Charmed originally ran from 1998 to 2006, starring Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano (and later Rose McGowan) as three San Franciscan sisters that discover witchcraft among their family’s skeletons in the closet. Learning to harness their newfound abilities and balance normal lives with it, the three embark on a never-ending adventure of witchcraft, ghosts, ghouls and demon hunting to protect innocents. The series was popular in its initial run and has developed a cult following in the years since, with a revival premiering in October 2018. Over the course of eight seasons there were plenty of episodes we found charming; 10 of which we wanted to mention here.
“Wicca This Way Comes” (Season 1, Episode 1)
Where everything started. Phoebe had no idea that simply reading a book would lead to a major change in lifestyle for herself and her two sisters. Too bad she didn’t learn from Evelyn’s mistake in The Mummy beforehand, but then again, we wouldn’t have the show. While Prue and Piper are hesitant and dismayed at learning the truth of their family’s heritage, Phoebe is more accepting and urges the two to harness their newfound powers just in time to defeat Piper’s monster boyfriend before he kills them. The power of three will set you free.
“Styx Feet Under” (Season 7, Episode 5)
As if she wasn’t already busy enough, Piper is made an Angel of Death and sets off to check the names off a list - literally. While Paige and Phoebe are working to protect the names on the list, Piper is forced to do the dirty work for the regular Angel of Death.
This episode’s perspective on a different supernatural occurrence proved interesting and insightful, and like many other examples from other series shows us not to mess with Angels of Death.
“Dead Man Dating” (Season 1, Episode 4)
While Phoebe uses her powers to raise money for a present for Prue, Piper finds her soulmate in Mark. Trouble is, he’s a ghost. With only The Charmed Ones having the ability to see him, they must protect him from an evil spirit until he receives a proper burial. Considering he was murdered, it takes a little time. Piper risks her life to find proof that the man who murdered Mark is still alive and killed Mark as part of a plan to fake his own death. Piper doesn’t seem to have much luck with guys (until she meets Leo, that is), so we felt for her regarding her impossible love affair.
“Awakened” (Season 2, Episode 12)
The sisters are given a rude awakening when Piper falls victim to a mysterious - and rare - illness. Desperate to save their sister, Prue and Phoebe go against the rules and use magic for personal gain, with serious consequences. While Piper is cured, a toy, infected with the illness, runs around the hospital infecting other patients, causing panic as the doctors struggle to find the source.
Now under questioning, the sisters are held in the hospital for observation and sadly realize that in order to save the innocents, Piper has to sacrifice herself. Just when things look bleak and as Prue and Phoebe grieve, Leo breaks his own rules and saves her. Rules are merely guidelines, aren’t they?
“Something Wicca This Way Goes…?” (Season 7, Episode 22)
Zankou strikes and things aren’t looking so good for The Charmed Ones. He takes over their house, steals the Book of Shadows and two of their powers. According to Phoebe, all that’s left is how they can take him down alongside themselves. The episode’s title is cleverly centered around the series’ pilot title, inferring an exit to The Charmed Ones’ legacy. The Charmed Ones nonetheless always fight for the greater good, even if the greater good means sacrificing themselves. We admire their selflessness always, but this episode truly reflects the root of who The Charmed Ones are and what they do for the sake of the innocents.
“Morality Bites” (Season 2, Episode 2)
Phoebe’s premonition has her witnessing her own execution, so the sisters find themselves thrown into the future to find out what led up to it - and to stop it. Finding that they are inhabiting the bodies of their future selves instead of acting as observers on the sidelines, Prue, now the owner of Buckland’s and Piper, a divorced mother with a young daughter, work to save Phoebe’s life before she’s executed.
Not only are they stuck to a timetable, but they also find themselves in a modern-day version of The Salem Witch Trials; if they use their powers, which have expanded greatly given time, they’ll be in the same boat as Phoebe. Turns out, their past has created this dangerous future, so learning from their future selves, they change the situation in their present to ensure a better future.
“That ’70s Episode” (Season 1, Episode 17)
In a hurry to escape a power-stealing warlock, the Halliwells wind up in the 1970s - alongside their younger selves, their mother and their grandmother. The sisters must deal with their conflicting emotions about seeing their deceased mother and grandmother while managing without their powers and trying to find a way to stop the warlock from attacking them in the future. They shockingly find out that The Power of Three once existed when they were children, and lucky for them it did, considering it’s their younger selves plus their mother and grandmother that help send them home. Family is one of the show’s central themes, and this episode is one of the best to portray it.
“All Hell Breaks Loose” (Season 3, Episode 22)
The title’s not exaggerating; Hell and just about everything else breaks loose when the sisters are exposed as witches on live television, which leads to Piper’s death and Phoebe’s negotiation to join the dark side. Nothing goes right for the sisters in this heated episode, and as we all know, it doesn’t end well for Prue.
With all the dangers, chaos and mayhem the sisters faced on a daily basis, this episode was the one to prove that not even witches can outrun fate. Luck runs out, and unfortunately, the Halliwells learned that lesson the hard way.
“Long Live the Queen” (Season 4, Episode 20)
Phoebe’s faced with the most difficult decision of her life when she’s forced to prove her dark allegiance. Either kill her sisters and renew her commitment to the bad side, or join her sisters and face inevitable punishment and lose Cole in the process. Literally conflicted between good and evil, Phoebe struggles throughout the episode to find balance, let alone pick a side. Sadly, she loses Cole, but as always, her sisters are there to help her through it. Phoebe was always meant to be good, which was proven when she couldn’t let an innocent die earlier in the episode. From that, we kind of figured what would happen next.
“Forever Charmed” (Season 8, Episode 22)
Time traveling is prevalent in this episode from past to present to future and back. The series’ final episode is fast-paced, intense and exciting, and we’d expect nothing less. With the help of Coop, Piper’s on a mission to prevent the deaths of her sisters. Yet, what may be the best part of the episode is the final few moments where we see an elderly Leo and Piper in the future, surrounded by grandchildren, showing us that they got to live their lives together and be with their family. Even sweeter, one of their granddaughters, Prudence, even gives a flick of the hand, using her telekinetic powers to shut the door just as her namesake did. All in all, the episode gave us a perfect ending to what was virtually a perfect series.
