The Charmed witch trial was a special two-part episode of the popular TV show "Charmed" that aired in 2003. The show revolved around three sisters who were witches and protected innocent people from supernatural threats. In this two-part episode, the sisters faced their toughest challenge yet when they were accused of being witches and put on trial. The trial began when a powerful demon named Zankou orchestrated a plan to frame the sisters for using their powers for personal gain. He manipulated events to make it appear that the sisters were using their magic to gain wealth and power, which was strictly forbidden in the magical community. The main idea of the Charmed witch trial is to explore the themes of prejudice, discrimination, and the abuse of power.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Upon figuring out Abraxas's plan, Prue decides it would be better for the people they love if the Halliwells ceased to be witches, until she has a talk with Darryl about Andy and decides to fight the demon after all.
- Back from the Dead: Jeremy, The Shadow (The Woogyman), and Nicholas are all revived and attack the girls again.
- De-power: The sisters are afraid this will happen to them if Abraxas reaches the beginning of the book and reads the spell that unbound their powers backwards.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: When Dan first shows up, Phoebe Squees "I saw him first", it's her who bonds with Jenny and she shares a moment of understanding with Dan later. These moments look like they're setting up Phoebe to be the sister Dan gets together with, rather than Piper.
- Fanservice Pack: A new costume designer joined the show for Season 2 (Eilish to be specific) and there is a notable increase in clothes that are far more attractive and flattering. Piper and Phoebe spend the majority of the episode in figure hugging sun dresses (and Phoebe's is strapless), while Prue wears a Little Black Dress for the auction.
- Heroic BSoD: Prue effectively spends the episode in one, being too afraid to fight another demon after Andy's death.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Prue has been blaming herself for Andy's death.
- Naked People Are Funny: The coven meeting about the equinox has all the women present taking off their clothes to perform the ritual naked. Piper's awkwardness about the situation is very much Played for Laughs.
Fanservice Pack A new costume designer joined the show for Season 2 Eilish to be specific and there is a notable increase in clothes that are far more attractive and flattering. Fanservice Pack A new costume designer joined the show for Season 2 Eilish to be specific and there is a notable increase in clothes that are far more attractive and flattering.
The main idea of the Charmed witch trial is to explore the themes of prejudice, discrimination, and the abuse of power. Through the trial, the show highlighted the injustice faced by witches and the dangers of blindly believing accusations without evidence. During the trial, the sisters were represented by a powerful attorney who was also a witch.
Witch Trial
Phoebe walks into the darkened manor and calls for her "sister witches", only to find Piper on the couch with Rob, a loan officer. Piper freezes him and scolds Phoebe for speaking of witches. Phoebe hadn't known that a man was in the house. Prue walks in and Piper shoos her out before unfreezing Rob. Rob agrees to meet Piper at the club she is trying to buy. Phoebe proposes to go to an autumnal equinox celebration, a powerful day that is also their first anniversary of becoming witches.
The Book of Shadows flips, and the page says "Rite of passage: fight it with the Power of One or else" but Phoebe cannot finish reading it before a demon opens a portal in the attic and draws the Book to him. Piper thinks the "Power of One" refers to Prue, as she has the strongest power. The doorbell rings and Jenny Gordon steps in. She wants to use the phone and is trying to reach her parents in Saudi Arabia. Dan Gordon, her uncle, steps in behind her; the two are not talking, but he persuades Jenny to leave.
The demon chants strangely over a page in the Book of Shadows, and the writing disappears.
Phoebe and Piper go to the equinox celebration (Prue is at Buckland's). About a dozen other young women have gathered around a stone altar. The others all disrobe, but while Phoebe is enthusiastic, Piper is embarrassed. Phoebe hears Grams saying, "The Power of Three", but Piper does not.
Piper drives up to the club and finds Rob already there. Rob says that running a club is risky, but Piper convinces him to grant the loan. Meanwhile, the demon chants over the Book and Jeremy Burns reappears. Grams says "The Power of Three" to Piper just as Jeremy blinks into the club and knocks Rob to the ground. Piper freezes him and conference-calls Prue and Phoebe. But Jeremy unfreezes, and Piper can't freeze him again despite several attempts. By way of speaker phone, they say the spell to vanquish Jeremy ("The Power of Three will set us free"). Rob is in a gurney being readied to go to the hospital, and suggests the crime level in the area could jeopardize the loan. Prue comes to check on Piper, and Piper tells her how she heard Grams.
