Charmed: 1998 vs. 2018

Charmed use to be one of my favorite shows. I usually watched it over my grandmother’s house. When the show came to an end, of course, I was slightly devastated, but everything has its time. 

Then a reboot/remake released in 2018. Knowing how I usually feel about reboots (link), I opted to sit this one out and not watch. But, two seasons later, the show still exists, and I finally decided to give one episode a try. 

The Power of Three

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In my mind, I thought one episode would be enough because even though the original Charmed had an overarching story, most of the episodes were self-contained. So I chose to watch Charmed 2018 episode 1 surrounding the Vera sisters, mostly to find out how they discover their powers and their origin story.

I’ll admit, some of the sense of humor was good. I giggled quite a few times. Mostly because of the supporting whitelighter, Harry Greenwood. He added most of the comic relief. 

Though the story flow kept me invested for almost three episodes, the main characters did not. I feel bad for saying this, but it’s only my opinion. However, the special effects were captivating, especially when you see the disabled professor turn into the Night King. 

But, what the 1998 Charmed lacked in special effects, it made up for with drama, character investment, and series progression.

Halliwell vs. Vera

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 I can’t help but feel that the original charmed sisters were more relatable and likable. In the first three episodes of Charmed 2018, even though the story was moving along, Maggie felt superficial. Mel, though her grieving process was understandable, her aggressive behavior was off-putting. And Macy, as a character, is just finding her footing after realizing she has two sisters, but that’s it. 

The reality is, in my opinion, that Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige (The Halliwell Sisters) did it best. Prue was the ever protective oldest sister, Piper was the middle of the road turned matriarch, Phoebe was the wild and free sister turned rational telepath, and Paige came into the group similar to Macy but was already versed in her abilities.

I get it, the twist for this new version of Charmed is has given them a slightly different dynamic regarding their origin story. It functions on how the sisters will learn to trust each other while dealing with impending doom.

But I can’t help but feel these new characters may have done well without throwing them under the Charmed franchise.

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Based on my previous synopsis about THE TROUBLE WITH SOME REMAKES AND REBOOTS, where Maggie, Mel, and Macy are concerned, they feel like what they are, and that is a less extraordinary remake.