#i think phoebe’s trauma is overlooked by many

[lurkingsomewhereinsecretshanghai]

you know the tiktok trend where they use laufey’s song that says “keep on going with your silly dreams.” you know that right? i associate that specific line with phoebe hong constantly on her tiptoes, awaiting her mother's approval for everything because that is all she's ever wanted. yeah, i have never been the same anymore.

[holyjareau]

imo, the show was often unilaterally focused on Piper, but only on what she could do for others (Piper the wife and Piper the mother) rather than who she was as a person. Piper's individual characterization was lost sometime around s5 as soon as she got pregnant, and being a mother and wife pretty much became her sole defining characteristic for the rest of the series. I would be very interested to hear what you define as Piper's mental issues/trauma, bc as you say it doesn't get said enough

this has been in my inbox forever and i’m just getting around to it so my apologies.

but okay. so. yes. i think a lot of tv shows fall into this weird place where like. all of their characters begin with these kinda vague personalities because you’re just getting to know them. and as the show goes on, you pick up more pieces and stuff . and that’s great. that’s interesting and entertaining and it takes you on a journey and all. but often what happens is many shows fall into this pit where writers either get lazy, they change, or whatever, and the actors are tired of playing the part or whatever . and like. the characters become like. caricatures of themselves. and it just gets exhausting to watch because they’re not like. real people anymore.

Piper's individual characterization

so now for the charmed thing. so from the beginning. i have loved piper. like she’s the middle sister, overlooked, quiet, reserved, pessimistic but also realistic, gentle, thoughtful, all that. we see right away that she loves to cook .. she’s so happy her family is back together. she kept in touch with phoebe behind prue’s back. but she’s loyal to the both of them. her first idea was to have a reunion dinner when phoebe came home. she’s literally so cute n she deserves a hug. but no like. as we go on, we see that she wants to be good, she wants a stable life with no more loss, she Loves Love !! like. she wants to just be happy , open her own restaurant n just cook. she’s also so shy .. definitely panicky and anxious. and she doesn’t trust herself. she’s skeptical of everything, and she’s very thoughtful when it comes to big situations. even in the early days with leo and into season 2, she mentioned a few things about like “i’ve been thinking a lot about this...” and you can see she’s good at communicating with people. she’s also got these other dimensions to her like . she is interested in lots of cuisine types, she loves to read (and is a camus fan !!) , she drives a jeep (which i wanna know how she got bc i have questions), when she found out she was a witch her first thought was just . i need to go and see if i am still a good person . and she went to church. prue was surprised to learn that piper enjoys knitting. in the early seasons (especially mid-late season 3) we saw her with her plants and all. she’s just this natural peacekeeper. but like. we literally got a crying scene in the second episode because she was so conflicted about this. and she’s such a deep and complex character that i fell in love with so fast . and like . literally my favourite fictional character to exist . genuinely holly breathed so much life into piper . anyway . so. here’s the thing.

being a mother and wife pretty much became her sole defining characteristic for the rest of the series

like. piper was who i described above. and like . i kinda think . a bit. that like . the writers . especially in s4 . were like . hmm well  . she’s just lost prue, she’s gonna be grieving . and like we need more for her. so. she’s been married to leo for the better part of a year, been with him for like . 3 years. so. let’s maybe consider giving them a kid but not just yet . just Content kinda stuff. so anyway they drop little hints in here and there starting in like . 4x07 i think? which . brain drain really paid the rent . fully just. holly did so well. but like. that ep was just. a neat way of looking into her mind and seeing the horrors of manipulation and gaslighting and everything . and of course holly knocked it out of the park. but at that point, they were kinda like . hmm . kids ? and they started toying with the idea, having piper and leo consider it, talk about it, they had paige and phoebe ask about it , all of that good stuff. as you do. made for some funny tv at some points. and like . i really, really Get It . when piper’s like . ahh the baby wouldn’t be safe around here !!!! like. Girl, Valid . your sister just died and like . you went on forever about how she was The Most Powerful One . The Strongest One . and yet she still died . so she’s like ??? am i next ?? and like obv it doesn’t make sense for her to jump on this train of like . i’m gonna have a kid !!!! so she’s really valid in her thought process there. and like. after having wyatt . i think the writers really . idk. couldn’t do waaay too much with her character anymore because i feel like . to an extent, anything she does will be scrutinized bc i’m not just . saying this . i rlly feel like sometimes piper’s the easiest to hate. like idk why but i loved her. but anyway. if she stays at home with wyatt and doesn’t wanna fight demons n all . then she’s selfish towards her sisters n she’s awful n prue wouldn’t have let her do that !!!! etc . but if she fought demons it’s like . uh sweetie you have a child . really ??? why put yourself in a situation that might have you ending up like patty 2.0 ... bc i could do a Whole post on how patty’s situation messed piper up the most. but anyway.

