What I like in this season is that vanquishing the demon of the week actually takes brains here. In later seasons it’s a lot of let’s check the book, I got the potion/spell if piper doesn’t blow them up first. But here you really see the sisters come to their own. It’s like fighting Abraxas they recap what they’ve already established and they build on it then. The water demon is fought off by electricity. In how to quill an american they use knowledge of their powers and not their powers like the fact they don’t freeze or how astral projection incapacitates the original body. I also love how in Chick Flick they figure out how to defeat the movie villains and the demon of illusion is actually burned on film not simply say a power of three spell and he’s gone. It just feels really creative and a way to compensate for the fact the sisters have a long way to go. Their lack of power is made up for with their creativity and brains
Agreed. I hated that they stopped using incantations after a while and that every demon was literally "let's go find the vanquishing potion for this one." Like, what, did the writers lose their ability to rhyme?
Yeah I think they were hampered by making Greg Vaughn a series regular, meaning he had to be in most of the episodes, so that was their way of padding out his screen time
Yeah you could see her on other shows like The West Wing and Smallville at the time as well. It's funny because early in her career, she was typecast as the mean girl until Junebug and Enchanted put her on the map as the sweetheart. Charmed had her against type in a sympathetic role like how everyone would eventually know her
There are so many guest stars that appeared in both Charmed and Buffy, maybe because they were on the same channel? It’s fun to play spot the guest stars lol
Murphy's Luck always hit me incredibly hard - as I have suffered a chronic depression since my early teens (almost 20 years now). I felt that the story, albeit a bit shallow; never delving into the real core of depression and offering the rather simplistic solution of just vanquishing the "bad guy", it did nonetheless acknowledge and validate my feelings at the time, and I think it did a pretty good job of showing exactly how devastating negative and toxic thinking can be to a person. That little voice in the back of the mind, telling you that you're not good enough? That people hate you? That it would be easier to just end it all and nobody would miss you anyway? I definitely recognized that feeling. Sometimes it literally felt like a Dark Lighter was whispering in my ear. I am better now, though, in case anyone is concerned.
@@BetterWithBob Thank you. It's still a struggle some days, but I've made positive changes in my life that have vastly improved things - and being older, I understand myself and my feelings better now, so I know how to cope when it gets bad. Quality UA-cam videos help keep the bad thoughts away 😉
Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm rewatching "Charmed" at the moment and I watched that episode two days ago and I actually had a little bit of a difficult time watching some of those parts because it felt a little too real. Whoever wrote that particular dialogue has definitely struggled with depression before because those thoughts are very accurate.
I always saw Dan as a reflection of Piper's desires to have a normal life. She wanted to cling onto Dan for so long because she didn't want to give up on her wish to have a stable home with a safe environment (things she lacked as a child due to her parents' divorce and her mother dying). Dan made her feel normal while Leo always (involuntarily) reminded her of being a witch by being a whitelighter. In my opinion, Dan would have been the better match for Piper if she hadn't become a witch. And that is Piper's entire struggle - having to admit to herself that she changed and having to learn to embrace that change (hence why imo it would have been difficult for her character development to push back H2O later in the season)
I still wholeheartedly believe Jenny did have a purpose that was scraped last second, like some other concepts this season. It seems like they went into the season with a game plan and we’re forced to make last minute changes that altered the coarse of the season. There is absolutely no reason Jenny and Dan were credited as main cast (something Leo didn’t even get till this season and he was in most of S1).
I had read somewhere that they were initially planning to make a spin-off with Jenny, but they ended up not making it. I think they wanted to see how she would be received by the public before committing to a spin-off.
I thought Jenny was originally to be sexually assaulted by Dan's baseball mate who we saw on the telly. Just a theory I had when I watched S2. Probably too risqué but would have been a strong feminine issue to explore. Something was definitely planned I felt sure but Jenny and whatever they planned got junked.
@@BernardJKD I actually thought the character could have been brought back to harm Paige later on. Unfortunately TPTB didn't have as interesting an imagination. Besides, Jenny would be too young for such a storyline (I believe the character was only 12 or 13) and while I know such horrible things do happen to girls that age, it would have been too risky.
I heard something similar - Jenny was supposed to have learned she herself was a witch and the Halliwells were supposed to mentor her (like with Paige and Billie years later). I found Jenny terribly obnoxious from the first episode she appeared in and she didn't belong with the group dynamic.
I love season 2. It's one of my fave seasons lol. Some of my fave eps are in that season: Chick Flick, pardon my past, awakening, Morality Bites, etc. Maybe I just don't have taste...but season 2 stays on constant replay for me 🤣
To each their own, indeed. This is my absolute favourite season. I love the demon of the week format. I haven't watched your video yet but wanted to comment this first. Let's see if my opinion changes 🤣
It has an undeniable charm. And one of my favorite episodes. And better acting too. I actually like how Dan was a one and go character. And never thought he would become a regular in the series. That’s just how it was in certain shows, they added new actors in a very small amount of time. And opening credits were reworked when they left, especially in Aaron Spelling’s shows.
Merging Dan and Doctor Williamson into one character would have been so interesting - wow! Shocked Ex Libris didn’t stick with you more. I love that episode because they so rarely executed two compelling storylines separately that came together so well at the end like that.
I feel like each season is necessary to the the character development and overall story of the show in its entirety.. I can’t imagine the show without any of these seasons unlike other shows where I’m like yea they could’ve kept that entire season
When you said season 2 was one of your least favourite seasons, I was like "why? I kinda love season 2!" until you started listing all the episodes and I realised I just tend to skip all boring and/or Dan episodes when I rewatch. I usually go from Morality Bites (love that one too!) to P3 H2O to Give me a Sign and skip everything in between XD. You mentioning the excellent mysterious atmosphere of season 1 has me inspired to go rewatch that one soon in its entirety. Thanks for that!
I think Season 2's issue was that there was no overarching plot or big bad(s) for the season so the stakes felt really low. Season 1 had Rex and Hannah plus Rodriguez and Tempus, and then we had the Triad and the Source in seasons 3 and 4, Cole becoming the big bad in the latter half of 4 along with the Seer, and Season 5 was largely centered around Cole with the Titans wrapping the season up in a two-parter, and then Gideon as the unforeseen big bad of season 6 and Zankou and the Avatars in 7, and finally the Triad (again for some reason) and Christy in season 8. Season 2 was just a mish-mash of monster of the week episodes sometimes tied in with a lesson for the sisters, and that was it. Even the finale of two was meh.
@@catferguson2421 They could have, but then they would have been legally obligated to pay Shannen Doherty for the use of her image, and at that time, it was still rather tense between her and the producers.
Totally agree with you. First season was the best, season six was the worst (the following last 2 seasons were not much better) and season 2 was when it all started to go wrong. Killing off Andy was the worst decision of the show that sent it down a direction it was never meant to go. No longer dark & scary, but silly and campy. And yes the H2O episode should have been the season finale.
When I was a teenager, I did genuinely hate Dan and all this love triangle. I was like "hey dude, why don't you just disappear and leave nice guy Leo and love of his life alone?" When I rewatched the show twice recently (first dubbed version then the original one) I find myself actually sorry for Dan. I mean he is just a nice guy trying to do things right with the girl he likes. But Piper (she always was and still is my favorite Halliwell) just messes with his mind, makes him jealous and pretends there is nothing to be upset about. This is the only thing that bothers me about season two - they messed up with Piper's character IMO. The irony is in the fact that they did pretty much the same at season six with all this "Leo abandoned me!" And then "By the way, Leo, could you just spend less time in this house with me and children?" I see Piper as the most loving and family caring woman, great role model, the woman who decided to bound her life with one and only man, Leo. And you people keep making her some affair-seeking nymphomaniac for no reason.
It's actually baffling just how many guys she's with in the first two seasons, even though Leo is already in the picture. Phoebe gets branded the slutty one but most of her boyfriends were long-term, and Prue and Paige seemed to be the bed hoppers
The second season is one of my favorites. I had this season on dvd back in the day and I watched it a lot. One of the reasons why I like it is because you can feel the chemistry between the three of them and made them really feel like sisters. Which is something I feel like was lacking toward the middle to end of season 3, which is around the time the girls were feuding in real life.
You know, I never sat down with myself to rank the seasons and I don’t think I can. Charmed was a such a unique and amazing show that I just enjoy all of it. It has a premise that I’ve always loved (being born magical and having powers) plus even though I have two siblings I’ve never really been close to them so I was able to vicariously live through this show to see how it is to have a tight knit family.
So true, it’s all worth watching, as I have again and again for probably too many years. But when something resonates with so many different people in so many different ways, even the not-so-repeat-watch-episodes are worth repeat watching. Yup, i’m that person!
I agree with almost everything you said about the writing, plots etc., but I still love season 2. As a kid I loved the mood, the music, the clothes, the humour and so it’s still my most rewatched season because it just feels light and like home.
Well it's all subjective and a question of taste! I love season 1 (because of it's dark atmosphere) and season 2 most. Especially because of Prue. I also love season 3, but it was everything about Phoebe and Cole. I mean I love them but it was too much. Least favorite seasons were season 7 and 8. Although both have a few good episodes. From season 5 on, the demons and warlocks/figures got more and more ridiculous and childish/cheesy. That's why I love the first four seasons the most. My favorite sister is Prue: strongest and she always stayed true to herself. I guess only strong-minded people love PRUE. Others that don't like her, feel threatened by her strong character/personality.
I knew this was gonna be some BS when you said meh to Ex Libris. This season had so many iconic guest appearances. We had Amy freakin’ Adam’s! Antonio Saboto Jr. Misha Collins! Dean Norris! Arnold Vosloo!!! PS…I still enjoy these. Even if you like Billie Jenkins. We can’t be right all the time 😂
I actually liked Season 2. I liked the campy episodes of the movie characters coming to life, the Libris demon (even though they don't appear ever again😥), the beginning with them having to become one with nature to feel Grams and get in touch with their powers, Prue figuring out her life, Piper starting the club, discovering Leo's backstory, Leo giving everything up for love (which he doesn't have at the moment) and then getting everything back for love (which he then has in the moment). Season 2 has a lot of nice moments for me.
2:40 - Just rewatched this episode ("Astral Monkey") and I definitely get what you mean. I actually think I did like it more than you did (I would give it a "solid" rather than a "meh" rating) but I agree that it would've almost certainly been a more effective episode if Williamson had had a more extended arc and a stronger relationship with Piper. As it is, yes he was her doctor and he tried to save her life, but beyond that there was nothing personal there. That feeling of personal responsibility and Piper trying to talk him into giving up would've almost certainly been more effective if we'd seen them be close. And seeing his transformation that way would've also been way more effective. See him try to save people, slowly see his sister slip away, and then seeing that desire to save people transform into murder. It could've been very effective if we'd been given the time as the audience to really absorb each stage of the journey. So while I do think the episode was effective, I still agree that it would've been much better (gone from "solid" to "great" in my opinion) if it had been preceded by an extended arc where a Piper-Williamson relationship developed and we got the time to have each stage of his decline be felt individually.
