I got this idea from another post that mentioned the golden era of Charmed. I thought it would be fun to post this!
Early Era
This era spans most of the first season of Charmed. It is characterized by the introduction to the world of Charmed and the lives of the Halliwells, their history, powers, etc. This is the era most of us fell in love with - iconic in it's own right!
Golden AgeThe Golden Age spans from roughly 2x01 to 3x04. This era is marked by further development of the characters and their relationships with each other. Episodes were still contained but had some hints of overarching storylines. Characters were still recognizable and essentially built upon what existed in season 1.
Dark AgesThis era runs from 3x05 - 4x22. This era saw a marked departure in the tone of Charmed - it got darker and we saw the characters move away from who they were the first two years. As the sisters lives got more complex so did the storylines. The Dark Ages is also marked by the presence of Cole, the death of Prue, and Phoebe turning evil.
Modern Era (Fairytale)The modern era was the attempt to "modernize" the show and make it more "hip". This era was unlike the early days or the dark tone of the previous era; it was marked by light hearted dialogue and fairytale creatures. It was also marked by a dramatic wardrobe shift and costuming, regularly featuring more provocative clothing. It also focused on a slew of boyfriends.
Renaissance EraThe Renaissance Era was 7x03-7x22. This saw a return to the characters we loved with a further focus on the sisters, their relationships with each other, and saving innocents.
The Lost EraThis era, also known as the final era, was marked by a slashed budget and pressure from the studio to make Charmed something that it wasn't. Part of the reason this era feels "lost" is because the show did not know whether it was coming back for season 8. There's not much to say about this era other than that it perhaps should never have been.
How would you classify the eras? Feel free to use different era titles.
I REALLY like what you did here, Forbuss, and I'm sure a lot of fans would agree with you. My own is similar, but a bit different. Those who know me won't be surprised at all. Those who don't, well, here's a good introduction to my reaction towards "Charmed", since it hasn't changed much since the second time I watched it, when I knew what was coming. I stopped my first re-watch after S3 since I only had those first three DVDs and had no desire to watch the rest, since I had my favorites from the other seasons taped on VHS), probably because I'm quite a bit older than most fans - I always felt like I was Patty watching my daughters. Now I'm more like Grams - I'll be 70 in July.
I'll repeat - these are *my* reaction towards "Charmed". I'm sure a lot of members won't agree, and that's fine. Maybe mine will get them to post their own.
ES' ERAs OF "CHARMED"
The Intro Era
For me, this era goes from the beginning until 'The Wendigo'. It is characterized by the introduction to the world of "Charmed" and the lives of the Halliwells, their history, powers, etc. For a lot of fans (me included), the only star who wasn't likeable was Prue, even though she seemed to star through most of it - it's obvious that she was Connie Burge's Mary Sue. I also don't like it as much as others because there's too many scary episodes that still give me nightmares each time I re-watch them. I love suspense, but hate horror.
The Sisters Era
For me, this starts with 'From Fear to Eternity' when I finally began to like Prue. I like all of the sisters, the only time I do, which is why I also count it as my Golden Era. If Ted King had stuck around and Brian Krause left instead, it would've been perfect to me, especially if Piper had hooked up with Dan (especially if their story was more like Paige and Henry's) and she got to live a halfway normal life with no need to whine. If this was the case, I'd count the era as going all the way to 'All Halliwell's Eve'. But because that didn't happen, I count my Golden Era ending with 'Reckless Abandon' because after that I no longer liked Piper with the way she treated both Dan and Leo. Except for the changes in Prue (which I loved), characters were still recognizable and essentially built upon what existed in my Intro Era. Even more than before, they were sisters who happen to be witches.
The Men Era
For me, this one starts with 'Awakened' and continues until the end of "Charmed". Now the Charmed Ones' relationships with men - Leo, Dan, Cole, Wyatt, Chris and all of the other relationships with men were more important than their sisterly. ones. The Charmed Ones were no longer sisters who happen to be witches, but demon-hunters who happen to live in the same house, and they were useless without their men. This is very obviously due to Brad Kern's influence and is my least-favorite era. Obviously the fans who like/love any of those guys will totally disagree with me!
I'll agree that within this era there are sub-eras, and I'll agree with most of what Forbuss said about them, but first I'll add one.
The Piper's Choice Sub-EraFor me, this sub-era runs from 'Awakened' to 'Be Careful What You Witch For'. Like I said before, I truly wish Leo was not part of this and that Piper had chosen Dan. Maybe we would've never seen a half-whitelighter and having a Warren for a mother would continue to be more important than who's your father, and maybe saving innocents would still be the Charmed One's true destiny rather than vanquishing the Source - twice.
The Too-Dark Sub-Era The true start of the Men Era marked a departure in the tone of Charmed - it got darker and we saw the characters move away from who they were during the first two eras. The sisters' lives got more complex so did the storylines. The Dark Sub-Era is also marked by the presence of Cole, the death of Prue, and Phoebe turning evil. For me, this sub-era went from 'The Honeymoon is Over' to 'A Witch's Tail'.
The Too-Light Sub-EraThis sub-era was unlike the early days or the dark tone of the previous sub-era; it was marked by light-hearted dialogue and fairytale creatures. It was also marked by a dramatic wardrobe shift and costuming, regularly featuring more provocative clothing. It also focused on a slew of boyfriends, letting men continue to dominate their lives except for those pesky demons, and of course - surprise! surprise! - Piper and Leo's son - no surprise for being the star of The Men Era. For me, this sub-era lasted from 'Happily Ever After' to 'Charmedageddon'. I liked it better than the Dark Sub-Era, but not by much!
The Just Right Sub-EraFor me, this lasts from 'Carpe Demon' to 'Something Wicca This Way Goes'. For me, Drake and Phoebe show how Phoebe and Cole's storyline should've been played out. If Cole was only part of 3 episodes and Drake was part of 3 seasons, this could've been my favorite part of "Charmed"! My favorite sister, Phoebs, would've grown up, but still be Phoebs, and not PhoeME. *sigh* If only! This sub-arc saw a return to the characters we loved with a further focus on the sisters, their relationships with each other, and saving innocents. It also shows how I wish "Charmed" had ended - with Phoebe calling out, "Here we go!" KaBOOM! - THE END! - as would've happened had "Charmed" not been renewed at the last minute, as shown by an early draft of SWTWG that was part of the old "The Charmed Ones" website, unfortunately long gone.
The WHY? Sub-EraIf Paige and Henry had been substituted for Paige and Kyle (who were too much like S3-4 Phoebe and Cole - totally obsessed and not in love) in S7, then I'd truly wish that "Charmed" had ended with that KaBOOM! This sub-era, also known to me as the perfect ending of the Men Era, when the sisters were shown to only be happy if they were married with three children, was marked by a slashed budget and pressure from the studio to make "Charmed" something that it was never meant to be. Part of the reason this sub-era feels "lost" is because the show did not know whether it was coming back as a spin-off for Billie or ending. There's not much to say about this sub-era other than that it taught me to be careful what I wish for - I just might get it!
So, how about you? What would *your* Eras of "Charmed" be?
