Forever Charmed - the Series Finale (Spoilers for UK)

[Lyri]

i'm sorry, apparently i'm missing the 'difficulty' of Charmed. What's hard to understand? if you've never watched the show, or don't watch it often, i feel that you can pretty much tune into an ep (if there's no Buffy or Angel on, of course) and know exactly what's going on, because they spend a lot of time in each ep running a commentary, in case the regular viewers have forgotten.
you can't do that with Buffy, and especially not with Angel S4. Buffy and Angel are heavily arced throughout a season, and, while i admit that Charmed does usually have an running theme throughout a season, Piper's pregnancies, Gideon trying to get rid of Wyatt, and so on, a lot of their eps are very one shot, with one shot characters popping up then popping off.
Buffy takes a lot more concentratiopn, mainly because of all of the back stories that many of that characters have, mostly Spike and Angel. it's hard for a newbie to the show to watch an ep like 'Somnambulist' or 'Are You Now or Have you Ever Been' or 'Becoming PT1/2' and expect to them to know what's going on when the show keeps jumping between the past and the present.
the difficulty of Charmed seems to be escaping me.

 

[Xander]

What makes Charmed difficult to understand is not the sister stuff. It's the fact that when the series begins, we have three sisters getting their magical powers restored[/i] and one of the three comes back home after being in New York for the previous six months.
Why did they not have their powers at the beginning of the show and why did one sister leave home for six months? Both of those issues are discussed in later episodes, but in terms of time, those events should have been first on the list.
That's what is tough to grasp.

I disagree. The pilot of any show is aimed to create interest in the show and make people watch. If the pilot was to say "Heres three sisters, they're powers were bound when they were kids because of a warlock and unlocked when they were older because they read the spell and Phoebe had been in NY for six months because shes a "rebel"" It'd be more like a one hour movie, a self-contained plot. The pilot should (but I wouldn't really say it does) make you think "but why have the sisters got their powers now". The pilot makes it seem as if they got their powers because they are destined to. If they had found out (not sure how) their powers were bound and discovered why later, that would have created more interest.

It would be like the pilot for Lost saying "Heres 12(ish?) people whose plane crashed and landed on this island. There are others, a hatch and the reason they don't ever get off the island is because they're all dead/dreaming/drunk/unwanted/whatever"

 

[Chasing Cordy]

If they had found out (not sure how) their powers were bound and discovered why later, that would have created more interest.

Uhhh, they did.

On a side note:
Have you guys ever noticed we agree on things...just not at the same time and we phrase things differently.

 

[Lyri]

i think what Xander means is, that it might have been better if they found out their powers had been bound in the pilot episode...then found out leater why they were bound.
like Xander said, it does seem that, in the first ep, their powers were a destiny deal...they got them for the first time on that night.

 

[Xander]

Lyri gets me. If in the pilot they read Grams' diary (or a letter or whatever) and it mentioned having to bind their powers, then it would have built intruige (to later be answered in "That 70's episode") but instead it seemed like they just got their powers for the first time that night.

 

[Chasing Cordy]

If you guys watch the first episode, we see Phoebe and Prue talking at a restaurant.
The lines go as follows:

Prue "You turned me into a witch"
Phoebe "You were born one. We all were"

It sounds as if Phoebe figured out they were witches prior to the first episode!

 

[Black Eye Guy]

No, no way, That in no way says she knew they had powers and were bound, she just meant it was destined for them, they are completly shocked to find out later that they had powers as children.

 

[Xander]

If you guys watch the first episode, we see Phoebe and Prue talking at a restaurant.
The lines go as follows:

Prue "You turned me into a witch"
Phoebe "You were born one. We all were"

It sounds as if Phoebe figured out they were witches prior to the first episode!

No it doesn't. She reads the book of shadows, finds out about the Halliwell lineage and naturally and correctly concludes that they were born witches. What inkling would she have had that she was born a witch before? Their powers were bound when Phoebe was born, thus she wouldn't have been able to remember ever using them (not that anyone can remember incidents from the first few years of childhood).

I'd say she didn't come back from NY because she thought they were witches (if she did think that she would have been snooping around, didn't she go into the attic due to a power failure?) or contacting mediums or such. I'd imagine she came back because she became broke/bored or her boyfriend buggered off.

 

[Hopeless]

Well, I think that the tiltle is kinda tacky... and I dont think Charmed should have ended in season 8 🙁 I have already lost Buffy, Angel and Tru Calling... im soo depressed lol 🙂 well it cant go on forever

I don't think it should have either. I liked the Season 7 ending better. That's just my opinion.

 

[Chasing Cordy]

I think the reason you guys don't like Charmed is because you believe it is supposed to be serious and fails big time at it.
Charmed is meant to entertain and that all.
It isn't anyone's fault (other than your own) if you choose to place Charmed on a serious scale and see it doesn't make it close to the top.

It has flaws and that okay. Peronally, I'm a big fan of Charmed and never have spotted 99% of what everybody else sees. I guess that's their job?

In a way it seems like you're trying to compare it to other shows and it doesn't match up quite well. That's simply due to the fact that you think it is supposed to be other shows...it isn't!