Very nicely said. Another issue for me is how unsympathetic Prue and Phoebe are in that story. They're the ones who abused magic for personal gain and otherwise got off scot-free. Curtis got in this situation partly because of them and by the end they didn't seem to care that a human lost his life because of their actions
I think my personal ranking is S3=S4>S1>S2=S6>S5=S7>S8. S3 and S4 have the tightest character and story arcs (minus the eventual character assassination of Cole and whitewashing of Phoebe). S1 is a strong introduction but a bit more episodic and finding its footing. S2 I think has some of the best Prue stuff, as you've said, and while I think they fumbled the Dan ball, I like how it ultimately resolves Piper and Leo, and Phoebe's really likable and proactive too. And I do think the good episodes are so good and so plentiful that the meh and down ones don't overwhelm it. S6 gets a lot of bonus from me for Chris's arc and the whole concept of the bad future and Evil Wyatt and Piper and Leo's whole family unit. The individual episodes aren't as strong but when the arc hits, it hits. S5 suffers from the Cole character assassination and Phoebe being damn near insufferable without as much other characters having more engaging things to counter it, as in the better parts of S6. There are highlights but they feel fewer and far between to me. S7 I like Leo's stuff, the way the Avatar situation is resolved, Drake, and Zankou but I hate Leslie, Brody, Sheridan, Darryl being a doormat, and especially that Chris was written off the show. S8 I'm firmly in the Billie hater's camp and that poisons the whole season for me, along with Leo's absence. I also don't like Coop. The actor did fine but he was so uncritically worshipping of Phoebe I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I do REALLY like Henry though. The actor managed to have great chemistry with Rose and the character came off as super likable and a good foil for Paige.
Unpopular opinion? Heartbreak City isn't a favorite of mine either, but I always thought Phoebe had 10x more chemistry with that Cupid than Coop, who she ended up with in the end. I'm not entirely sure why I feel that way. Also, random, but still on the subject of chemistry, I also always thought other than Leo, I always felt that Piper had the most chemistry with Mark out of all other interests she had on the show, including Dan. I always thought it was strange that I seemed to feel more of a connection to these quick love interests than long term ones. However, Coop and Dan were both kind of thrown in at the last minute in their own different ways, so maybe that's why? In the other storylines they probably screen tested for actual chemistry since it was literally part of the established storyline. Just wondering if anyone else ever felt the same with the show when it comes to one episode love interests?
Oh the chemistry between Piper and Mark was off the charts. I'm not sure if it's just the feeling of tragedy since we already know he's a ghost and therefore they can't be together I do ultimately like Piper/Leo because they actually portray a couple who falls in love, gets married, has difficulties and ultimately learn to build a life together
@@BetterWithBob I agree, Piper and Leo are one of my favorite couples in television, because of those reasons and the slow burn of their relationship. Also, unlike a lot of relationships that have conflict in shows, this is one of the rare relationships I feel were able to get back to where they once were without completely ruining the relationship, or the characters along the way.
In season 2 I like the chemistry and the inside teasing within the girls. And of course in episode 14 the last scene between Piper and Leo. I have seen it again and again numerous times.
Merging Dan and Dr Williamson would've been great, but instead of having Piper be the one who's sick, he could've been the doctor who treated Prue after the Nicholas attack. He could've taken her blood (and found a reason to get Piper and Phoebe's blood too) and then him and Piper dating wouldn't have been as inappropriate because he wasn't her doctor. I think putting P3 H2O as the season finale would've made the most sense, because purely for the fact that the SUMMER camp is reopening after nearly 30 years and the finale would've been approaching summer, rather than in episode 8, which would've been what? October? November?
Ooh that's a good idea too I do think that might have been Aaron Spelling and Connie Burge's wish to make the episodes seem like they could happen at any time - like they only got a Halloween episode after the actresses pushed for one
Yeah, I think Holly said that Aaron wanted for the episodes to be shown in any order and for it to still make sense. If they moved P3 H2O to the finale, it could’ve been a sort of precursor to the season 3 finale where Prue dies. Prue could spend the whole episode fighting to acknowledge how her mother’s death affected her, which they could then revisit in Death Takes A Halliwell, making her sacrifice in All Hell Breaks Loose all the more heroic, because she’d have had a sort of recurring act of fighting death before willingly throwing herself into the line of fire to save someone else.
Well said! It’s still a pretty good season of television, but it’s just not as great as most of the other seasons of Charmed! The loss of the darker atmosphere from season 1 was particularly noticeable and while it does make some thematic sense, it still took a while to get accustomed to. And then yeah the heaps of missed potential and pacing issues marred some otherwise interesting concepts.
What I found the most strange about the episode that Piper nearly died was the fact that if she did die how would that have affected the Charmed ones. Like these witches are the greatest force of good and the elders would selfishly let one die because it didn’t involve magic sounds so far fetched. Not to mention that Leo is their whitelighter so wouldn’t it have been his job to protect them anyway regardless of it being magical or not.
That's why I hate that episode. I find it so weird that it's supposedly taboo to heal Piper because she got sick with a life threatening illness. And it's so irresponsible of Leo to wait until she's nearly dying to try and do it without getting caught. My head canon is that the Elders didn't punish him for breaking the rules but being so reckless about it lol
love season 2 but the love triangle plot really bogged the whole thing down, it felt like they put so much energy into that plot that they were just going round in circles(plus the jenny character was shite). I loved the episodes where phoebe got to be in charge like witch trials and the one with the four horsemen.
To me, Dan was the worst part of season two. I hated when the show became more focused on romance than sisterhood. The thing with Leo that made him different, was his powers added to the overall plot and it showed how he worked dynamic wise with her sisters.
@@BetterWithBob definitely with season three. I really think he should have died a hero in Charmed and Dangerous. Him becoming the source did not do any favors for the show.
I didn't like Dan but it did help develop Piper's character and gave her a real life situation that some us have had with loving two people. They never dropped the sisterhood but also gave them chances to grow as individual and show that they can still grow and be close as sister.
@@aiden877 like bob said in the video, if they rearranged the episodes and made them more consistent, I think it would have made Dan more likable for me.
@@ClairesUniverse Like all shows the writing will be flawed. It did feel like some things were out of order but I am glad this season further pushed Piper to grow out the middle sister syndrome role and have moments she can take charge and find her voice which further develops in the next season and really elevates after Prue is gone.
I agree that many of the demons of the week in S5 were truly formidable. I still dont understand why seeing Alyssa as a mermaid means we should all just throw out the awesomeness that was S5. But i guess this is about S2 so i guess i must stay on topic 🤷🏾♂️😉
Your two least favourite seasons actually redeem themselves for Piper and Leo reasons the second having Piper and Leo finally get together after all the drama and the sixth with the chris reveal. Personally I tend to skip the episodes where Piper is with Dan (I feel like I'm watching my mother cheat on my dad😅). Definitely "morality bites" is one of the best episodes of the whole series even if in later seasons it seems to loose its significance like for example in "Hyde school reunion" where Phoebe indirectly kills her old classmate for no reason. I also love the Amy Adams episode because despite having a mild depression myself I feel it's giving a positive message about depression. Lastly I feel like the writers genuinely had a thought about a storyline with Dan's niece (like her finding the secret and helping the sisters in some form I don't what) and decided to scrap it. Otherwise why introduce her like she's going to matter in the season? Ps I also feel like the "apocalypse not"episode is undermined in later seasons, I mean we see that the source is not the all powerful evil like this episode makes him to be .ps 2 I also very much liked Billie probably because she portayed by cuoco but the budgetery restrictions were very obvious in season 8.That was a lot but I see you like reading other fans' opinions 😊
I enjoyed the atmosphere and episodic nature because it didn't make you feel like you had to watch the whole series or season and today not many people want to watch a long season drawn out story. Season 2 was had some meh moments but I enjoyed the fact that it did further develop and show us more of their lives and balancing the magic. From work, relationships, friendships. It was nice when episodes show the darkside of things and can mix in human villains which became less as the show moved along and more and more demons focused not many unique creatures or other worldly threats. I was happy we got to see Phoebe grow and mature and recognize how patterns with men and love, Prue growing out of mother big boss role and finding her dream, though people give it hate but it is a real situation Piper's love triangle with Dan and Leo, I wish that some the plans they had for the season went ahead. It was cool to know more about their past or their mother and grams past. It might not be arc heavy but I loved the character driven stories so we can grow and evolve with the cast.
@@BetterWithBob Thank you and I like what you had to say especially about how the order of the episodes should have been and Jenny (who I thought should have been what would become Billie or Dawn from Buffy series).
I clicked on this video expecting to completely disagree with you but wanting to watch it anyway because I enjoy your content. While the season does contain some of my favorite episodes I actually agree with nearly all of your points! It's been so long since I've watched the whole season all together I had forgotten a lot of it's flaws!
I' m the oldest sister and so, Prue was always my favourite. And as I'm as old as the actors/ charmed sisters,I could connect to their developments because I experienced much of that,too.
Great video! I actually hadn't realised it myself, but i agree with your take on season 2. I'm currently rewatching it myself and there are just a few too many episodes that i find completely unwatchable, such as That Old Black Magic and How to make a quilt out of Americans. They have weak storylines and try to fit in too much for one episode. Still, I love how the sister's relationships have developed and how their characters are progressing, I find that a joy to watch.
I honestly despised Dan's character 1. because I hate love triangles and 2. I tended to just view him as an obstacle rather than a valid love interest. I love the idea of him being her doctor or something to flesh out his storyline. His character is literally only there to be a love interest with no real storyline of his own, especially when Jenny leaves. If they wanted him to be a rival for Leo, and enough to warrant title credits, he needed more to his character than what they gave him.
I enjoyed Season 2, but mostly because I watched it as an impressionable and dramatic teenager. Looking back at it now in my 30’s, it certainly wasn’t the best, agreeing with you on Season’s 3 & 4, but also not the worst… *cough* last 3 seasons *cough*… The whole Dan and Jenny stuff could’ve been left on the cutting room floor for sure, but I think the sophomore slump was necessary for everyone in the show to test out what does and doesn’t work, leading into better viewing in the following seasons. Love these videos ❤
Since you mentioned Sabrina the teenage witch and i saw you commented about it in another creaters video, are you planning to do anything with it like a season rank? That show was my childhood
Season 2 was a bland snooze fest overall. It is one of the seasons I struggle the most with upon rewatch along with 6&8. I found the mini starting with Awakened and ending with Astral Monkey to be the most interesting thing that really happened in the season. It's a shame they didn't do more with that storyline. I really liked your idea btw 👌Chick Flick is definitely top tier Charmed imo. Oh and sorry but I really did not like the Titans. I'll never get your love of characters like Billie & Jenny but each to their own 😂😂
I have so many mixed feelings about season 2. It's a comfort season you can pop on because it's usually demon of the week format. But I agree that I didn't like the tone shift from the gothic ambiance of season 1. Season 2 felt like a season-long Valentine's Day ambiance (Heartbreak City, She's a Man Baby, a Man! plus the love triangle). It also had a lot of plots that could have been executed later or better: like the Abraxas plot to bring back former baddies would have been a good season finale (Why bring the Woogy back in the middle of the day instead of the night? Lost opportunity!) and I also like your idea of combining Dr. Williamson with Dan.
I'm not a fan of P3 H20 either, it a bland episode. I love what it sets up for season for giving a legitimate excuse for Paige's existence, I normally skip it on rewatch. I also always hated the line where Piper said Prue looks the most like mom and doesn't want to become her; when clearly Phoebe look the most like Patty. They even have the same smile and facial structure. Great casting btw lol.
