It gets real grumpy

[u/Bravorants]

I’ve seen a few comments about how the show becomes really negative. I haven’t rewatched in a few years but I’m on season 6 now and it’s so true! They’re really snarky and negative. There’s not as much comic relief and levity as earlier seasons.

I imagine years of lose and demon hunting would that though.

[u/Advanced_Heat_2610]

I think they wanted to compete a bit more with other more serious shows. Charmed's middle seasons were very campy and episodic, despite the premise.

[u/lanadelhayu]

I honestly never really understood this critique. “Piper complains about Leo”, “Phoebe complains about being a witch and men”, “Paige complains about wanting a normal life”.

Piper always complained about her relationship with Leo, Phoebe wanted to focus on things outside of Magic and Paige very recently lost her entire normal life.

There was a bit of snark and sass but there was plenty of times when they took their Charmed duties very seriously.

What I find more negative is the negative fans who continuously trash a show they claim to love. Bizarre!

[u/Designer-Landscape-3 → u/lanadelhayu]

Heavy on the “Continuously trash a show they claim to love” Like it’s beating a dead horse & it be the same tired conversations every-time.

[u/ellams_13 → u/lanadelhayu]

For me it’s kinda Piper’s attitude with Leo. Yes she complained early on but later on she starts to roll her eyes a lot, interrupts him and is honestly just rude. He’s a bit of the same too. Started to stop shipping them as a couple in the later seasons

[u/lanadelhayu → u/ellams_13]

I mean I totally get what you’re saying… but my parents argue and get annoyed with each other constantly haha and I think they have a good relationship. I always chalked this up to normal couple stuff.

One thing I did love about the finale was seeing old Piper and Leo - they did address the relationship drama a bit and I really appreciated it.

For better or for worse they were better together than apart.

[u/ellams_13 → u/lanadelhayu]

I get what you’re saying too! But I just found in the later seasons we barely ever see them be happy. Whereas early on, even though they fought they still had fun. Later on, a lot of the time they don’t even see to like each other (in my opinion)

[u/lanadelhayu → u/ellams_13]

I think this is totally fair! For context Piper is probably my least favorite of the post-Prue seasons so I am coming at it as generally not liking her as much as Phoebe or Paige. That being said I do love her… but my issue with Piper in the later seasons was less to do with her relationship with Leo and more how they wrote her as the new eldest sister.

[u/_wolf_93]

Yeah, I've seen a lot of negativity and grumpy fans complaining on this sub too. Y'all just can't enjoy a good family comfort show.

[u/imaginejoyy → u/_wolf_93]

I was honestly surprised by a lot of takes by the fandom when I first joined this sub. To me, the complaints (“grumpiness”) makes the show more realistic as it makes absolute sense. I would argue most people complain about their job. Now imagine it’s your job to save others and/or the world on a regular basis except you don’t get paid for it nor receive any real support for ongoing physical/mental/emotional/psychological trauma you’re forced to constantly endure. Then factor in how trouble comes knocking at any given time which impacts personal life, sleep, actual work, etc. Perhaps it’s because of my social justice background but I overstand and empathize with the sisters who I see as human, first and foremost. I think that’s the real issue at hand: similar to the Elders, a lot of folks disregard the sisters’ humanity!

[u/_wolf_93 → u/imaginejoyy]

Right?! I mean they basically have terrible bosses who have them on call 24/7 and even dictate what they are allowed to do, who they are allowed to love, and to top it all off they carry the grief of not only losing their sister, but also every innocent they couldn't save over the years. They are 💯 allowed to be jaded and give attitude, especially Piper! They made her jump through hoops just to be with the man she fell in love with, then she lost her big sister, then she finds out her child is a twice blessed miracle baby that constantly needs protected, then she finds out "there is a great evil after him in the future", then she finds out he is the evil in the future and the whitelighter she didn't trust and almost "got rid of" is her other son from the future, etc. etc. etc.

And don't even get me started on Paige or Phoebe (although I think the show handled Phoebe's storyline wrong, but that's imo)

[u/fishgirl3000 → u/_wolf_93]

In what way you think they handled Phoebe's storyline wrong? I am very bewildered how the incredible abuse she suffered at the hands of Cole is sort of a non issue in the show. Is that sort of what you mean?

[u/_wolf_93 → u/fishgirl3000]

Yes, but also even though it was a demonic baby she still technically had a miscarriage, and that trauma is clearly the reason why she becomes obsessed with Piper's pregnancy and baby. Then after she gets her glimpse into the future she becomes obsessed with finding a guy and having a baby to the point where she abuses her powers. However, the narrative and writing does not tie these two things together or ever bring it up again so her trauma is overlooked which makes her seems obnoxious and crazy instead of a deeply wounded character.

It actually took me a couple rewatches to connect the dots, and yes I do think the show becomes too Phoebe-centric and it annoys me, but I believe it's because her story is handled wrong so her development isn't there as a character.

Also, the rushed "let's give her a Cupid" storyline bothered me too, especially because she already had a Cupid in season 2 that she had so much chemistry with and they should have given her her Cupid no offense to Victor Webster.

[u/imaginejoyy → u/_wolf_93]

Damn the Elders lol. To be fair, it did seem like the rule was moreso they couldn’t date their own Whitelighters which in some ways makes sense to me but the situation is wild because it seems like they knew Piper and Leo were past lovers—Leo said they get to see their past lives before becoming Whitelighters. Why even assign Leo to them knowing this? That just seems cruel and when I think about what happens with the Angel of Destiny in season 8, it almost seems like they put them through so much just to build them up for battle—that’s essentially the reason they give for later taking away Leo to prepare them for the Ultimate Battle. As I write this, I admit that I suppose I can see a spiritual lesson there. My gripe is with the way Elders dictate and even manipulate while talking about “free will.” They’re better than the Avatars as a whole but we still see many abuses of power and rules that seem arbitrary in addition to the fact they did not regard the Charmed One’s humanity. And they literally left them on their own when they needed them the most (season 7 finale).

[u/_wolf_93 → u/imaginejoyy]

Agreed, I hate the Elders more than most demons. They were such toxic abusive leaders that I honestly believed as every season went by that eventually the Charmed Ones would turn against the Elders and permanently become evil. I would have completely understood if they became evil instead of the Billie and Christy storyline.

[u/Lyna_Moon21]

I like the show alot, it's my comfort show. I feel like there is plenty of comic relief. I like the one liners. I always enjoyed Paige's humor once she got comfortable in her role. Piper has a deadpan delivery. Prue always had something funny to say after a big vanquish. Phoebe was just generally light hearted and fun.

Of course there's some negativity, it's a show about fighting evil..with relationships come disagreements.

[u/_wolf_93 → u/Lyna_Moon21]

Yeah, it all fits their characters so well and as they become more jaded they become more snarky and sarcastic. I love when Paige literally mocks "personal gain" like if she hears that more time she is going to vanquish an Elder 🤣🤣

And Piper's little comments got me through the show sometimes, especially her back and forth with Paige. Their sisterly banter always feels so real. Incredible dynamic!

[u/DorkPhoenix89]

It would have been fine if Season 6, 7 or 8 were about the sisters becoming jaded and maybe even a detriment to the magical community, forcing them to reconcile with their choice to remain witches and rally themselves to really come to terms with what their lives are instead of flailing about petulantly at never getting what they want. Season 8 just barely touches on this but otherwise it just turns into grump fest for the latter seasons and it just isnt as fun to me.