How Charmed Failed Cole Turner

[@williethomas5116]

The lowest moment of the show was when Piper told Cole he chose to be the source of evil. Cole didn't choose it. He was infected with the hollow because Phoebe had a preminition of them losing to the Source. He did that to protect them. He did not know that when they vanquished the source that the powers that the hollow absorbed from the Source would infect him and make him the new Source. He deserved better.

[@derekmathews1557]

That’s exactly right. Piper was wrong for that. The Seer tricked him.

[@stonersiren]

and evil phoebe literally killed that wizard 😭 hands down the most genuinely frustrating moment in charmed

[@williethomas5116]

@@stonersiren But they at least realized their mistake and made it so it was the baby who was corrupting her. The child had too much power and innate evil. It had Charmed, Source and Seer power

[@BenThomas13]

He chose to act on it and not tell them tho. So yeah, he DID choose to be the source, he just didn’t sign up for the job. Once he was forced into it, he willingly did it. So piper is in fact not wrong at all. Y’all really don’t understand this show lol

[@williethomas5116]

@@BenThomas13 Actually, he tried to tell them twice once he found out but the "Source" kidnapped him and took him to the Seer. When he was talking to Phoebe and later Paige. He then tried to turn over the power of the Source to the Wizard to free his Soul but Phoebe being corrupted by the Source's child destroyed the Wizard. But then the Source became the primary being and Cole was incorporated into the Source which is why the Source said "I need HIS love to be whole and reclaim what I lost". It was an important line that the Seer made sure was emphasized so we would understand what would happen. Cole didn't really choose Evil he was corrupted and overtaken by evil saving them from the old Source and the Hollow. We actually watched the show and saw what played out on the screen.

[@MermaidMusings7]

Cole was the most complex character on the show.

[@dramonmaster222]

THIS!

[@BenThomas13]

LOL that’s a reach. He was mediocre at best. The whole “witch loves demon” thing got real old after the first 100 times they did it.

[@peteryang8991]

I agree, how Cole's character developed later onwards doesn't make sense.

[@markrobinson9394]

Replace “most complex” with “best”. He was by far the most charismatic and fun character of the show.

[@johnathantufano8068]

I totally agree with you.

[@Dragonkid1801]

To my knowledge, Paige's final line "Happy birthday, Cole," in his final episode was originally supposed to be a sarcastic one-liner, but Rose decided to deliver the line sympathetically. So, while the end to his story was still bad, it could've been worse

[@peteryang8991]

Obviously the actress doesn't believe in the BS and insisted on doing it differently from the script LOL

[@stonersiren]

LMAO best fun fact... i guess by that time brad kern had already taken over and alyssa was a producer so i'm not surprised at all

[@MermaidMusings7]

Just imagine what Charmed could have been with competent writers.

[@lucybaldock9987]

Cole's ending still hurts me to this day. What I just couldn't get over was how the sisters and writers treated Cole like he was ornately evil and always would be, yet it was shown countless times it wasn't his choice. He was influenced by evil through demons, the source, demonic powers etc, but he always tried to be good. It made me mad because the sisters were also influenced by evil and did horrible things and yet they were given a free pass. Why didn't Cole get the same treatment? The writers made it hard for me to agree Cole was this evil character we shouldn't like because they were making his decisions and actions so justifiable. There had been previous side characters/love interests who were part demon or influenced by evil that were allowed to turn to good or the sisters backed, but not Cole for some reason. His death in S5 seemed like a cop out and lacked so much feeling that I agree it was an insult. I also don't get why, after all of this, the writer's made Leo go down such a dark path killing elders and becoming an avatar after what they did with Cole's character. It seemed to undermine everything because if they were going for this good vs evil, nature over nurture point, why make Leo go off the rails? He was born good and yet chose to do all of those questionable bad actions. Cole, part demon, half of the time didn't choose the stuff that happened to him, but he apparently was never able to be redeemed like Leo. Cole only tried to help, save and love Phoebe the same way Leo did for his family and both had outside influences getting to them. Just doesn't seem fair. Seems like they should have written Cole more evil with worse intentions if they wanted to pull that off.

[@K-pc9rr]

I also hate how they tried to make it seem like Leo was this great person when if we’re being honest he was barely there for the witches and when he was there he barely helped. Cole helped save the girls way more than Leo did. Even when cole was In “hell” asking for phoebe’s help she acted like it was nothing she could do and he STILL found a way to come back and save her. then she acted like she hated his guts when she knew he was half demon when they fell in love in the first place. so why would the writers try to portray like he was just going to always be evil? When he was the source the demons even knew he loved phoebe more than anything. I also didn’t like how Paige judged him soon as she found out he used to be a demon before she met him after she saw how much good he was doing.