@@BetterWithBob right it was just a weird line, but hey, that's they way they tried to spin it. Love your content btw thanks for letting me be able to tune in, turn on, and drop out for a while.
Wow...I didn't realize just how little of Season 2 I've seen/remember until you listed off all the episodes. Your breakdowns of Morality Bites, Pardon My Past, and Ms. Hellfire brought back memories, but aside from that, the only two episodes that I can distinctly recall watching were P3 H2O (which I agree, should've been the season finale, with directing by Shannen Doherty) and Murphy's Luck. The former because of Patty and the water demon, the latter because I primarily went at the time, "Hey, that's Imhotep from The Mummy!" (Also, I'm just now remembering that Amy Adams made guest appearances on both Charmed *and* Buffy, bad-ass). Now, it *could* be because I first discovered Charmed during re-runs of the Paige era, only learning about Prue's original role as I delved deeper into the show, but I'll give the later seasons this much: as much as they could aggressively fluctuate between high and low, there's a definite memorability to them. I remember Chris. I remember Wyatt. I remember Billie. I remember many of the villains (the Sea Hag, the Crone, Orin, etc.) Btw, do you think you might cover any of the (somewhat) non-canon Charmed books? My middle school library had had Book 2: Kiss of Darkness, and I LOVED IT; so much so, that I would often re-read it just for the hell of it. It's about Prue getting kissed out of nowhere by a stranger during the Buckland's New Year's Eve party, so caught off-guard yet intrigued that there's a great scene dedicated to her dreaming about him. However though, she's soon compelled to kiss almost every guy she runs into, to the point that it drains (and nearly kills) her. Needless to say, pre-teen me was suckered in, and I still wish I could've read the other books promoted in the back pages as well. 🖤✨
So your account is the reason I started my re-watch of Charmed (which I haven't watched fully beginning to end since it finishes its run, before now I just dipped into the odd episode) and I just finished S2 so wanted to re-watch this. Overall I agree with this video; there's def more weaker episodes in this season, I miss the overarching arc that S1 part 1 and later seasons had, however I do like seeing the character arcs the sisters go through. Prue - who dedicated her life to her sisters and maintaining the home, starts off with a rebound Jack (who really hasn't aged well character wise) and throwing herself into a thankless job, but by the end she decides to pursue her passions and also try to find true love, not just a guy to keep her bed warm. Piper is torn between her want for normal life and need to be there for her sisters, and seeing where her dark future goes and uncertain for a future with Leo, ends up throwing her into Dan, who seems to be the 'safe' option, but by the end she chooses Leo and her sisters, she embraces who she is, and accepting the loss that comes with it (loosing the doctor who tried to help her). Phoebe decides to takes a brave step in going back to college, as well as growing as a witch - its really saisfying to go from re-writing a random spell that her college friends had in some random store-bought book, to writing all new spells and potions that she becomes the one the sisters rely on when they face a threat not in the book. Thats just what I got from it anyways. Thanks for making these videos and encouraging me to rewatch it; re-experiencing this show has put a huge smile on my face when I really needed it.
Nice analysis. I agree with you with the most of it. My raking of the seasons: 8. Season 5 : Mostly because of the forced Cole storyline. It didn’t make much sense. Personally I rather have a him for the whole season with a better ending. Or perhaps maybe it would have ended better in Season 4. But I do like few episodes though. 7. Season 8 I love Billie but besides that I just find season 8 boring. The reason why season 8 is before season 8 though is because I think that they actually had a better storyline this time. But I really don’t like that the sisters gave up their identities or that Leo was gone for most of the season. 6 . Season 2. I have comment about before but the season has weak storyline . But I love many episodes in it. I also agree that I didn’t like what they did with the Jenny character. I actually liked her . But I didn’t like the love triangle. Because I think that she belongs with Leo. 5. Season 6 I like this season even though it has it flaws. I like Chris .And the storyline was good. I also like Leo in this season. 4. Season 7 I love the avatar storyline. But I think it should have been the whole season instead of just the first part. I didn’t like second part at all . But I loved Leo in this season. 3. Season 4 I think this season is one of the best ones because they introduced Paige very well in the cast. I also love the storyline between Phoebe and Cole. 2. Season 1 I love the goth theme in season 1 . And I have many good memories . The very first charmed ever episode I saw was “ Is There a Woogy in the House” . And I was hooked. 1. Season 3 Sense I’m a Phoebe and Cole shipper it would not make any surprise that I love this season. I’m also a great fan of Piper and Leo and got so happy when they finally got married.
I’m a little bit higher on “They’re Everywhere”, “P3 H2O”, “Astral Monkey”, and “Apocalypse Not” then you are but it’s a solid depiction of the season. Dan and Jack were unnecessary (except for the twist from Pardon my Past for Dan) and there are some real stinkers like “She’s a Man, Baby, a Man”, “Animal Magnetism”, and “How to make a Quilt out of Americans” but I really enjoy a lot of Season 2 for what it is…
Daaamn, now I need a what if kind of videos with charmed. Making Dan useful and making him somewhat of a threat to the sisters would be amazing. Please, if you have spare time, do the what if stuff)
It was very interesting to see your opinion on this season. Season two has always been my favorite, even more so now, and my view on it is very different. The only episode in the season I didn’t really like was the one with the succubus, but I loved many you hated. The Tuatha episode is actually a favorite of mine, and I enjoyed the Dan arc (though I will admit it began to drag).
I actually do like season 2 but I understand the criticisms because compared to season 1, it was a tad bland in comparison and I've gotta admit that I LOVED the darker atmosphere of season 1 a lot more and it actually makes me all the more sad that the show didn't continue with that vibe in the later seasons. Season 1 just felt like a maturer style of the Craft and I think that's why I loved season 1 so much. That all said, while the show was a bit more silly in season 2, I still found the episodes fun. I agree with Dan though. As handsome as the character was, he was VERY bland and felt like they tried way too hard in the beginning making him perfect. They didn't really give him anything that made him stand out as his own character. With Andy in season 1, we learn that he likes chessy horror movies and basketball and he had neat friendship with Darryl. Meanwhile Dan just had Jenny which could've worked with some more planning but it was obvious that they didn't know what they wanted to do with Jenny and that was a shame. They could've had her bond with Phoebe since Phoebe was still homebound most of the time and she could've been a big sister figure for her similar to how she was with Aviva in season 1. And while I did like the wardrobe of season 2 as it as full of late 90s trends, I really didn't like how they dressed Prue's work attire. I LOVED her business casual looks in season 1, they looked both stylish but also work appropriate (for the most part lol) and it made her more believable. Nitpick sorta but I diguess. Anyway personally I still enjoy season 2. Not as much as but I still would pick it as my second favorite season because it still was fun, my top 5 episodes being The Painted World, Morality Bites, Awakened, The Devil's Music, and Ex Libris. :)
Aviva's actress makes The Fourth Sister work in a way it probably wouldn't otherwise. And I feel for Jenny's actress, she does her best, but she wasn't given enough to do.
All the more impressive because Danielle Harris was filming a movie at the same time, and for that week she would go from one set to the other on very little sleep lol
season 1 really had a moodiness i'm sad we didn't see more of but seasons 2 and first half of 4 share its place as my favourite season. I kinda wish we had more episodes like The Woogyman it's probably the last one i've ever seen : born in '99, i saw the paige era as it aired one year after the US on M6, and i managed to recatch more of the show as it got re-broadcast around 2008 on AB3 (both are french tv-channels btw) so season 1 has always been in my blind spot. Later on, i rewatched the show on and off, never in the proper order (i had seen the entire show - or so i thought- at that point through different reruns) i have a Prime Video subscription since 2021 and i figured i might as well rewatch a bit and that's when i started to re focus on season 1, the vibe matches my current tastes so muc more and i grew fond of prue, i finally eneded watching Woogyman through and through and i fell in love with it, the moodiness and character exploration as well the expermental feeling of this episode makes it feel like nothing else on the show... and that, kids is how i met your mother.
*I don't mind season 2. One of my favourite episodes was Witch Trial. I love that they brought past demons/warlocks back and Shannen's acting was amazing. I did miss Andy Trudeau and Claire Pryce from season 1, I also wasn't a fan of Jenny at all, she was annoying and I don't know why they added her to the opening credits so fast*
Sometimes it can happen if it gets out of the hands of the original creators or there's a change in the writing team. Sometimes the higher ups want things to be lighter in the fear that getting too bleak might alienate audiences
You literally mentioned once upon a time charmed Buffy supernatural smallville all in my top 10 shows of all time can’t wait for you to talk about angel Doyle and season 3 are amazing
@@BetterWithBob I mean, at least for Doyle it wasn’t Joss The actor apparently was frequently coming late to set and had drug issues then he overdosed. Unfortunately, a few years after the show ended , it’s funny how Doyle was only in the show for maybe five episodes and it’s still one of the best characters all the way up until the end but I will blame Jossfor simultaneously creating one of the best characters in his universe, Cordelia, and then ruined her whole arc within the span of one season
I agree that season 2 was a bit weak. But i think it was necessary to put the pieces intor place to make the other seasons great. All three sisters find their professional path. Phoebe really caring about what makes ppl tick, Piper opening her club an Prue leaving bucklands. We learn more about what makes their love lives tick. Piper learns that Leo is the one, we learn Phoebe suffers from abandoment issues and that her superficial romatic dangles are a search for love and Prue is not ready to truly love. Magic becomes part of their "mundane" lives, planting the seeds for many later struggles. Darren became a true ally Phoebe and Prue became closer. Many Rules of magic are dealed with. And they learned a lot of what not to do...;)
Yeah season 2 was a bit of a mixed bag with great episodes and not so great episodes and overall a little directionless. I do like the 'Monster of the week' format but I do gravitate to seasons with more of an overall story arc. At least season 1 had the overall season arc of discovering their powers, delving into the world of magic and re-building their sisterly bond. Rex & Hannah from S1 were my least favourite 'big bads' though! Season 3 & 4 are also my favourites, seasons 6 & 8 being at the bottom, seasons 1, 2 5 & 7 all being interchangeable in the middle. But I love how you end the video stating Charmed is still Charmed and there's something to love in every season/episode. Totally agree - if you made me watch my least favourite season 6 of Charmed right now, I would gladly as overall i'd still give the season a 7/10. Charmed will probably always be my favourite show and has so much rewatchability factor!
Yeah I had this discussion with someone else the other day. My least favourite seasons are only that because the likes of 3 and 4 set the bar so high and are still very enjoyable. The entire series is great tbh
This season is my favorite. Its the most fun, yet still remains serious. The show found its groove and it was still ensured the sisterhood remained a large focus. I don't really care about the Dan/Leo love triangle, but any Piper time is great.