it’s the way i’m fully rambling so if you’re reading this . i love you . anyway okay . so . i think in a tv show you’ve gotta kinda check boxes. the best tv shows have characters you see yourself in . you relate to them. you hear them and understand their decisions and actions and thoughts. the things they do just makes sense 2 you. so like. with prue, anyone married to their job could relate to her. any oldest sibling could see themselves in her, you know ? she was hard-working, committed, logical, protective. and with phoebe, anyone who couldn’t “settle down” in their early 20s related 2 her, anyone who felt like the outcast of the family, the “screw-up” .. right. makes sense. she was so kind, caring, had-your-back kinda girl. we all love those. paige was like . the new kid, trying to fit in, creative, curious, and definitely a lifelong learner. and then there’s piper who was shy, resistant, really just wanted to be normal. and loved. and i think everyone could kinda identify with at least one of the sisters regardless of where you stood in your own family. so as the show went on, it’s like . they still want you to keep watching and keep being able to identify with them because it’s not like they’re humans with normal lives so they’ve already kinda lowkey got that going against them . so their more “human” and normal lives... we’ve gotta be able to identify with them to be able to invest time. so they had prue always working, having trouble balancing love and work, looking out for her family. we had phoebe kinda living her life, getting her career going, then kinda wanting a family. we had paige learning magic and being super interested and involved and then getting married. and we had piper who had her career pretty early on, got married, and had kids. like. i think the big thing is the marriage and kids. and when you’re a mother . the only mother really in the show, the show lowkey centres around you . like. for starters, the show usually is in the manor, and if you’re a mother, you’re very likely at home, esp with young kids. so i think that alone kinda was like . huh yeah . won’t see piper out waaay too much anymore i guess !!! but no like . there’s That. that’s kinda. the thing that really can’t change with the show . like. piper’s got kids now and a husband and very, very likely . her life will be centred around her home. which. listen she’s wanted that i think - the stability . she’s wanted that forever. and this is the form it came in. but i should stop rambling here and cut to the point .

Piper's mental issues/trauma

disclaimer: i’m not diagnosing her, i’m just speculating based off of my own experiences with mental health

so. okay. very early on. we saw that anxiety. like. yes . she was nervous about like a whole new life experience . or whatever we’re gonna call it when you figure out you’re a witch . but like she was Anxious . like. crying in the attic over being a bad person . needing phoebe to talk her down by telling her she’s such a caring person, she’s always doing things for other people . and then there’s the whole anxiety that comes with. my family’s falling apart because my sisters are fighting so i use really awkward methods of getting out of things . like using humour as a coping mechanism !!! which. gave us some iconic one-liners. but that’s beside the point . anyway. point is. early on, that anxiety was there. there’s an ep in season 1 where she’s literally entering a panic attack in her kitchen and phoebe’s using a menu to cool her down. like. Yikes! and then she’s just. her awkward self around everyone but that’s endearing and is just part of her personality . and i think a lot of the anxiety stemmed from childhood. we heard a few times about how prue and phoebe had boyfriends growing up, were always pretty and popular and all. phoebe was popular, too, just, in the other crowd. but nonetheless, piper faded into the background, doing well in math - well enough to go off and be a banker . and like. she sacrificed a lot for grams. she stayed in san francisco ... we all know the girl had the marks for stanford or something . like. though . still, i think she liked the stability of home and prob would’ve stayed . but in 3x17 she’s all !!! grams !!! the doctor said no caffeine !!! and when grams was taking the pic of them outside and she had an episode , piper was all !!!! shallow breaths !!! like. it was clear piper was the one taking her to the appointments and footing the bill. like. she literally became a banker just bc it had benefits n stuff. like. poor girl really thought . anyway that’s a whole spiral. but no. like she really sacrificed The Most for her family and everyone still thought she was selfish for wanting to move out . when like back then grams was literally ... sick ... and prue was out here moving out and phoebe was nowhere to be found . so. that . definitely would have added to her anxiety about even wanting to do anything for herself because she’ll be perceived as selfish in a heartbeat. even if it’s not Mean . it’s just. she’d never risk it. but there’s the anxiety. there are a few lil things here n there about how she gets nervous n stuff, she represses things (3x07 i think was where phoebe said piper represses her anger n just sucks it up n does whatever) . she literally cancelled her doctor’s appointment Twice . anyway. it still angers me. then in season 7 . patty and victor were like . oh she had night terrors that were so bad we took her to the doctor ! and i just ... honey . baby. she thought she caused the divorce. at 4? 5? she watched victor leave on her 5th birthday, watched a demon attack her, grams, and victor. prue said she didn’t cry at patty’s funeral and i’ll make a safe bet that piper did. and i think growing up without patty was strange for sure. prue had more memories and phoebe had none. and piper had fragments of this person everyone loved . and she was stuck between knowing her and not knowing her. and when patty was sent to her for her wedding day, (as well as in 1x17) . both times when patty hugged them . prue and phoebe hugged her, eyes closed n all. while piper was on the outside, eyes open . looking numb as all hell . and you know. i rlly think she was Giving Them That because phoebe didn’t get her and prue kinda . in a way. lost more of her . if that makes sense ?? and i just. patty really was like . they sent me to You. and 5 seconds later . piper’s like . they sent mom to Us !!! and it’s that idea of sacrifice and never having anything for yourself because she was never just . given anything for herself . everything in her life has been a sacrifice and as a mother, that’s perpetuated. she can assume that role with more of a purpose . like. people won’t really feel sorry for her now as the “forgotten” sister, they won’t try and coddle her or anything. and another thing. control. piper craved stability and control. i think while cooking was something she loved, it also gave her a lot of control . she could control her whole kitchen . even in season 8 .. maybe vaya con leos actually . leo mentioned how much piper craves control. and the control motif makes sense with her powers too. like. piper craved control so much that her powers allowed her to control things down to the atom. so there’s the whole anxiety and needing to control things to ease her anxiety and all. there’s That whole thing.

