‘Charmed’: Reboot is more mayhem than magic

[Tim]

I really hope they keep him firmly in the "Giles" role and don't make him get together with any of the sisters.

I can't see that happening.  This would be like Rupert Giles getting romantic with Buffy, it's just not on.

[adzpower]

Yeah, hopefully it stays like it is.

Sorry for my posting rambles, I'm just posting my favorite parts from each episode as I see them.

Maggie just signed up for psych class, if that's not a Phoebe callback I don't know what is. Just please don't become an advice columnist.

Also Marisol had premonitions, I like that, at least one member of the family had the power.

[adzpower]

Ooh Mel and Maggie were just going to a building to rescue Macy from a bug demon and they need to get to level "p3", I got a kick out of that.

Also Parker is a half-demon, why didn't I see that coming? I should have known.

[Melinda Halliwell]

Hopefully, the sisters to find out about their ancestors, family.

I don't talk about the reboot this much at the cafe save the reviews because they don't like it which here I've noticed people do.

[Tim]

Also Parker is a half-demon, why didn't I see that coming?

That's one thing I (and others) don't like.  Do we really need a neo-Cole?

I don't talk about the reboot this much at the cafe save the reviews because they don't like it

Ah, well, you can always discuss it here

[adzpower]

Parker is half-demon but I'm not minding him too much so far mainly because he and Maggie aren't taking over the entire show, I feel like everyone is getting their share of screen-time whereas in the original I mean you might as well rename seasons 3 and 4 the Cole and Phoebe show, and I say that as a fan of seasons 3 and 4.

Not to mention there are differences, the biggest I can think of is that Parker doesn't want to be half-demon, and there doesn't seem to be the absolute black and white the original had, where you had to be good or evil, it feels more gray in the reboot, not to mention Parker is not over a hundred years old with tons of baggage, and has his human mother in his life keeping him grounded. So whilst I'm not a huge fan of this storyline, it does have differences that make it more bareable for me. Cole just seemed like a lost cause from the start.

However I don't think Parker will last beyond the first season, I have a feeling he will sacrifice himself to save Maggie at some point. Probably from his father.

[Tim]

That is what I'm hoping as well.  Parker made his choice (choosing the sisters over his family), and now he has to stick with it, regardless.

And yeah, I too feel that he should sacrifice himself, in the end,to save Maggie.  Perhaps he'll take down his father doing it.

there doesn't seem to be the absolute black and white the original had

Helps when you have writers and producers that know it's the 21st Century.

[adzpower]

So I'm all caught up now and shocker! Maggie and Macy are the full-sisters? Didn't see that one coming, kind of random but okay.

I've noticed a big greek mythology vibe so far, we have Dante and Taratarus, satyrs and sirens and killer pan-pipes, its interesting that they seem to be going all in on that side of mythology, I wonder if this means one of their relatives/ancestors could be from that pantheon as well.

Also I think I've discovered why I am liking the dyanmics so well, its because the Charmed Ones actually have lives! They all have jobs or school, and at those places they have friends! Galvin, Lucy, Jada, Nico etc, they have people in their lives who aren't either siblings, babies or whitelighters. Its refreshing. I feel as though in the original aside from Phoebe's token love interest for the week, we barely got any side characters or got to see the sisters interact at other places with those people once you get to a certain point in the show.

[BettyNewbie]

Feb 6, 2019 18:12:10 GMT -5 adzpower said:

However I don't think Parker will last beyond the first season, I have a feeling he will sacrifice himself to save Maggie at some point. Probably from his father.

The story even seems to be setting things up that way. Unlike Cole, Parker will die if he doesn't become fully-demon, and he clearly doesn't want to. I'm guessing that he'll make a final sacrifice for Maggie and her sisters at the end of the season before finally succumbing to his illness, which will then set up the storyline for Season 2.

Feb 7, 2019 7:07:30 GMT -5 adzpower said:

Also I think I've discovered why I am liking the dyanmics so well, its because the Charmed Ones actually have lives! They all have jobs or school, and at those places they have friends! Galvin, Lucy, Jada, Nico etc, they have people in their lives who aren't either siblings, babies or whitelighters. Its refreshing. I feel as though in the original aside from Phoebe's token love interest for the week, we barely got any side characters or got to see the sisters interact at other places with those people once you get to a certain point in the show.