See, for me, Season 7 is the worst season of the show. So, let's go through it. "A Call To Arms" - decent start, but overall problematic "The Bare Witch Project" - unnecessarily annoying "Cheaper By the Coven" - a rare fun episode this season "Charrrmed!" - because Pirates of the Caribbean was a hit "Styx Feet Under" - the first of the two best episodes of the season "Once In A Blue Moon" - just... why? "Someone to Witch Over Me" - decent episode saved by the reappearance of Future Chris "Charmed Noir" - because what we needed was yet more useless filler "There's Something About Leo" - remove it from the run and you miss absolutely nothing "Witchness Protection" - an episode made fun only by Charisma Carpenter interacting with the sisters "Ordinary Witches" - meh "Extreme Makeover: World Edition" - also meh "Charmageddon" - the second of the two best episodes of the season "Carpe Demon" - beginning of a pointless mini-arc "Show Ghouls" - another excuse for lavish costumes "The Seven Year Witch" - end of the pointless mini-arc, only the Leo stuff matters here "Scry Hard" - forgettable "Little Box of Horrors" - ugh, pointless "Freaky Phoebe" - mostly filler "Imaginary Fiends" - fun filler "Death Becomes Them" - downright depressing "Something Wicca This Way Goes" - also depressing and adds confusion about how Prue's powers worked It's honestly a wonder they got green lit for an eighth season, but thank God they did because Season 8 at least allowed them to go out with a bang. Had Season 7 been the end, it would have been a tragedy.
I disagree. While season 2 doesn't have an overarching story, it doesn't need too. There's a thing I see a lot around general discourse that what makes season 2 (or a season/show in general) bad is that they have no story arc, which simply isn't true. In fact the standalone episodes are among the best in the show. And despite the lack of an ongoing story, there are plot elements that do connect! I always enjoyed the metaphor or theme of episodes like Morality Bites, Murphy's Luck, Pardon My Past, Astral Monkey, Ms. Hellfire. However, it also has meh ones, She's a Man Baby, Old Black Magic and especially Animal Pragmatism. While it is the worst of the Prue seasons and excluding my preference for Seasons 1-4, I consider Season 5 to have a lot of the same issues. But in some areas lack heart of the more fun episodes of Season 2. In fact both seasons are very similar and considered Sophmore Slumps. Paige has a lot of traits of Season 2 Phoebe that their arcs mirror each other, though they are obviously different people, the shift to standalone episodes after a darker starting season, a mix of weak and strong standalone episodes etc. While crap like the Dan love triangle thing was doomed to fail as it was set up (especially given Piper's motivation for doing so and the fact it makes her pretty unlikable in seasons involving Leo during some of the drama moments, like the scene in P3 where she catches Leo and Dan fighting) season 5 also does it much worse with the Phoebe/Cole drama, which not only wasted its potential during the end of the previous with a weak wrap up, but the fact it drags on for half of the season just kills the vibe or fun a lot of those earlier episodes had, and like with the Dan "romance" I question myself "this could have been used for something else" in fact episodes like The Eyes Have it were great because Cole wasn't there and outside of a line about him being out of time isn't mentioned in such a mean spirited way. The overall Cole bashing and how much it takes up that first half sours a lot of potential for storylines that when it does get rid of the drama (in such a mean spirited anticlimatic way) alot of the fun like with Season 2 is a mix bag. You have fun episodes like Sense and Sense Ability, but then have episodes like the finale which I also feel wasted its potential in areas and also didn't enjoy how it concluded, mostly because of how it does Leo's character and the Piper/Leo drama, which grows tiring over time. Or Nymphs just wanna Have fun, which outside of Paige wasn't a particularly fun or engaging episode. I also think the opener of Season 5 is weaker, to be fair though Season 2 is one of the weaker seasons when it comes to finales, something the later seasons admittedly do well or better in some cases. Though and this is unpopular, I'm not a fan of Season 8's finale. But that's a discussion for another time. lol I WILL say, Season 1's gothic horror vibe is primarily why it is my favorite season, because while other seasons like 3 and 4 are darker, I feel the more gothic vibe REALLY added to the tone of Season 1 that gave it a more distinct and visual flair over the rest of them, despite a lower budget. I think, even though it is the first showing of the Power of Three, the vanquish of Javna remains one of my favorites of the show!
I'm with you. I don't get why ppl like the series finale so much when they did it better in the S7 finale. #shade Let's prepare ourselves for the tomatoes that would be thrown our way 😅 Ps I loved the nymph episode. Having Paige and Piper fight was just pure hilarity and it brought that sisterly dynamic btw them that fans always claim was so lacking in the Paige years.
@@TCt83067695 For me the sister element in Paige years didn't lack until around Season 6. And I liked the Piper/Paige thing, even if Piper was a bit dramatic and wasn't a fan of the Book of Shadows scene.
@@Surgemaster2012 the color coding of the BOS? "She defaced our family heirloom" Classic. I loved it 😂 I'm with Paige. They needed a better system to categorize beings in the book. I'm surprised they ever found anything in the book in time.
This time I disagree. Season 2 isn't the best season, but it has a lot of good episodes. Some boring ones, sure. But I actually think it's better than a lot of the later seasons that you like. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like every season. But I actually don't mind this one, and I don't think it's the weakest by any means.
Ok I thought I was crazy because after my recent watch of Season 1, I wasn't loving the idea of going to Season 2. I think you outlined a lot of cool things I would have liked to see! Is this the season that Piper sort of starts her "I want a normal life, over being a witch" vibe because I find that lasts almost the whole series and it kind of annoys me. 😅 It's totally understandable but I dunno. Maybe because I just wish I could freeze time like her. 🤣
It shows up in the episode How To Make A Quilt Out of Americans where they have their powers stolen and she decides that she's had it, mainly because she doesn't like the idea of growing old while Leo stays immortal. Then not again until Once Upon a Time when she goes on strike after they take Leo away, and full force in Season 4 after Prue's death
I didn’t like Jenny at all however, if they set her up correctly I feel like Billie would never have felt like a random character later on. And ugh P3 H2O is so boring personally I don’t think meeting Sam was necessary at all obviously until Paige came into the picture but I just felt it was disrespectful as hell. This man was with their mother while she was still married but sure let’s save him. Prue had EXTREME anger towards Victor but her and the mistress was cool…WTF
@@AprilRose77 that's because Victor was her father and he abandoned her which forced Prue to grow up quickly. That led to her missing out on most of her childhood.
@@neishawnjohnson7602 I understand why she’s angry but I guess it just baffled me she can be mad at Victor for reacting to his wife cheating(he shouldn’t have stayed away of course) but she not mad at the man who changed their course of history if Patty never met him she would never have been at the lake.
Season 2 definitely has the "oh we have a slightly bigger budget and oh crap we don't have a full plan oh no" vibe. Another show I'd add to the season 2 slump is Babylon 5. I rewatched it recently and yeah, it's so slow and Bruce Boxleitner can't even save it.
I wonder if it's because some seasons they never knew if they were coming back. I know for 4 they were kept waiting for so long that as an apology they were given an automatic two season renewal - so for 5 and 6 they knew they'd have more time to build to a proper finale
FINALLY someone who agrees with me that season 2 doesnt work!!! I struggled with this season because it doesnt have that metaphorical energy that got me attached to the first season and the rest of them are in the same boat. Like I wonder what made them want to divert from the first season tone?
Okay, I think I’ve finally found a place to vent. I’ve been listening to the house of Halliwell podcast, and, HOLY SHIT, is HMC unlikable, no wonder their producing seasons are the worst. She literally made piper in her liking Drew fuller and Brian crause are so so nice, drew constantly admires the episodes and HMC completely dismisses his opinion, especially for the episodes that focus on prue or phoebe, but freaking GUSHING about piper centered episodes She talks over the co-hosts, making the SAME unfunny jokes over and over again, and pointing out irrelevant issues with the earlier episodes but saying “oh I was not a producer yet, so it’s all their fault”, when the seasons she actually produced are god awful and destroy any character development making piper and phoebe extremely unlikable Like bruh THE NARCISSISM absolutely loved Drew’s inputs though, he’s very easy to please :) Edited for typos
Wow, I never knew there were episode commentaries like that, thanks for sharing. :O I always knew HMC was twisted. Always written on her face as she just scowls perpetually. All 3 original sister actors were twisted, imo. Rose seems the only one among the crowd who's sane.
What I like in this season is that vanquishing the demon of the week actually takes brains here. In later seasons it’s a lot of let’s check the book, I got the potion/spell if piper doesn’t blow them up first. But here you really see the sisters come to their own. It’s like fighting Abraxas they recap what they’ve already established and they build on it then. The water demon is fought off by electricity. In how to quill an american they use knowledge of their powers and not their powers like the fact they don’t freeze or how astral projection incapacitates the original body. I also love how in Chick Flick they figure out how to defeat the movie villains and the demon of illusion is actually burned on film not simply say a power of three spell and he’s gone. It just feels really creative and a way to compensate for the fact the sisters have a long way to go. Their lack of power is made up for with their creativity and brains
That's a really good point actually. And this is where they come up with scrying too
Agreed. I hated that they stopped using incantations after a while and that every demon was literally "let's go find the vanquishing potion for this one." Like, what, did the writers lose their ability to rhyme?
I guess it got easier to vanquish demons with Piper's blowing up power, only certain upper level demons are immune to it.
I was genuinely shocked to hear the Dan storyline was only one season. it felt SO long lmao
Yeah I think they were hampered by making Greg Vaughn a series regular, meaning he had to be in most of the episodes, so that was their way of padding out his screen time
Cos it was so depressing
@@BetterWithBobYour idea on season 2 story arcs/characters was perfect! That would have definitely skyrocketed season 2 into season 3/4 stats.
*I like that Amy Adams guest starred on both Charmed and Buffy*
Yeah you could see her on other shows like The West Wing and Smallville at the time as well. It's funny because early in her career, she was typecast as the mean girl until Junebug and Enchanted put her on the map as the sweetheart. Charmed had her against type in a sympathetic role like how everyone would eventually know her
@@BetterWithBobyeah and in buffy she wasn't the niceist sister
A nice example of everyone doing their time
There are so many guest stars that appeared in both Charmed and Buffy, maybe because they were on the same channel? It’s fun to play spot the guest stars lol
I thought that was Isla Fisher
Murphy's Luck always hit me incredibly hard - as I have suffered a chronic depression since my early teens (almost 20 years now). I felt that the story, albeit a bit shallow; never delving into the real core of depression and offering the rather simplistic solution of just vanquishing the "bad guy", it did nonetheless acknowledge and validate my feelings at the time, and I think it did a pretty good job of showing exactly how devastating negative and toxic thinking can be to a person. That little voice in the back of the mind, telling you that you're not good enough? That people hate you? That it would be easier to just end it all and nobody would miss you anyway? I definitely recognized that feeling. Sometimes it literally felt like a Dark Lighter was whispering in my ear.
I am better now, though, in case anyone is concerned.
I often avoided it on rewatches because of similar issues. Glad you're good now 🙂
@@BetterWithBob Thank you. It's still a struggle some days, but I've made positive changes in my life that have vastly improved things - and being older, I understand myself and my feelings better now, so I know how to cope when it gets bad. Quality UA-cam videos help keep the bad thoughts away 😉
@@LadyDoomsingersending you positive vibes ❤
Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm rewatching "Charmed" at the moment and I watched that episode two days ago and I actually had a little bit of a difficult time watching some of those parts because it felt a little too real. Whoever wrote that particular dialogue has definitely struggled with depression before because those thoughts are very accurate.
I always saw Dan as a reflection of Piper's desires to have a normal life. She wanted to cling onto Dan for so long because she didn't want to give up on her wish to have a stable home with a safe environment (things she lacked as a child due to her parents' divorce and her mother dying). Dan made her feel normal while Leo always (involuntarily) reminded her of being a witch by being a whitelighter. In my opinion, Dan would have been the better match for Piper if she hadn't become a witch. And that is Piper's entire struggle - having to admit to herself that she changed and having to learn to embrace that change (hence why imo it would have been difficult for her character development to push back H2O later in the season)
I still wholeheartedly believe Jenny did have a purpose that was scraped last second, like some other concepts this season. It seems like they went into the season with a game plan and we’re forced to make last minute changes that altered the coarse of the season. There is absolutely no reason Jenny and Dan were credited as main cast (something Leo didn’t even get till this season and he was in most of S1).
