‘Charmed’ Didn’t Technically End After the Show’s Final Episode
Debuting in 1998, Charmed ran for eight years and earned its spot in the hearts of many fantasy series fans. When TV shows grow a large fan base like Charmed, it’s common for them to get a reboot or revival eventually. However, a revival wasn’t all that was in store for Charmed. Zenescope Entertainment first continued the story in a comic book series, which happens more often than you’d think with TV shows in this genre.
Other TV series continued with comic books include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Doctor Who, and The X-Files. A few years later, a Charmed reboot from the CW hit TV screens with a new cast of strong witch sisters destined to be the Charmed Ones.
The WB series ‘Charmed’
Halliwell sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Prue (Shannon Doherty) unite as the power of three in the 1998 Charmed series. They’re descendants of strong female witches with individual powers to stop time, see the future, and move objects. The show follows three powerful witches’ struggles to protect the world from evil forces while conflicted with the desire for normalcy. In Season 4, Page Mathews (Rose McGowan) replaces Prue as the third sister of the Charmed Ones for the rest of the series.
Two episodes — “Something Wicca This Way Comes” and “Charmed Again: Part 1” — particularly stand out because they embrace the most significant changes in the lives of the Chosen Ones that directly affect the major plots of the series.
In “Something Wicca This Way Comes,” the sisters come together after their grandmother’s death and learn they’re the three most powerful witches destined to fight for the greater good. This episode sets the foundation for the series. It’s also fundamental in setting up the individual characters — Prue as the older sister who’s also the caretaker, Piper as the middle child playing peacemaker, and Phoebe as the youngest child who’s a bit irresponsible.
The second episode that stands out is “Charmed Again: Part 1,” in which Piper and Phoebe face the aftermath of losing their beloved sister Prue to Shax, a strong demon with win-based abilities. To their — and fans’ — surprise, a half-sister, Page, emerges as the new addition to the Chosen Ones and completely rocks the series plot with a whole new storyline.
Zenescope Entertainment’s ‘Charmed’ comics
The Charmed TV series finale ends with a happily-ever-after for all three sisters. However, Zenescope Entertainment’s Charmed comics expanded the Chosen Ones’ storylines where the series left off about a year after the Triad’s big battle and defeat. The idea was to remain consistent with the TV series for the show’s fans while appealing to Zenescope and comic book readers who are less familiar with the series’ plots.
Season 9 debuted in 2010 with the sisters comfortably settled into their new charmed lives as wives and mothers, oblivious to the continued fight ahead as the Chosen Ones. The sisters struggle with normalcy as they again battle the Source, ancient evil, and other evils while saving innocents, Leo, and the Magic School. Phoebe even approaches the date she foresaw as her death nearly a decade earlier.
Debuting in 2014, Season 10 saw the sisters face Prue’s unexpected resurrection and her presence in their lives. They go on to lose Cole to sacrifice in a battle and deal with Prue’s merging into the Old One and becoming the danger the sisters must face.
Unfortunately, the comics didn’t live up to many fans’ expectations because their content wasn’t as solid as the TV series’, and the character depictions weren’t as realistic as they’d hoped. However, Zenescope Entertainment execs had their hands tied when it came to the graphics. Shannon Doherty wouldn’t let them use her features in the comics without compensation.
The 2018 CW series ‘Charmed’
The CW Charmed Reboot follows the sister witches Mel, Maggie, and Macy. They face similar struggles as the original charmed sisters did but in a modern-day era. The new series began in 2018 with Mel and Maggie Vera losing their mother in a suspicious death. They later learn about their half-sister, Macy, and become the three powerful witches they were destined to be. Macy is the eldest of the Charmed Ones. She’s also a doctor and has the special power to move things with her mind. The middle child is Melanie, and she possesses the special ability to freeze time and accelerate the age of objects. Maggie, the youngest sister, attends college and can sense others’ emotions and read minds.
These charmed sister witches are played by Sarah Jeffery, Madeleine Mantock, and Melonie Diaz. The Charmed reboot has been renewed for another season. It’s set to premiere in January 2021. There’s been debate about whether the Charmed reboot is living up to expectations. Many viewers are upset the original sisters haven’t been mentioned. And some fans of the original series are unable to see past it to appreciate the reboot’s differences. Despite the controversy surrounding the original and the reboot, many viewers are still expected to continue watching the new series.
