2. Destiny Awaits: Practical Magic?
As stated previously, the Halliwells were witches with a purpose: To protect the Innocent. However, what made the show even more original was that they were also the fulfillment of a prophecy. We have had plenty of movies which depict heroes defeating the greatest force of Evil. But for television? For a witch? This concept was certainly a tall order. However, for us superfans, it all but entrenched our interest in the series. They weren't just witches, they were Super Witches. Their Power of Three was the strongest force of Good and, thus, it was their goal to destroy the Source of All Evil (which they did in Season Four) and his legions of demons from the Underworld. Their Power of Three status was responsible for their superhero-like powers. In the series, only very powerful witches have actual magical powers instead of just the ability to cast spells and mix potions. Such a witch, in the series, was referred to as a Practitioner. A Practitioner Witch was often given the most traditional witch portrayal. That being a worshiper of Wicca (in a more religious sense), hippy-like and, frankly, powerless against demonic forces. The REAL witches, the Halliwell Sisters, were simply normal young woman with a very special job to do.They knew nothing about the world of witchcraft and it made the show more relatable, rather than farcical. The girls acted as anyone would upon finding out such a secret, and showed little interest in the tradition 'witchcraft lifestyle'. They never wore cloaks, pointed hats or even hippy, earth mother clothes. This may not seem that revolutionary but, in fact, it was an incredibly unusual way to portray a witch. It almost made the Charmed Ones seem more of a Buffy/Charlie's Angels cross, with superpowers added into the mix. Similar characters have since appeared on televisions, such as the main characters in The Secret Circle, Willow in Buffy and Bonnie in The Vampire Diaries. One could argue that Charmed paved the way for beginnings of the modern witch on television.