Charmed: Something Wicca This Way Comes (1.1)

Charmed is the definition of 'guilty pleasure television'. It's a show I'd never confess in public to enjoying. It's also a show that I've tuned into more times than I'd like to admit. Throughout its shockingly long run, it was fun, energetic, dumb and frequently appalling. But through most of it, it maintained its heart. The chemistry between its three leads (both sets of them) was always palpable, and while the show regularly aimed for the lowest common denominator in terms of storylines, character growth, antagonists and love interests, once in a blue moon it came up with something that had considerable power. Seriously.

It's easy to critique this show, but its pilot episode features a surprisingly well-crafted script. You can tell that creator Connie Burge poured laboriously over it (but it's not overwritten, I may add), rooting the supernatural premise in something ridiculously human. The three protagonists are immediately vibrant characters, each with their own distinctive personalities and flaws, with magical powers in direct parallel to a certain aspect of themselves.

Phoebe is the reckless, excitable youngest sister. As Prue notes, she has no vision and doesn't consider the future, so her powers try and make up for that. She's the impulsive, 'fun' character of the pilot, and Alyssa Milano brings a sense of joy and underlying vulnerability to the part, a world away from the skanky girl-trash she played for much of the 1990's.

Piper is the frantic middle sister, trying to ease tensions between Prue and Phoebe and frequently stuck in between others. She's a great character, but also open to danger, especially when her boyfriend is revealed to be a warlock. There must be something about her which made her the easiest to manipulate, which is unfortunate.

Prue is kind of a drag here. Connie Burge tries to explain Prue's anger away with some insight into how her history has made her bitter, but she's not exactly fun to watch throughout most of the pilot. Shannen Doherty brings a softness to the character in her scenes with Andy, but too much of her performance here is shrill and monotonous. It's also interesting that, despite what we witness through much of the episode, she's immediately thrust center stage in the climactic battle, an issue which affects the series for much of Doherty's tenure. I don't know who demanded it, but there were a lot of times where her importance on the show far outshone the importance of her two sisters, who were arguably far more interesting characters...

The villain here is routine, but typical for a pilot. A warlock is stalking and murdering witches, and sets his sights on the Halliwell's when they come into their powers. It doesn't set the world on fire, but the story is fun, and featured that great scene in the cargo elevator with Piper.

Something Wicca This Way Comes is a pretty wonderful pilot. The leads have immediate chemistry, and you're made aware from the get-go what the show's mission statement appears to be. These are sisters, flawed in a variety of ways, who are forced to bond once again when they discover a huge connection between the three of them. It's a theme that stays with the show for a lot of the series, and is something undeniably empowering and fun. B+

Credits
Guest stars Eric Scott Woods (Jeremy Burns); Matthew Ashford (Roger); Chris Flanders (Chef Moore)
Writer Constance M. Burge Director John T. Kretchmer