and then we get to the infamous season 5 fearless spell . ms girl really sat in the attic just writing everything on the wall and it’s the way i screenshotted it and like . zoomed in and tried deciphering it . and like . there’s words like “stop” and i think “sister” is in there a few times, so is “loss” or “lost”. when i watch it next i’ll grab a cap because it’s . disturbing. girl was so scared . literally was writing a spell to get rid of her fears . she also writes Fear . as in. capital F . and like. yeah that’s deep but i do it too like i emphasize words with a capital letter . and like holly marie combs might just have quirky n fun writing but like ... capital F . for Fear. for real . that’s . trauma !!! and she also was having panic attacks at the beginning of season 5. let’s not forget those. which ... we should’ve gotten more of an explanation for . i hope that girl is getting help bc she was Going Through It . and in season 7 when zankou reads her diary . firstly. we Knew this girl kept a diary like . for Sure . she did. and just that little excerpt of when prue died . oops. i’d pay big money to see the rest because again i just think she’s got such a complex mind and like. i’d be so interested to read that. and i think everything re: prue is just Awful for her. like . idk if this is just something quirky i noticed but obv we know prue died in may 2001 . but at the end of 4x03, when piper goes 2 paige’s work 2 bring her muffins !! soft !!! the calendar on one of the desks reads july 2001 ... and i really just. ms girl. i Know they prob just filmed the ep in july but it honestly tracks that she’d be so awfully upset about everything and just . barely able to do anything but cook . for 2 months. like. honey. baby. i wanted 2 just cuddle her bc she was so sad. and like. she tells paige she’s having “good hours” and “not so good hours” . she’s going by the Hour . by the Hour . just. need i say more . i’m so . but no like. if anything like i could see her having like . depression where she’s high-functioning and like just . walking depression i guess ?? like . not even after prue. i think in general. like . she definitely has a melancholic temperament and a type 6 enneagram (the skeptic). that’s For Sure . but i think. just. she’s always just had time to think bc she’s always alone, reading, knitting, cooking, tending to her plants, all that. and i just . think. she has issues. and i think prue knew that. of all people. and i think her knowing that . and then dying. destroyed piper. she lost the last person that was truly a constant in her life . like they shared a roof over their heads forever. and then she was just . gone . and piper was suddenly left to pick up the pieces . and become the oldest sister . and i’m So glad she didn’t fully assume her personality. i’m glad she stayed as piper . just. she’s more cynical and snarky and defensive and cold and that’s okay. she’s hurting. she’s always gonna hurt . and i think it makes her human . she’s pessimistic and sad and has a short fuse at times . but just. again. i love her to bits and i think those issues make her more relatable for me. because while many like to say she became selfish and a negative person and just . awful to be around . i’d say the opposite . i won’t sit and apologize or justify things. also i don’t think piper’s done anything wrong . i just think she’s hurt. she’s been wronged so many times. and she’s .... scared. i think she’s scared . and in season 5 “sympathy for the demon” we learn her true biggest fear is her happiness being stolen away. and like . it’s not that she’s scared she won’t be happy. she’s scared all of the good she’s got will be taken from her . and that’s . terrifying . so . i see why she’s so snarky and bitter and tired and all . she’s terrified of things being taken from her like they have been her whole life. and as i watch the show i really like to just keep that in mind as i get further and further in because yes. she did become a mother and a wife and we saw her arguing with leo a lot and their marriage falling apart and That Whole Era . we saw how it kind of took over her life but i think it happens . i think she even said at one point . i’ve been so many things to so many people, i don’t know who i am anymore . and i think it sums her up perfectly. she doesn’t know who she is because she’s someone to everyone . she’s just. nobody to herself except this scared little girl who just wants Something . Anything . to make sense . some Stability . and her babies, her husband, and her sisters . are all she has for that idea of stability to make sense in her mind. and it was an easy hole to fall into - the Mother - but i think she jumped in. because at the Very Least . nobody could take that title away from her . regardless of how hard they tried .

