Charmed | Anatomy of an Episode | A Witch's Tail

[@RobertLydonReviews]

I did not know that fact about Rose and her hair and i kinda love how she skirted the rules. Plus the red hair looked good on her and made her stand out even more so.

[@Dlihnyrb]

Agree, this was the absolute best look for her!

[@marocat4749]

Yep, it looks amazing, by the way phobes bob too

[@LaviniaDeMortalium]

Apparently Paige is canonically a redhead. she gets it from Sam. edit: Obviously added after the show

[@RobertLydonReviews]

@@LaviniaDeMortalium was that from the season 9 and 10 comics? I read those over 10 years ago so my memory is very hazy regarding them

[@Tbird0724]

Rose gives no fucks !

[@rodericktrinity4708]

I feel like this episode exemplifies Piper's tendency to internalize her deep issues especially when it involves magic. I believe that she has no problem with being a witch but issue is specifically with being a charmed one & all that comes with it because it has taken m/put her through so much even before she even knew about magic.

[@BetterWithBob]

Yes it's very understandable. And I remember in Power Outage Phoebe jokes that when Piper gets mad, she'll just suppress it and take it out on her later

[@crosslyn.3493]

As a child I used up all of my gold nail polish trying to draw a picture of mermaid Phoebe 😭😂

[@BetterWithBob]

Did the picture turn out well?

[@crosslyn.3493]

@@BetterWithBob I doubt it 🥹

[@AmoMe2009]

Paige’s role in this episode was a runaway hit: for example, her lead in protecting Miley from the Sea hag and Phoebe from Necron, her deciphering what Cole’s sudden return may indicate and result in and her determination to pick up the slack of Piper(and Leo) as the lead. Necron’s vanquish scene was directed very well and had a triumphant, unique feeling to it as she told Piper to take Phoebe’s hand and get ready for a big blast. The way she wrote that spell is just one of the many reasons why Paige did phenomenal in that episode. It’s cool how this episode starts a whole year of her being lead witch.

[@marocat4749]

Yeah her seeing how piper is going a bit crazy with her mom instincts and paranoid, and phobe needing time for herself, to not, really is a good way to have he step up

[@BetterWithBob]

Oh that's a good point. I never noticed that. And it also marks her having to take the lead knowing Piper will have to slow down while she's pregnant, and Phoebe has to juggle Charmed One duties with her column

[@TCt83067695]

I mean she IS the most powerful Charmed One. But we're not ready for that conversation... 🍵🤭

[@susanstorm7910]

@@BetterWithBobyou mean? Ab*se Cole 😊😊😊

[@susanstorm7910]

@@TCt83067695no, that’s prue

[@jennivamp5]

"How are we going to explain that your hair has changed colour!" like hair dye doesn't exist in this universe and changing hair styles and colours isn't a thing that everyone and anyone can do? No, it has to have a ✨magical✨ explanation. (👀 phoebe changing her hair every few episodes)

[@BetterWithBob]

I would take Rose's words with a grain of salt because she does tend to exaggerate but yeah

[@Android18uk]

And it's not like Phoebe didn't start season 3 with a completely different hair colour.

[@JoseGutierrez-jd8ss]

I loved the final scene with Cole and Phoebe

[@BetterWithBob]

It's beautiful ^_^

[@marocat4749]

Too bad they couldnt let cole redeem himself :( or keep that closure. Because it really works making cole look well looking out, even without hemself getting anything

[@JoseGutierrez-jd8ss]

@@marocat4749 ikr, that would have been nice

[@susanstorm7910]

@@BetterWithBobcan you like wake up and see how bad Phoebe is and Alyssa? She basically got all the limelight, it was the Phoebe Ones. Not the Charmed Ones… which is why I prefer the reboot, wish it went on longer 😢😢😢

[@SmittnKittn007]

Yeah. I don't know why they couldn't have left them as just getting along and moving on. Keep the tension between them for comic relief maybe. I hate what they did to Cole and Phoebe. They didn't have to make them enemies.

[@crosslyn.3493]

I felt like this video was made specifically for me. So happy! The H2O references hit hard and you described the appeal perfectly!

