or guide all season, as Leo was behind the scenes.

[Emmett]

Sept 1, 2021 3:27:28 GMT -5 The Crone said:

No guide, they can get by with just the book of shadows, researching, asking the right questions out in the field with innocents, and their non-magical allies Andy and or Darryl.

Basically, what they did in S1 anyway, since apart from Love Hurts, they really had no mentor or guide all season, as Leo was behind the scenes.

^ This. I'm with you The Crone, they didn't need any help. But if they run into other witch covens here and there, they can give them some tips like Janna did with the healing potions, and they can learn and take that on board for future episodes.

I'd also have been fine if they went the extra mile to do more with familiars  and used Kit more.

I also think using the spirit board to contact Grams or Patty sometimes, not always, would work too. That would be better than having their spirits appear corporeal so much in S5-S8.

[rebooted]

perhaps if Leo lived in the book that would be fun

[The Crone]

Sept 1, 2021 20:16:27 GMT -5 Emmett said:

Sept 1, 2021 3:27:28 GMT -5 The Crone said:

No guide, they can get by with just the book of shadows, researching, asking the right questions out in the field with innocents, and their non-magical allies Andy and or Darryl.

Basically, what they did in S1 anyway, since apart from Love Hurts, they really had no mentor or guide all season, as Leo was behind the scenes.

^ This. I'm with you The Crone, they didn't need any help. But if they run into other witch covens here and there, they can give them some tips like Janna did with the healing potions, and they can learn and take that on board for future episodes.

I'd also have been fine if they went the extra mile to do more with familiars  and used Kit more.

I also think using the spirit board to contact Grams or Patty sometimes, not always, would work too. That would be better than having their spirits appear corporeal so much in S5-S8.

Sept 1, 2021 21:45:57 GMT -5 rebooted said:

perhaps if Leo lived in the book that would be fun

I read somewhere that there was an original pitch that a spirit would be contained in the Book that would assist the sisters causing spells and information about demons to appear. I wonder if that was an early idea before they used Leo and the Elders to give answers?

[BriannaWarren2.0]

No guide or someone at a Wicca Store (however this reminds me too much of Giles from Buffy) or Kit. 

I think the whole concept of Whitelighters could have been something good if they just kept them as guides and healers not necessary fighters, however I could see Leo wanting to fight due to his Military training.

I like the idea where the Charmed Ones have to use their knowledge and their intuition about a problem. 

I think the idea of meeting someone who has knowledge of Wicca could have been an interesting idea, maybe if it was different from Giles, maybe someone who reincarnates to help witches? That's their soul mission.  

I also like the idea of Kit passing on knowledge to the Charmed Ones after living her nine lives she would have a lot of information to pass on and that would have been a beautiful dynamic. 

[Melinda Halliwell]

I choose no guide also because it would've been interesting seeing the sisters learn and grow in their powers and have to work together to find out who their adversary each week was rather than just get the information from Leo or the Elders which would've made them more in touch with innocents as well of course.

It'd make things more dramatic in terms of not having an in house healer but then Piper or Phoebe could develop/discover spells or potions along the way countering that so to keep things interesting you'd want some limits on them though not all the time so they couldn't heal everything or a demon/warlocks power blocked spell/potions effects sometimes too then.

Each sister could still be good at one aspect of witchcraft like Piper making potions, Phoebe creating spells, and Prue strategizing battles but get tips along the way from other people like various covens or different magic cultures ala the Nicoli Gypsies for instance.

And been knowledgeable of the book Phoebe could be the research person who knew what her sisters needed to combat the weekly villain looking things up online, frequenting libraries, and other places, etc making her useful there as well.

[Andrew]

Well, Leo could have worked… if they let him stay mortal. He’d have the experience to be able to help identify some threats, but wouldn’t know everything and couldn’t go orb up to check with the Elders. He was a medic before he died, so he’d still be able to help with injuries (to a certain extent), and goodness knows that the Halliwells tend to incur more than enough damage to their house to keep him plenty busy, which would also help them reduce expenses, since he would hardly charge them for labor.

[Andrew]

(wanders back in two hours later)

It occurred to me that, if there were no whitelighters, they would have needed to come up with an alternate explanation for why no one previously knew Paige existed. Obviously, she couldn’t just be the result of an affair Patty had, or someone she hooked up with after she split with Victor, because why would she give Paige away? But then I thought, what if Patty didn’t give her away? What if she was… taken? By her father?

Who was a warlock.

