In a way, ‘Pre-Witched’ is probably the perfect Charmed episode. From the great flashbacks to the intelligent mirroring stories, it really is something special. It’s the perfect representation of Charmed’s signature line “Three sisters who happen to be witches, not three witches who happen to be sisters”
Synopsis: As Piper and Leo decide to move out of the manor, the girls face a witch’s familiar turned warlock who needs the Charmed Ones to vanquish him nine times in order to become invincible.
There are so many reasons to love this episode that I actually find it hard finding somewhere to start.
Piper and Leo moving out is the first time we’ve been faced with the prospect of separating the power of three, by moving one sister away from their home. They’re so close that even the thought of separating from each other is almost unthinkable. Never the less, it has to happen sooner or later, especially as the girls move on in their lives, and marry and start a family.
‘Pre Witched’ is perhaps the greatest representation of how close each of the sisters are. It showed just how close they’ve become after coming back together 3 years earlier; Phoebe left her sisters to go find their father, Prue moved out of the manor and Piper was left alone. We really see in the present just how close they are now, when the thought of being separated is painful.
The way the show cleverly mirrors what’s going on in present time with Prue wanting to do the same thing as Piper in the past is such a great method. I always wanted to see what life for the sisters was like before Phoebe found the Book of Shadows in the first episode. In particular, what their lives were like living with their Grams. Another scene that sticks out is Penny’s conversation with Patty. She wanted to bind their powers because they were beginning to separate, making the power of three impossible.
I really liked all the little touches like Kit around the manor, and Piper and Leo meeting. The directing here is also fantastic, with each of the scenes transitioning into one another brilliantly, like the photograph that we’ve seen a million times up to this point.
The demon this week has always been one of my favourite Charmed enemies. There was something so entertaining about the way that he and the girls interacted that I really wish he came back at some point. His killing of the woman was so random and destructive that you realise that they really can’t save every innocent. It was great that he didn’t overpower the main part of the episode though, instead he fit in perfectly.
‘Pre-Witched’ is absolutely one of the greatest hours of Charmed, and is definitely one of my all-time favourites.
10/10
I echo what you have said, this is a truly great episode of Charmed and is second in my all time favourite list to AHBL. So many wonderful moments that it is hard to know where to start. But the warlock is fab, the right amount of menace and camp and the flashbacks are wonderful. It highlights just how separate they were pre Phoebe going to New York and example when they leave the distraught Piper (and if anyone does not believe she is the heart and soul of the family watch this episode) to go out yet on the last night Piper and Leo will be there they ask her what she wants. Again it shows that it was not only Prue who gave up on her dreams to look after the family yet Piper's sacrifice is never referenced. And my one very minor complaint is that Prue and Phobe didn't leave on very bad terms as you would expect from the opening episode. But this is truly an hour of Charmed I love spending time with.
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