I had read somewhere that they were initially planning to make a spin-off with Jenny, but they ended up not making it. I think they wanted to see how she would be received by the public before committing to a spin-off.
I thought Jenny was originally to be sexually assaulted by Dan's baseball mate who we saw on the telly. Just a theory I had when I watched S2. Probably too risqué but would have been a strong feminine issue to explore. Something was definitely planned I felt sure but Jenny and whatever they planned got junked.
Oh jeez that would have been dark
@@BernardJKD I actually thought the character could have been brought back to harm Paige later on. Unfortunately TPTB didn't have as interesting an imagination. Besides, Jenny would be too young for such a storyline (I believe the character was only 12 or 13) and while I know such horrible things do happen to girls that age, it would have been too risky.
I heard something similar - Jenny was supposed to have learned she herself was a witch and the Halliwells were supposed to mentor her (like with Paige and Billie years later). I found Jenny terribly obnoxious from the first episode she appeared in and she didn't belong with the group dynamic.
I love season 2. It's one of my fave seasons lol. Some of my fave eps are in that season: Chick Flick, pardon my past, awakening, Morality Bites, etc. Maybe I just don't have taste...but season 2 stays on constant replay for me 🤣
To each their own
To each their own, indeed. This is my absolute favourite season. I love the demon of the week format.
I haven't watched your video yet but wanted to comment this first. Let's see if my opinion changes 🤣
Not my favorite season either (I found it rather inconsistent compared to season 1) but it did have some strong episodes and Prue's power up.
It has an undeniable charm. And one of my favorite episodes. And better acting too. I actually like how Dan was a one and go character. And never thought he would become a regular in the series. That’s just how it was in certain shows, they added new actors in a very small amount of time. And opening credits were reworked when they left, especially in Aaron Spelling’s shows.
Merging Dan and Doctor Williamson into one character would have been so interesting - wow!
Shocked Ex Libris didn’t stick with you more. I love that episode because they so rarely executed two compelling storylines separately that came together so well at the end like that.
I like the idea of Dr. Williamson being a reoccurring character. That would have been an awesome idea.
I do like Charlene but I feel the second storyline gets let down by how flat the actor playing the dad sometimes is
I really enjoyed that episode as well.
Yes!!! I was going to comment on this as well! What a GREAT concept! Congrats to Bob!
I feel like each season is necessary to the the character development and overall story of the show in its entirety.. I can’t imagine the show without any of these seasons unlike other shows where I’m like yea they could’ve kept that entire season
Nicely said :)
When you said season 2 was one of your least favourite seasons, I was like "why? I kinda love season 2!" until you started listing all the episodes and I realised I just tend to skip all boring and/or Dan episodes when I rewatch. I usually go from Morality Bites (love that one too!) to P3 H2O to Give me a Sign and skip everything in between XD. You mentioning the excellent mysterious atmosphere of season 1 has me inspired to go rewatch that one soon in its entirety. Thanks for that!
Thanks for watching :)
I think Season 2's issue was that there was no overarching plot or big bad(s) for the season so the stakes felt really low. Season 1 had Rex and Hannah plus Rodriguez and Tempus, and then we had the Triad and the Source in seasons 3 and 4, Cole becoming the big bad in the latter half of 4 along with the Seer, and Season 5 was largely centered around Cole with the Titans wrapping the season up in a two-parter, and then Gideon as the unforeseen big bad of season 6 and Zankou and the Avatars in 7, and finally the Triad (again for some reason) and Christy in season 8. Season 2 was just a mish-mash of monster of the week episodes sometimes tied in with a lesson for the sisters, and that was it. Even the finale of two was meh.
I think at the last episode they should have showed Prue in the picture frames on the wall when it was going off
@@catferguson2421 They could have, but then they would have been legally obligated to pay Shannen Doherty for the use of her image, and at that time, it was still rather tense between her and the producers.
Totally agree with you. First season was the best, season six was the worst (the following last 2 seasons were not much better) and season 2 was when it all started to go wrong. Killing off Andy was the worst decision of the show that sent it down a direction it was never meant to go. No longer dark & scary, but silly and campy. And yes the H2O episode should have been the season finale.
When I was a teenager, I did genuinely hate Dan and all this love triangle. I was like "hey dude, why don't you just disappear and leave nice guy Leo and love of his life alone?"
When I rewatched the show twice recently (first dubbed version then the original one) I find myself actually sorry for Dan. I mean he is just a nice guy trying to do things right with the girl he likes. But Piper (she always was and still is my favorite Halliwell) just messes with his mind, makes him jealous and pretends there is nothing to be upset about.
This is the only thing that bothers me about season two - they messed up with Piper's character IMO. The irony is in the fact that they did pretty much the same at season six with all this "Leo abandoned me!"
And then "By the way, Leo, could you just spend less time in this house with me and children?"
I see Piper as the most loving and family caring woman, great role model, the woman who decided to bound her life with one and only man, Leo. And you people keep making her some affair-seeking nymphomaniac for no reason.
It's actually baffling just how many guys she's with in the first two seasons, even though Leo is already in the picture. Phoebe gets branded the slutty one but most of her boyfriends were long-term, and Prue and Paige seemed to be the bed hoppers
@@BetterWithBobThe amount of boyfriends they have in one calendar year is not that high?
The second season is one of my favorites. I had this season on dvd back in the day and I watched it a lot. One of the reasons why I like it is because you can feel the chemistry between the three of them and made them really feel like sisters. Which is something I feel like was lacking toward the middle to end of season 3, which is around the time the girls were feuding in real life.
You know, I never sat down with myself to rank the seasons and I don’t think I can. Charmed was a such a unique and amazing show that I just enjoy all of it. It has a premise that I’ve always loved (being born magical and having powers) plus even though I have two siblings I’ve never really been close to them so I was able to vicariously live through this show to see how it is to have a tight knit family.
Very nicely said :)
So true, it’s all worth watching, as I have again and again for probably too many years. But when something resonates with so many different people in so many different ways, even the not-so-repeat-watch-episodes are worth repeat watching. Yup, i’m that person!
I agree with almost everything you said about the writing, plots etc., but I still love season 2. As a kid I loved the mood, the music, the clothes, the humour and so it’s still my most rewatched season because it just feels light and like home.
It's still got lots to love about it sure :)
Well it's all subjective and a question of taste! I love season 1 (because of it's dark atmosphere) and season 2 most. Especially because of Prue. I also love season 3, but it was everything about Phoebe and Cole. I mean I love them but it was too much. Least favorite seasons were season 7 and 8. Although both have a few good episodes. From season 5 on, the demons and warlocks/figures got more and more ridiculous and childish/cheesy. That's why I love the first four seasons the most. My favorite sister is Prue: strongest and she always stayed true to herself. I guess only strong-minded people love PRUE. Others that don't like her, feel threatened by her strong character/personality.
I knew this was gonna be some BS when you said meh to Ex Libris. This season had so many iconic guest appearances. We had Amy freakin’ Adam’s! Antonio Saboto Jr. Misha Collins! Dean Norris! Arnold Vosloo!!! PS…I still enjoy these. Even if you like Billie Jenkins. We can’t be right all the time 😂
I actually liked Season 2. I liked the campy episodes of the movie characters coming to life, the Libris demon (even though they don't appear ever again😥), the beginning with them having to become one with nature to feel Grams and get in touch with their powers, Prue figuring out her life, Piper starting the club, discovering Leo's backstory, Leo giving everything up for love (which he doesn't have at the moment) and then getting everything back for love (which he then has in the moment). Season 2 has a lot of nice moments for me.
Some nice moments in the season sure :)
Season 2 is where the show starts to get really good I think lol. Still gonna watch this tho
In some aspects yes
2:40 - Just rewatched this episode ("Astral Monkey") and I definitely get what you mean. I actually think I did like it more than you did (I would give it a "solid" rather than a "meh" rating) but I agree that it would've almost certainly been a more effective episode if Williamson had had a more extended arc and a stronger relationship with Piper. As it is, yes he was her doctor and he tried to save her life, but beyond that there was nothing personal there. That feeling of personal responsibility and Piper trying to talk him into giving up would've almost certainly been more effective if we'd seen them be close. And seeing his transformation that way would've also been way more effective. See him try to save people, slowly see his sister slip away, and then seeing that desire to save people transform into murder. It could've been very effective if we'd been given the time as the audience to really absorb each stage of the journey.
So while I do think the episode was effective, I still agree that it would've been much better (gone from "solid" to "great" in my opinion) if it had been preceded by an extended arc where a Piper-Williamson relationship developed and we got the time to have each stage of his decline be felt individually.
Very nicely said. Another issue for me is how unsympathetic Prue and Phoebe are in that story. They're the ones who abused magic for personal gain and otherwise got off scot-free. Curtis got in this situation partly because of them and by the end they didn't seem to care that a human lost his life because of their actions
i have the feeling i am the only one who loves prue
I think my personal ranking is S3=S4>S1>S2=S6>S5=S7>S8. S3 and S4 have the tightest character and story arcs (minus the eventual character assassination of Cole and whitewashing of Phoebe). S1 is a strong introduction but a bit more episodic and finding its footing. S2 I think has some of the best Prue stuff, as you've said, and while I think they fumbled the Dan ball, I like how it ultimately resolves Piper and Leo, and Phoebe's really likable and proactive too. And I do think the good episodes are so good and so plentiful that the meh and down ones don't overwhelm it. S6 gets a lot of bonus from me for Chris's arc and the whole concept of the bad future and Evil Wyatt and Piper and Leo's whole family unit. The individual episodes aren't as strong but when the arc hits, it hits.
S5 suffers from the Cole character assassination and Phoebe being damn near insufferable without as much other characters having more engaging things to counter it, as in the better parts of S6. There are highlights but they feel fewer and far between to me. S7 I like Leo's stuff, the way the Avatar situation is resolved, Drake, and Zankou but I hate Leslie, Brody, Sheridan, Darryl being a doormat, and especially that Chris was written off the show.
S8 I'm firmly in the Billie hater's camp and that poisons the whole season for me, along with Leo's absence. I also don't like Coop. The actor did fine but he was so uncritically worshipping of Phoebe I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I do REALLY like Henry though. The actor managed to have great chemistry with Rose and the character came off as super likable and a good foil for Paige.
Yeah the chemistry between Ivan Sergei and Rose McGowan was better than any she had with her previous guys
The first 3 seasons are litterally the best, love season 2.
Morality Bites deserves an anatomy! Great episode! Pardon my past , awakened and astral monkey too. Murphy 's luck so.
Already did one on Morality Bites and Pardon My Past
Unpopular opinion? Heartbreak City isn't a favorite of mine either, but I always thought Phoebe had 10x more chemistry with that Cupid than Coop, who she ended up with in the end. I'm not entirely sure why I feel that way. Also, random, but still on the subject of chemistry, I also always thought other than Leo, I always felt that Piper had the most chemistry with Mark out of all other interests she had on the show, including Dan. I always thought it was strange that I seemed to feel more of a connection to these quick love interests than long term ones.