[@BetterWithBob]

Well I'm glad XD

[@seanalexandermedia]

blame it on the weatherman is everything in this episode!!!!!! truly one of my favorites. which constance stated on and continued to fight for what she believed was right would’ve loved to see the difference in the show. especially her with s7 i think she would’ve gave us more character depth

[@caitlynskiff2001]

It's one of my favorite episodes! Mostly because I love mermaids! When I was a kid, I used to love swimming so much that I never wanted to leave the pool. My mom would say I should have been born a fish. Plus, The Little Mermaid was my Disney movie as a kid. And then I saw H2O on Nickelodeon, and my love for mermaids just grew. Seeing Charmed do a mermaid episode was so fun on my first watch of the show! It's definitely a good mermaid story, and being someone who loves Pheobe and Pheobe and Cole as a couple, this episode does hold a special place in my heart. The ending scene between them really did make me think they were gonna work it out. Too bad the writers had worse plans for the two that almost ruined Pheobe as a character.

[@ciprianoms]

You brought up a really good point that's something I never thought about. When I watched this show as a teen, I kinda understood why Phoebe wanted to run away. And now? Yeah, I really get it

[@BetterWithBob]

It still hits home tbh

[@TheLight10269]

Making notes while the video goes on: - Why'd they give Rose problems with her hair if Alyssa was able to go "blonde" in season 3. I know Spelling had a thing about hair staying the same, but um it's the same issue; different actress. - Yes, there was a tone shift in season 5 but when it comes to adding in more of the magical community, I personally welcome it. It made the show's world bigger. I do wish however that they added in more magical friends that could had been witches or bring in Ava more than a midwife training cameo to balance out the personal lives of the sisters. "Yeah we can't hang out too much with our mortal friends, but it's nice to have coffee with Ava every now and again.

[@zaqwanbadli9697]

I feel like Milano was pretty vocal on set, and maybe Spelling liked it. Or Milano did let him know beforehand. Rose didn't. But I love her red hair so much!

[@BetterWithBob]

You could change if you went to the higher-ups and gave them a heads up. I think the issue was that Rose just impulsively did it on her own. In her book she says she did it without telling anyone specifically to mess with them

[@JaiProdz]

The storyline with the G*psies definitely felt like a backdoor pilot

[@NatalieAuroraS]

When you mentioned that you related to Piper for catastrophizing and gave the hair cut example it me think of my OCD and how, even though it's much better now, I still have these catastrophizing thoughts every now and then. My OCD begun when I was a teen and my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. On the outside I took the news so well but deep down I was terrified and my OCD likely began as a coping mechanism. Like "...alright I cannot control this big bad thing that is happening but maybe I can control small things around me." At first it gave me a sense of relief and control but then it turned into full blown OCD. And like you ever since I was little I am enchanted by mermaids. Since watching your videos and listening your opinions on what mermaids represent I feel like it all makes sense to me now, why I like them and what they stand for.

[@BetterWithBob]

💙💙💙💙💙💙

[@TomsTube]

I don’t love this episode(s), but your analysis of the final song by B*Witched was too spot on not to comment. Love hearing your opinions on the episodes too. This series also had a huge influence on me growing up too. ❤

[@JoshPinder92]

This episode was iconic ....love it so much still do even season 5 gets so overlooked

[@BetterWithBob]

There is a lot to love. A lot of fun comfort episodes in the season for sure

[@JoshPinder92]

@@BetterWithBob honest question I say it about anything with longevity like Buffy, doctor who and Madonna's discography ....did the show ever have a "bad" era?! Like genuinely all 8 seasons have a lot to love in each of them ... And like you I adore mermaid mythology so seeing this on screen felt liberating and Phoebe being my fave I felt so attached to it like nothing else adored it 🧜🌊🫶 but yes I genuinely feel they couldn't have done more sessions but maybe some episodes with tweaks and interesting demons could've been shaken up but overall Charmed I say had a great beginning, epic middle, sublime reinvention and a successful end ✨

[@Jay-pj9ni]

Also, Phoebe did just lose the love of her life and her baby in one fell swoop. She has just survived being the Queen of the Underworld (her biggest fear being evil) and then the Seer stole her child right out of her. I think people who are harsh on her in season five have no idea what forced abortion does to someone

[@BetterWithBob]

Can validate the feelings without condoning the behaviour

[@Jay-pj9ni]

@@BetterWithBob I do believe she deserves grace, though. From season six onwards I’m like “Phoebe noooooo”, but in the episodes immediately after what happened, I give her grace. We know from other stories that other characters down tools/pick fights with destiny for far less. I was actually surprised rewatching as I got older that she didn’t have a more damaging breakdown, instead she put walls up (which I still think is character development, since she up and left for New York the last time her life fell apart).

