Sister Goals: How would you write them?

[codebox]

One topic in the charmed fandom that does get discussed, but I feel not to the same degree of discussions as many other Charmed topics. So I figured I'd make a board all about discussing the sisters goals in how they were handled in the show. Mostly how you would improve them. By this I'm strictly referring to work/career goals, but any goal is fine. Now when it comes to how they are used in this show there's obvious disagreements over how they were written. In particular Paige and Phoebe. To start off I'm going to provide and articulate my own perspective as to how I'd write them providing both an alternate route or sticking to the show, but with a more consistent take on what they used. 

Phoebe- This is the biggest one. How her career was handle was so poor it was clear she was ONLY made a columnist simply because Alyssa/Kern wanted to make Phoebe the star. With a really bad "tell don't show" rule. As in we only ever heard how great she was and not shown. However if they were going to write this in I think there should've been build up to the column itself instead of it just being given to Phoebe. Like say during Season 2 while in college she starts reading from Bay Mirror, which inspires her to give advice and help people and correlates to her major in college. The column doesn't even have to be about love. Throughout the season she carries it with her, mentions it in casual conversations and perhaps subplots in certain episodes could've had Phoebe run into some people working for Bay Mirror. Seasons 3 and 4 could captialize on this and end with her getting a job in Mid season 4 using her skills in helping people and what she learned from college. 

Phoebe could even have a brief arc going through work issues, like maybe getting writers block and wants more meaning into people, which leads her to developing empathy. Plus it would be a nice way overall for Phoebe to help innocents on non witch related terms. 

If you want an alternative in giving Phoebe a career not related to her column make Phoebe be the one who gets P3 when Piper passes off ownership to her after Season 3 because she wanted her passion for cooking back as her maln goal. Which Season 5 could've started. You could've even had Phoebe be a student and run P3 herself. At least until she graduates college. 

Paige- Simple. Just keep her job as a social worker, it could even connect her with innocents much like Phoebe's. Plus it fits well to her backstory of being an adopted kid herself. I also think she could've kept art as a hobby goal. Considering the first half of season 4 showed Paige had an interest in art. You could even still keep her love of being a witch. 

Piper: Either become a head chef from Season 2-8 or run P3 for Seasons 2-3 and half of 4 before passing it off to Phoebe and regaining her love of cooking. If we were to go with the latter, perhaps over the course of two seasons at first Piper would just decide to run a nightclub instead of managing her own restaurant. Then upon saving an innocent who happens to love cooking it starts to lure her back into cooking, eventually even bringing them in her potion making skills and then regains her dream of managing her own restaurant. So she hands over P3 to Phoebe and opens Halliwell's Restaurant. Of course this is solely dependent on how the writers go had they decided different directions for these characters. These are some of mine. I'm interested to see yalls. 

[BriannaWarren2.0]

Prue:

Owning Bucklands. 

Piper: 

I would have simply write her to have brought Quake and opened up Halliwell's, I thought it would be better for adults to have been in an adult environment anyways, whether that's a restaurant or a cafe, regardless, I have found the nightclub scene for two working adults who previously didn't show an interest in the scene to be a bit unbelievable anyways, I mean they literally had to drag Prue to a neighbours party across the street. And with this, they could discuss about demons and innocents during the day. 

Phoebe: 

I would have liked her to open up a witchy store, as the sister most interested in witchcraft, I believe that this would have been a great thing for her, it could also be an interesting way to help innocents. I also like what you suggested by giving Phoebe P3.

Paige:

As you suggested, I would have kept her working as a Social Worker it suited her the best. 

[rebooted]

Prue: To have remained the businesswomen. Breaking the glass ceiling. Perusing photography on the side if she wanted too. I feel like owning the auction house would just be too easy. Seeing her in the board room with other C-level execs, other male execs and persuing those metoo storylines or women in leadership roles would have been great.

Piper: The entrepreneur. So instead of Prue owning a business, I liked the idea of Piper owning P3 and transforming it into a restaurant during the day and nightclub at night. I really liked the realistic storylines in Season 2 when P3 didn't start off well and was sinking a little bit.

Phoebe: If Paige hadn't come along, I would have said social worker because with the study that she did, I could see her helping others or even something like Henry did as a parole officer helping kids that were once like her turn their lives around. Or perhaps she becomes the academic in the family and continuously studies and writes papers, journals etc. There is also the other idea that she runs a wicca/crystal store and hangs out there helping young wiccans.

