All 22 excellent episodes without any annoying ads !
Disadvantages:
Still no extras or special features !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
After a brief 'spell' away, I am back with the next installment of my Charmed reviews. I am now on the Season 3 DVD box set of this terrific series created by Constance M. Burge, produced by the late Aaron Spelling and written by the likes of Zack Estrin, who has gone on to create Prison Break.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept, Charmed is the story of the three twenty-something Halliwell sisters who come from San Francisco. They are called Prudence (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano). They were raised by their grandmother or 'Grams' after their mother was killed and their father left.
After the death of their beloved 'Grams', the girls discover a family secret that changes their lives forever. They come from a long line of good witches who practice Wicca or Witchcraft. According to an ancient prophecy, the power of the Halliwell line culminates in three sisters who will become the most powerful good witches of all time - The Charmed Ones, who have individual powers that combine to form the Power of Three. Prue has the power of telekinesis (moving things with her mind), Piper can freeze time and Phoebe has the power of premonition.
With the help of the Halliwell Book of Shadows (a demonic dictionary) and Leo (their Whitelighter guardian angel played by Brian Krause), their destiny is to protect the innocent from various evil nasties.
This third series sees the sisters well settled in their roles as superwitches. Together, they have battled many demons and warlocks, whilst dealing with the normal trials and tribulations of young women.
Before I chat away about the box set, here is a little bit of background info. Charmed began way back in 1998 and has just finished showing its eighth season. Sadly, the show has announced that it won't be back for anymore and the grand finale was shown here in the UK only weeks ago. However, the show has broken records and become the longest running TV show with all female leads.
Season 3 was first aired in 2000 and is one of my all time favourites, because it contains a great mix of drama, suspense, comedy, special effects and some absolutely brilliant episodes. The series had really found its niche by this season and become well established. The acting is very strong and the writing has become more imaginative. Flying high after the success of the previous two seasons, the budget was also big enough for the addition of a new permanent character, Cole Turner (played by the marvelous Julian McMahon), bringing a new dimension to the program.
Ok, ok, onto the product! The box set itself is a grey-blue colour with a picture of the three sisters dressed in black looking very witchy. Inside the outer sleeve is a plastic 'book' with all 6 discs on a different 'page'. There is a different picture of the sisters on the front. Inside the first 'page' is a thin booklet with a very brief description of each episode. This is easily the best booklet so far, because it has six pages and pictures from various scenes in the season. It looks more professional than previous booklets.
Right, now for the episodes. As with my other reviews, if you don't want a brief taster, scroll past this section. I am also going to give a featured music track from each episode too.
#1. The Honeymoon's Over
Piper is missing after disappearing with Leo at the end of last season, so Prue and Phoebe are left to battle a Guardian demon without her. They meet handsome assistant district attorney, Cole Turner, who offers to help.
A great season opener and introduction to the new character. 10/10
Featured track: Pinch me - Barenaked Ladies
#2. Magic Hour
When Kit, the Halliwell's cat brings in an owl that is more than it appears to be, the sisters must race against time to save two innocents.
This episode is well written with some good morphing effects. 10/10
Featured track: Delicious Surprise - Beth Hart
#3. Once Upon A Time
Prue and Phoebe rediscover their childhoods when they have to save a little girl, who is protecting a fairy.
A sweet little tale about the magic of childhood. 9/10
Featured track: Tell Me Why - Paul Van Dyke
#4. All Halliwell's Eve
The sisters dress up for Halloween, but things go awry when they are transported back to a witch's coven in the 1600's.
This was a good episode with plenty of period costume that Charmed loves so much! 9/10
Featured track: You And Your Friend - Snake River Conspiracy
#5. Sight Unseen
The girls learn that a powerful demon called Balthazar is after them, but is there more to the story?
A tense episode with some good twists. 8/10
Featured track: Cold as Hell - Marvelous 3
#6. Primrose Empath
When Prue is infected with the power of Empathy by a demon, Piper and Phoebe must find a way to save her before she has a complete breakdown.
This is an excellent episode - very well written and acted. Being able to feel things so acutely slowly sends Prue into deep despair, making her unable to function. I think this is a subtle parallel with what it is like to suffer some sort of mental distress or depression - feeling so much that it becomes to difficult to face the outside world. 10/10
Featured track: Shameless - Idol
#7. Power Outage
The demon of anger infects the sisters to make them vulnerable with explosive results.
I enjoyed this episode very much. I liked the way anger was personified by a demon and the comic results it caused. 10/10
Featured track: You're an ocean - Fastball
#8. Sleuthing With The Enemy
Prue and Piper join forces with a bounty-hunter demon to destroy Balthazar, which leads to a dilemma for Phoebe.
A strong episode where we learn a lot more. 9/10
Featured track: None
#9. Coyote Piper
An evil life essence possesses Piper, endangering her life and causing much trouble for the sisters.
This is one of my favourite episodes of the season. It is well written and Holly Combs does a terrific job of acting possessed. 10/10
Featured track: Unbelievable - EMF
#10. We All Scram For Ice Cream
When an Ice Cream van seems to be connected to the disappearance of children, Prue and Phoebe have to enlist the help of their long-lost father to solve the mystery.
An imaginative episode where we found out more about the issues between the girls and their father. 10/10
Featured track: Skin - Collective Soul
#11. Blinded By The Whitelighter
A bossy whitelighter friend of Leo's is assigned to the Charmed Ones to help them fight a powerful Darklighter.