I love this aspect of the new show, too. *nods* The Veras actually have lives outside of the Manor, whereas the Halliwells were kept mostly isolated from society and had no real allies besides Darryl (who they treated horribly) and their love interests.

Of course, this show having a bigger budget probably helps. By the later seasons, the old show couldn't really afford to film anywhere besides the same few sets (Manor, P3, Bay Mirror, Not!warts, Generic Alley), so that really limited where the sisters could go every episode. On the other hand, the reboot made the wise decision to film in Vancouver instead of LA, so that means more money for different sets. The Veras don't have to be stuck in the Manor and Not!warts all the time.

[Tim]

The Veras actually have lives outside of the Manor, whereas the Halliwells were kept mostly isolated from society

The much missed P3Nathan had this to say about the Halliwell's "funeral" at the start of Season 8 (I got this via a cached copy, which allows me to get around the ban):

There are far too many guests at this thing for these losers; I’m thinking Victor paid people to turn up and look sad.

Who the hell were all these people?  The Halliwell sisters had no friends (aside from Daryl, and he wasn't even there).   So Nathan's theory about Victor paying people isn't so far off the mark.

On the other hand, the Vera sisters have all been shown to have friends outside their family circle.  It makes it much more real to see the three of them interacting with other people. 

As you said, Betty, they made the smart choice to film in Vancouver.  Of course, ALL the CW shows film in Vancouver.

[adzpower]

Which makes it even smarter because it measn The CW can re-use sets between shows, I remember there was an old apartment they used on Arrow that suddenly appeared in The Flash about a season later. If a set comes up that they were using on say Supernatural or Supergirl that would be perfect for a set on Charmed, they can use it and it will cost them barely anything!

I'm actually really pleasantly surprised by the reboot, its good, and fun and the characters are really likeable. But then so were Piper and Phoebe for about the first three seasons, let's hope the writers don't fall into a similar trap.

[Tim]

If a set comes up that they were using on say Supernatural or Supergirl that would be perfect for a set on Charmed, they can use it and it will cost them barely anything!

That does make a lot more sense.

I'm actually really pleasantly surprised by the reboot, its good, and fun and the characters are really likeable. But then so were Piper and Phoebe for about the first three seasons, let's hope the writers don't fall into a similar trap.

Kernus is not involved with this show.  I think we're safe.

[BettyNewbie]

There are far too many guests at this thing for these losers; I’m thinking Victor paid people to turn up and look sad.

Feb 7, 2019 12:25:53 GMT -5 Tim said:

As you said, Betty, they made the smart choice to film in Vancouver.  Of course, ALL the CW shows film in Vancouver.

Then, maybe the CW did learn something from the WB's downfall, after all.  When you're a 5th tier barely-network, you need to conserve your budget far more compared to Big Dogs like CBS and ABC.  And, that means filming where it's cheaper to film (aka. not LA).

Feb 7, 2019 14:55:02 GMT -5 adzpower said:

I'm actually really pleasantly surprised by the reboot, its good, and fun and the characters are really likeable. But then so were Piper and Phoebe for about the first three seasons, let's hope the writers don't fall into a similar trap.

Glad you gave the show a shot past Episode 1, huh?

All of that is why this show shouldn't run for 8 seasons.  4 or 5 seasons is more than enough to tell the Veras' story.

[Tim]

Then, maybe the CW did learn something from the WB's downfall, after all. When you're a 5th tier barely-network, you need to conserve your budget far more compared to Big Dogs like CBS and ABC. And, that means filming where it's cheaper to film (aka. not LA).

Indeed.   I mean look at the DC shows, which are heavily reliant on special F/X.  Imagine filming those in L.A.  Yikes!

So it looks like there won't be a Budget Nuke, like the one that sank the final season of the original series.

4 or 5 seasons is more than enough to tell the Veras' story.

I agree. 

[Melinda Halliwell]

True like when Supernatural finished the Lucifer storyline with Adam and Sam falling into the cage which seemed a good time to end that never happened which would be the lesser of two evils I suppose ending on a high but missing out on good characters like Donna, Charlie, older Claire, Alex, Kaia, Patience, and Kevin Tran.