Cat House

[forbuss]

I wanted to start a thread about this episode. What is everyones thoughts?

I seem to have never realized that we technically see Prue in this episode. I recently read it was Shannen's stunt double who drove away on the motorcycle - this is what allowed them to use the footage. Also I remember seeing a few clips of Shannen saying she did all of her own stunts... But not riding on a motorcycle.

I do count this as the only episode that shows all four sisters. Am I happy about that? I'm not sure. I don't love or hate the episode in general.

[Elle Em]

I like the concept of the episode, but I don't particularly care for how it turned out. I know the real life reasons for Shannen's image not being used, so I get why Prue was shown in a limited capacity with never actually seeing her face. However, I do think that for that reason, the show shouldn't have bothered. Prue was the most compelling reason to go back in time, both for Piper and Phoebe who would want to see her again and for Paige who wanted to see her for the first time in her life. If they couldn't have used Prue in a capacity where all three sisters saw her in the past in a significant way, then the idea is rather meaningless.

I also don't like how the episode revolved around Piper and Leo's love life. It's a very tired subject at this point in the show, and seemed to come out of nowhere, especially Leo suddenly resenting Phoebe and Paige being around all the time. It's like, come on, Leo. You married a Charmed One and are living in a house THEY inherited. And he had never had a problem being around them before. 

I also have a very hard time believing that Phoebe and Paige would care enough about Piper and Leo's romantic life to be okay with that being the theme of their time travel. I know they love them and would want them to work out their issues, but it was such a non-compelling reason for them to visit the past considering that they have their own lives and interests and things they'd want to go back and see. 

I like the general idea, but I wish the time travel had existed for a different purpose, involved all three sisters, and that they had more freedom to use Shannen's image so they could actually see Prue. 

[forbuss]

Sept 19, 2020 6:58:31 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I also don't like how the episode revolved around Piper and Leo's love life. It's a very tired subject at this point in the show, and seemed to come out of nowhere, especially Leo suddenly resenting Phoebe and Paige being around all the time. It's like, come on, Leo. You married a Charmed One and are living in a house THEY inherited. And he had never had a problem being around them before. 

I also have a very hard time believing that Phoebe and Paige would care enough about Piper and Leo's romantic life to be okay with that being the theme of their time travel. I know they love them and would want them to work out their issues, but it was such a non-compelling reason for them to visit the past considering that they have their own lives and interests and things they'd want to go back and see. 

I just rewatched this episode last night. Phoebe and Paige were only talking about the past - Paige was saying she wished she could have known Piper and Phoebe when they were younger and wished she could have met Prue.

It was Piper's spell that she cast in marriage counselling that caused them to travel to Piper-Leo centric times in the past - it wasn't their choice.

[Elle Em]

I know it wasn't their choice. But the theme of every event they visited was Piper and Leo's love life, and Paige especially acted like it was the best thing she could have gone back to see. None of their visits were about moments between the sisters or about Prue specifically. It felt like a cheap excuse for a time travel episode that neatly avoided real moments with Prue while also putting Piper and Leo ahead of everything. 

[Esmeralda]

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

[Elle Em]

I like the version you posted much better, Es. It gives Paige some really nice things to see from their past, including a lot of good moments highlighting Prue's personality.

[Katie Warren]

Sept 19, 2020 12:26:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

I love this so much more. Thanks for sharing Es. 

[Esmeralda]

Sept 19, 2020 15:55:13 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I like the version you posted much better, Es. It gives Paige some really nice things to see from their past, including a lot of good moments highlighting Prue's personality.

Thanks, Elle Em. That's why I like it, too, along with Paige's and Phoebe's reactions - they fit so nicely!

[Too Much Coffee]

Sept 19, 2020 15:55:13 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I like the version you posted much better, Es. It gives Paige some really nice things to see from their past, including a lot of good moments highlighting Prue's personality.

Sept 19, 2020 16:55:47 GMT -5 Katie Warren said:

Sept 19, 2020 12:26:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

I love this so much more. Thanks for sharing Es. 

I'm with Elle Em and Katie, really like this one better, and love the flashback choices.

I know it's a popular episode, and I don't hate it, but I also am not crazy about it. 

And, the annoying part, is the time they first meet Leo, isn't the real first time, same with Cole, of course, with not being able to show Shannen, I get why they had to change history so it was their second scene on the series, not their first which featured Prue.