[@miriam8376]

Buffy does deal with these themes-the episodes “fear, itself” and “spiral” most directly (and more deftly, I would argue) though not through the lens of motherhood, which I agree is very underrepresented in tv. The unique fears of women and mothers could definitely use more exploration.

[@christinaward9122]

This is one of my favorite episodes

[@J-D1995]

When you called her freebie, I was laughing so much 😂

[@BetterWithBob]

Takes a bow lol

As someone who overwhorked themselves into serious burnout i can attest to all the anger and resentment you feel, when youre still forced to continue every day... and especially, when it connects to Phoebe and her "selfishness", i can very much relate her... cause you do slowly see yourself turn into someone, you dont want to... So, the fact that the sisters and Phoebe become more "self centered", is actually the most realistic thing...

[@nicholasneal8057]

I would watch your reviews for every single charmed episode

[@Jordyb33123]

I was always the one that chose breathing underwater over flying when the obligatory question was asked. I think I only just realised why that was when watching this - escapism

[@BetterWithBob]

My answer to that always changed depending on the day lol

[@mtverv]

Better With Bob? My daughter randomly caught an episode of H2O: Just Add Water on TV at her babysitters when she was around 5 or so and that led to it being “Our Show” for the next little bit until we ended up finishing it lol. It’s always fun to see someone else that was a fan of that show. Took a bit to really get the Aussie accents down but I got there lol. 2 of the actresses of that show, Phoebe Tonkin and Claire Holt actually starred in the same show again several years later when they both got parts playing characters in The CW show The Vampire Diaries and its spin-offs The Originals and Legacies. Always fun to see connections like that…

[@BetterWithBob]

It's very sweet to see how it's still very popular all these years later and there seems to be a new generation of fans discovering it

[@elecrom_9757]

Fun Fact: In the German Dub Miley's Voice Actress would become Paige's Voice Actress beginning from the second half of the season.

[@BetterWithBob]

Ooh very nice

[@JaiProdz]

Gosh we were blessed in the mid 2000s with so much Mermaid content, Barbie Mermaidia, Charmed Witch's Tail, Mermaids 2003, Aquamarine, H2O Just Add Water...ugh bring it back!

[@BetterWithBob]

Eh 20 year cycle probably will see it coming back soon

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

8:46 “see you next Tuesday freebie.” 😂😂😂😂

[@BetterWithBob]

I'm very proud of that one lol

[@Jay-pj9ni]

Blame It on the Weatherman is sooooo perfect at the end of this episode ❤ I’m so sad it’s out of copyright for first-time watchers who are using streaming platforms

[@BetterWithBob]

Hehe luckily I have the DVD

[@Jay-pj9ni]

@@BetterWithBob same! I’m glad I collected them when I was young 😂

[@Jordyb33123]

Commenting as more need to discover this channel!

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you!

[@charmedlife1990]

I loved H2O!! I also loved this episode, I think you're right in the fascination with mermaids being about freedom. I also have taken care of others so being able to just swim away & have no worries always drew me in.

[@BetterWithBob]

Yeah there seems to be something to it

[@HurricaneStormX]

How I miss this video 😮 it was great. Love to watch analysis and comments on charmed ❤

[@BetterWithBob]

Ah every time is the right time XD

[@HurricaneStormX]

@@BetterWithBob with the limited new content about the charmed those days, its never too early 😂 that’s why I love that channel ✨

[@thememedungeonkeeper]

8:25 Bravo sir! For this whole bit!

[@BetterWithBob]

We live in a society *nervous laugh

[@superdani152003]

I wish we could've seen the new mermaid show,but...oh well. fantastic video as always ❤

[@Missmagazinebura]

Wouldn’t it be like h20 just add water or mako Mermaids ?

[@BetterWithBob]

From the plot summary it would have been more like Charmed Season 5 in tone. About an adult woman and fairly light-hearted. She would have other powers, such as sensing emotions, super strength and seeing in the dark. She'd be drawn to helping innocent people while also being hunted by a creature from a similar race that originated underwater. It seems like everyone thought they had a winner on their hands, with some interesting mythology worked out, but looks like the merger affected them

[@toddbeaton1512]

Great episode you doing great job

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you :)

[@acousticmonkey2209]

"Oh, good god, kill it with fire!"😂😂😂 This is why I keep coming back.