I look at Charmed as fun to watch. BtVS seems like they tried too hard to make serious episodes and forgot the fun part. Oh, sure there are some great parts of Buffy's shows, but overall, it's just not "fun"

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I think the reason you guys don't like Charmed is because you believe it is supposed to be serious and fails big time at it.
Charmed is meant to entertain and that all.
It isn't anyone's fault (other than your own) if you choose to place Charmed on a serious scale and see it doesn't make it close to the top.

Charmed is supposed to be as serious as any other show, if you think they make it with the intention of just mindless fun for the viewers you are wrong! That is an accident, of their terrible continuity!!

In a way it seems like you're trying to compare it to other shows and it doesn't match up quite well. That's simply due to the fact that you think it is supposed to be other shows...it isn't!

Charmed like every other show gets compared to other shows, and it's the shows fault that it fails!

I look at Charmed as fun to watch. BtVS seems like they tried too hard to make serious episodes and forgot the fun part. Oh, sure there are some great parts of Buffy's shows, but overall, it's just not "fun"

That is the biggest load of crap!! Charmed is fun because the makers know that no one, and I mean NO ONE, really gives a crap about it. No one would bother to look for deeper meaning, no one would expect the characters to remember stuff they did in the past. It's just mindless! And thats because it doesn't have the same level of sophisticated viewer (and I don't mean that in a pretentious way, I mean that they are more likely to understand complex situations) they will have no problem watching a allergorical show.

If you think tuning in to watch a mindless 40 minuets of Television is more fun, then watching a show that has character development, doesn't constantly repeat itself, actually sticks to it's mythology and trusts it's viewers to understand what is going on in the show, fine. Have fun 🙂

 

[Lyri]

NOT FUN?! what have you been watching? how can you have watched BTVS and not found it fun? dear God, i would hate to be you, you obviously have a one track mind when it comes to Charmed...and yet you don't see 99% of what everyone else sees? and what do you mean by, 'I guess that's their job?' who's job?
yes, BTVS is a serious show, but it always funny. the clever dialogue, delivery of the actors, is what makes it fun. BTVS is very arc-heavy throughtout the seven seasons...maybe this is why you dislike it so mcuh...because you find it hard to concentrate on each episode, whereas most of us love that fact the the story carries on from week to week, forcing us to really pay attention to what's happening, incase it's important later on.
Charmed isn't like that...yea, it normally has a continuing storyline, but most of the episodes are one shot, meaning you don't have to concentrate to know what's going on, and therefore it's easy veiwing for people who really don't want to pay much attention.
Charmed is noted for is EXTREMLY bad continuity throughout it's eight year run, unlike BTVS and Angel, who are known for realizing it's fans are smarter than most and have put things in that they know we will get...Charmed obviously doesn't think this way, because they stick things in that don't make sense and hope that their viewers won't notcie.

i agree with whoever asked why you bought the DVD's of a show you don't like...seems like a big waste of money to me.

 

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

i think that though they followed the arc all the time on buffy, like lyri and BEG said, there's lots of episodes that have so much hilarity in them. some scenes in episodes cracked me up completely. for instance, tabula rasa. if you werent laughing at that at all, i think that you must have a different sense of humor than most of us have! true, if you hadnt been keeping up in the past, some (only some) of the humor might be lost, but thats part of what everyones been saying about continuity! as i know many people have already said to the point that some of you may be tired of hearing it, the writers know we're not stupid and we know whats going on, and can incorporate it into the episodes, and thats part of what makes it great!

charmed may be fun, but buffy is also fun, plus it has the continuity. there's a line between fun and 'things done randomly for the heck of it in hopes that people will laugh, enjoy themselves, and not notice its flaws'. at first, you have all this cool wiccan stuff, which is more believable and not as cheesy (i always liked the earlier seasons of charmed better), but then you've got fairies and lepruchauns popping up all over, which i just felt was going too far. some of the new mythology didnt even make sense, or match up to the old mythology. like buffy said, "there are two things that i dont believe in: coincidence and lepruchauns".

 

[Xander]

So you're allowed to compare Charmed to other, more serious, shows as long as the comparison is favourable upon Charmed, but we're not allowed to if its negative toward Charmed.

At the end of the day, a program such as Scrubs isn't meant to be serious and doesn't seem to think of itself as such, but it a very good quality program. A program like Footballers Wives is tacky but aims to be. It knows its a crappy silly show. Charmed does not seem to be in the same boat as Footballers Wives.

But as I've said a few times, I watch it. Nothing against the show. I was watching Pre-Witched earlier, but I just think the show is fluff.

 

[Chasing Cordy]

People that talk to me about Charmed is like athiests talking to the Pope about religion. You have folks who are basically ignorant to a subject talking to an expert about it. Sadly, the non-experts believe they have the upper hand.

I SERIOUSLY think you guys don't read what I write.
Everything you're saying is something I agree with. For some reason, it's right when you say it, but it's wrong when I say it.