However, Coop and Dan were both kind of thrown in at the last minute in their own different ways, so maybe that's why? In the other storylines they probably screen tested for actual chemistry since it was literally part of the established storyline. Just wondering if anyone else ever felt the same with the show when it comes to one episode love interests?
Oh the chemistry between Piper and Mark was off the charts. I'm not sure if it's just the feeling of tragedy since we already know he's a ghost and therefore they can't be together
I do ultimately like Piper/Leo because they actually portray a couple who falls in love, gets married, has difficulties and ultimately learn to build a life together
@@BetterWithBob I agree, Piper and Leo are one of my favorite couples in television, because of those reasons and the slow burn of their relationship. Also, unlike a lot of relationships that have conflict in shows, this is one of the rare relationships I feel were able to get back to where they once were without completely ruining the relationship, or the characters along the way.
In season 2 I like the chemistry and the inside teasing within the girls.
And of course in episode 14 the last scene between Piper and Leo. I have seen it again and again numerous times.
Merging Dan and Dr Williamson would've been great, but instead of having Piper be the one who's sick, he could've been the doctor who treated Prue after the Nicholas attack. He could've taken her blood (and found a reason to get Piper and Phoebe's blood too) and then him and Piper dating wouldn't have been as inappropriate because he wasn't her doctor.
I think putting P3 H2O as the season finale would've made the most sense, because purely for the fact that the SUMMER camp is reopening after nearly 30 years and the finale would've been approaching summer, rather than in episode 8, which would've been what? October? November?
Ooh that's a good idea too
I do think that might have been Aaron Spelling and Connie Burge's wish to make the episodes seem like they could happen at any time - like they only got a Halloween episode after the actresses pushed for one
Yeah, I think Holly said that Aaron wanted for the episodes to be shown in any order and for it to still make sense.
If they moved P3 H2O to the finale, it could’ve been a sort of precursor to the season 3 finale where Prue dies. Prue could spend the whole episode fighting to acknowledge how her mother’s death affected her, which they could then revisit in Death Takes A Halliwell, making her sacrifice in All Hell Breaks Loose all the more heroic, because she’d have had a sort of recurring act of fighting death before willingly throwing herself into the line of fire to save someone else.
Well said! It’s still a pretty good season of television, but it’s just not as great as most of the other seasons of Charmed! The loss of the darker atmosphere from season 1 was particularly noticeable and while it does make some thematic sense, it still took a while to get accustomed to. And then yeah the heaps of missed potential and pacing issues marred some otherwise interesting concepts.
That first season is what got me into the show. Like it was just so relaxing compared to the following years.
What I found the most strange about the episode that Piper nearly died was the fact that if she did die how would that have affected the Charmed ones. Like these witches are the greatest force of good and the elders would selfishly let one die because it didn’t involve magic sounds so far fetched. Not to mention that Leo is their whitelighter so wouldn’t it have been his job to protect them anyway regardless of it being magical or not.
That's why I hate that episode. I find it so weird that it's supposedly taboo to heal Piper because she got sick with a life threatening illness. And it's so irresponsible of Leo to wait until she's nearly dying to try and do it without getting caught. My head canon is that the Elders didn't punish him for breaking the rules but being so reckless about it lol
love season 2 but the love triangle plot really bogged the whole thing down, it felt like they put so much energy into that plot that they were just going round in circles(plus the jenny character was shite). I loved the episodes where phoebe got to be in charge like witch trials and the one with the four horsemen.
Phoebe's episodes tended to be my favourites in the early seasons 🤔 and then in the midway (3-4) it was Piper’s and then the rest I favoured Paige's
To me, Dan was the worst part of season two. I hated when the show became more focused on romance than sisterhood. The thing with Leo that made him different, was his powers added to the overall plot and it showed how he worked dynamic wise with her sisters.
Cole too
@@BetterWithBob definitely with season three. I really think he should have died a hero in Charmed and Dangerous. Him becoming the source did not do any favors for the show.
I didn't like Dan but it did help develop Piper's character and gave her a real life situation that some us have had with loving two people. They never dropped the sisterhood but also gave them chances to grow as individual and show that they can still grow and be close as sister.
@@aiden877 like bob said in the video, if they rearranged the episodes and made them more consistent, I think it would have made Dan more likable for me.
@@ClairesUniverse Like all shows the writing will be flawed. It did feel like some things were out of order but I am glad this season further pushed Piper to grow out the middle sister syndrome role and have moments she can take charge and find her voice which further develops in the next season and really elevates after Prue is gone.
I agree that many of the demons of the week in S5 were truly formidable. I still dont understand why seeing Alyssa as a mermaid means we should all just throw out the awesomeness that was S5.
But i guess this is about S2 so i guess i must stay on topic 🤷🏾♂️😉
I liked the mermaid episode lol
Your two least favourite seasons actually redeem themselves for Piper and Leo reasons the second having Piper and Leo finally get together after all the drama and the sixth with the chris reveal. Personally I tend to skip the episodes where Piper is with Dan (I feel like I'm watching my mother cheat on my dad😅). Definitely "morality bites" is one of the best episodes of the whole series even if in later seasons it seems to loose its significance like for example in "Hyde school reunion" where Phoebe indirectly kills her old classmate for no reason. I also love the Amy Adams episode because despite having a mild depression myself I feel it's giving a positive message about depression. Lastly I feel like the writers genuinely had a thought about a storyline with Dan's niece (like her finding the secret and helping the sisters in some form I don't what) and decided to scrap it. Otherwise why introduce her like she's going to matter in the season? Ps I also feel like the "apocalypse not"episode is undermined in later seasons, I mean we see that the source is not the all powerful evil like this episode makes him to be .ps 2 I also very much liked Billie probably because she portayed by cuoco but the budgetery restrictions were very obvious in season 8.That was a lot but I see you like reading other fans' opinions 😊
Thank you for your thoughts :)
I enjoyed the atmosphere and episodic nature because it didn't make you feel like you had to watch the whole series or season and today not many people want to watch a long season drawn out story. Season 2 was had some meh moments but I enjoyed the fact that it did further develop and show us more of their lives and balancing the magic. From work, relationships, friendships. It was nice when episodes show the darkside of things and can mix in human villains which became less as the show moved along and more and more demons focused not many unique creatures or other worldly threats. I was happy we got to see Phoebe grow and mature and recognize how patterns with men and love, Prue growing out of mother big boss role and finding her dream, though people give it hate but it is a real situation Piper's love triangle with Dan and Leo, I wish that some the plans they had for the season went ahead. It was cool to know more about their past or their mother and grams past. It might not be arc heavy but I loved the character driven stories so we can grow and evolve with the cast.
I so wholeheartedly agree
Thank you for your thoughts :)
@@BetterWithBob Thank you and I like what you had to say especially about how the order of the episodes should have been and Jenny (who I thought should have been what would become Billie or Dawn from Buffy series).
Dan's so hot though! 😆 I do like your rewrite though it definitely would've been more interesting
I clicked on this video expecting to completely disagree with you but wanting to watch it anyway because I enjoy your content. While the season does contain some of my favorite episodes I actually agree with nearly all of your points! It's been so long since I've watched the whole season all together I had forgotten a lot of it's flaws!
Ooh that makes me feel all powerful lol
@@BetterWithBob 😆😆
I' m the oldest sister and so, Prue was always my favourite.
And as I'm as old as the actors/ charmed sisters,I could connect to their developments because I experienced much of that,too.
I like how the guy that got trapped in the astral plane was with Prue came back as one of the gods in season 5 👌🏾
I LOVE season 2 ❤
Great video! I actually hadn't realised it myself, but i agree with your take on season 2. I'm currently rewatching it myself and there are just a few too many episodes that i find completely unwatchable, such as That Old Black Magic and How to make a quilt out of Americans. They have weak storylines and try to fit in too much for one episode. Still, I love how the sister's relationships have developed and how their characters are progressing, I find that a joy to watch.
Aww 16:36 so true!! No matter what I always find an episode I love. I have this show time and time again.
Thank you for watching ^_^
I honestly despised Dan's character 1. because I hate love triangles and 2. I tended to just view him as an obstacle rather than a valid love interest. I love the idea of him being her doctor or something to flesh out his storyline. His character is literally only there to be a love interest with no real storyline of his own, especially when Jenny leaves. If they wanted him to be a rival for Leo, and enough to warrant title credits, he needed more to his character than what they gave him.
Agreed!
I enjoyed Season 2, but mostly because I watched it as an impressionable and dramatic teenager. Looking back at it now in my 30’s, it certainly wasn’t the best, agreeing with you on Season’s 3 & 4, but also not the worst… *cough* last 3 seasons *cough*… The whole Dan and Jenny stuff could’ve been left on the cutting room floor for sure, but I think the sophomore slump was necessary for everyone in the show to test out what does and doesn’t work, leading into better viewing in the following seasons. Love these videos ❤
thank you for watching :)
season 2 is one of my favorites actually i find 7 hard to get though
Yeah for me I guess the best thing about season 7 was Zankou 😊
you are SO right the atmosphere being abandoned really made the season felt really different…
Well Prue is my favorite being a Shannen fan.
Bobby the goat 💪💪
Much love A-How 🎉
Since you mentioned Sabrina the teenage witch and i saw you commented about it in another creaters video, are you planning to do anything with it like a season rank? That show was my childhood
I actually did a series wide video on it last year :)
My issue with Jenny is that she was unnecessary, and she got more focus than Darryl did. He was necessary to the program A LOT!
Season 1,2 and 3 was the best, the rest were bad, especially when pure left!
Season 2 was a bland snooze fest overall. It is one of the seasons I struggle the most with upon rewatch along with 6&8. I found the mini starting with Awakened and ending with Astral Monkey to be the most interesting thing that really happened in the season. It's a shame they didn't do more with that storyline. I really liked your idea btw 👌Chick Flick is definitely top tier Charmed imo. Oh and sorry but I really did not like the Titans. I'll never get your love of characters like Billie & Jenny but each to their own 😂😂
Don't love Jenny but don't hate her either
@spud8284 my sentiments exactly about Season 2. !!!!!!!
I have so many mixed feelings about season 2. It's a comfort season you can pop on because it's usually demon of the week format. But I agree that I didn't like the tone shift from the gothic ambiance of season 1. Season 2 felt like a season-long Valentine's Day ambiance (Heartbreak City, She's a Man Baby, a Man! plus the love triangle). It also had a lot of plots that could have been executed later or better: like the Abraxas plot to bring back former baddies would have been a good season finale (Why bring the Woogy back in the middle of the day instead of the night? Lost opportunity!) and I also like your idea of combining Dr. Williamson with Dan.
I'm not a fan of P3 H20 either, it a bland episode. I love what it sets up for season for giving a legitimate excuse for Paige's existence, I normally skip it on rewatch. I also always hated the line where Piper said Prue looks the most like mom and doesn't want to become her; when clearly Phoebe look the most like Patty. They even have the same smile and facial structure. Great casting btw lol.
Oh absolutely. I caught that on my most recent rewatch
Prue seems to take the most after Victor, while Piper is actually most reminiscent of Penny
@@BetterWithBob right it was just a weird line, but hey, that's they way they tried to spin it. Love your content btw thanks for letting me be able to tune in, turn on, and drop out for a while.
