Charmed review: Reboot exceeds all expectations

Ice demons and killer dogs to college rape culture; the premiere episode of the new Charmed reboot tackled a range of topics exceedingly well.

The CW aired the “Pilot” episode of the new Charmed series last night, which follows the ventures of three sisters who discover they are witches destined to fight dark forces. The premiere was a fairly surprising success. It’s almost impossible to introduce a bunch of characters within a show, as well as the premise, the over-arching plot, and develop a meaningful connection between the characters and the viewer in less than one hour — but the reboot achieved all of this effortlessly.

Without talking too much about the original show, I feel the creative team behind the reboot has taken the best bits from the first run of the story and developed and integrated the details into a more modern setting. What Charmed was always praised heavily for during its first time on air was the fact that it was a show all about women and the power of sisterhood, and the reboot does not fail to keep these themes alive and thriving. Whilst keeping the three main characters humble and honest in terms of their familial bond, the characters are also able to grow and flourish as new symbols, and are broken away from constraints of playing copies of the original characters.

“Girls, Girls, Girls! Sorry, Ladies”

Witch advisor and “Whitelighter”, Harry, struggles to unite sisters Mel, Maggie and Macy initially and convince the trio that they are witches following the death of their mother. During the confrontation, Harry explains each of the girl’s new emerging power is a testament to their identities. Mel’s ability to freeze time represents her controlling and stubborn attitude, Maggie develops the power to read people’s thoughts showing her insecurity, and Macy can move things with her mind, a power Harry states is “already mastered” due to Macy’s very high IQ.

A show like this takes fantasy elements, such as the sister’s powers, and uses it to symbolize something real and significant. Each of the sisters represents an important image for women watching. Mel is described as “angry all the time”, “obsessed” with her mom’s death and an advocator for consent and campaigning against rape culture. She is also the first sister to accept her destiny as a witch and encourage the others into doing the same. Her strong-willed and confident character is iconic.

Macy feels, to me, like a character who has learned to be independent, having only recently discovered she has two sisters. Working as a scientist at the university, Macy proves her intelligence in this episode as she single-handedly discovers how to fight demons using chemistry (sodium bicarbonate to be exact). Cool-headed and objective, Macy is a great female role model.

Although Maggie is not as confident as her older sisters, I feel her character is the most relatable and she shouldn’t be ignored as less of a female figure. Showing a woman choosing to blend in with the crowd, someone who is more shy and feminine, shows women that you don’t have to be strong-willed or super academic to be a bad-ass female. As Maggie shows the most fear in this episode, being visibly the most disturbed by her magical destiny, her character implies that women can show sensitivity and emotion and that that doesn’t make you any less of a woman. The three sisters show so much diversity and so many different layers of female identity and yet they stand together, as one family, which is really beautiful to watch.

As cold as ice

Despite the slight predictability of the plot, the special effects used to enhance the demons and evil entities in this episode were well done. The “ice demon” revealed at the climax of the show was terrifyingly stunning. There were also a fair few successful jump scares and ominous symbols such as the pack of crows and the dark woods, which I don’t think the girls will be journeying through ever again.

Despite the chilly atmosphere, the episode still found time to create some laughs and each sister received a portion of their own casual romantic interest, which didn’t overshadow the main narrative. Both the romance and the comedy acts as further support for the modern interpretation of the original story. There was also a shocker of an ending, suggesting the series may include some twists and turns along the way.

There is clearly further development of the character’s backgrounds to be explored, particular for Macy who only recently discovered she had a family, but we do have a whole season to look forward to. Upcoming episodes are sure to delve deeper into the sister’s personalities, aspirations, and individual role in the show, as well as show the appropriate amount of mourning, self-discovery, and bonding time so we can watch a stronger connection form between them.

Here’s to hoping the series continues for a long time to come!

What did you think of Charmed‘s reboot premiere? Let us know in the comments!