The original series of Charmed, which aired from 1998 to 2006, was filled with action-packed scenes jammed full of emotion and tension. Three sisters who are really powerful witches battling evil definitely makes for a thrilling story!
There were countless times over the course of the show where viewers were ready to tear their hair out in frustration on behalf of the characters. There were also those times when Charmed brought us total satisfaction. Keep reading to find out what the five most frustrating moments were in the original series, and what satisfying moments balanced them out.
Totally Frustrating: Prue’s Very Permanent Death
In your average TV series, you’d expect a character’s death to be permanent. But Charmed exists in a world where people come back as ghosts and travel back through time to save other people’s lives. So it is super frustrating that the sisters are never able to reconnect with Prue after she is killed, even through a séance.
They can connect with every other Tom, Dick, and Harry floating around the spirit world, so why not their own sister? We know this is because Shannen Doherty left the show, but it still aggravates us.
Suitably Satisfying: Piper And Leo’s Reunion
Piper and Leo are the golden couple of Charmed. They survive so much together that it breaks our hearts to see them break up at the end of the fifth season, even if that does happen so Leo can become an elder and give the sisters the power to defeat the Titans.
As hard as it is to see them break up, it’s almost worth it to see the satisfying moment they rekindle their love when they’re stuck in the astral plane together. As we know, this is how they come to conceive Chris, who is born at the end of the season.
Totally Frustrating: Darryl’s Disappearance
Darryl Morris may not be a Charmed One or even a magical being, but he’s still a valued character on the show. And without his help, the Charmed Ones would have found themselves in trouble with the law countless times. In the eighth season, Dorian Gregory was written out due to budget cuts.
While the budget cuts were out of the showrunners’ control, it seems wrong to eliminate Darryl after all the work he does for the sisters over the series. It feels like, by having him absent from the final season, he’s robbed of the acknowledgment he deserves.
Suitably Satisfying: The Defeat Of Christy
There are a few demon deaths over the course of the show that are super satisfying. One of the most has to be Christie, one of the most irritating evil characters of them all. Part of the Ultimate Power that the sisters have to face, Christie becomes quite a nuisance in the final season. She’s such an unlikeable character, in part, because of the way she turns Billie against the Charmed Ones.
Watching her defeat is one of the most satisfying moments of the eighth season and of the show in general.
Totally Frustrating: Chris’s Hatred Of Leo
In Season Six we learn that Chris is the son of Piper and Leo, and once this information comes to light, we notice that Chris seems to really have it in for Leo.
We later find out that Chris’s hatred of Leo stems from the fact that he was a neglectful father. This is a valid reason for tension in a father-son relationship, but that hatred doesn’t really come about until after we find out that the two are related. Other than sending him to Valhalla, Chris doesn’t show any signs of hating Leo. In fact, Leo is the one who resents Chris for most of the series. Thus, the Chris-hating-Leo storyline seems a little rushed.
Suitably Satisfying: The Births Of Wyatt And Chris
Two of the biggest moments in the show’s history are the births of Piper’s children, Wyatt and Chris. Wyatt is the first Charmed baby to be born in the series, and after seeing Piper yearn for children for so long and have trouble conceiving, it’s heart-warming to see her finally get her wish.
Chris’s birth is satisfying for another reason. In the same episode, we watch the adult Chris die, which is heartbreaking after getting to know him for a whole season. Seeing him born again takes away that sadness.
Totally Frustrating: Andy’s Tragic Death
Throughout the show’s eight-season run, there are a lot of characters who are taken too early. It’s especially hard to watch the sisters lose people they love, so Andy’s tragic and untimely death is one of the saddest and most frustrating moments. It’s always the good who die young!
Andy dies in the most heroic and noble way, making his death even harder to stomach. He rushes in front of an energy ball that Detective Rodriquez throws at Prue and sacrifices himself to save her life.
Suitably Satisfying: Phoebe Choosing Her Sisters Over Cole
There are a lot of fans out there who wish Phoebe and Cole could have ended up together. Although Cole loves Phoebe, he makes too many mistakes and becomes too evil for his character to be redeemable. At the end of the fourth season, Phoebe becomes pregnant by Cole’s demonic spawn and she becomes evil to be with him.
Phoebe reigns as Queen of the Underworld for an episode before her sisters force her to decide between them and Cole for good. As much chemistry as Phoebe and Cole have, in the end, it is so satisfying to see her choose her sisters and return to good.
Totally Frustrating: Cole’s Return To Evil
Cole wouldn’t be in the position to turn Phoebe evil in the first place if he hadn’t returned to evil in the fourth season. Although Cole eventually spirals out of control once he gets his powers back, it’s not really his fault that he returns to evil. He only takes on the powers of the Source to save the sisters from the original Source. He also does this without knowing that he’s going to end up with the Source’s powers.
Cole really does try his best to be good for Phoebe. His character is robbed of the opportunity to escape his demonic side.
Suitably Satisfying: The Passing On Of Magic
The series finale might have been more perfect if Shannen Doherty had reprised her role as Prue, but it was still extremely satisfying for fans who had stuck with the show for eight years. In the end, we see the sisters getting to finally live their lives—by getting married, having babies, working, pursuing hobbies that they never had time for before—and also passing on their legacy of magic to the next generation. It’s endearing to see the next generations embrace their Charmed heritage.