An amusing episode. 8/10
Featured track: None
#12. Wrestling With Demons
Prue, Piper and Phoebe must put personal differences aside to save an old boyfriend of Prue's.
Although the wrestling element in this was a bit daft, I liked the way the writers used another aspect of US popular culture and gave it a demonic twist. 8/10
Featured track: None
#13.Bride And Gloom
An evil priestess intent on stealing the Book of Shadows, tricks Prue into marrying a warlock. Can her sisters save her?
An entertaining and quite dark episode. 9/10
Featured track: None
#14. The Good, The Bad And The Cursed
Phoebe visits a Ghostown and has a violent premonition of the horrors that were committed there. Prue and Cole have to travel to another plane to unravel the mystery.
This is another of my fave episodes. It is full of appropriate western costume and has an interesting story. The episode was directed by Shannen Doherty, which always results in great acting, excellent direction and plenty of stunts. Brilliant! 10/10
Featured track: None
#15. Just Harried
The day of Piper and Leo's wedding finally arrives, but will it go according to plan?
A great episode with a nice mix of drama, comedy and romance. 10/10
Featured track: Heaven and Hot Rods - Stone Temple Pilots
#16. Death Takes A Halliwell
The sisters face the Angel of Death whilst trying to protect an innocent.
This thoughtful episode takes a novel view of death, sparking painful memories of the sisters own private loss. 8/10
Featured track: None
#17. Pre-witched
A witch's familiar turns to the dark side, causing a very tricky problem for The Charmed Ones. Piper battles with her decision to move out of the manor with Leo.
A sisterly episode with plenty of flashbacks. 9/10
Featured track: None
#18. Sin Francisco
The sisters face a demon that is infecting people with the 7 deadly sins. Will the sisters be able to fight their own sins and defeat the demon?
This terrific episode has an imaginative and well written storyline. I thought the use of the sins was a great idea and worked well. 10/10
Featured track: Opticon - Orgy
#19. The Demon Who Came In From The Cold
Phoebe's trust is put to the test when Cole has to go undercover to face his past.
This is a strong episode with plenty of double crossing! 10/10
Featured track: Planets of the Universe - Stevie Nicks
#20. Exit Strategy
Piper struggles to control her new power, while Cole finds himself in serious trouble when a witch is killed.
A dramatic episode with some good special effects. 10/10
Featured track: None
#21. Look Who's Barking
The sisters battle a Banshee who feeds on pain. They cast a spell to track her, which backfires with hilarious results, until Phoebe is attacked.
This is another of my favourites, which shows how versatile Alyssa Milano is as an actress. 10/10
Featured track: Give me a reason - The Corrs
#22. All Hell Breaks Loose
A demonic hitman called Shax causes Prue and Piper to be exposed as witches and sets off a disastrous trail of events that puts the Power of 3 in grave danger.
This explosive season finale is one of the all time greatest episodes. Directed by Shannen Doherty herself, the episode contains terrific stunts, drama, suspense, some horror, strong sisterly relationships and a cliffhanger ending. The acting and storyline are at their very best. 10/10
Featured track: Dream on - Depeche Mode
That's the episodes done - take an eye break!
This season is extremely enjoyable and provides a nice bit of escapism and entertainment. It is also darker and contains some bloody horror, so it has been given a 15 certificate.
The third season sees the sisters' well-crafted characters evolve as they become older and wiser. Prue, the perfectionist in previous seasons, is learning that she must balance her life a little better if she is to find personal happiness. Piper is learning to be less of a doormat and stand up for herself and what she wants. Phoebe has matured from a rebellious, impulsive spirit, into a college graduate with purpose. The sisterly bond has become very strong, not without its ups and downs, but with a growing understanding of each others personalities. Another lovely aspect is the obvious awe the girls feel towards their departed mother, which is beautifully demonstrated in the episode of Piper's wedding.
The addition of Cole Turner was an inspired move that injected new life into the series. Without giving too much away, Julian McMahon plays the tortured Cole extremely well and adds some eye candy for us girlies too!
As in previous seasons, the combination of magic and special effects, with characters people can relate to, gives Charmed its mass appeal. Here are just some of the situations covered in this third series: standing up to authority, being abandoned by a parent, reuniting with that parent, depression/breakdown, high school problems, grief at the loss of a parent, dealing with anger, love-life issues (such as family not liking the partner), facing your dark side and dealing with something that makes you different. The high quality episodes usually have a lesson or moral to the story. For the full benefit, though, I recommend starting with the first season, to really understand the characters.
Once again, the soundtrack to this season is very strong, with Piper's club P3 providing the ideal platform for band appearances. Sadly, as always, the DVD box set does not provide a music guide.
This season is definitely worth owning, but as before, I can only give the DVD box set a Satisfactory in the value for money stakes. This is because there are no special features or extras, apart from showing un-edited versions of the episodes, which is a positive. There are Audio Options, which include subtitles in 9 languages as well as English plus the chance to watch in English, German, Spanish, Italian and French, but these do not count as good extras in my book. The box set is currently available to buy new for £35.99 and at this price; there should be something extra for the fans.
In fact, it is interesting to note that many fans have complained to the WB about the lack of extras, so my message to the manufacturers is this:
"Use the MAGIC of imagination and give the people what they want!"
Charmed: Season 3
Protecting the innocent vanquishing evil and evil doers and generally righting wrongs are
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not exactly on the agenda of every twenty-something on the fast track to discovering what life's all about. But for the Halliwell sisters this has become their de...