Because we’ve seen on the show that warlocks can have long-range plans. What if this one found out (somehow) that Patty was the mother of the future Charmed Ones? (Maybe Grams was bragging to some of her friends after that time travel episode or something.) Maybe he schemed to seduce her, have a child (given the Warren line’s history of only having daughters - until the EVER-so-special Wyatt was born - he would have felt safe in assuming it would be a girl), take her away and raise her as a warlock, then, when the time was right, either arrange for one of the Charmed Ones to die or just take advantage of the situation when one of the many warlocks and/or demons they faced got lucky, and insert his now-grown daughter into the new Charmed Ones, to gain access to the Power of Three. He even deliberately distracts Patty at the lake, so that the water demon will kill her and keep her from interfering.

And then it happens: Prue - or Phoebe, depending on which actress left in this scenario - dies. The other two know the forces of evil will be gunning for them, now that they’re vulnerable, and as much as Grams warns them against it - because she would know the story, from her chats with Patty’s ghost before her own death - their only chance is to try and get through to Paige, to get her to turn against her father and join them for real. Even when they succeed - because let’s be honest, they’re going to, or there wouldn’t be a show - they’ll still have to deal with a sister who was raised as a warlock, and would still approach most situations with a very different mindset than them.

She could Blink, instead of Orb, and maybe even have an entirely different active power than had previously been seen on the show. (No, I don’t know what. Gravity manipulation, maybe.) It would certainly be a much bigger adjustment than they had to make on the show.

….dammit, now I wanna see this story get written.

[Emmett]

Sept 2, 2021 7:55:06 GMT -5 Andrew said:

(wanders back in two hours later)

It occurred to me that, if there were no whitelighters, they would have needed to come up with an alternate explanation for why no one previously knew Paige existed. Obviously, she couldn’t just be the result of an affair Patty had, or someone she hooked up with after she split with Victor, because why would she give Paige away? But then I thought, what if Patty didn’t give her away? What if she was… taken? By her father?

Who was a warlock.

Because we’ve seen on the show that warlocks can have long-range plans. What if this one found out (somehow) that Patty was the mother of the future Charmed Ones? (Maybe Grams was bragging to some of her friends after that time travel episode or something.) Maybe he schemed to seduce her, have a child (given the Warren line’s history of only having daughters - until the EVER-so-special Wyatt was born - he would have felt safe in assuming it would be a girl), take her away and raise her as a warlock, then, when the time was right, either arrange for one of the Charmed Ones to die or just take advantage of the situation when one of the many warlocks and/or demons they faced got lucky, and insert his now-grown daughter into the new Charmed Ones, to gain access to the Power of Three. He even deliberately distracts Patty at the lake, so that the water demon will kill her and keep her from interfering.

And then it happens: Prue - or Phoebe, depending on which actress left in this scenario - dies. The other two know the forces of evil will be gunning for them, now that they’re vulnerable, and as much as Grams warns them against it - because she would know the story, from her chats with Patty’s ghost before her own death - their only chance is to try and get through to Paige, to get her to turn against her father and join them for real. Even when they succeed - because let’s be honest, they’re going to, or there wouldn’t be a show - they’ll still have to deal with a sister who was raised as a warlock, and would still approach most situations with a very different mindset than them.

She could Blink, instead of Orb, and maybe even have an entirely different active power than had previously been seen on the show. (No, I don’t know what. Gravity manipulation, maybe.) It would certainly be a much bigger adjustment than they had to make on the show.

….dammit, now I wanna see this story get written.

Wow! Love this andrew.

I like the idea of the half sister's father being a warlock or demon. More so re-watching now. I just don't like Paige being half-whitelighter nowdays. They had a way to work her in given P3 H20.

But what a cool setup for a fanfic. Someone needs to write this.

[Melinda Halliwell]

That is an interesting story yes as well as Leo been mortal or staying that after having his powers taken post Awakened or him choosing to give them up to marry Piper season 3 of course.

The 50 odd plus years of experience would surely make him a walking encyclopedia almost.

[Andrew]

Sept 2, 2021 8:13:01 GMT -5 Emmett said:

Sept 2, 2021 7:55:06 GMT -5 Andrew said:

(wanders back in two hours later)

It occurred to me that, if there were no whitelighters, they would have needed to come up with an alternate explanation for why no one previously knew Paige existed. Obviously, she couldn’t just be the result of an affair Patty had, or someone she hooked up with after she split with Victor, because why would she give Paige away? But then I thought, what if Patty didn’t give her away? What if she was… taken? By her father?

Who was a warlock.

