Monday, January 21, 2013

Forever Charmed (Part 3: Feelings and Stuff)


Like I said in the previous post; the personal aspect of the show was one of my favourite parts of the show. I think it's the mixture of Magical and Real-life dramas that makes 'Charmed' so special. So, in this post I thought I might explore the personal aspect of the show a little bit. Once again, I'm trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible. Sorry if any of it comes across as vague.


THE LOVE INTERESTS:
So like any other show the love interests or rather the interesting love-lives of the characters can draw a fair bit of fan attention. And, in eight seasons 'Charmed' has it's fair share of heart-throbs and heart-aches. What I like about 'Charmed' though, is that many of these relationships do last half a season or more. These are women who are looking for someone to settle down with, which I think a lot of women (fans) can relate to. However, when a Halliwell goes on a date with a guy that just doesn't suit - she doesn't stick around  for the sake of trying to "make" it work. 

The Halliwell sisters are often going on dates, because some boyfriends have no patience for the constant "family dramas" (secret witch business) and actual family dramas. And, let's face it, if you're a normal guy going out with a chick that just magically shows up out of  nowhere, disappears all the time, hears things, knows what you're going to do next, thinks you are in danger or is often accompanied by a number of things that go-bump-in-the-night, you might not be so keen either. Especially, when you don't know that she's a witch.

Many of the long lasting relationships in the show are ones that feature magical boyfriends (they understand) and/or forbidden (not just from a magical stand-point) heart-throbs. I think these lasted, not just because of the characters feelings for one another, but because of the hype that surrounded these kind of relationships. Fans want to learn more about the magical world of 'Charmed' and a magical relationship opens a door to that world. Fans want forbidden romances, bad boys and a magical Mr Right. Some of the most memorable relationships in 'Charmed' were:

Cole Turner and Phoebe : He's evil, he's not evil, he's evil again, he's got powers-but-he-doesn't-think-he's-evil-but-phoebe-does. Cole and Phoebe went through a lot for each other. They both travelled back and forth along the Good vs Evil scale for each other, they both nearly-died/died for each other and they both contemplated marriage for a long time. I think what made Phoebe and Cole's relationship last as long as it did was Cole's human half. I liked Cole because of his eccentricity and sarcasm (especially towards the end), though I have noticed that these tend to be supernatural bad-boy traits. 

Leo Wyatt and Piper : They are on again, off again, on again and he's a White-lighter, a human, a white-lighter, a human... Leo and Piper are one of the earliest relationships to start on the show. They definitely have their ups-and-downs, but they still manage to get through it, and, somehow I managed to still think that they were perfect for each other, And, to never get sick of their  little spats. I think Leo is the type of guy that  many girls dream about; he's a handy man, he can orb in when you need him, he can tell you any magical info about demons (not so practical in real-life) And, he can heal cuts, bruises and near-death-type injuries... Truth is, I can't think of anyone more deserving of Mr Right than Piper Halliwell.

Andy and Prue: It may have been short lived (sorry for the spoiler guys, but seeing as Prue doesn't make it through all 8 seasons I guess you probably figured that anyway), but it was an interesting relationship. Having taken place in season one, it made a big difference to how the show played out. Without Andy (who's a cop), the witches wouldn't have had as much to do with the Police and the girls attitudes towards revealing their powers to their boyfriends.

LOSSES and NEAR-LOSSES:
There were a lot of instances in 'Charmed' where a character would die and come back to life, or they'd nearly die, Or, they'd actually die. And, even when you it was major character (a Halliwell sister) and you knew it wasn't going to happen (at least not yet), because she was pictured on the cover of the next season's DVD, I would still end up feeling sad about it. Between the romances, the sisters themselves and the losses in the show, I think the producers really knew how to play with your emotions.

THE SISTERHOOD:
Like every other aspect of the Halliwell's personal lives, the relationships Piper, Phoebe Prue/Paige have with each other as sisters can be made difficult by the magical aspect of their lives. While, the magical side of things does bring them together (sometimes not by choice) because they need the power of three, It can take a toll on their relationships with each other. Because of the magical stuff, it can be difficult for the girls to make friends with normal people, so they end up spending way too much time with each other, living in the same house, And, fighting demons together. 

Sometimes it really really, takes a strain on the girls' nerves and one of them ends up trying to move out, or having arguments with another one. Sometimes, they blame it on a problem that the character may/may not have and they cast a spell  on the other sister which tends to backfire. Hello personal gain! The Charmed ones always find a way to make it work, to be there for each other, And, to listen to each other when it counts.

More posts to come!

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

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