@@mr.narrator6781 Aha I see what you did there ;)
Wow...I didn't realize just how little of Season 2 I've seen/remember until you listed off all the episodes. Your breakdowns of Morality Bites, Pardon My Past, and Ms. Hellfire brought back memories, but aside from that, the only two episodes that I can distinctly recall watching were P3 H2O (which I agree, should've been the season finale, with directing by Shannen Doherty) and Murphy's Luck. The former because of Patty and the water demon, the latter because I primarily went at the time, "Hey, that's Imhotep from The Mummy!" (Also, I'm just now remembering that Amy Adams made guest appearances on both Charmed *and* Buffy, bad-ass). Now, it *could* be because I first discovered Charmed during re-runs of the Paige era, only learning about Prue's original role as I delved deeper into the show, but I'll give the later seasons this much: as much as they could aggressively fluctuate between high and low, there's a definite memorability to them. I remember Chris. I remember Wyatt. I remember Billie. I remember many of the villains (the Sea Hag, the Crone, Orin, etc.)
Btw, do you think you might cover any of the (somewhat) non-canon Charmed books? My middle school library had had Book 2: Kiss of Darkness, and I LOVED IT; so much so, that I would often re-read it just for the hell of it. It's about Prue getting kissed out of nowhere by a stranger during the Buckland's New Year's Eve party, so caught off-guard yet intrigued that there's a great scene dedicated to her dreaming about him. However though, she's soon compelled to kiss almost every guy she runs into, to the point that it drains (and nearly kills) her. Needless to say, pre-teen me was suckered in, and I still wish I could've read the other books promoted in the back pages as well. 🖤✨
I have a friend who covers all that sort of thing on his podcast Words of the Witches :) Highly recommend!
can you do a video about what's great about season 3 and how season 3 should have ended?
That's on the plans, but I particularly love how the season ended 😉
So your account is the reason I started my re-watch of Charmed (which I haven't watched fully beginning to end since it finishes its run, before now I just dipped into the odd episode) and I just finished S2 so wanted to re-watch this. Overall I agree with this video; there's def more weaker episodes in this season, I miss the overarching arc that S1 part 1 and later seasons had, however I do like seeing the character arcs the sisters go through.
Prue - who dedicated her life to her sisters and maintaining the home, starts off with a rebound Jack (who really hasn't aged well character wise) and throwing herself into a thankless job, but by the end she decides to pursue her passions and also try to find true love, not just a guy to keep her bed warm.
Piper is torn between her want for normal life and need to be there for her sisters, and seeing where her dark future goes and uncertain for a future with Leo, ends up throwing her into Dan, who seems to be the 'safe' option, but by the end she chooses Leo and her sisters, she embraces who she is, and accepting the loss that comes with it (loosing the doctor who tried to help her).
Phoebe decides to takes a brave step in going back to college, as well as growing as a witch - its really saisfying to go from re-writing a random spell that her college friends had in some random store-bought book, to writing all new spells and potions that she becomes the one the sisters rely on when they face a threat not in the book.
Thats just what I got from it anyways. Thanks for making these videos and encouraging me to rewatch it; re-experiencing this show has put a huge smile on my face when I really needed it.
I hated Piper ex Dan because Dan always so angry of jealous like he's been left out of the picture because of Leo issues and damn that drives me crazy
that’s actually the first time i come across somebody not liking prue, i’m highly shocked tbh she’s always been my fav 😂
aha there are times where I connect with her and Shannen does a fine job. I just prefer the other three lol
You slowly realizing you like Prue was literally me when I got back into Charmed after years🤣🤣🤣
Eh it's more like 'not disliking' as much. Episodes where she gets one-upped (Sin Francisco) are still very satisfying lol
Nice analysis. I agree with you with the most of it.
My raking of the seasons:
8. Season 5 :
Mostly because of the forced Cole storyline. It didn’t make much sense. Personally I rather have a him for the whole season with a better ending. Or perhaps maybe it would have ended better in Season 4.
But I do like few episodes though.
7. Season 8
I love Billie but besides that I just find season 8 boring. The reason why season 8 is before season 8 though is because I think that they actually had a better storyline this time. But I really don’t like that the sisters gave up their identities or that Leo was gone for most of the season.
6 . Season 2.
I have comment about before but the season has weak storyline . But I love many episodes in it. I also agree that I didn’t like what they did with the Jenny character. I actually liked her . But I didn’t like the love triangle. Because I think that she belongs with Leo.
5. Season 6
I like this season even though it has it flaws. I like Chris .And the storyline was good. I also like Leo in this season.
4. Season 7
I love the avatar storyline. But I think it should have been the whole season instead of just the first part. I didn’t like second part at all . But I loved Leo in this season.
3. Season 4
I think this season is one of the best ones because they introduced Paige very well in the cast. I also love the storyline between Phoebe and Cole.
2. Season 1
I love the goth theme in season 1 . And I have many good memories . The very first charmed ever episode I saw was “ Is There a Woogy in the House” . And I was hooked.
1. Season 3
Sense I’m a Phoebe and Cole shipper it would not make any surprise that I love this season. I’m also a great fan of Piper and Leo and got so happy when they finally got married.
I love Is A Woogy in the House ^_^
I’m a little bit higher on “They’re Everywhere”, “P3 H2O”, “Astral Monkey”, and “Apocalypse Not” then you are but it’s a solid depiction of the season. Dan and Jack were unnecessary (except for the twist from Pardon my Past for Dan) and there are some real stinkers like “She’s a Man, Baby, a Man”, “Animal Magnetism”, and “How to make a Quilt out of Americans” but I really enjoy a lot of Season 2 for what it is…
Daaamn, now I need a what if kind of videos with charmed. Making Dan useful and making him somewhat of a threat to the sisters would be amazing. Please, if you have spare time, do the what if stuff)
Ah sure that could be fun ^_^
It was very interesting to see your opinion on this season. Season two has always been my favorite, even more so now, and my view on it is very different. The only episode in the season I didn’t really like was the one with the succubus, but I loved many you hated. The Tuatha episode is actually a favorite of mine, and I enjoyed the Dan arc (though I will admit it began to drag).
I actually do like season 2 but I understand the criticisms because compared to season 1, it was a tad bland in comparison and I've gotta admit that I LOVED the darker atmosphere of season 1 a lot more and it actually makes me all the more sad that the show didn't continue with that vibe in the later seasons. Season 1 just felt like a maturer style of the Craft and I think that's why I loved season 1 so much. That all said, while the show was a bit more silly in season 2, I still found the episodes fun. I agree with Dan though. As handsome as the character was, he was VERY bland and felt like they tried way too hard in the beginning making him perfect. They didn't really give him anything that made him stand out as his own character. With Andy in season 1, we learn that he likes chessy horror movies and basketball and he had neat friendship with Darryl. Meanwhile Dan just had Jenny which could've worked with some more planning but it was obvious that they didn't know what they wanted to do with Jenny and that was a shame. They could've had her bond with Phoebe since Phoebe was still homebound most of the time and she could've been a big sister figure for her similar to how she was with Aviva in season 1.
And while I did like the wardrobe of season 2 as it as full of late 90s trends, I really didn't like how they dressed Prue's work attire. I LOVED her business casual looks in season 1, they looked both stylish but also work appropriate (for the most part lol) and it made her more believable. Nitpick sorta but I diguess.
Anyway personally I still enjoy season 2. Not as much as but I still would pick it as my second favorite season because it still was fun, my top 5 episodes being The Painted World, Morality Bites, Awakened, The Devil's Music, and Ex Libris. :)
Aviva's actress makes The Fourth Sister work in a way it probably wouldn't otherwise. And I feel for Jenny's actress, she does her best, but she wasn't given enough to do.
All the more impressive because Danielle Harris was filming a movie at the same time, and for that week she would go from one set to the other on very little sleep lol
season 1 really had a moodiness i'm sad we didn't see more of but seasons 2 and first half of 4 share its place as my favourite season. I kinda wish we had more episodes like The Woogyman it's probably the last one i've ever seen : born in '99, i saw the paige era as it aired one year after the US on M6, and i managed to recatch more of the show as it got re-broadcast around 2008 on AB3 (both are french tv-channels btw) so season 1 has always been in my blind spot. Later on, i rewatched the show on and off, never in the proper order (i had seen the entire show - or so i thought- at that point through different reruns) i have a Prime Video subscription since 2021 and i figured i might as well rewatch a bit and that's when i started to re focus on season 1, the vibe matches my current tastes so muc more and i grew fond of prue, i finally eneded watching Woogyman through and through and i fell in love with it, the moodiness and character exploration as well the expermental feeling of this episode makes it feel like nothing else on the show... and that, kids is how i met your mother.
*I don't mind season 2. One of my favourite episodes was Witch Trial. I love that they brought past demons/warlocks back and Shannen's acting was amazing. I did miss Andy Trudeau and Claire Pryce from season 1, I also wasn't a fan of Jenny at all, she was annoying and I don't know why they added her to the opening credits so fast*
Ooh Clare was fun. The actress understood the assignment and she brought a lot to the scenes
@@BetterWithBob I loved her and Prue's scenes.
Why does this always happen with show the first season is dark and vibey and then it goes away in later seasons (i.e. supernatural season 1)?
So true!!!!!!!!
Sometimes it can happen if it gets out of the hands of the original creators or there's a change in the writing team. Sometimes the higher ups want things to be lighter in the fear that getting too bleak might alienate audiences
@@BetterWithBob which is unfortunate because I love dark themes. Season 1 was an awesome example of that.
Well-said by the way, Bob!
Season 2 is so well written tho.. perfect pacing and great dialogues, it's all so well made and it just flows!
I noticed that as well!
The season 2 episode 1 made little kid me question if I even wanted to be a Witch anymore. Murphys Luck hurt my whole soul 😢
You literally mentioned once upon a time charmed Buffy supernatural smallville all in my top 10 shows of all time can’t wait for you to talk about angel Doyle and season 3 are amazing
Doyle was my favourite. Killing him off so soon is another one for Joss Whedon's many list of sins
@@BetterWithBob I mean, at least for Doyle it wasn’t Joss The actor apparently was frequently coming late to set and had drug issues then he overdosed. Unfortunately, a few years after the show ended , it’s funny how Doyle was only in the show for maybe five episodes and it’s still one of the best characters all the way up until the end but I will blame Jossfor simultaneously creating one of the best characters in his universe, Cordelia, and then ruined her whole arc within the span of one season
I agree that season 2 was a bit weak. But i think it was necessary to put the pieces intor place to make the other seasons great.
All three sisters find their professional path. Phoebe really caring about what makes ppl tick, Piper opening her club an Prue leaving bucklands.
We learn more about what makes their love lives tick.
Piper learns that Leo is the one, we learn Phoebe suffers from abandoment issues and that her superficial romatic dangles are a search for love and Prue is not ready to truly love.
Magic becomes part of their "mundane" lives, planting the seeds for many later struggles.
Darren became a true ally
Phoebe and Prue became closer.
Many Rules of magic are dealed with.
And they learned a lot of what not to do...;)
Ooh that's a really interesting perspective
Yeah the whole Darryl finding out they are witches they way it was down was so stupid !! Charmed 1998-2006 fan here !!
Yeah season 2 was a bit of a mixed bag with great episodes and not so great episodes and overall a little directionless.
I do like the 'Monster of the week' format but I do gravitate to seasons with more of an overall story arc.