Because we’ve seen on the show that warlocks can have long-range plans. What if this one found out (somehow) that Patty was the mother of the future Charmed Ones? (Maybe Grams was bragging to some of her friends after that time travel episode or something.) Maybe he schemed to seduce her, have a child (given the Warren line’s history of only having daughters - until the EVER-so-special Wyatt was born - he would have felt safe in assuming it would be a girl), take her away and raise her as a warlock, then, when the time was right, either arrange for one of the Charmed Ones to die or just take advantage of the situation when one of the many warlocks and/or demons they faced got lucky, and insert his now-grown daughter into the new Charmed Ones, to gain access to the Power of Three. He even deliberately distracts Patty at the lake, so that the water demon will kill her and keep her from interfering.

And then it happens: Prue - or Phoebe, depending on which actress left in this scenario - dies. The other two know the forces of evil will be gunning for them, now that they’re vulnerable, and as much as Grams warns them against it - because she would know the story, from her chats with Patty’s ghost before her own death - their only chance is to try and get through to Paige, to get her to turn against her father and join them for real. Even when they succeed - because let’s be honest, they’re going to, or there wouldn’t be a show - they’ll still have to deal with a sister who was raised as a warlock, and would still approach most situations with a very different mindset than them.

She could Blink, instead of Orb, and maybe even have an entirely different active power than had previously been seen on the show. (No, I don’t know what. Gravity manipulation, maybe.) It would certainly be a much bigger adjustment than they had to make on the show.

….dammit, now I wanna see this story get written.

Wow! Love this andrew.

I like the idea of the half sister's father being a warlock or demon. More so re-watching now. I just don't like Paige being half-whitelighter nowdays. They had a way to work her in given P3 H20.

But what a cool setup for a fanfic. Someone needs to write this.

I suppose the next logical question would be, 'Where would it get posted?', because while my initial thought would be to put it on the AU board, the most recent fic on the main FF board - Murphy's Luck, which seems to be a retelling of the season 2 episode, though set post-season 3 with a very different cast - has been sitting there for over a year, so maybe this story - and yes, I even have a title in mind, now (goddammit, muse! *shakes fist*) - should go there, too...? *shrugs*

[Emmett]

Sept 3, 2021 20:33:38 GMT -5 Andrew said:

Sept 2, 2021 8:13:01 GMT -5 Emmett said:

Wow! Love this andrew.

I like the idea of the half sister's father being a warlock or demon. More so re-watching now. I just don't like Paige being half-whitelighter nowdays. They had a way to work her in given P3 H20.

But what a cool setup for a fanfic. Someone needs to write this.

I suppose the next logical question would be, 'Where would it get posted?', because while my initial thought would be to put it on the AU board, the most recent fic on the main FF board - Murphy's Luck, which seems to be a retelling of the season 2 episode, though set post-season 3 with a very different cast - has been sitting there for over a year, so maybe this story - and yes, I even have a title in mind, now (goddammit, muse! *shakes fist*) - should go there, too...? *shrugs*

Good question, maybe the AU Series section, if it is going to be the first in a series, or just the FF board if it is a standalone story. 

That's cool, good luck with this fic. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for it when I see something posted when its done.

[summerreading]

Sept 1, 2021 20:16:27 GMT -5 Emmett said:

Sept 1, 2021 3:27:28 GMT -5 The Crone said:

No guide, they can get by with just the book of shadows, researching, asking the right questions out in the field with innocents, and their non-magical allies Andy and or Darryl.

Basically, what they did in S1 anyway, since apart from Love Hurts, they really had no mentor or guide all season, as Leo was behind the scenes.

^ This. I'm with you The Crone, they didn't need any help. But if they run into other witch covens here and there, they can give them some tips like Janna did with the healing potions, and they can learn and take that on board for future episodes.

I'd also have been fine if they went the extra mile to do more with familiars  and used Kit more.

I also think using the spirit board to contact Grams or Patty sometimes, not always, would work too. That would be better than having their spirits appear corporeal so much in S5-S8.

You are right about that. That would be enough to get them by. 

I do wish they did more with Kit as a familiar. They sorta just did Cat House, as a way to stop fans asking where she was. 

[greta]

Aug 31, 2021 14:09:48 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

The 2 that I chose (in no particular order):

No guide (The sisters just meet various witches and covens who give knowledge from time to time)
Kit/Familiars (Either a shapeshifting person or just the mythlogy of Familiars done earlier)

I actually like these options the best. 

They could've just done more with familiars. 

[lunchking]

Aug 16, 2023 17:33:28 GMT -5 greta said:

Aug 31, 2021 14:09:48 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

The 2 that I chose (in no particular order):

No guide (The sisters just meet various witches and covens who give knowledge from time to time)
Kit/Familiars (Either a shapeshifting person or just the mythlogy of Familiars done earlier)

I actually like these options the best. 

They could've just done more with familiars. 

The lore with familiars is quite intriguing. Charmed never bothered with it.