[@Justitia_Nomen]

Thought this was going to be another Phoebe apologist video but- LOL. Really though, great video. I remember watching that Mermaids show with the sisters. That had a lot of potential.

[@dalebradley2333]

Love these!! Keep them coming 🎉

[@BetterWithBob]

Thanking you 😊

[@queencerseilannister3519]

You did an excellent job on this video!!!

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you!

[@meradisiacal]

You gave one of the biggest reasons I love mermaids too and have wished so many times I could just swim away too. 💖🧜‍♀️ I just subscribed! Thanks so much for this - Charmed is one of my all time favorite shows. But h2O Just Add Water will always be number 1 for me. 😉 I even have a mermaid tail and have done some "shows" for family of friends. Its so much fun! (I said "shows" because im not a pro but everyone still loved it 😊)

[@BetterWithBob]

Aw that's cool. I have a tail as well (bought as a prop for a short film we never made) and I went in the ocean a couple of times for fun

[@meradisiacal]

@@BetterWithBob Glad you had fun with it! I swear I really do feel faster with the monofin. 😂🤟

[@asnallar]

A few months later, Leo would suppress Piper’s emotions. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@BetterWithBob]

For someone who's apparently been doing this since the 40s, he's shockingly bad at the whitelighter stuff sometimes

[@angelvasquez1592]

After this can you do The Good The Bad And The Cursed

[@BetterWithBob]

Love that one XD

[@henrymockingbird9645]

I too as a teenager was obsessed with mermaids as teenager I watch a lot of mako mermaids and h2o just add water and so can relate with you

[@BetterWithBob]

Mako Mermaids was after my time lol but I hear it did well

[@Rachel-xu4br]

The red suited I think Paige the most due to her skin complexion she could pull it off beautifully. Also, regardless of potions and "this is a show about magic", I never understood why people couldn't change their hair (in any show really). Even not counting Felicity, executes have always had this issue. If anything Felicity just "proved" the executives "right" that one time. Since I do believe some of the fear is genuinely that. However, at the same time, people always react to new hairstyles by entertainers all the time. It just isn't usually that drastic. I could understand it being an issue if it would make more continuity issues, but unless it happened mid-scene that wouldn't be the case. If anything, it's more realistic for characters to change their hair color / styles. To be honest, surprised they even accepted their first season looks considering how short their hair was. Most of the industry is obsessed with long hair. It got there eventually, but it wasn't always the case. Either way, the whole "you can't change your hair" thing always made my eyes roll when I hear stories about it on shows. Magic aside, people change their hair all the time.

[@BetterWithBob]

Eh you'd be surprised on the long hair front. That seemed to only be a thing in the 2000s-early 2010s. There's always been a mix of long and short haired It Girls like Meg Ryan, Mia Farrow, Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Winona Ryder etc. Long hair didn't really come back into fashion until the late 60s, and I think it was only the mid-2000s when only long hair was fashionable. Bobs and pixies were very in during the 90s

[@Rachel-xu4br]

@@BetterWithBob True, the famous Rachel wasn't all that long for example either and that was THE style for a minute in the 90's.

[@HarleyLuna31]

Jaime pressley was a real stunner,it amazes me how she never become that big being such a beauty

[@BetterWithBob]

Possibly she was too southern. But it looks as though she's been working pretty steadily for the last few years at least

[@Missmagazinebura]

Also Margot Robbie looks like her

[@HarleyLuna31]

@@Missmagazinebura margot got surgery to look like her Look at margot pictures before she became famous,jamie is far more beautiful

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

Jaime Presley was never that big? I never had that impression!

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

9:39 I love swimming in the lake and I feel like all my problems can’t follow me under the water ❤❤❤❤

[@Me-jx1mo]

2:05 ok, that one I didn't know. Cool

[@BetterWithBob]

Alyssa herself didn't even know until Disney asked her to host a behind the scenes special

[@susanoconnell9791]

Great analysis. A witches tail does feel like a crossroads episode, in itself a decent episode but the follow up episodes felt ropey due to the Phoebe/Cole shitshow (their final scene in this episode was lovely and should have definitely been the one to end their story on) and the change in style of the show (although that's admittedly subjective) Pipers pregnancy storyline was a highlight and Paige steering the ship and kicking arse is always welcome.

