Just ahead of Halloween, a new trio of witchy sisters are about to take flight. The rebooted Charmed premieres on Oct. 14 on The CW, 20 years after the original premiered. While the two versions tell different stories, the new Charmed connects to the original on many of the basic plot points. So while not everyone has been overly supportive of the Charmed reboot, these overlaps show that there's still a whole wide world of witches to explore.
TV revivals, like Fuller House, Will & Grace, Arrested Development, and Murphy Brown, have continued the stories (albeit some with a few tweaks) that the original series were telling. But the new Charmed is unlike them in that it is a remake, and not a revival. Although the outline is that three sisters discover they are witches and must use their power of three to fight evil, it doesn't utilize the same characters or actors like other reboots do.
Reboots happen in the movie industry all the time — from Freaky Friday to Batman — and are often widely accepted, as the fourth version of A Star Is Born highlights. But due to the recent onslaught of TV revivals, many fans are incensed that this Charmed isn't really paying homage to the original. And the controversy has only been fueled by the fact that some of the original actors shared their outrage over not being included in the new Charmed very clear on social media. Thankfully though, the original cast has softened its language a bit regarding the new version as time has gone on. And there's a lot to celebrate with this update since it presents a far more diverse cast and will take on current hot topics.
So you shouldn't go into the new Charmed expecting exactly what you got in the first. But here are the main ways that the new version connects to the OG.
Three Sisters
Just like the original, this Charmed is all about the power of three sisters. The Halliwell sisters were oldest sister Prue (Shannen Doherty), middle sister Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano). When Doherty left the series, she was replaced by Rose McGowan as long-lost younger half-sister Paige Matthews.
In this version, older sister Mel Vera (Melonie Diaz) and younger sister Maggie Vera (Sarah Jeffery) discover they actually have an older half-sister, Macy Vaughn (Madeleine Mantock).
Their Powers
The careers of the two sets of Charmed sisters are different since the Vera sisters are still students, but there's significant overlap when it comes to their powers. Prue and Macy both have telekinesis. Piper and Mel can freeze time. But while Phoebe had the power of premonition, Maggie's power is telepathy.
The Book Of Shadows
What's a witch without her spell book? Well, in both versions of Charmed, the sisters look to the Book of Shadows that's in the attic of their old homes for guidance. The appearance is similar, too, with the trinity symbol (or, triquetra) on the cover of the large, ancient book.
Dead Witch Moms
The new Charmed starts out with the death of Marisol, the secret witch mom of Macy, Mel, and Maggie. The Halliwell mom was Patty and though she died before the events of the original Charmed, she was still able to communicate and appear to her daughters. (Also, these shows clearly share the power of alliteration when it comes to names.)
The Spirit Board
The Halliwells had a spirit board, or Ouija board, that their mom had engraved a message on about their "power of three." And previews show that the Vera sisters will also be using a board to contact spirits, too.
Detective Significant Others
In Season 1 of the OG Charmed, Prue's first love was San Francisco Police Department inspector Andy. For this Charmed, Mel is a lesbian (yes to more representation!) who dates Nico Hamada, a detective on the Hilltowne police force. So the witch sisters seem to always find themselves romantically involved with the authorities.
Whitelighters
In Charmed mythology, the advisor to witches is called a "Whitelighter." For the reboot, Harry Greenwood is the sisters' Whitelighter. He's British and initially poses as the chair of the women's studies department at Hilltowne University before revealing his true identity. The main Whitelighter of the original Charmed was Leo Wyatt, who eventually married Piper. But Harry might not be as trustworthy as Leo was.
How the new Charmed compares to the old Charmed may or may not win over fans of the original. But while the basic ingredients are the same, The CW's version is casting a new spell.
