Although there have been a few recent hits about witches, including The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, fans continue to look back to some of the most successful shows from the past to get their supernatural fix. The ’90s gave viewers plenty of on-screen witches, and Charmed, which fans return to over and over despite having been off the air for over fifteen years, featured some of the best. The enduring popularity of the show and it’s characters even lead to a reboot, with season 4 of the new series set to premiere later in 2022.
However, original series are often the best, and for those looking to sit down for a re-watch, or wanting to dip their toes into the Charmed world for the first time, it may be best to start with the most successful, well-received episodes from the original run. According to reviewers from IMDb, the following ten episodes hit all the right notes, staying in fans’ good graces all these years later.
“Charmed Again: Part 1 and 2” (S4, E1) — 8.7
This two-part episode reveals that Prue has died, and grapples with the task of showing how much Phoebe and Piper are struggling with their grief. The Charmed Ones are restored through the arrival of Paige, their half-sister, and the episodes grapple with whether the Power of Three can be used without the life-long bond the sisters shared with Prue.
Reviewer m-47826 explains that the premiere episodes “[make] the transition between the old and the new sister perfectly,” which was the foremost requirement for the arc. While some had problems with plot holes, many were more caught up in the family drama of whether Paige would be accepted and the moral drama of whether she would willingly choose the side of good or be manipulated to the side of evil.
“Morality Bites” (S2, E2) — 8.7
“Morality Bites” is a parable of sorts for the characters and viewers to understand why the Charmed Ones are so consistently selfless with their magic use. After taking revenge on their annoying neighbor, Phoebe has a premonition of her being burned at the stake as punishment for an unknown crime. The three decide to use a spell to go to the future, where the Charmed Ones’ lives are radically different, with Phoebe acting as an avenging power, Piper separated from Leo and caring for the daughter, and Prue successful and thriving but utterly detached from her sisters.
Fans enjoyed the episode, although later character arcs change much of the potential futures mapped out in this episode. It’s an interesting take on the future and helps to keep the Charmed Ones from taking their powers for granted and using them for personal gain. Many fans cite this as their favorite episode, making it one of the only episodes in the top ten that was not a finale or premiere.
“Charmed and Dangerous” (S4, E13) — 8.8
In this episode, the sides of good and evil both fight to stop premonitions from coming true. Phoebe sees Cole sacrificing himself, and the Seer sees the Charmed Ones defeating the Source of All Evil. Acting to prevent this premonition, the Seer releases a powerful force called the Hollow to take away the Halliwells’ powers.
The episode is action-packed and keeps a foreboding tone throughout, leaving fans wondering just how much the Halliwell women will have to lose to defeat the Source for good. Reviewers praise the episode for its strong fight scenes and characterization while arguing that it could have been improved if the Hollow had been better explained.
“Centennial Charmed” (S5, E12) — 8.8
In the series’s hundredth episode, Cole looks for yet another way to make Phoebe love him in spite of their past. Seeing Paige as the primary factor keeping them apart, he creates a reality where Paige never became part of the family, leaving the Power of Three broken after Prue’s death. Paige then has to work fast to put the Power of Three back together, save the innocents lost to Cole’s spell, and defeat him once and for all.
Fans enjoyed the concept of the episode and felt that Cole’s final death was a fitting way to acknowledge the highlights of the last 99 episodes. However, many felt that there were too many plot holes. Reviewers claim that the writers seem to have rushed over the setup for the episode to get to the good part – an examination of what Charmed could have been without Paige, and how Phoebe and Cole’s relationship was doomed.
“Long Live The Queen” (S4, E20) — 8.8
Pushed by Cole to finally make a choice between him and her sisters, this episode picks up with Phoebe as Cole’s dark queen. However, her natural inclination to good makes Phoebe a pain to have around, frequently killing his demons and trying to save innocents. Ultimately, Phoebe understands that it is not a question of Cole vs her sisters. It is a question of Cole’s version of her vs who she truly is.
Fans appreciate this episode for showing aspects of an abusive relationship, where staying with the person Phoebe loves means betraying herself. Reviewer Realrockerhalloween also points out that the episode does a good job of showing Paige and Piper’s struggle seeing Phoebe turn into somebody else and not being able to help her out of it. The episode is hard to watch at times but represents some of the best of what Charmed can offer its fans.
“Something Wicca This Way Goes” (S7, E22) — 8.9
When Zankou, one of the worst demons to appear in Charmed, gets his hands on the Book of Shadows, the Charmed Ones find themselves at their weakest. In order to defeat him and deal with personal problems, the girls realize they will have to die – or at least make it seem like they have.
This episode is viewed as one of the best the series has to offer, with satisfying conclusions to long arcs and worthwhile stakes. However, it was meant to be a series finale and wasn’t, which lessened the impact of the risks and sacrifices the Charmed Ones make along the way.
“That ’70s Episode” (S1, E17) — 8.9
While facing a warlock who is immune to each of the Charmed Ones’ abilities, they discover that their mother made a pact with the warlock in the past in order to spare her life. To defeat the warlock in the present, the witches cast a spell that will send them back to before their mother made the deal.
This fun episode plays with decade conventions and includes a number of sentimental moments between the girls and their family, re-iterating an important Charmed lesson: family is everything. Fans agree that it has a strong concept and is worth watching but have difficulties with the episode’s pacing and understanding of time travel.
“Deja Vu All Over Again” (S1, E22) — 9.0
This episode of Charmed shows the lives of Prue, Piper, and Phoebe in danger, as well as Prue’s ex-boyfriend Andy. A demon who invaded the local police department teams up with a time demon who continually resets events in order to ensure that all three Charmed Ones will be killed at the end of it.
Viewers enjoyed the episode, finding its tension effective and the inevitability of one character’s death a strong tug that keeps viewers watching. If they have one complaint, it is that a major character’s death doesn’t impact the Charmed One’s lives more than their personal mourning, when there should be some kind of police investigation.
“All Hell Breaks Loose” (S3, E22) — 9.2
“All Hell Breaks Loose” comes at the end of season 3 when the Charmed Ones go up against a demon named Shax. They defeat him quickly, but their fight is recorded by a local news company, which spreads it to the world. From there, everything falls to chaos, with fans and enemies alike swarming their house and threatening their lives until they are able to find a way to undo time itself and risk a new tragic fate.
This emotional episode kept fans on the edge of their seats, with a new danger coming every few minutes. While some fans found it over the top and others hated the cliffhanger, the vast majority found it to be a strong episode, and perfect for Shannen Doherty’s last appearance on the show.
“Forever Charmed” (S8, E22) — 9.3
The top-rated episode of Charmed is the series’s finale, “Forever Charmed.” After the deaths of Phoebe and Paige, Piper and Leo have to travel through time to save them both and defeat evil one last time. By the end of the episode, generations of Halliwells past and present fight together to win a victory. From there, the episode explains how their lives play out in a truly final epilogue.
Despite some viewers’ disappointment with the eighth season as a whole, fans of the show usually give the final episode a glittering review, with some regarding it as a “perfect finale” and as well as one of Charmed‘s most satisfying moments. The episode has the right balance of finishing the arc and finishing the show, as well as bringing back fan-favorite characters for one last hurrah.