[@BetterWithBob]

Couldn't have said it better myself XD

[@michaeld.williamsiii9026]

Love your Charmed Reviews, Bob!!❤️🤘🏾❤️ Yours are my all time favorite, if not the absolute best! Currently on my own Charmed Rewatch. Currently watching season two, was wondering have you ever thought to do a breakdown of Piper & Dan’s relationship/Along with the Leo & Piper love triangle? Or even a Charmed Season 5 overview. Nevertheless Charmed certainly was, ahead of its time indeed, I’ll forever love this series besides Buffy The Vampire Slayer also!💛

[@BetterWithBob]

I do have a Leo video oncoming where I will be talking about that a little. Thank you for your comment :) Really made my evening

[@ConnorDoubleYou]

I will forever have a crush on red haired Paige. Maybe the prettiest any person has ever looked imo 😍

[@BetterWithBob]

She went redhead again in the late 2000s when prepping for the Red Sonja movie, and she looked gorgeous

[@0h_hi_mark]

Are we like the same person? A lot of what you said I relate to. Especially the kingdom hearts reference. We’re the meme “you wanna play mermaids?” 😂

[@BetterWithBob]

Apologies I only saw this now. I don't know that meme so I suppose that is where the divergence happens :O

[@AliceWanders]

My favorite season is and always will be the season that paige comes in, and the seasons only get better until season 8. I will rewatch s5 until im blue in the face

[@BetterWithBob]

Season 4?

[@chrislong8986]

8:17 "All that for a guy. Boy did you get taken for a ride." Unlike me I chose to be the queen of all evil for a guy

[@BetterWithBob]

Yep she selectively forgets certain things when it's convenient for her

[@jeanfalconer6377]

Yay! Thank you for making this.😊😊

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you for watching :)

[@jeanfalconer6377]

@@BetterWithBob Wouldn't have missed it.

[@theodore8070]

Tbh, I never found the shift THAT big. They have been turned to magical Charlie's angels since like season 3. The difference with the first episodes is much bigger. The ambient music, them using spells more than their actual powers etc. Supernatural shows shifted in general, the spooky late 90s show wouldnt make the cut anymore. Prue got martial arts as well, and it was so much more packed with action. Especially since Piper got the blowing power, they were just hitting demons left and right. In season 1 they used to have a plan where they would make a good deal of everyone's powers and some demons wouldnt die without a proper spell (or even another way like a selfess act, crashing a reflection etc.) Vampires and other magical creatures were on the rise, it was a whole new era for magical shows. Feminism also got deeper into the sex liberation part on tv, so of course more and more action women would start fighting without needing to care about modesty.

[@BetterWithBob]

Agreed, the big shift first happened in Season 2, and then 3-4 was sort of a hybrid of the two

[@alexmoreira876]

I also think that, in universe, The Charmed Ones had become really powerful and had learned their magical ways much better at this point. I mean, they had vanquished the Source and I like to think that from this point on, they basically were dealing with lesser demons and warlocks, even though some upper level demons would pop up now and then.

[@hanagara1907]

Off subject but at the airport overnight coz early @$$ flight so thanks for keeping me company in spirit lol

[@TCt83067695]

Bob has gone and done it again yall. Like no stone (that I wanted turned anyway) was left unturned. And it goes even further. Bravo👏🏾. I think I liked it originally but I grew to be more ambivalent about it I guess due to the influence of the fandom and how everyone seems to hate the episodes because...mermaid outfit bad or something. I loved every minute of this nuanced take and the personal story too (Thanks for the vulnerability, Bob). Still won't rank this in my top 25 episodes tho. #JustSayin

[@BetterWithBob]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@freddyfaerie3499]

Just a FYI but this was actually a backdoor pilot for "mermaid"

[@BetterWithBob]

Was it though? Or was it just where they got the idea?

[@freddyfaerie3499]

@@BetterWithBob no its confirmed they just never picked it up because the episode was bad, same thing with season 8 the whole point of that season was to set up Billy for a spinoff (that would help with the studio changing to the cw) but the character was hated by so many it was also abandoned

[@Surgemaster2012]

I think the strongest parts of the episode where about Miley's character and Piper experiencing motherhood, I think her fear was really strong and something I can relate too. As someone who's surpressed their fears the way Piper did before her storyline hit home for me. Paige as usual is the best sister. And while I really didn't like Phoebe in this episode (and the season) I do like the behind the scenes reason for being a mermaid, and the idea of the mermaid itself. I think think her bits (and the stupid Cole drama that permeates half of the season when it really didn't need too, as I feel it was too repetitive, did a disservice to both Phoebe and Cole and took space away that could've been used for interesting storylines or plot ideas, I liked The Eyes Have It for instance, for that reason) and while this isn't a jab at Phoebe, I never vibed with her being a "celebrity" as to me it felt like a way for the show to have her immitatate Carrie Bradshaw.

