The premiere episode of the Charmed reboot has finally made its debut on The CW. Here’s our review of the pilot.
The Charmed reboot has been marred by plenty of controversy. Many original fans didn’t want to see the reboot happen in the first place, but were willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, the creators decided to go in a different direction from the 1998 series, despite there being plenty of related ideas they could’ve tapped into.
Once the pilot was picked up at The CW, Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell, had a bone to pick with the new show. She pointed out that the reboot was piggybacking off the original series, capitalizing on the name without conferring with the cast, crew, and writers of the original series, who spent eight seasons building and maintaining a fanbase.
Many fans weren’t happy when the new trio of sisters were announced, though something must be said for the fact that diversity in casting and characters was obviously an important aspect of the show.
I saw the premiere at San Diego Comic-Con and enjoyed it, despite the fact that Charmed is one of my favorite shows of all time. I was willing to put aside my love for the original in order to enjoy this new series for what it was. It would never replace the one I grew up with, but it could certainly do things the original couldn’t (or, rather, wouldn’t) do back in the early 2000s.
Not everyone enjoyed the premiere, including my colleague. As is mentioned in the article, the controversy continued to pile up, as well. Though the new trio was pitched as being Latina, with a Latina mother, only one of the actresses falls into that category.
It is not a good look, for sure, and all of this information, especially regarding the casting, should be taken into consideration when viewing the pilot. I want The CW to do better, to be better. The fact that none of the lead actresses are white should be commended, as should the fact that one of the sisters is a lesbian. The show itself is not afraid to be bold and different, but it appears as though the network and the marketing for the series is teetering closer and closer to lip service territory.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember the original pilot in great detail to list the differences between the one I saw at SDCC and the one everyone saw tonight, when the series premiered. I can say that many of the awkward and clunky moments have been removed, and that the new pilot feels much more cohesive and mature.
It also appears that several of the jokes, particularly the ones with a feminist angle, have been removed. Some of them are still in there, to be certain, and the pilot reads a little darker and more realistic in terms of the dialogue without them. That being said, I hope this is not a case of censorship or of pulling punches to relate to a wider audience. Without a list of the differences in front of me, I’m hesitant to make such a claim, and considering what does remain clearly shows they’re not afraid to declare their feminist agenda, I doubt this is an issue worth picking apart.
In terms of the content of the show, it hits many of the same beats as the original. One of the three sisters returns to the family (or arrives for the first time, in Macy’s case) following the death of their mother. They discover their powers, fight off demons (which come in the form of people who are already a part of their life), and must choose whether or not this is the life they want to lead.
The difference is in the details, and that’s where the Charmed reboot will stake its claim.
It’s important to note that the original casting information is no longer accurate, in that their last name has been changed from Pruitt to Vera, Madison is now named Maggie, and Soo-Jin is now named Niko. But even before these changes took place, we knew the new trio would not be the same as the Halliwell sisters.
Though there are some similarities, there are even more differences. While two of the powers, telekinesis and freezing time, remain the same, Phoebe’s premonitions have been changed to reading minds for Maggie. Phoebe was always the most interested in their magic, but in this version, Maggie is the most hesitant. Maggie is also younger than Phoebe was in the original Charmed, and is pledging to a sorority as a freshman in college. Where Prue was the eldest and the control freak, Mel, the middle sister, has taken that claim. And instead of being into art like the Prue, Macy, the oldest, is an “intense science nerd.”
This is not the Charmed sisters we grew up with, but in a way I’m grateful. If they had tried to replicate the Halliwell sisters, it would’ve felt like this reboot was replacing the original. Instead, this is a new set of sisters with a new set of personalities and backstories for a new generation. It will help Charmed feel like a different series that doesn’t need to replicate what the original did right or fix what it did wrong. It is its own entity with its own agenda.
The strength of Charmed has always come in the form of the sisters and their relationships with each other. They didn’t always see eye to eye or even get along, but at the end of the day, they always stood by each other.
Mel and Maggie’s relationship is often a little contentious. They’re two different people with typically opposing views. Where Mel is a loud-and-proud feminist, Maggie just wants to be accepted by her peers. She’s embarrassed by her sister, whereas Mel can’t seem to understand why Maggie is so willing to conform to society’s wayward standards.
And then Macy comes into the picture. She’s intense — maybe even more intense than Mel — but she’s also so, so lonely. She wants to get to know her sisters, to be accepted by them, but she’s also afraid of opening herself up to other people in that way. What I loved most about her introduction was that it showed the awkwardness of their family dynamic. Maggie almost instantly accepts her, while Mel is suspicious. Macy feels like an impostor, and she’s trying so hard to feel comfortable in what is ultimately a very strange situation. I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about her, who her father was, and why her mom gave her up in the first place.
Though there was controversy about this being a “feminist” reboot of Charmed, considering the original was indeed feminist, albeit in its own way, it’s obvious the creators are leaning into this idea. Much like Supergirl’s initial outing, it’s bound to cause some waves with certain members of the audience who wish the feminist angle wasn’t so blatant. As far as I’m concerned, those people can just stop watching.
There are some remarks about the phrase “witch hunt,” which is said a bit tongue in cheek given the context here. There are also some direct lines about an older white male professor who is absolved of sexual harassment allegations despite the fact that there are several women who came forward to accuse him. It’s topical, to say the least.
Regardless of the heavy subject matter, the show isn’t afraid to give us a few laughs along the way. I chuckled once or twice throughout the episode, but when Harry mentions that the first sign of the apocalypse is Trump’s presidency, I didn’t even try to hold my laughter in. I’m glad Charmed isn’t afraid to get political, and this was probably the best line in the entire pilot.
As much as want one of the leading ladies to be my favorite character, I have to give that award to Harry. He’s British, he’s handsome, he’s witty, and he’s mysterious. What more could you want? He’s there to help the ladies along their journey, and it’s clear that he’s an ally both in regard to their magic and their feminism, despite the fact that he died in 1957. He was either incredibly progressive while he was alive, or he’s changed a lot in the last 60 years.
But we must be careful about who we trust — both as viewers, as women, and as human beings living in this dumpster fire of a world. At the end of the episode, the girls attempt to reach their mother through a Ouija board. There’s no guarantee that they’re talking to her, but what is spelled out on the board is clear: Don’t trust Harry.
This could mean a million different things. For one, it could be a demon looking to trick the girls and rid them of their most powerful ally and mentor. It could be another spirit who has a vendetta against him. Or, if it is their mother, she could be completely misguided in telling them not to trust their whitelighter.
Or, perhaps, there is more to Harry than meets the eye. He could have a dark past or even a penchant for not taking good care of his charges. Only time will tell. I, for one, am hoping against hope that Harry remains one of the good guys. He was the most enchanting of the characters we’ve met so far, and I’d hate to see him be anything other than a good friend to our heroines.
For fans of the original Charmed, if you’re looking to get another fix, I would recommend rewatching episodes from the first series. You’ll find a few nods here and there — the Book of Shadows and a page about Melinda Warren, to name a few — but this show doesn’t feel like the original.
And maybe that’s a good thing. I’m not looking to replace my Charmed with this Charmed, but I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes, how it will grow past the controversy, how it may pay homage to the original, and how it will do and say something the original creators may have been unable to say back in 1998.
I wouldn’t blame anyone for deciding this new series isn’t for them, but for those of you who are willing to give it a chance — whether or not you’re a fan of the original — I encourage you to leave your thoughts on the pilot in the comments below.