On Oct. 14, the CW rebooted the show “Charmed”, which originally aired in 1998. The show begins when Maggie and Mel Vera discover the murder of their mother in Hilltowne, Michigan. The show then fast-forwards three months later where Mel and Maggie discover they have an older half-sister named Macy Vaugn. Once the three sisters are finally under the same roof, they soon discover that they each have supernatural powers. Macy, the oldest sister, discovers that she has the power of telekinesis, Mel, the middle sister, receives the power to freeze time, and Maggie, the youngest, begins to hear people’s thoughts. Once the three sisters discover they are sisters, they meet Harry Greenwood who is a whitelighter who reveals to the sisters that they are witches and that his job is to serve as their advisor and protect them. After meeting Harry, they soon discover that they are the Charmed Ones who have the Power of Three and that they must accept their fate to protect the innocent from supernatural demons.
In the original series, it begins when the youngest sister, Phoebe Halliwell, moves back home to San Francisco from New York to live with her middle sister Piper and oldest sister Prue. After moving back, Phoebe discovers the families Book of Shadows. While Phoebe is reading the book, she reads an inscription that only activates the sister’s powers once all three are reunited in their home. So, by the end of the first episode, the sisters each discover their powers and fight off an evil warlock, which helps them discover the Power of Three.
Unlike most reboots, there are many differences and similarities. In the original series, the Halliwell sisters’ mother passed away when they were younger, and they were raised by their grandmother. But in the reboot, the Vera sisters were raised by their mother until she was murdered.
Another difference between the two shows is, in the original, the three sisters all grew up together versus the reboot, where Mel and Maggie were raised together and find out about Macy, their long-lost big sister. The shows then continue to differ with the appearance of the sister whitelighter. In the original version of the show, the girls do not meet their whitelighter Leo Wyatt until a few episodes in. But in the reboot, the girls meet their British whitelighter, Harry Greenwood, within the first episode. Another difference between the two shows is that, in the reboot, the sisters are forced to accept their powers, versus the original where that was not part of the plot.
The final similarity and difference between the two shows involve the sister’s powers. In the original and reboot, Prue Halliwell and Macy Vaughn share the power of telekinesis. While the middle sisters, Piper Halliwell and Mel Vera, share the powers of freezing their surrounding environments. But, unlike the other two sisters who share the same powers, Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest in the original, has the power of premonition, which is the ability to see the future, versus Maggie Vera who has the power of telepathy, which is the ability to read minds.
As a kid, I can remember watching the original show with my mom and stepdad. So, whenever I first heard they were rebooting the show, I had mixed feelings about it because nothing can ever beat an original. But overall, I have enjoyed the reboot so far and can’t wait to see where the series goes. So, if you are interested in watching the show be sure to tune into The CW every Sunday night at 9 p.m or catch up online on The CW website.