Paige: I like that she was written as the social worker and wish she had just stuck with that and returned back to work after a year off maybe. However, I did like how Macy in the new series was a scientist. Having a geeky Halliwell would have been fun and kind of CSI or X-filey as well.

[Elle Em]

I think Prue should have stayed at Bucklands and continued to move up. The 9-5 corporate life suited her. I would like her to still be involved in photography, but only as a hobby. If there was a reality where she and Paige were alive and knew each other, they could bond over their love for different kinds of art. 

I want Piper to be a restaurant owner. I'd have her quit Quake as we saw in the show, and spend season 2 having a home-based catering business. Then in season 3 she works on getting her restaurant ready, and it's fully up and running by the start of season 4. 

I like that Phoebe started to improve herself by going back to school, but despite the fact that she's obviously very smart, she never struck me as an academic. I like the idea of her managing P3, but if it doesn't exist in this reality, I could see her helping Piper with her catering business and then perhaps bartending at the new restaurant. Maybe from there she starts to manage it while Piper owns it. 

As everyone else has said, I liked Paige best as a social worker. I enjoyed everything about that career, from the actual work that she was doing to the office environment, and Paige seemed like she got a lot out of it too. This is straying off topic, but I loved the episode where she got Cole the job of working in the legal department, and they were coworkers of sorts. I could picture the two of them working in that office near each other for a season or so before Cole moves on to a more corporate job himself, if he stayed a human. 

[Aaeiyn]

I tend to agree with most people, here but with slight exceptions.

Prue - Remains at Buckland's while doing photography work, as a hobby and not a career.
Piper - To open up a restaurant called P3 with a lounge (with the center bar island, that we see throughout the series) which will allow for musical guest stars to still appear because I do like the music.
Phoebe - Helps Piper out but mostly in the lounge area, as a bartender/barmaid/whatever.
Paige - Starts off as a social worker but grows to be the advice columnist.

[askfreebie]

Prue - I liked the photography angle for Prue. Her job at Bucklands never made any sense considering her age. 

Piper - Basically what Aaeiyn said. 

Phoebe - Hmm, I'm not too sure about her since the show basically gave us nothing to work with here. Maybe she could've opened a magical school for young witches without parents to guide them or something.

Paige - SOCIAL WORKER. 

[Melinda Halliwell]

Okay for me my answers to a couple of the sister's career goals are the same as what some people have written already with Phoebe's the most different obviously. 

Prue

I liked her working at Buckland's because it fit well with her character and she enjoyed doing it and was an expert in antiquities as well.

The job also was important in terms of the fact like Phoebe's premonitions it leads to innocents with the Urn and Clay in season 1 plus the necklace and the mother and daughter reuniting then Tuatha's wand in season 2 and Kyle the seventh son.

Going forward I would've had Prue given the opportunity to manage the place in season 3 and had she not died perhaps bought that season 4 or season 5 wise and still used it to decode objects like those in the first season in terms of supernaturally related cases then.

Suddenly becoming a photographer in season 2/3 because she was one in the 1920s made no sense when we heard nothing about that beforehand.

Had she done that as a hobby alongside Buckland's from season 1 and taken an evening photography course as well then it would've been more understanding about the career switch had the writers still decided to change Prue's job obviously. 

Piper

Cooking was her thing which like Prue she went to college and studied for before Penny was ill and she worked at the bank temporarily.

I'm glad she listened to Grams after she passed and went back to cooking working at Quake which I liked as a hangout place for the sisters and missed after season 1 but do understand why Piper purchased a nightclub if that was cheaper than buying a restaurant in season 2 and how the show wanted bands every week then.

If I rewrote things I’d have either done one of two things A: Had her continue managing Quake until she could afford to buy the place herself or purchase her own restaurant and named that Halliwell’s which was the hang out place that had a stage area where bands could perform fitting the shows pro weekly quota then or B: Still had her own P3 but sell food on the side with a limited menu through a kitchen she added on cheaper than buying the restaurant and a way for her to showcase her love for food.

Piper could’ve sold P3 when she had enough money and bought Halliwell’s afterward which she did in the comics of course.

Phoebe

Career-wise she had the worst job out of all the sisters I thought for a number of reasons one her qualification in Psychology more fitted someone who either became a social worker like Paige or a counselor whether that be in a school, hospital, grief counselor at the police station or occupational therapist. Two because of how she got it without a proper interview and three that she became a celebrity overnight which wouldn’t happen in real life and because it didn’t mesh with the way her character was portrayed season 5 onward.