[materassassino]

48 for Shallura! (are you sick of me yet? >:3)

I could never get sick of you, dear Socks!

This is based on the Altean Resistance AU that never was

Send me a pairing and a number!

48. Shackles

They find him deep in the bowels of a Galra slaveship. He is separate from the rest of the ship’s… cargo, kept in darkness and manacled. The purple light from the door makes him blink rapidly, but his eyes quickly adjust and he raises his head. From the defiant glint in his eye and the rigid set of his jaw, it is all for a reason. This one is untamed, unbroken, still rebellious. Allura feels a wild surge of kinship with him, as she steps into the cell and breaks the shackles with her vibrating lightblade.

“Quickly, Allura!” Riluan hisses from the doorway.

“Come with us!” Allura urges. The man looks at her, but he does not hesitate to take the hand she offers and lets her haul him to his shaking feet. Despite his obvious weakness, he keeps pace with them, and soon they are out into space, the slaves freed, and perhaps a new ally by their side.

_

They remove the shackles fully on the castleship, and immediately the man rubs his left wrist with a deep sigh of relief.

“Thanks,” he says. The first word he utters to her is with a grateful smile, and Allura has to keep down the glow in her cheeks by force. His smile makes his face look younger, less stern and weary, and even more handsome than it already was.

She clears her throat, responds with her own brief nod. “You are welcome,” she replies.

_

They learn his name is Takashi Shirogane (“call me Shiro, everyone does”) of Earth. It is in a quadrant of space so overlooked and far away Allura marvels at how far he has travelled.

“Not willingly,” he says bitterly when she remarks. Her ears burn.

“Forgive me, I meant no offence…” she quickly says, and he shakes his head vehemently.

“No, no! I mean… I’d have liked to be here under better circumstances,” he amends with a small, gentle smile that has her heart pounding in her chest. “But… now I’m here, I can’t go back. There’s too much to do here. I can’t just turn my back on people, not when I can help. Earth can get by without me.”

_

They also learn Shiro is incredibly capable at a great many things, despite the obvious primitive nature of his own planet’s technology. He learns their engineering quickly, he fights with a vicious pragmatism Allura finds herself admiring in all the least appropriate ways, and he leans towards a bright, resplendent optimism that fills her with a furious hope she’d never dared to allow herself before. They go on missions together more and more, working together in a way so seamless any outsider would think they’ve known each other for deca-phoebs. He doesn’t have Altean strength or chameleon flesh, but he works his strategies around what Allura has, and while he works well with everyone else, it is beside her that he shines.

Steadily, they draw closer, brought together by the inescapable gravity of war and hardship and trauma. They talk, of far-off distant worlds and people lost, of fears and hopes and dreams and family. His warmth spreads through her when she rests her head on his shoulder as they watch Arus’s night sky drift by. His arm around her waist is strong and comforting, her fingers laced with his an anchor for them both. Yet even as they talk, they make no mention of this thing between them, this taut, golden thread of comfort and longing. Allura is afraid to speak it aloud, to give it a name.

_

And everything is going good, as well as a rebellion can go, until it isn’t.

It happens when they are not together. It happens where Allura can’t protect, can’t save him, and as soon as she hears of it she leaves the bridge, ignoring Coran’s shout of her name, and she rushes to the cryopods.

He is already in one, his face drawn and pale with pain, and three long, vicious gashes across his chest.

“It was a berserker,” Feno says, shaking. “It was going for Qizea and he threw himself in front of it.”

Allura can feel terror bubbling within her. She feels sick to the very depths of herself, and, unbidden, tears roll down her cheeks as she presses a hand to the glass.

“Survive,” she murmurs furiously. “I have so much to say to you still.”

_

He awakens three days later, and both relief and fury swirl inside Allura’s core. She barges into the medbay, where Atheron is giving him a last scan, and she breathes deeply through her nose, fists clenched, shoulders squared, preparing to tear him to pieces out of worry.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, before she can even open her mouth to say anything. Her hands tremble, loosening, she bites her lip, and the tears return. Atheron clears his throat and bids a hasty retreat, the door sliding closed behind him, but neither of them truly notice.