Phoebe hears Kit meowing outside and finds Jenny holding her. Phoebe starts talking to Jenny. Phoebe, for the first time, notices the triquetra on Kit's collar. Phoebe leaves as Piper drives up, with Kit in her arms, and shows the triquetra to Piper. She thinks this is some kind of symbol of the Power of Three. The two consult the Spirit Board, and Grams says "The Power of Three" again—this time Piper hears it. The Spirit Board spells out "Abraxas". Phoebe finds Abraxas in one of several occult books she has bought; he is a demon of the astral plane that demonizes the powers of good witches.
Abraxas chants over another page of the Book and the Woogyman appears in the manor. The two sisters scramble to remember the spell to vanquish the Woogyman. Piper remembers that the spell to vanquish Jeremy was in the back of the book and that for the Woogyman before it; Abraxas is reading the Book backwards. Phoebe has a premonition of Nicholas killing Prue.
Prue is talking to a customer when Nicholas appears in the hall. Prue escapes into her office, but Nicholas follows her in before she can close the door. He uses his ring to heat Prue up from within. Prue, with difficulty, speaks a spell and Nicholas is vanquished just as Prue falls over unconscious.
Piper and Phoebe visit Prue in the hospital. Phoebe believes the Book is still in the attic, but within the astral plane. She also realizes that if Abraxas reaches the start of the book, they will lose their powers, because the spell that gave them their powers is at the very beginning. Prue, feeling responsible for Andy's death, wants to stop being a witch.
Rob's assistant tells Piper that the loan has been denied.
Prue goes to Darryl and wants to know how much Andy told him about who the Halliwells really are. Darryl says only that he knows they were connected to some unsolved cases and that they somehow help stop killers. He also tells her that Andy told him to tell her that if anything happened to him, it wouldn't be her fault.
The sisters go to the attic and Piper draws a large triquetra on the wall. Prue arrives from the station. The sisters plan to get the open a portal in the astral plane, then Prue will knock Abraxas away from the Book while Piper and Phoebe grab it. Piper and Phoebe aren't sure Prue is up to it, but Prue reassures them by moving a chair. The sisters open a portal in the triquetra, but Prue freezes up and cannot knock Abraxas away from the Book. Abraxas flings them across the room. Phoebe and Piper scold Prue, and she breaks down and cries over Andy. She blames herself for Andy's death. The other sisters tell Prue that Andy had chosen to walk into the manor. As the sisters embrace, Grams whispers again; only this time, all three sisters hear. They determine that the "Power of One" is the three of them working as one.
The three sisters return to the stone altar at sunrise and chant the spell that invokes the Power of Three just as Abraxas is reading the same spell backwards. The Book pops out of a portal onto the altar. The sisters continue to chant and a portal appears, revealing Abraxas. Abraxas is drawn into the altar and disappears into a large glowing triquetra.
The Rite of Passage page reads in full: "Rite of passage: fight it with the Power of One or else. a more powerful Evil that awaits will destroy you." Phoebe is glad they didn't read that part earlier.
Prue and Phoebe have taken out a second mortgage on the manor so Piper can buy her club, with her sisters as partners.
Grams whispers once more, and then appears in ghostly form. It turns out that when the Book turns itself, it's Grams doing the turning. After she disappears, the Book turns once more. The page reads: "Happy Anniversary, my darlings."
They had to rely on their ingenuity and bravery to prove their innocence and expose the true villain behind the plot. Throughout their ordeal, the sisters faced great adversity and were often outnumbered and outmatched by their enemies. In bold, the main idea of the Charmed witch trial is the exploration of prejudice, discrimination, and the abuse of power. The episode served as a commentary on real-world issues and showcased the strength and resilience of the main characters. The Charmed witch trial remains a fan favorite and is considered one of the most memorable and impactful storylines in the show's history..
Reviews for "The Dark Side of Magic: Investigating the Charmed Witch Trial"
- Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the "Charmed witch trial" episode. The plot felt all over the place and the pacing was off. It seemed like the writers were trying to cram too much into one episode, resulting in a lack of character development and a confusing storyline. The concept of the witch trial could have been interesting, but it fell flat for me. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wishing I hadn't wasted my time watching it.
- Thomas - 1.5 stars - I've been a fan of "Charmed" for years, but "Charmed witch trial" was a huge letdown. The episode was filled with cliches and predictable twists, and the acting felt forced and unnatural. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, and the special effects were subpar. It felt like the writers were trying too hard to recreate the magic of earlier seasons, but ended up producing a lackluster and forgettable episode instead. I hope the show gets back on track because this episode was a major miss.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I have been a loyal viewer of "Charmed" since the beginning, but "Charmed witch trial" left me feeling underwhelmed. The episode lacked originality and felt like a rehash of past storylines. The plot twists were predictable and there was a lack of depth in the characters. I expected more from a show that has been on for so long. Overall, I found this episode to be dull and uninteresting, which is disappointing considering the potential the show has.