There are many ways her career could’ve been fixed which I would've had one being her either her running P3 or working as a barmaid there part-time whilst getting her college degree, working at an occult shop where she could’ve met other witches like Jenna perhaps, volunteering at San Francisco Memorial and meeting other innocents like she did Eric which would also be a great place to get premonitions or eventually becoming a counselor using her college degree and empathy power to good use then.

Paige

Her social working job fitted Paige’s character to a T being adopted along with her personality and everything so I wouldn’t change that then meaning she’d not quit season 5 obviously but take the promotion Mr. Cowan offered naturally.

In terms of her becoming a whitelighter and such, I’d have the Elders allow Paige to choose whether she’d want to become that or not actually. If she said yes then do it part-time by throwing charges her way through her job being a great way to meet them and Paige’s cover like Leo’s handyman thing although I did like someone’s comment about her maybe working at the Bay Mirror as the advice columnist and getting Phoebe’s empathy instead which would've been interesting too perhaps.

Continuing her social work also could’ve been how she met Henry at the police station through his parolees.

[rebooted]

I think it would have been really cool to have a sister who was an engineer or scientist, the more nerdy one. Calculated the impact of potions and certain matter etc.

They would have more of a dry sense of humour. It would have been nice if Paige was this character because I could have imagined the eye rolls by Piper. And also Piper and Phoebe thinking she was a bit weird.

It would help differentiate the sisters and show a career path that isn't traditionally female dominated.

As Paige is whitelighter - being more like Natalie in the sense of robotic, process driven (as opposed to instinct) and lacking a bit of empathy that the other sisters had, thus not taking away from Phoebe's character and how she had to change to be more like Prue.

The backstory being because of the loss of her parents and putting her guard up she doesn't like to show emotion. Power triggered when she 'cares' about others.

I can imagine Paige being awkward with dates because of the white-lighter.

Paiges character seemed too close to Phoebe's which made Phoebe's character change too much.

[Andrew]

Nov 7, 2021 22:13:27 GMT -5 rebooted said:

I think it would have been really cool to have a sister who was an engineer or scientist, the more nerdy one. Calculated the impact of potions and certain matter etc.

They would have more of a dry sense of humour. It would have been nice if Paige was this character because I could have imagined the eye rolls by Piper. And also Piper and Phoebe thinking she was a bit weird.

It would help differentiate the sisters and show a career path that isn't traditionally female dominated.

As Paige is whitelighter - being more like Natalie in the sense of robotic, process driven (as opposed to instinct) and lacking a bit of empathy that the other sisters had, thus not taking away from Phoebe's character and how she had to change to be more like Prue.

The backstory being because of the loss of her parents and putting her guard up she doesn't like to show emotion. Power triggered when she 'cares' about others.

I can imagine Paige being awkward with dates because of the white-lighter.

Paiges character seemed too close to Phoebe's which made Phoebe's character change too much.

Hmm… Scientist Paige, eh? We could even tie this in with the “Paige learns about her powers early” scenario. She would remember how she got out of the car before it was hit, but not be able to explain it. So she starts conducting experiments to see if she could get it to happen again, under controlled circumstances. She’d quickly realize the emotional trigger of sudden fear, recalling how she felt at the exact moment before the crash, but work to be able to do it whenever she wanted. Then to see if she could move from one location to another, and if so, what her range might be. While attending college, she’d (discreetly) examine her blood, to see if it held any answers. She’d be confused by the triple-helix of her DNA, but keep that to herself, not wanting to be made into someone else’s science project. Even after graduating, she’ll keep an eye out for any other such abnormalities, hoping it might lead her to answers… which is how she could become aware of Dr. Williamson’s investigation into Piper’s (literally) miraculous recovery from Oroya Fever, and the blood samples taken from the three sisters.

Sorry, got distracted by plotbunnies. 😉

As for Paige’s character being too much like Phoebe… Well, at least that meant that when PhoeMe began showing up more and more, there was still someone around who would put the innocents first. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Melinda Halliwell]

I like the idea of Paige being a scientist and how that would tie into learning her powers early on with her being the level headed person especially if things had been written differently and she was the eldest sister and not the baby had Patty's affair with Sam happened earlier before she married Victor obviously.

[rebooted]

Nov 8, 2021 0:31:20 GMT -5 Andrew said:

Nov 7, 2021 22:13:27 GMT -5 rebooted said:

I think it would have been really cool to have a sister who was an engineer or scientist, the more nerdy one. Calculated the impact of potions and certain matter etc.

