In Defense of Billie

[Aaeiyn]

IK I'm like really, really, REALLY alone in liking the Billie character, but I'm hoping to shed some light on her character, in order to "lessen" the hatred towards her character.

Reason why I like Billie is because she wasn't neglecting her calling in vanquishing demons, like the sisters were.  Despite being naïve and gullible, I give her props in trying to do the right thing.  Another moment that I like is her standing up to Phoebe, when she was trying to explain the reality of what's been going on around them by retorting "no, it's not OK", when Phoebe tried to "stop" her, from going out and protecting innocents.  It's no wonder Billie "turned on them", later on because they were (IMO) "the bad guys" of S8.  Sure, she's too "Mary Sue", but at least it was a nice breath of fresh air having a witch NOT being negligent in what witches are "supposed" to be doing which is to be protectors of the innocent which is EXACTLY what Billie was doing.  Despite being "too annoying", I can't fault her for being persistent.

I'm going to conclude this thread by stating that I like Billie, and I always will.  Team Billie!

[BewitchingBeauties87]

Aug 23, 2021 16:55:23 GMT -5 Aaeiyn said:

IK I'm like really, really, REALLY alone in liking the Billie character, but I'm hoping to shed some light on her character, in order to "lessen" the hatred towards her character.

Reason why I like Billie is because she wasn't neglecting her calling in vanquishing demons, like the sisters were.  Despite being naïve and gullible, I give her props in trying to do the right thing.  Another moment that I like is her standing up to Phoebe, when she was trying to explain the reality of what's been going on around them by retorting "no, it's not OK", when Phoebe tried to "stop" her, from going out and protecting innocents.  It's no wonder Billie "turned on them", later on because they were (IMO) "the bad guys" of S8.  Sure, she's too "Mary Sue", but at least it was a nice breath of fresh air having a witch NOT being negligent in what witches are "supposed" to be doing which is to be protectors of the innocent which is EXACTLY what Billie was doing.  Despite being "too annoying", I can't fault her for being persistent.

I'm going to conclude this thread by stating that I like Billie, and I always will.  Team Billie!

Those are all good points.  She was actually doing something in the first half of season 8.  I just objected to the way she portrayed, she was so over the top with her ninja moves and the black wig and the leather dominatrix outfit.  Less is more, Charmed.  

I also didn't like her character arc in the second half of the season.  She gets duped by Christy but then waffles between helping her sister and staying loyal to the Charmed ones.  Christy might be deceitful but at least she has some conviction, unlike Billie who had that perennial deer in the headlights look all the time.

Anyway, props to you for supporting an unpopular character/cause.  I know most people would wince at reading this but i actually don't hate Jenny from season 2.  I think she had some potential.  It just felt the writers gave up on her too quickly or never really had a plan for her character.  It would have been cool if they portrayed her character as an awkward nerd who finds out she is a witch.  Next, the Charmed ones take her under their wing and help her through the growing pains of being a witch and a teenager.  

[Aaeiyn]

Aug 26, 2021 6:43:29 GMT -5 BewitchingBeauties87 said:

Those are all good points.  She was actually doing something in the first half of season 8.  I just objected to the way she portrayed, she was so over the top with her ninja moves and the black wig and the leather dominatrix outfit.  Less is more, Charmed.  

I also didn't like her character arc in the second half of the season.  She gets duped by Christy but then waffles between helping her sister and staying loyal to the Charmed ones.  Christy might be deceitful but at least she has some conviction, unlike Billie who had that perennial deer in the headlights look all the time.

Anyway, props to you for supporting an unpopular character/cause.  I know most people would wince at reading this but i actually don't hate Jenny from season 2.  I think she had some potential.  It just felt the writers gave up on her too quickly or never really had a plan for her character.  It would have been cool if they portrayed her character as an awkward nerd who finds out she is a witch.  Next, the Charmed ones take her under their wing and help her through the growing pains of being a witch and a teenager.  

