The ‘Charmed’ Reboot Deserves a Chance

The Charmed reboot has experienced some backlash to say the least. That’s unfortunate, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should miss out on the show, and we’re here to give you a few reasons why.

First off though we have to set some ground rules. This is in no way looking to detract from the original show or the people involved with it. As a big fan of the original series, the pull of returning to that world revealed plenty of excitement for the new series. That said, it never had to be the exact world of Charmed, but one that was clearly inspired by it, and this new series very much seems to fulfill that promise, at least from what we’ve seen.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff. The new show has some impressive talent behind it, with Jane The Virgin creator Jennie Urman developing the show alongside Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin. Jane The Virgin showed a welcome ability to depict family in a genuine and honest way, while still throwing in the twists and turns any show needs to keep audiences engaged. Moving over to Charmed is a rather perfect segue then, as while the show puts these characters in the world of the supernatural, the heart of it is still ingrained in three sisters learning how to live with each other and their crazy history.

From the first footage, it seems that chemistry is already developing quite nicely. There’s a realness to Madeleine, Melonie, and Sarah’s interactions, and it’s a dynamic that people will assuredly recognize from the original show. There was a natural chemistry between Piper, Phoebe, Prue, and eventually Paige, but there’s nothing about the new crew that suggests it these new Charmed ones don’t have that too.

In fact, that brings us to one of the biggest issues with the new show, but one that is firmly out of its control. It seems many are upset simply because of the fact that it isn’t the original show, but that’s not really reasonable is it? The original series didn’t get renewed past season 8, but it did wrap up its various storylines, and even gave viewers glimpses of each character’s future, including Piper and Leo being grandparents. Phoebe and Paige received similar glimpses, so it isn’t like the show left off on some giant cliffhanger.

Would we love to see those character utilized in some way? Of course, but if we don’t get to see them, well, that’s okay too. That story had a beginning, middle, and end, so what’s wrong with seeing a new take on the series, especially one that homage’s the original show in a big way.

Yes, the characters don’t have the same names, nor are they played by the same actresses, but there are more similarities than differences. The original Charmed dealt with the relationships of three sisters in a smart, funny, and very self-aware tone with a bunch of supernatural thrown into the mix. The Charmed reboot has all those things with a few other modern sensibilities. Just because a show says it is fierce, funny, and feminist doesn’t mean the original wasn’t, it just means the previous team left it out of the brochure.

Reboots don’t rob anyone of the joy and elation they felt when they watched the original, and it is more than possible to have more than one example living in the universe at any single time. The new Charmed doesn’t steal your experience with the original, and there is more than likely plenty here for you to enjoy if you have a fondness for what the original series did so well.

In a perfect world, all the great characters from the original would make appearances in the new one, but that’s not the case, and ultimately that doesn’t have to be a negative. If you are skipping it just because it’s not the original, that’s perfectly your choice, but you might just be missing out on a great thing for a very dated reason.

Charmed hits the CW later this year.