An important and entertaining feminist series about three powerful women and kick ass witches who are very human in a supernatural world. 

• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
• Fun factor: ★★★★★
• Drama factor: ★★★★★
• Supernatural factor: ★★★★★
• Female empowerment factor ★★★★★

Charmed is a supernatural drama series about three powerful young women who find out that they are witches and now their whole world is turned upside down. Now they have to face demons and warlocks, protect the innocents, all while trying to lead a normal life. It stars Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Ted King, Dorian Gregory. It was created by  Constance M. Burge.

It consists of 22 episodes. (40-45 min)

Plot

The sisters Prue, Piper and Phoebe are raised by their grandmother “Grams” Penny after their mother Patty died. They return to the old mansion in San Francisco where they grew up. While they are now a bit estranged they have to live together to figure out what to do next. 

When Phoebe finds an ouija board, the planchette moves all by itself and spells ‘attic’ The attic has always been locked, but now the door is open. She finds a book in a chest and reads from it aloud. It’s an incantation. In that instance when they are together something happens. It turns out that they are witches which was hidden from them all this time. Prue finds out she has the power of telekinesis, Piper can influence atoms and freeze things in time. And Phoebe has the power of premonition. 

Now that they are witches, they have the responsibly to help and save the innocents from evil and to fight evil.They immediately become targets for the demonic world. They are the Charmed Ones, destined to be the most powerful witches ever lived, and their lives will forever be changed. 

Continue reading below this announcement.

Short Review

The series has a monster/demon-of-the-week format and an overall big bad or evil that plays a part during the season. This means that a lot of different kinds of demons are causing mayhem, are after them and make their lives a bit more complicated. 

While it’s a supernatural series about witches, demons, and all kinds of supernatural beings, it’s also a story about three sisters, their relationships with each other, their normal lives. They have to navigate their witching lives combined with their jobs, their search for love, while they have to learn to live with each other again under one roof. That makes it a very fun series to watch. The mundane and already difficult lives of young women finding their way in the world and on top of that evil that is coming after them.  

The series while dealing with evil and demons is more fantasy/superntaural based mixed with drama and feel-good vibes rather than that it’s scary. The demons are all human-like with each species having other powers. This first season is all very mild, and takes the time to flesh-out the characters of Prue, Piper and Phoebe, the house that is build on a powerful supernatural Nexus, and their new lives. They use the spells in the Book of Shadows, that always rhyme to vanquish a demon or make a potion to vanquish them. The Book of Shadows was created and written by all their ancestors who were all witches. They also can talk to Grams who appears to them as a ghost and even can turn physical to give advice or to stick her nose into their business. 

The series has a lot of humor too. While it’s not a comedy it makes use of comic relief to keep both the horror as the drama mild. Although they don’t shy away from difficult choices, they can’t save everyone, and bad things happen to them as well, in their witching lives as in their normal lives. That’s also the strength of the series. They might have super powers, underneath it all they are just ordinary women, like you and me, who struggle with mostly female issues that are addressed as well and offer social commentary. They are normal but also vulnerable even more so while their powers come from their emotions. 

Prue, Piper and Phoebe are sisters but with very different personalities that compliment each other but they also bump heads. They do not always agree, have different approaches, but in the end they have to figure it out together. While Prue is the oldest and the conscientious one, the strong one who makes all the final decisions and isn’t afraid to do so. She is stubborn, smart and has a steady well paying job as an art historian at an auction house that mostly pays the bills. Piper is the middle sister. She is often in the middle of fights between Prue and Phoebe, although she hates conflict. She is a bit indecisive, she is caring, likes to cook. She is sensitive and insecure and wants to be a chef but works as a manager in a restaurant. Phoebe is the youngest and the only one who lived in New York before Grams died. She knows how to get in trouble. She is impulsive, a free spirit, curious and doesn’t take responsibility and doesn’t have a job. 

They were raised by Grams who is a strong feminist who was married a couple of times but remained very independent. Their mother died when Phoebe was still a baby and was divorced from their father Victor. The sisters learn that they were witches when they were born and had powers when they were young. But Grams decided to bind their powers for their own safety. When she died the spell was lifted and they got their powers back.  

They get help from Andy Trudeau a police detective, who grew up with the sisters but doesn’t know they are witches. Neither does his partner Darryl Morris. They also have a handyman Leo, who helps the sisters around the house. Secretly he is a Whitelighter, a guardian angel for witches who guides them and has the powers to heal. They figure that out after a while. He is also the love interest of Piper. 

The episodes contain all kinds of supernatural beings, they have to fight or help. They have to fight Warlocks,  Javna, a youth stealing demon, shapeshifting demons, a man who invades dreams, Hecate, demons, Barbas the demon of fear, the Boogeyman from the Nexus, Gridlocks, vengeful spirits, a Darklighter and Tempus a time demon. They have to save innocents and help a restless spirit and three thieves from an Egyptian curse. While they also have to deal with real-life problems like paying the bills. This all results in a variety of episodes. 

Charmed is a wonderful series with three strong women who try to navigate their lives while fighting evil. It’s fun, entertaining, it can be thrilling, it has romance and humor and even sad moments an very normal human life problems. The three sisters are the center of the story and are all evenly charming to watch.