Shiro opens his arms, and she rushes into them, her face buried in his chest. She has never felt more at home since Altea burned.

“Never do that again,” she sobs.

“I won’t, I won’t,” he promises, peppering kisses on her hair. She pulls back, stares at him, opens her mouth to speak…

“I love you,” he says, so sure, so steadfast. He’s beaten her to it once again. She can’t help but chuckle, wiping away her tears with the heel of her hand.

“As I love you,” she replies. The words are said, they cannot be taken back now. Neither of them seems to care, as they fold back into each other’s embrace.

_

It is three hectic missions and four days of no rest later, and they have returned to Arus. They leave the crowd and the chatter, the warmth of fires and friends, for the quiet, starlit spaces beyond. She still rests her head upon his shoulder, but now his arms enfold her from behind, and she can turn, press her face to the warm skin of his neck, breathe him in whenever she so likes.

“Why did you not return to Earth when we offered?” she asks, tracing her fingers along the seams of his Galra arm, cool metal and the thrum of quintessence beneath her touch.

“Well, because people need help,” he said. “No good man just turns his back on those in need. And also…” He kisses the tip of her ear, just to hear her giggle. “You were the one that found me.”

She cuts off a sigh. “Am I… tethering you here? Keeping you when you could be free?”

“Allura,” he murmurs. He tilts her head to look her in the eye, that soft brown she’d never seen before, so alien, so rare and precious. “You meant freedom from the very start.”

She rises up to meet his lips with hers, winds her arms around him, pulls him closer, and feels her heart become lighter than it has in centuries.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

My favourite Charmed episodes - season 2

This is the second part to my Favourite Charmed Episodes meta series all posts in the series will be tagged as #favecharmedeps.

Season 2 overall is a good season and follows on from the first season very well. When I was younger I particularly loved this season, but the older I’ve got and the more I’ve re-watched the show, the less I’ve come to like it, mostly because it has so many poor episodes that I really don’t like such as The Devil’s Music, That Old Black Magic, They’re Everywhere, How to Make a Quilt out of Americans and Ex Libris. However, there’s one thing Charmed does well which we particularly get to see in this season and that’s character development. Prue quits her job at Bucklands to pursue her dream of being a photographer; Piper opens P3 and goes through a period of conflict with Dan and Leo; Phoebe goes back to college to find a new pathway in her life, and these are just the most significant developmental changes the sisters go through. This season builds upon the sisters established personalities and roles within the trio from season 1, but fleshes it out more and shows the sisters grow as women, witches and sisters to be more powerful, equal and happy. Just like for season 1, there are 5 episodes that I have selected from season 2 as being my favourites (by the way, this wasn’t deliberate, it was a total coincidence!) - P3 H20, Ms. Hellfire, Pardon my Past, Chick Flick and Astral Monkey.

P3 H20 (2x08)

Any episode that taps into the Halliwell family and heavily involves Patty tends to be one of my favourites. P3 H20 is and always has been one of my all time favourite episodes (just like That 70s Episode) because it explores the sisters unresolved grief and trauma regarding Patty’s death. Honestly, I love pretty much everything about this episode - the way it hammers into Patty’s past, her relationship with Sam, Piper and Leo’s relationship, the sisters’ development and even the tone of the whole episode.

It digs into Prue’s lingering trauma over Patty’s death, and shows us for the first (and only time) that Prue actually witnessed Patty lying dead on the dock and being carried away in a body bag shortly after she died, which explains a little more why Prue is more traumatised by her death than Piper and Phoebe. We also see her fears of becoming Patty in one of my favourite Prue scenes ever (x) and see her having to overcome those fears head-on when she has to literally recreate her mother’s final moments. This episode is so important for Prue’s development, not just in realising that she’s not Patty and not doomed to follow in her footsteps (although ironically she does die young. Again this episode can be perceived as a foreshadowing of Prue’s death, which is so weird since I’m sure at this point there were still no plans to kill her off). It was also important in regards to properly introducing Prue to Jack (who is an important influence on her in season 2) and reaffirming that no matter how difficult it is to juggle her personal life, being a witch and her career, she’s still damn good at her job (x).

Piper’s development in this episode is centred on her relationship with Leo and the triangle she’s involved in with Dan. Despite hating the triangle (like nearly every other Charmed fan on the planet), this episode did portray it in a good way and setting Patty and Sam’s relationship up to contrast against Piper and Leo’s is very effective. We get to see Piper’s internal conflict over her feelings for Leo and understand them in a new light through Patty’s letters, which convey all of the unspoken emotions that Piper and Leo feel. This is the point at which Piper and Leo really get that angst down (which is pretty hard for them since they’re the least angsty couple I’ve ever seen) and you genuinely feel that mutual pining, but feel that they can’t be together.