[@BetterWithBob]

I never watched Sex and the City so I never picked up on the parallels lol

[@xavierpoller2589]

Hey bob is possible to a beak down on the mummy like how when piper said the spell how Paige spirit didn’t leave her body but isis did

[@BetterWithBob]

Never say never...

[@crosslyn.3493]

Ugh yassss and mermaids was a great movie!

[@rikkiwear853]

I hate how they rehashed Prue's scenes from From Fear To Eternity for Piper. I mean it's exactly the same.

[@Elora445]

That's why I stopped watching the series. When Prue died, it just felt like they ended up giving all of her plot lines to Piper, or something. I liked Piper better at the start of the series than I did later on. As if the oldest sister just had to behave in a particular way just because she's oldest. It was weird, period.

[@BradLad56]

This is also the season where they started treating Cole like utter dog shit for something that was outside of his control.

[@goddessofanguish]

Fans of Atlantia World in Kingdom Hearts unite! (yes I love it it in both KH 1 & 2 and Little Mermaid was my fav disney movie growing up) Also nice to hear appriciation for Blame it on the Weatherman song, still holds up in 2024

[@BetterWithBob]

It's legit my favourite world in KH lol

[@reo74r]

このシーズンは特別です 日本では シーズン4で放送がストップしてしまい シーズン5が始まるまでに4年放送を休止していました😢 シーズン5が放送されると聞いて すごく嬉しかったのを覚えています。 シーズン4は暗い話が多かったので 明るく コメディになっていくのは見ていて楽しかったです

[@Missmagazinebura]

Is the cave the same set from h20 just add water and mako mermaids ?

[@BetterWithBob]

Probably not. H2O was made in Australia about four years later and Charmed wouldn't have had the budget to fly everyone out there. The set builders might have taken inspiration from it though

[@BradLad56]

0:02 Don't lie Leo. You aren't a 200+ year old vampire who was cursed with a soul by gypsies and seeks redemption for his past ;)

[@BetterWithBob]

I'm ashamed of how long it took for me to get that

[@BradLad56]

@@BetterWithBob Seems you got there in the end buddy so it's all good lol

[@TheJSpot93]

So I watched your video (loved it) then I rewatched this double feature and I kept asking myself…IS THAT MARGOT ROBBIE?!? That’s not Margot Robbie…IS it?!?!? Nooooo…that’s not her…IS ITTT?!? WELL turns out Mylie was played by Jaime Pressly and also turns out Jaime is Margot Robbie’s living TWIN lmaoooo that is all! I love you Bob! 😘

[@BetterWithBob]

Now I want Margot to do a mermaid movie lol

[@TheJSpot93]

@@BetterWithBob Omg yesssssss!! Lol

[@rebachick94]

Kind of upset that I missed this upload.

[@BetterWithBob]

ah sure better late than never XD

[@marocat4749]

Good taste with rikki. also ai wish they made up and cole became some letting go and , some enlightenment metaphor?! You dont need him as evil to end their relationship for good. Or him become some good angel ove ran arc going his way,. And have page being his mentor to get how to?!

[@BetterWithBob]

Brad Kern apparently saw him as irredeemably evil and wanted to push that through

[@CherylAbbott6486]

1.27 "How they would explain this on screen" Urm how about you don't as all people would think was Paige went to the hairdressers for a new style!

[@BetterWithBob]

It was apparently an Aaron Spelling thing that a character's hair was their signifier. Like how Topanga in Boy Meets World was defined by her long hair and they only let the actress cut it if they could make an episode about it

[@raspyswirly]

I think this was the episode that kind of put me off Charmed (MERMAIDS?!?!?!) back when I was a younger fan, but actually watching it now it was a pretty well-done premiere with great villains and setpieces. Phoebe's personal crises could've been given more emotional weight and her character more sympathy for us to care that she would be abandoning her humanity, but still pretty great exploration of stories for everyone.