And, I'd much rather all three have time travelled to the past with the Cat House story, but for that to work, they'd have to have been allowed to use Shannen's image and old footage, so I get why it was all about Piper and Leo. 

[pheebs]

Sept 19, 2020 17:54:53 GMT -5 Too Much Coffee said:

Sept 19, 2020 15:55:13 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

I like the version you posted much better, Es. It gives Paige some really nice things to see from their past, including a lot of good moments highlighting Prue's personality.

Sept 19, 2020 16:55:47 GMT -5 Katie Warren said:

I love this so much more. Thanks for sharing Es. 

I'm with Elle Em and Katie, really like this one better, and love the flashback choices.

I know it's a popular episode, and I don't hate it, but I also am not crazy about it. 

And, the annoying part, is the time they first meet Leo, isn't the real first time, same with Cole, of course, with not being able to show Shannen, I get why they had to change history so it was their second scene on the series, not their first which featured Prue.


And, I'd much rather all three have time travelled to the past with the Cat House story, but for that to work, they'd have to have been allowed to use Shannen's image and old footage, so I get why it was all about Piper and Leo. 

And Cat House was produced as a bottle show I bet, since they produced 23 episodes, and one more than usual, they needed to produce a cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few non-regular cast members, effects, and sets as possible, hence all the flashbacks. 

[Katie Warren]

Sept 19, 2020 17:58:00 GMT -5 pheebs said:

Sept 19, 2020 17:54:53 GMT -5 Too Much Coffee said:

I'm with Elle Em and Katie, really like this one better, and love the flashback choices.

I know it's a popular episode, and I don't hate it, but I also am not crazy about it. 

And, the annoying part, is the time they first meet Leo, isn't the real first time, same with Cole, of course, with not being able to show Shannen, I get why they had to change history so it was their second scene on the series, not their first which featured Prue.


And, I'd much rather all three have time travelled to the past with the Cat House story, but for that to work, they'd have to have been allowed to use Shannen's image and old footage, so I get why it was all about Piper and Leo. 

And Cat House was produced as a bottle show I bet, since they produced 23 episodes, and one more than usual, they needed to produce a cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few non-regular cast members, effects, and sets as possible, hence all the flashbacks. 

Oh yes, I heard the term bottle show. So if they didn't produce 23 episodes for S5, do you think Cat House wouldn't have happened? I'm not so sure, but it does sound like this one came about, to save the costs, with producing an extra episode, and why they did this one with all the flashbacks.

[pheebs]

Sept 19, 2020 18:00:37 GMT -5 Katie Warren said:

Sept 19, 2020 17:58:00 GMT -5 pheebs said:

And Cat House was produced as a bottle show I bet, since they produced 23 episodes, and one more than usual, they needed to produce a cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few non-regular cast members, effects, and sets as possible, hence all the flashbacks. 

Oh yes, I heard the term bottle show. So if they didn't produce 23 episodes for S5, do you think Cat House wouldn't have happened? I'm not so sure, but it does sound like this one came about, to save the costs, with producing an extra episode, and why they did this one with all the flashbacks.

And they did that again in S6 with Crimes and Witch-Demeanors with all the flashbacks shown, both produced to save money and costs with producing 23 episodes.

[Jean]

Sept 19, 2020 12:26:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

Es, thanks so much for sharing this again, I totally loved watching this one again.

[Esmeralda]

Why would they produce 23 episodes rather than 22?

[forbuss]

Sept 19, 2020 12:26:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

This made my heart warm! It's amazing what some of these video people can do.

[Esmeralda]

Sept 25, 2020 22:31:10 GMT -5 forbuss said:

Sept 19, 2020 12:26:54 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

That's why I'm so glad that the way I often enjoy fanfic versions of some of the episodes, I also enjoy youtube videos for episodes when we wish something else had happened.

Here's my favorite alternate Cat House video:

This made my heart warm! It's amazing what some of these video people can do.

Isn't that the truth?

[Aaeiyn]

I'm indifferent, to the episode. The execution of the the cake topper being broken wasn't executed well and just left open to interpretation in what it could possibly mean. There are better S5 episodes than this one. But, I'll watch it over the Titans episode, that's for sure.