Similar to That 70s Episode, Phoebe is able to be brought closer to Patty in this episode, which is always significant for her because of all the sisters she’s the one that feels most distant from her because she was so young when Patty died. Phoebe gets to see the camp where Prue and Piper went as kids (and where Patty died), she gets to see Patty’s final moments which although is a horrible experience brings her closer to her mom in a sense and she gets pieces of Patty through her love letters to Sam which she makes a scrapbook of at the end of the episode.

Despite being a new character, the introduction of Sam in this episode works beautifully. Sam immediately feels familiar and like one of the family (which is particularly interesting since he’s actually Paige’s father) and he’s very sympathetic. The grief he feels at Patty’s loss and the blame he places upon himself is sad, and the way in which he sacrifices himself for the sisters is an act of selflessness which is very overlooked. He lived for decades and ignored the deaths that were happening at the lake, was completely passive because he wanted to remain detached but because it was the sisters - Patty’s daughters - he simply had to get involved and he gave his life for them. He even admitted that he stayed at the lake all those years because he knew the sisters would show up eventually and he couldn’t let what happened to Patty happen to them. Although Sam wasn’t Prue, Piper and Phoebe’s biological father, the love he had for Patty (and Paige, since canonically he would’ve known about her even if we didn’t) was enough for him to make that sacrifice. A sacrifice that led him to become a Whitelighter again.

Overall, I love everything about this episode and think all the different aspects come together beautifully to create a memorable episode that deals with loss, trauma, family and love, for all of the characters that are featured in the episode.

Ms Hellfire (2x09)

I love this episode, because it doesn’t take itself too seriously despite having serious themes incorporated throughout, and because it’s Prue-centric, of course. From the opening scenes this episode is great - the scene with the hit woman shooting up the house, Piper freezing the bullets and vase, Prue using her power to deflect the bullets, it’s just one of my favourite scenes. There’s also the big moment that Darryl finds out the sisters are witches, which is such a relief and a long time coming. But like I said, the reason I love this episode can be summed up in one word: Prue. It’s just so good to see her get out there and shake things up and get to play for a while. Bane is an interesting new love interest for her (even if it is only for a short while), they have great chemistry and it’s fun to see her cross over into blue!Prue territory for a while and indulge that id of hers. I also love that the episode ends with Jack showing up on her door and the two of them going out on a date, because it’s the perfect end to Prue’s arc in the episode. The whole episode affirms that Prue is on the start of a new path where she’s trying to embrace life a little more and break out of her all work and no play mentality.

Prue playing the role of Ms. Hellfire and the development of her astral projection power acts as a literal metaphor for that duality that lives within Prue (a theme that is emphasised time and time again throughout the series with Prue) and to show how difficult she finds it to constantly have to juggle the different aspects of her life and herself.

The scene near the end of the episode where Prue is enchanted to kill Piper and Phoebe is also a fantastic sister moment. Piper and Phoebe share memories from their childhood to wake Prue and hearing it is enough to break the spell and help Prue realise that they’re truly her sisters. It’s also worth noting that Prue’s greatest fear in this episode was no longer drowning - proving that she overcame that fear in From Fear to Eternity (and most likely P3 H2O too) - and that her greatest fear being to lose a sister very likely could’ve come from her opening herself up to them by saying ‘I love you’ back in From Fear to Eternity. This is because not saying ‘I love you’ was basically Prue’s defence mechanism - a way of her keeping Piper and Phoebe at an arms length so if they died it wouldn’t hurt as much as it did when Patty died.

All in all, this episode is basically every Prue stan’s wet dream - Prue gets a new power and gets to play Ms. Hellfire and wear those insane outfits, flirt with tall dark and handsome Bane and just generally let her hair down and have some fun for once. And of course, she kicks Barbas’ ass once again.

Pardon my Past (2x14)

I love this episode because of the time travel and costumes, but mostly the interesting arc Phoebe has. The idea of Phoebe having a dark side is a recurring theme throughout the series (much like Prue having multiple sides to her) and this episode digs deeper into that by exploring Phoebe’s past life.

What’s most interesting about this episode is Phoebe or rather past!Phoebe’s relationship with Anton which practically mirrors her relationship with Cole. Whether this was intentional from a writing perspective is unclear, but nonetheless the parallels are there. Anton is a tall, dark, handsome warlock who seduces Phoebe and lures her over to the dark side. It further establishes Phoebe’s attraction to the dark side and sets the foundation for Phoebe’s future relationship with Cole.