[@BetterWithBob]

Glad it won you over in the end :)

[@raspyswirly]

@@BetterWithBobUnfortunately still not sure about the rest of the season lol

[@angelaholmes8888]

I knew instantly that the show had taken a certain turn the first time I watched the first episode of season 5 I didn't like the new tone which is one of my reasons why I am not a fan of season 5 I did like jaime Presley in the episode though brad kerns wasn't good for the show I don't like how he changed the series

[@BetterWithBob]

He did have some talent as a writer since he did the likes of Deja Vu All Over Again and All Hell Breaks Loose but then again that's probably also because he gave himself the finales to write. It seems as though it worked best when Connie was around to offset his worse ideas

[@mariaheart8259]

they drew Ariel based on Alissa Milano??? that's so coooooool

[@BetterWithBob]

Yeah and she never knew until they asked her to host a BTS special on the film

[@gamingwithrainbowfish698]

Hi, it’s been a while since I commented and I probably commented on a different account but I just wanted to ask will you ever make a video on why page is your favorite charmed one? I respect your opinion, but I just don’t understand why I’ve never really connected with Paige, maybe I just need to see it from a different point of view in order to understand so I’m wondering if you will ever make a video on that topic

[@BetterWithBob]

Yeah I have a little bit drafted but still trying to find the angle

[@larafranke1802]

As a kid I wrote a spell to become a mermaid for an hour because of this episode 😂 I didn’t want to use the one from Charmed cause if I remember it correctly it didn’t say that you would become a mermaid 😅

[@BetterWithBob]

How did it go?

[@larafranke1802]

@@BetterWithBob I forgot the beginning but I remember the last 4 lines. I am from Germany so it went like this: Muschelkranz und einen Fischschwanz Für eine Stunde soll es sein Dann hab' ich wieder Fuß und Bein the literal translation: shell wreath and a mermaids tail For one hour it shall be than I will return to have foot and leg I will edit the rest if I remember it or if I find my "umbra liber" latin for Shadow book (book of shadows) where I wrote down the german versions of some spells of Charmed and two I wrote myself 😅

[@seana_momsen]

The fact that you played and like KH solidifies you in books. And ofc H20. I have a few critiques regarding this video though. If you haven’t already, please watch Allison Pregler’s Charmed Manic episodes where she reviews each season. She has also started individual episode reviews too. She points out so many inconsistencies, flaws and bad behaviours from all characters but doesn’t detract from any good especially in the earlier seasons. I say that to say how incredibly flawed and bad Phoebe/Piper got from season 5 onwards. Paige remained the only likeable character for the most part and it became so hard to watch past Phoebe and Piper whining. Piper’s search for normalcy was often hypocritical/selfish as well as Phoebe just being a bad and selfish character all round. The show lost its charm. However, I still love the show a lot. I do agree that this episode in particular highlights the bad and is aware that it’s bad as opposed to the writers thinking they’re writing likeable characters lol. I also want to add that A LOT of supernatural shows, i.e. The Vampire Diaries explore a lot of these themes - like a pregnant magical being endangered who had a hard life etc. they explored and dealt with it so much better than much of Charmed could do. Charmed had a lot of potential but it just became dumb. However it still had some remaining good qualities.

[@CamReeds]

i was obsessed with mermaids/mermen as a kid after i saw the disney channel movie the 13th year like a week before my 13th bday, i thought i was going to turn into a merman lol ur phoebe slander is a bit overblown that letter opener scene she didnt shank Cole she threatened him and he grabbed the blade all while basically stalking and and harassing her. Also i always thought the idea of them becoming "selfish" made sense, they were basically drafted into war with no end date and the only reward is no life, and dead loved ones, id be tired too

[@BetterWithBob]

I remember The Thirteenth Year. I watched it on here when KZbin had a ten minute time limit on videos so it was in parts

[@jedyoung767]

I always wondered what that would happen if they had just kicked Brad Kern out and Constance stayed on.

[@BetterWithBob]

I think she was the one who wanted each episode to be standalone so we might not have gotten many arcs or long running storylines

[@jedyoung767]

@@BetterWithBob yeah. I also wonder how the final four seasons would look if Constance stayed in charge?

[@angelofthe2000s]

Ugh the character assassination for the only character that was allowed some morality in shades of grey, Cole obviously, just makes me wish him and Phoebe’s storyline ended here. It is completely fair for Phoebe to not want to be in a relationship with Cole anymore but it’s not fair to act like his sacrifice for them in becoming the source was his fault and that he was an evil person for doing it. If they had just let it be complex instead of trying to make Cole the bad guy, this storyline could have been very compelling. Sometimes love isn’t enough. This is yet another area where I think Buffy has charmed beat because say what you want about that show but they at least let characters like Spike, Angel, Faith, and Willow be complex and have interesting relationships with Buffy that they didn’t completely ruin by making them the villain (they nearly did with Spike but I think the writers room finally figured that shit out in S7).