They would have more of a dry sense of humour. It would have been nice if Paige was this character because I could have imagined the eye rolls by Piper. And also Piper and Phoebe thinking she was a bit weird.

It would help differentiate the sisters and show a career path that isn't traditionally female dominated.

As Paige is whitelighter - being more like Natalie in the sense of robotic, process driven (as opposed to instinct) and lacking a bit of empathy that the other sisters had, thus not taking away from Phoebe's character and how she had to change to be more like Prue.

The backstory being because of the loss of her parents and putting her guard up she doesn't like to show emotion. Power triggered when she 'cares' about others.

I can imagine Paige being awkward with dates because of the white-lighter.

Paiges character seemed too close to Phoebe's which made Phoebe's character change too much.

Hmm… Scientist Paige, eh? We could even tie this in with the “Paige learns about her powers early” scenario. She would remember how she got out of the car before it was hit, but not be able to explain it. So she starts conducting experiments to see if she could get it to happen again, under controlled circumstances. She’d quickly realize the emotional trigger of sudden fear, recalling how she felt at the exact moment before the crash, but work to be able to do it whenever she wanted. Then to see if she could move from one location to another, and if so, what her range might be. While attending college, she’d (discreetly) examine her blood, to see if it held any answers. She’d be confused by the triple-helix of her DNA, but keep that to herself, not wanting to be made into someone else’s science project. Even after graduating, she’ll keep an eye out for any other such abnormalities, hoping it might lead her to answers… which is how she could become aware of Dr. Williamson’s investigation into Piper’s (literally) miraculous recovery from Oroya Fever, and the blood samples taken from the three sisters.

Sorry, got distracted by plotbunnies. 😉

As for Paige’s character being too much like Phoebe… Well, at least that meant that when PhoeMe began showing up more and more, there was still someone around who would put the innocents first. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yeah I think that whole learning about her powers thing early would have been great. And she would be in search her whole life through science about why she has these special abilities. Perhaps even think her birth parents gave her up because of this reason?

It would have also been cool if she learned how to heal others and she was doing this without knowing it. ie.: just passing by someone like a good luck charm healing their mental and physical health. 

And i was just thinking about Dr Williamson's investigation into Pipers recovery - that would have been epic if she also worked in the same lab as a scientist/ health specialist. 

Nov 8, 2021 5:11:14 GMT -5 Melinda Halliwell said:

I like the idea of Paige being a scientist and how that would tie into learning her powers early on with her being the level headed person especially if things had been written differently and she was the eldest sister and not the baby had Patty's affair with Sam happened earlier before she married Victor obviously.

Agreed. Paige being the scientist/health professional/physics/bio engineer who was born before Prue making her the oldest and using her research to understand her conflict between science vs magic. I could see the internal conflict there. Plus she would work differently with Piper and Phoebe who wouldn't change their birth order, as she would use logic over intuition which would cause conflict between the sisters in their normal style of how things were done. 

[Astral Chaos]

In a series I was working on but never got around to posting, I had mapped out their career trajectories as something along the lines of:

Season One
Prue is working at the Museum and is established as having worked there for several years. Piper starts work at Quake in the first couple of episodes. Midway through the season Prue leaves the Museum for Buckland Auction House. Phoebe has an assortment of odd jobs before deciding to return to her studies toward the end of the season (opting to study education + psychology).

Season Two
(A pregnant) Piper remains at Quake. Prue and Phoebe pool together some money and buy Piper shares in Quake.

Season Three
Piper sells her shares in Quake and opens up her own restaurant. The restaurant opens mid-season and underperforms. Phoebe, who is still studying, waits tables there twice-weekly. Prue -- with the hope of both bringing in some extra money and fulfilling a need for a creative outlet -- starts to write an Art History type book and helps out at Piper's restaurant when time permits.

Season Four
Paige, an aspiring social worker, is introduced. Prue publishes her book. Piper's restaurant is still struggling financially. Phoebe still waits tables regularly and Prue still helps out when needed if available.

Season Five
Paige, after being passed up for promotion at South Bay Social Services, quits and decides to go travel the world, which she funds by renting out her apartment (bought with the money she inherited from her parents). Piper's restaurant has finally found its footing and starts to turn a consistent profit. Toward the end of the season, upon realising that she has a poor work/life balance and feeling inspired by her sisters following their dreams and passions, Prue exits her job at Buckland Auction House to pursue her own individual passions: art and photography.