Much like Ms. Hellfire is where Prue gets to indulge for a while, that’s what this episode does for Phoebe. She gets to go back to the glamorous past and experience the attraction to the handsome Anton, and play with the active fire powers she has. It’s all an experience for Phoebe to have some fun for a while but also brings it back home with serious themes about identity, morality and good vs. evil. Like Is There a Woogy in the House? this episode affirms an important message about good and evil - that it’s not black and white, that one cannot exist without the other and that we all have both good and evil inside us. This struggle is really central to Phoebe’s character throughout the series, so this episode is a great exploration of that which traces the roots of that back to her past life.

Chick Flick (2x18)

There is one simple reason I love this episode - it’s FUN. Phoebe and Billy are cute as hell (plus Phoebe being in love with a fictional character is so relatable, am I right?), the sisters attempt at fighting off horror movie characters is hilarious (”I am being stalked by psycho killers and I hide in the shower?!”), Piper and Leo are finally starting to get back on track and overall this episode doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s all just about the entertainment value and it works. Some of the most memorable scenes and iconic quotes are from this episode - Prue and Piper scaring each other in the bathroom, Prue telling Finley Beck some home truths “It’s devastating for me to realise that the brilliance of your eye is completely destroyed by the ignorance of your mouth” and “It’s the 21st century, it’s the woman’s job to save the day”. Like honestly, who doesn’t love this episode?

Astral Monkey (2x20)

This episode is one of those that I always remember because of the emotional impact it has on me every time I watch it. It’s a very dark episode (cute monkey’s with supernatural powers aside) which taps into humanity more so than any other episode, in my opinion. Watching Dr. Williamson’s deterioration throughout the episode and how corrupted he becomes by the power he has is devastating to watch. It serves as a reminder of how even good magic can be bad in the wrong people and also that the sisters aren’t always able to save their innocents. The sisters vanquish evil a lot, but this is really the first time we see them kill a human, who is technically an innocent victim. Dr. Williamson is a good person who dedicates his life to helping and saving lives, and he gets infected with magic through trying to discover a cure to a life threatening illness. The tragedy of what happens to him is very understated and it always sticks with me. Plus, seeing how deeply it affects Piper only adds to the impact it has. The final scene with her crying in her bedroom and Leo orbing in and holding her as she cries is one of the most powerful scenes in the series.

Thank you for reading! The next post will be about my favourite season 3 episodes which will probably be longer because season 3 is one of my favourite overall seasons. 

[bibliophileiz]

The Three Fandoms Asks

I keep seeing this around tumblr, and it looks fun. 

3 fandoms (I chose three important ones from my childhood)

1. Harry Potter - The Original Fandom. I mean, not the original original obviously, but probably the original for my generation. It was a huge part of my childhood and the story itself formed a lot of my opinions about how to tell good stories. I also have fond memories associated with this series -- Harry Potter was the first reason I ever had for Googling anything. “Harry Potter Book 5 news” and “Harry Potter Book 6 rumors” became frequent searches of mine. (The rumors took me to a lot of chat rooms where I read up on the wildest theories. It was a blast.) And then there were the midnight visits to Barnes and Noble and, in one memorable case, Walmart the nights of the book releases. Harry Potter was my childhood.

2. Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit - Like Harry Potter, these books (and movies) taught me a lot about storytelling. Tolkien’s works have become more complex to me as I’ve gotten older, and I’ve found there are plots and characters I like more now than I did as a kid (as opposed to Harry Potter, which my opinions about have mostly stayed the same). I also love Tolkien’s writing and world building. I’m one of the few people I know who enjoys reading all the poetry, and I read “The Council of Elrond” chapter three or four times before I got tired of it on Fellowship rereads. Lord of the Rings is a fantastic example of a really good book being adapted into really good movies. Both the book and the movies are each their own thing while also complementing each other. Just -- Lord of the Rings, man. I love it.

3. Charmed - Not as good, quality-wise, as the other two I’ll admit, but damn do I love this show. Before Charmed, I kind of watched whatever my family or friends watched -- my brother was a TV hog, and while I liked his cartoons ok, I didn’t like them nearly as much as I did Charmed when I discovered it. I got my dad watching it and it kind of became our thing. The Charmed Ones were kind of role models in a way. I can remember thinking, This is what being in my 20s will be like. Not the magic, but dating and clothes and deciding whether to go corporate or pursue your dream job or go back to school. People accuse the Charmed Ones of being boy crazy, but what I remember most about them is their work ethic. I thought, Prue prioritizes work, and I want to be like Prue. I love this show.