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

1:28 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@indedgames4359]

I aculy like the atlantica Level too.... its a easy way to Level up😂

[@BetterWithBob]

I never thought of that 😂

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

5:01 it started to become so derivative of other things and less grounded and original. Everything started to feel like a copycat of something else.

[@AzizaNyx]

I'll never get over the fact that Paige and Cole were never a couple. They were my favourite characters, and one being half whiteliger and the other half demon would be such a cool concept... Young me really wanted to see that XD But I undersant why they didn't go foward with this.

[@Lola6920]

I wonder if rose dying changing her hair so dramatically led to Alyssa being allowed to chop it all off in season 6? When the network saw that season 5 had the best ratings the show ever had, maybe they realised they could not hinge terrible ratings on an actor changing their hair? 😂

[@BetterWithBob]

Possibly also because once they were at Season 5, they'd reached their desired goal for syndication, since back then you needed five seasons for that so they likely didn't care as much about potentially alienating viewers

[@kallistoindrani5689]

I loved these episodes so much! But damn, am I glad they didn't go through with the Paige and Cole having an affair thing!

[@BetterWithBob]

I'm still not sure about it. Had it been written when Connie was still on board it might have been interesting but probably not

[@kallistoindrani5689]

@@BetterWithBob I personally don't think Paige would ever do that. I think it would go against her character. And honestly, Cole's too.

[@Tbird0724]

I didnt hate this episode as much as most people did, actually i can say that about the whole season, i actually really like season 5. I love Jamie prestly as miley, such a great actress ! My only complaint was cole really shouldn't have been in the season, should've stayed dead in season 4 or appeared here for the closure and thats it. Also love how rose said basically "fuck off" to the show runners with her hair color, that whole rule made no sense especially since Alyssa has dyed her hair plenty of times before this and it was fine, like its not that hard to just say she dyed it like what lmao 😂

[@BetterWithBob]

That was sort of an Aaron Spelling thing where he didn't want a character's hair to change drastically because he thought the audience identified with them based on that. And even back then it was an unspoken rule as an actor that you just didn't change your hair drastically, like why Natalie Portman used V For Vendetta as an excuse to shave her head instead of just doing it on her own

[@Tbird0724]

​@@BetterWithBoblol i know its just still odd to me haha like the fans won't really care lol

[@alexhowarthactor_]

I really enjoyed this episode due to the writing. Not phoebe being in a mermaid outfit

[@BetterWithBob]

It can be both

[@SimpleHealth83]

😊

[@badboyluvr]

The only issue I can recall having with this episode was the ugly color choice for the mermaid scales. I wanted to see a bright colorful mermaid, like Ariel lol.

[@BetterWithBob]

I kind of liked the gold lol

[@_.itsme_mtha.]

G-G-GOOOO SCREWWW YOURSEEEEEEeeeeeEEEELF

[@BetterWithBob]

It's a classic

[@Missmagazinebura]

Miley’s double life lol 😂 there’s Hannah Montana . I can see why they passed

[@BetterWithBob]

I wonder how a several hundred year old mermaid ended up with such a contemporary name lol

[@MrBibi86]

*Sorry, season 5 is when the show went downhill for me...the first few seasons still felt like the Charmed world was still grounded in reality a bit. but mermaids and leprechauns and wood nymph missed in with Cole's treatment was a bridge too far for me.. I remember here in Australia rating took a huge hit during season 5.. season 1-4 was rated M and was on at 8:30pm on a Tuesday and 3 episodes into S5 the show was now rated PG and had slid to 7:30pm Thurdays. a less popular timeslot*

[@marquisbalomsuperstar]

Watch mako mermaids

[@BetterWithBob]

I think I'm outside that demographic lol

[@Hi-jw7oq]

I think people come down too hard on parenting. It's a difficult job, not everyone does good things as parents, but there is a reason the fifth commandment is honor thy father and thy mother. Families are incredibly natural, and forgiveness is so important

[@YES_YES_NO_YES]

this show sucked except when the actresses were in humiliating costumes, then it was GREAT

[@Itsbritney94]

I absolutely love this song, I just feel like it has more of a season finale feeling than a season premiere

[@BetterWithBob]

Ooh that's an interesting thought