Appreciate that.  While I get and understand the exaggeration that is S8, however I look passed all that and try to understand the context they're trying to say LOL I do believe they did make Billie extremely Mary Sue and then forgot they made Billie smart by making her more "ditzy", in later episodes.  I think she suffered from what I like to call "Andy Syndrome".  Where, they cast this awesome character, to be a lead and just butcher them, as the season goes on.  At least with Andy, he remained likeable, but he died.  In S2, there was annoying Dan, then he moved.  In S3, there was Cole who had a good run up to S5.  Then, they HAD to give him "Andy Syndrome".  And, it was adios Cole!  Jason came in midway in S5 and left mid-way S6, and it was adios Jason!  Chris came in at the last episode of S5, but he was really a S6 character, then it was adios Chris!  S7 was Brody, then it was adios Brody!  Now, we're back on Billie, and she suffered the same thing.  They make all these excellent characters and just stale them out (sigh).

Anyhoot, Jenny is pretty alright.  I don't hate her.  Kind of wished she was a witch or something.  But, her useless uncle Dan, had to take up more of the spotlight, but I digress.  I appreciate you taking the time

[fallingsnow6136]

I love Billie too! I felt so bad for her because Christy manipulated her so much and the sisters couldn't stop that because of how desperate Billie was to have her sister back. Billie and Christy's story was heartbreaking to be honest because Christy didn't care about Billie at all.

[Aaeiyn]

Sept 16, 2021 17:06:57 GMT -5 fallingsnow6136 said:

I love Billie too! I felt so bad for her because Christy manipulated her so much and the sisters couldn't stop that because of how desperate Billie was to have her sister back. Billie and Christy's story was heartbreaking to be honest because Christy didn't care about Billie at all.

Yay, I'm not alone! LOL

I totally agree with you! I felt so bad, for Billie! She lost a potential lover (J.D.), her parents AND her sister, and it's just devastating.

[fallingsnow6136]

Nope, you're not at all. Billie lost so much and still chose to do the right thing in the end and that is true courage honestly. Billie protected the innocent in the end which was the main moral of the show.

[ryanhalliwell]

I love Billie too. I found her to be a breath of fresh air as well as a nice, positive person who takes her duty as protector of innocents seriously. Totally agree.

[rebooted]

Aug 24, 2023 9:48:55 GMT -5 ryanhalliwell said:

I love Billie too. I found her to be a breath of fresh air as well as a nice, positive person who takes her duty as protector of innocents seriously. Totally agree.

Yeah i kind of watch Season 8 now as a grown millennial and think of Billie as the annoying but cute Z. (Even though she is a Millennial and they are X'ers). But Season 8 has aged so well in terms of it not looking dated and Kaley Cucco someone makes it more relevant to popular culture in the era before she goes on to Big Bang Thoery - sort of the reverse of Shannen with 90210. 

Billie is annoying but it grows on you. And having another witch around is something i thought about very early on in the series - so it was nice to have a new magical friend after Daryl had left, and someone that was not related to them or a love interest. 

I empathised with Billie. I could see how she could have been manipulated. 

Billie and Season 8 reminds me of the 'learning' process from Season 1 and Season 4 when the audience is learning about magic at the same time and pace as the characters are.

[prueislove]

I like Billie. I feel she reminded the sisters the importance of protecting innocents, well Phoebe at least because Piper's always been good with it and Paige was still trying to protect the innocent constantly. S8 is probably one of my favourite seasons outside of the Prue era.

[lunchking]

Nov 18, 2024 8:16:13 GMT -5 prueislove said:

I like Billie. I feel she reminded the sisters the importance of protecting innocents, well Phoebe at least because Piper's always been good with it and Paige was still trying to protect the innocent constantly. S8 is probably one of my favourite seasons outside of the Prue era.

Same here. A great addition. I liked that we got a new female regular that wasn't a Charmed one. Long overdue. I enjoy sisterhood and female connections outside the Halliwell family. Which I wish they did more of.

She brought new energy and I liked her character even if most fans don't and thought she ruined the show.

Some fans hate S8 but love the last episode. I'm the opposite. 😂 Finale meh. Season yay.