First character I loved:

1. Professor McGonagall is, has been and will always be my favorite character in anything ever. I also remember being small and redheaded and really liking Ginny Weasley before many other people did.  

2. Arwen was the first, but that was only because she appears in the movies before Eowyn.

3. Prue. Although I like all four sisters.

The character I never expected to love so much:

1. Sirius Black is obviously introduced as this terrifying villain, so when I started reading Prisoner of Azkaban, I didn’t expect him to become one of my favorites. To be honest, my fan girl love of him has waned since I was a teenager, but I still appreciate him.

2. Sam Gamgee. Another of my favorite characters in all of literature, though I had to mature a bit before I felt that way. But Sam is so small and overlooked, yet he’s so loyal, brave, determined, sassy and just all around good. He’s a gardener, which is a profession Tolkien holds in high esteem. Also in the books he doesn’t have that awkward break-up with Frodo that he does in the movie, plus he’s less whiny. (To be clear, I’m criticizing the movie’s writing, not Sean Astin’s performance. He did great especially considering the material he had to work with, and he feels the same way about the character I do. Also, his book about making the movies, There and Back Again, is the first nonfiction book I ever read for fun.)

3. Cole Turner. I came into the show in Season 4 right as his baby was turning Phoebe evil, so I was like, “Ah, ruler of Hell, not good.” My dad and I had to start the show over and watch Season 3 to realize he’s one of Charmed’s most complex characters.

The character I relate to the most: 

1. Probably Ginny, especially as a kid. We’re physically similar, but there’s also the temper and the fact that people always end up being surprised she’s as tough as she is. She and I also had to both grow out of self-esteem issues, though hers were more severe since they came from Chamber of Secrets-related trauma.

2. Pippin. He’s not sure if he’s actually qualified to be on that adventure, but hell if he’s being left behind. Also he’s small, like Ginny and me.

3. Prue. Sort of opposite of the Ginny stuff, she’s got the older sister syndrome of being responsible, in charge, bossy and often feeling like the only person who can get a job done right.(I don’t like having help with dishes or laundry, nor do I like assigning other reporters crime stories at work, as a couple of examples.) I am pretty protective of my younger brother and my mom always quoted It’s a Wonderful Life with the “you were born older” line when talking about me. Also like Prue, I tend to over-focus on work and not enough on my social life.

The character I’d slap: 

1. Percy. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a fabulously complex and underrated character, but I would still slap him silly.

2. Denethor. I used language I’d never used before in the theater when he sent Faramir off to fight in Return of the King and I started laughing a few minutes later when Gandalf knocked him out with his staff.

3. Ugh. Leo. (Also Sam.)

Three favorite characters in order of preference: 

1. McGonagall, Harry, Ginny. (That last one was insanely difficult as I also considered Snape, Lupin, Regulus and Luna.)

2. Sam, Eowyn then Aragorn (movies) and Bilbo (books).

3. Prue, Piper, Phoebe (Sorry Paige.)

Character I liked at first but don’t anymore: 

1. I mean, I’m not going to say I don’t like Hermione, because I definitely do, but the movies wore me out by over-glamming her to the detriment of Ron Ginny other characters.

2. I like all the characters except Denethor, who I never liked. Ditto Grima Wormtongue.

3. Believe it or not, I liked Leo when I was a kid. (*shakes head at how naive 13-year-old Iz was*)

Character I did not like at first but do now: 

1. Narcissa and Snape. This is not to say their views or the pro-Death Eater actions are ok, but they were both smart, they surprised me (always a plus) and they helped defeat Voldemort.

2. Didn’t like Boromir or Faramir at first, but now I love them.

3. Paige. 

Three OTPs:

1. Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Lily/James

2. Arwen/Aragorn (in a doomed, tragic way. Seriously, read the Appendices.) Eowyn/Faramir and Linsdey Ellis got me liking Eowyn/Merry

3. Piper/Mark Chau (I will never be over it!), Paige/Henry, Phoebe/pretty much anyone, including but not limited to: Cole, baby Misha Collins (Eric Bragg) and Aviva from Season 1 (#Phoebeisbisexual).*

* I really just think that everyone Phoebe interacted with before Season 3 should have come back as a love interest after she and Cole divorced. Aviva would have been old enough for that by then, and we could have gotten great sub plots of Eric Bragg’s little conspiracy theory brain trying to figure out which secret organization the sisters work for before Phoebe tells him they’re witches. (Then he and Henry could meet for beers after work and talk about how goddamn weird their lives are.) Any of that would have been better than the post-Cole love interests Phoebe got. (One of them was named Leslie?? And he took her job?? Fuck Brad Kern, honestly.) 

I’m going to break the rules by not tagging people, but whoever wants to play should go for it.