At least season 1 had the overall season arc of discovering their powers, delving into the world of magic and re-building their sisterly bond. Rex & Hannah from S1 were my least favourite 'big bads' though!
Season 3 & 4 are also my favourites, seasons 6 & 8 being at the bottom, seasons 1, 2 5 & 7 all being interchangeable in the middle.
But I love how you end the video stating Charmed is still Charmed and there's something to love in every season/episode.
Totally agree - if you made me watch my least favourite season 6 of Charmed right now, I would gladly as overall i'd still give the season a 7/10. Charmed will probably always be my favourite show and has so much rewatchability factor!
Yeah I had this discussion with someone else the other day. My least favourite seasons are only that because the likes of 3 and 4 set the bar so high and are still very enjoyable. The entire series is great tbh
Completely disagree. Season 2 is my favourite season of all time!! Love it and this is a hill I’ll die on! I’ll love your videos tho 😊😂
This season is my favorite. Its the most fun, yet still remains serious. The show found its groove and it was still ensured the sisterhood remained a large focus. I don't really care about the Dan/Leo love triangle, but any Piper time is great.
See, for me, Season 7 is the worst season of the show. So, let's go through it.
"A Call To Arms" - decent start, but overall problematic
"The Bare Witch Project" - unnecessarily annoying
"Cheaper By the Coven" - a rare fun episode this season
"Charrrmed!" - because Pirates of the Caribbean was a hit
"Styx Feet Under" - the first of the two best episodes of the season
"Once In A Blue Moon" - just... why?
"Someone to Witch Over Me" - decent episode saved by the reappearance of Future Chris
"Charmed Noir" - because what we needed was yet more useless filler
"There's Something About Leo" - remove it from the run and you miss absolutely nothing
"Witchness Protection" - an episode made fun only by Charisma Carpenter interacting with the sisters
"Ordinary Witches" - meh
"Extreme Makeover: World Edition" - also meh
"Charmageddon" - the second of the two best episodes of the season
"Carpe Demon" - beginning of a pointless mini-arc
"Show Ghouls" - another excuse for lavish costumes
"The Seven Year Witch" - end of the pointless mini-arc, only the Leo stuff matters here
"Scry Hard" - forgettable
"Little Box of Horrors" - ugh, pointless
"Freaky Phoebe" - mostly filler
"Imaginary Fiends" - fun filler
"Death Becomes Them" - downright depressing
"Something Wicca This Way Goes" - also depressing and adds confusion about how Prue's powers worked
It's honestly a wonder they got green lit for an eighth season, but thank God they did because Season 8 at least allowed them to go out with a bang. Had Season 7 been the end, it would have been a tragedy.
I liked seasonn2. S1-3 were my favourites. Prue and piper were my faves
That's my favorite season
I disagree. While season 2 doesn't have an overarching story, it doesn't need too. There's a thing I see a lot around general discourse that what makes season 2 (or a season/show in general) bad is that they have no story arc, which simply isn't true. In fact the standalone episodes are among the best in the show. And despite the lack of an ongoing story, there are plot elements that do connect! I always enjoyed the metaphor or theme of episodes like Morality Bites, Murphy's Luck, Pardon My Past, Astral Monkey, Ms. Hellfire. However, it also has meh ones, She's a Man Baby, Old Black Magic and especially Animal Pragmatism. While it is the worst of the Prue seasons and excluding my preference for Seasons 1-4, I consider Season 5 to have a lot of the same issues. But in some areas lack heart of the more fun episodes of Season 2. In fact both seasons are very similar and considered Sophmore Slumps.
Paige has a lot of traits of Season 2 Phoebe that their arcs mirror each other, though they are obviously different people, the shift to standalone episodes after a darker starting season, a mix of weak and strong standalone episodes etc. While crap like the Dan love triangle thing was doomed to fail as it was set up (especially given Piper's motivation for doing so and the fact it makes her pretty unlikable in seasons involving Leo during some of the drama moments, like the scene in P3 where she catches Leo and Dan fighting) season 5 also does it much worse with the Phoebe/Cole drama, which not only wasted its potential during the end of the previous with a weak wrap up, but the fact it drags on for half of the season just kills the vibe or fun a lot of those earlier episodes had, and like with the Dan "romance" I question myself "this could have been used for something else" in fact episodes like The Eyes Have it were great because Cole wasn't there and outside of a line about him being out of time isn't mentioned in such a mean spirited way. The overall Cole bashing and how much it takes up that first half sours a lot of potential for storylines that when it does get rid of the drama (in such a mean spirited anticlimatic way) alot of the fun like with Season 2 is a mix bag. You have fun episodes like Sense and Sense Ability, but then have episodes like the finale which I also feel wasted its potential in areas and also didn't enjoy how it concluded, mostly because of how it does Leo's character and the Piper/Leo drama, which grows tiring over time. Or Nymphs just wanna Have fun, which outside of Paige wasn't a particularly fun or engaging episode.
I also think the opener of Season 5 is weaker, to be fair though Season 2 is one of the weaker seasons when it comes to finales, something the later seasons admittedly do well or better in some cases. Though and this is unpopular, I'm not a fan of Season 8's finale. But that's a discussion for another time. lol I WILL say, Season 1's gothic horror vibe is primarily why it is my favorite season, because while other seasons like 3 and 4 are darker, I feel the more gothic vibe REALLY added to the tone of Season 1 that gave it a more distinct and visual flair over the rest of them, despite a lower budget. I think, even though it is the first showing of the Power of Three, the vanquish of Javna remains one of my favorites of the show!
I'm with you. I don't get why ppl like the series finale so much when they did it better in the S7 finale. #shade
Let's prepare ourselves for the tomatoes that would be thrown our way 😅
Ps I loved the nymph episode. Having Paige and Piper fight was just pure hilarity and it brought that sisterly dynamic btw them that fans always claim was so lacking in the Paige years.
@@TCt83067695 For me the sister element in Paige years didn't lack until around Season 6. And I liked the Piper/Paige thing, even if Piper was a bit dramatic and wasn't a fan of the Book of Shadows scene.
@@Surgemaster2012 the color coding of the BOS?
"She defaced our family heirloom"
Classic. I loved it 😂
I'm with Paige. They needed a better system to categorize beings in the book. I'm surprised they ever found anything in the book in time.
@@TCt83067695season 8 ending is filled with plotholes
@@Surgemaster2012season 8 ending is filled with potholes
child, season is my favorite
Woman with long hair trying to heal Leo on the couch gives strong Sleepwalker’s vibes
This time I disagree. Season 2 isn't the best season, but it has a lot of good episodes. Some boring ones, sure. But I actually think it's better than a lot of the later seasons that you like. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like every season. But I actually don't mind this one, and I don't think it's the weakest by any means.
Second weakest for me. 6 is weaker but still watchable
@@BetterWithBob You've inspired me to rewatch the second season as a standalone and see if I feel the same.
Ok I thought I was crazy because after my recent watch of Season 1, I wasn't loving the idea of going to Season 2. I think you outlined a lot of cool things I would have liked to see!
Is this the season that Piper sort of starts her "I want a normal life, over being a witch" vibe because I find that lasts almost the whole series and it kind of annoys me. 😅 It's totally understandable but I dunno. Maybe because I just wish I could freeze time like her. 🤣
It shows up in the episode How To Make A Quilt Out of Americans where they have their powers stolen and she decides that she's had it, mainly because she doesn't like the idea of growing old while Leo stays immortal. Then not again until Once Upon a Time when she goes on strike after they take Leo away, and full force in Season 4 after Prue's death
Personally I love the whole show.
この頃は 3人とも笑顔が多かった気がします。 シーズン7と8は皆さん 暗い表情と 雰囲気を感じました
Some of my favorite episodes are from season 2, but it also has plenty of duds.
*Whatever happened to the spirit board?*
It's still there in the house. In a Season 8 episode when they're trapped in the dollhouse, they're able to contact Billie with it
@@BetterWithBob that's right. I remember now. I don't rewatch Season 8 as much lol
A Spartacus breakdown!!!!!
I did a video on it last year but might do one on Vengeance one day
I didn’t like Jenny at all however, if they set her up correctly I feel like Billie would never have felt like a random character later on. And ugh P3 H2O is so boring personally I don’t think meeting Sam was necessary at all obviously until Paige came into the picture but I just felt it was disrespectful as hell. This man was with their mother while she was still married but sure let’s save him. Prue had EXTREME anger towards Victor but her and the mistress was cool…WTF
Oh that's an interesting point with that episode I hadn't thought of
@@BetterWithBob it just never made sense Prue was so angry at Victor yet somehow she and Sam reached an understanding?
@@AprilRose77 that's because Victor was her father and he abandoned her which forced Prue to grow up quickly. That led to her missing out on most of her childhood.
@@neishawnjohnson7602 I understand why she’s angry but I guess it just baffled me she can be mad at Victor for reacting to his wife cheating(he shouldn’t have stayed away of course) but she not mad at the man who changed their course of history if Patty never met him she would never have been at the lake.
Season 5 is my favourite !!!
Season 2 definitely has the "oh we have a slightly bigger budget and oh crap we don't have a full plan oh no" vibe. Another show I'd add to the season 2 slump is Babylon 5. I rewatched it recently and yeah, it's so slow and Bruce Boxleitner can't even save it.
I never watched it but I'm told its fifth season went a lot like Charmed's as well?
@@BetterWithBob yeah. They weren't sure they were getting a 5th season and they had to pull together a season.
It was always strange how they had the 2nd to last episodes like a finale, and then tacked on some random last episode. It always felt out of place.
I wonder if it's because some seasons they never knew if they were coming back. I know for 4 they were kept waiting for so long that as an apology they were given an automatic two season renewal - so for 5 and 6 they knew they'd have more time to build to a proper finale
Will you do the same with season 6 and the opposite with seasons 3 and 4 (the best one)?
oh for absolute sure!
FINALLY someone who agrees with me that season 2 doesnt work!!! I struggled with this season because it doesnt have that metaphorical energy that got me attached to the first season and the rest of them are in the same boat. Like I wonder what made them want to divert from the first season tone?
Agree, never been a fan if season 2
Okay, I think I’ve finally found a place to vent.
I’ve been listening to the house of Halliwell podcast, and, HOLY SHIT, is HMC unlikable, no wonder their producing seasons are the worst. She literally made piper in her liking
Drew fuller and Brian crause are so so nice, drew constantly admires the episodes and HMC completely dismisses his opinion, especially for the episodes that focus on prue or phoebe, but freaking GUSHING about piper centered episodes
She talks over the co-hosts, making the SAME unfunny jokes over and over again, and pointing out irrelevant issues with the earlier episodes but saying “oh I was not a producer yet, so it’s all their fault”, when the seasons she actually produced are god awful and destroy any character development making piper and phoebe extremely unlikable
Like bruh THE NARCISSISM
absolutely loved Drew’s inputs though, he’s very easy to please :)
Edited for typos
Wow, I never knew there were episode commentaries like that, thanks for sharing. :O
I always knew HMC was twisted. Always written on her face as she just scowls perpetually.
All 3 original sister actors were twisted, imo. Rose seems the only one among the crowd who's sane.
I wish we could sent you back in time to lead the writing team and put those wanderful ideas to practice.
You're very sweet 🙂
@@BetterWithBob ☺
I love episode 20 of Season 5 of charmed