Season Six
Piper's restaurant continues to perform well. Prue tries her hand at the freelance photographer thing before settling into a job at a magazine. Phoebe, recognising the lack of educational resources Piper has as a magical parent and connecting that other witches also have the same problem, starts the leg-work to open up her own school. Who better to guide and protect future generations of witches than a Charmed One? Paige returns from her travels mid-season (heavily pregnant and with a fiancé in tow).

Season Seven
Phoebe's magic school opens its doors (it isn't like the Hogwarts rip-off from the show but is instead closer to an alternative school model e.g. Steiner or Montessori or what have you). Paige, feeling consumed by motherhood and not interested in doing the Housewife thing but also not yet ready to return to work full time, volunteers once or twice a week at a local youth care/service organisation.

Season Eight
In conjunction with Phoebe's school, Paige branches into creating an initiative/"department" that seeks to identify and serve at-risk child/teen witches (within a social services framework) and builds a small team to help her do so. Prue has her first art show. Having outgrown its location, Piper's restaurant expands to a larger space.

[Esmeralda]

Nov 19, 2021 6:51:40 GMT -5 Astral Chaos said:

In a series I was working on but never got around to posting, I had mapped out their career trajectories as something along the lines of:

Season One
Prue is working at the Museum and is established as having worked there for several years. Piper starts work at Quake in the first couple of episodes. Midway through the season Prue leaves the Museum for Buckland Auction House. Phoebe has an assortment of odd jobs before deciding to return to her studies toward the end of the season (opting to study education + psychology).

Season Two
(A pregnant) Piper remains at Quake. Prue and Phoebe pool together some money and buy Piper shares in Quake.

Season Three
Piper sells her shares in Quake and opens up her own restaurant. The restaurant opens mid-season and underperforms. Phoebe, who is still studying, waits tables there twice-weekly. Prue -- with the hope of both bringing in some extra money and fulfilling a need for a creative outlet -- starts to write an Art History type book and helps out at Piper's restaurant when time permits.

Season Four
Paige, an aspiring social worker, is introduced. Prue publishes her book. Piper's restaurant is still struggling financially. Phoebe still waits tables regularly and Prue still helps out when needed if available.

Season Five
Paige, after being passed up for promotion at South Bay Social Services, quits and decides to go travel the world, which she funds by renting out her apartment (bought with the money she inherited from her parents). Piper's restaurant has finally found its footing and starts to turn a consistent profit. Toward the end of the season, upon realising that she has a poor work/life balance and feeling inspired by her sisters following their dreams and passions, Prue exits her job at Buckland Auction House to pursue her own individual passions: art and photography.

Season Six
Piper's restaurant continues to perform well. Prue tries her hand at the freelance photographer thing before settling into a job at a magazine. Phoebe, recognising the lack of educational resources Piper has as a magical parent and connecting that other witches also have the same problem, starts the leg-work to open up her own school. Who better to guide and protect future generations of witches than a Charmed One? Paige returns from her travels mid-season (heavily pregnant and with a fiancé in tow).

Season Seven
Phoebe's magic school opens its doors (it isn't like the Hogwarts rip-off from the show but is instead closer to an alternative school model e.g. Steiner or Montessori or what have you). Paige, feeling consumed by motherhood and not interested in doing the Housewife thing but also not yet ready to return to work full time, volunteers once or twice a week at a local youth care/service organisation.

Season Eight
In conjunction with Phoebe's school, Paige branches into creating an initiative/"department" that seeks to identify and serve at-risk child/teen witches (within a social services framework) and builds a small team to help her do so. Prue has her first art show. Having outgrown its location, Piper's restaurant expands to a larger space.

First, welcome back, AD, I've missed you!

I absolutely ADORE this setup and the way each sister had to fight through something before realizing their dreams - all which fit them.

But now you're driving me crazy wondering what else was happening to the sisters during this time. It probably doesn't fit this thread, but can you find a thread where you can post it? No, wait; I know just the thread...the executive producer one! I'll bump it up and hope you decide to post YOUR Dream Charmed!

[Elle Em]

Astral Chaos, I really like your ideas and how a lot of them are so different from the show. I also really like the idea of Prue writing an art history book, because I like that sort of thing so much myself. 

It makes sense too that it would take a while for Piper's restaurant to get off the ground, as well as for Prue to have an interest in art for a while before before jumping right into doing photography for her job.