I'm debating with folks that are not fans of one show and worship another.
I however have watched both shows and enjoy them both--but think of one as being slightly better--which is unbiased

If you really watch Charmed (as opposed to watching it as an after thought), you would not consider it lame.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

People that talk to me about Charmed is like athiests talking to the Pope about religion. You have folks who are basically ignorant to a subject talking to an expert about it. Sadly, the non-experts believe they have the upper hand.

Ok even if I had never watched Buffy I could still judge it as a viewer of Television, no comaring it to other shows but looking at it from a telivision point of view it still falls short, with it's repeated storylines, terrible acting and lack of continuity!

I SERIOUSLY think you guys don't read what I write.
Everything you're saying is something I agree with. For some reason, it's right when you say it, but it's wrong when I say it.

Point out one place this has happened! using actual quotes from you and the person who said the same thing?

I'm debating with folks that are not fans of one show and worship another.
I however have watched both shows and enjoy them both--but think of one as being slightly better--which is unbiased

I watched Charmed when it started and grew bored of its tedious plot lines, But I have still seen all the episodes, with the exception of a few in season 6, so I think I'm totally qualified to debate which one is better then the other, and Charmed doesn't even come close to Buffy!

If you really watch Charmed (as opposed to watching it as an after thought), you would not consider it lame.

That's not true, I used to watch Charmed every week up until the end of season 5, but it's that fact that the show is lame that drove me away from it.

And for someone who says we don't listen to what you have to say, you seem to be quite good at it yourself! We read what you wrote and then defended Buffy, to which you changed your point to "your not a fan of the show, you can't judge it", this has been your way of arguing this whole time, you make a point people respond then you change topic without responding to what they said!

 

[Xander]

People that talk to me about Charmed is like athiests talking to the Pope about religion. You have folks who are basically ignorant to a subject talking to an expert about it. Sadly, the non-experts believe they have the upper hand.

Maybe it wasn't your intention, but that sounds so arrogant. I have seen every episode of Veronica Mars at least three or four times, I have read as many interviews/insights etc as I can find and yet I wouldn't call myself an expert. Maybe its an idiosyncratic linguistic difference.

I SERIOUSLY think you guys don't read what I write.
Everything you're saying is something I agree with. For some reason, it's right when you say it, but it's wrong when I say it.

Brownie points for whoever spots the irony.

I'm debating with folks that are not fans of one show and worship another.
I however have watched both shows and enjoy them both--but think of one as being slightly better--which is unbiased

If you really watch Charmed (as opposed to watching it as an after thought), you would not consider it lame.

More linguistic grey-areas. Im not a fan of Charmed, but nor do I hate it. Its a show I used to really like, but found better and now just watch it when bored. Maybe you could say im an un-fan. I don't worship Buffy, the last time I watched a full episode was a few days ago (again nothing to do), but other than that a long time ago.

Why is it unbiased? Why are we biased? Granted we are on a Buffy board which means we as a mass like Buffy, but doesn't mean we like it best. I'm also part of a Charmed forum. Also how can we be bias? You are bias towards who looks better out of your children and others? You are bias over your art designs compared to other peoples. Unless you work for the show (or know people who do) you can't be bias towards it. You can just have your own personal opinion, which is what we have here.

 

[zombie.apparatus]

Ok Chasing Cordy, what makes you think we arent reading what you are writing.. if we weren't reading it then we wouldnt have responed to it.. members are posting what they think and some of the things you are saying doesnt make sense ?

 

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

People that talk to me about Charmed is like athiests talking to the Pope about religion. You have folks who are basically ignorant to a subject talking to an expert about it. Sadly, the non-experts believe they have the upper hand.

excuse me?! ill have you know that before i watched angel and buffy, i LOVED that show. it was my all time favourite show! then it starting becoming a bit worse in quality, as others have said, and i liked it less. still, i have seen every single episode! i own dvds for s1-s4. and s1-s4 are still my favourite seasons which i still love and watch! i used to be a charmed trivia book who you could stump with no trivia, and even now, you still couldnt stump me with 3/4 of it (darn 1/4!) ! i used to be part of, like xander is, a charmed board too. i am insulted that you say i am ignorant to this show talking to an expert, and therefore have worthless judgement!

mmm...i just reread what i wrote, and after having reread it, im beginning to think that we are all ganging up on Chasing Cordy. are we? cause we shouldnt be. he should be able to voice his opinions without us ambushing his every word. and also, he should not be saying we are ignorant and not reading what he says. especially since that just provokes us to respond with more insults. i know you guys are enjoying the heated discussion, but maybe we should be aware a bit more that thats what it is. we have every right to continue it, but we shouldnt be singling him out and he shouldnt be insulting us. its supposed to be about opinions. is it just me, or is it becoming more about personal attacks?

 

[Chasing Cordy]

I'm still caught up on this idea of folks saying "I watch(ed) Charmed, but think it's lame"
If you think it's lame, why do/did you watch it?

Before you gang up on me because that's how I apparently see BtVS, I have to restate that I do indeed like Buffy's series...just not as much as the critics do. Just because I give BtVS a 7/10 instead of a 10/10 it does not mean I hate the show.