The opening act of Charmed did everything you'd expect it to do. It established the time and place - San Fran in the 90's. It established the characters - Prue, eldest sister, dutiful, pragmatic and resentful; Piper, middle sister, meek, cautious, peacemaker, loving and lovable; and Phoebe, youngest sister, carefree, careless, and caring. When Gram's death and an incantation turns them into the "Charmed Ones", they must stand together against the evil that will seek to destroy them and take away their powers.
Like it will for much of the series, the relationship between the sisters is what carries most of this episode. The conflict between oldest and youngest sister with middle sister caught between might be cliche, but the actresses pull it off completely, possibly helped by the fact that Shannon and Alyssa bonafide didn't get along.
The sisters realistically don't have much control over their new-found powers, and thus are in real trouble when a warlock reveals himself about two thirds of the way into the episode.
Like other early episodes, the smaller budget means little reliance on special effects. That grounds the episode in reality. It feels like it could be real, and that is a great thing. It feels like the start of something.
Like it will for much of the series, the relationship between the sisters is what carries most of this episode. The conflict between oldest and youngest sister with middle sister caught between might be cliche, but the actresses pull it off completely, possibly helped by the fact that Shannon and Alyssa bonafide didn't get along.
The sisters realistically don't have much control over their new-found powers, and thus are in real trouble when a warlock reveals himself about two thirds of the way into the episode.
Like other early episodes, the smaller budget means little reliance on special effects. That grounds the episode in reality. It feels like it could be real, and that is a great thing. It feels like the start of something.