[@KoiinuNe]

yep yep! well said!

[@TheSADHU88]

In short men bad, they admitted they killed him off on purpose because the fans were too focused on him instead the power of feminism.

[@Vanessa-xx3yz]

Well said 👏

[@hannahmartin9056]

Maybe the writing was (unintentionally?) making the case for predestination moreso than good vs evil being a choice via agency. Like they have free will in the day to day but it only takes them so far when it comes to determining their fates.

[@siennahartle9069]

The way they wrote Phoebe and Cole (and Paige for that matter) in seasons 4 and 5 should frankly qualify as character assassination

[@Jkjoannaki]

True, they thought they were making phoebe more "successful " and well liked when in reality they just embarrassed Cole and made phoebe a complete btch

[@Jkjoannaki]

When b4 that, both characters were likable

[@alyssapopovtls9920]

Shannon leaving the show is what destroyed everything.

[@deannafaul5001]

​@@alyssapopovtls9920didn't she leave the show because of Alyssa? Or is that just another Hollywood rumor?

[@the5thdoctor]

I would not call it character assassination. Yes Phoebe is wrong to blame him for everything he did as the source. And the first episode in season 5 they have a fitting ending to a traumatic relationship. She has every right to move on with out him. And put that traumatic experience behind her. And she tries to but he continues to Haras them and make Phoebes life a misery. I was annoyed at Phoebe for the way she blamed him but in season five Cole deserves no sympathy. Except for the first two and the episode where Barbas comes back and messes with his mind. All this talk about Phoebe being selfish in the later seasons. Everyone is selfish from time to time. But she is not a Selfish person. I love Cole and the way it ended is sad. But it does annoy me how so many people are so quick to jump to the side of Cole in season five. Especially with how much of a terrible person he once again becomes in season five on his own free will.

[@BetterWithBob]

Yes! All the applause to you! Cole laid down his life multiple times to save the sisters, and taking in the Hollow was literally only because Piper and Paige had lost their powers and Leo was dying. He sacrificed everything not just for Phoebe but her whole family, and he just ended up used, manipulated and violated by everyone. The demonic wasteland bit was so weird too - he says he's not going to get an afterlife or likely to be condemned to "the bad place" because of his demon half and Phoebe's like "lol not my problem". Phoebe was so awful to him it took me two seasons to forgive her. I even head canon that the reason for having her powers stripped in Season 6 is partly as punishment for her actions towards him.

[@LovedayJourno]

After watching your video and seeing this one pop up, I was curious what your thoughts were on it. For the record, I love both videos :)

[@marcusmelancon3426]

You messing all the bad things he did like poisoning phoebe after they got married so she’d turn even which then caused her to get demonic powers and turn against her sisters, or when he got other demons to help him out Phoebe and Paige under a curse and was trying to force Piper to kill Paige to save Phoebe or the time he chocked Phoebe out and almost killed her Cole has done a lot of bad that made Pheobe not want to be with him anymore and when she didn’t want to he tried to force her to be with him multiple times

[@kristinesharp6286]

@@marcusmelancon3426 that was to support the baby she was carrying that was not actually her baby…

[@Fiercekun]

I still haven't forgiven Phoebe 🥹 I literally cannot stand ANYTHING she does past Charmed and Dangerous and exactly how everyone points this out, she CHOOSES to do some really questionable decisions and gets away scot-free, while Cole is manipulated into doing them and oh my god this is unforgivable 🙄

[@biancaenera2500]

Phoebe was the most selfish, unreasonable empty character reason why in the end she attracted a demon and he loved her. 😂

[@OpalBecsDreamer]

Cole and Phoebe could have been a great tragedy, but they fumbled it sooo badly

[@angelaholmes8888]

💯👍😥

[@AngelaMerici12]

I thought that too!! I really liked the character development but they ruined him.

[@derekmathews1557]

They ruined Cole Turner so much!

[@nina84374]

They were a great tragedy and they should have been the great triumph of love verses evil

[@derekmathews1557]

@@nina84374 , agreed. Cole went through a lot and the writers destroyed him.

[@PenDragon-hg1lg]

Cole could have been to this series what Spike was to Buffy

[@Junejane4]

It has similarities but Spike has a bigger arc almost through the whole show. Till the very end.

[@Zivilin]

Could have been to what Faith was to Buffy/angel. Hands down one of the the best redemption arcs created.

[@davideferrari1194]

My pairing of characters between Buffy and Charmed: Buffy-Phoebe are the kick-ass ones; Willow-Piper are the shy ones; Cordelia-Prue are the fascinating ones (and both disappeared after season 3, Cordelia survived episode 3x22 but during the few months between it and 4x01 she moved to Los Angeles and never returned, so for the Scooby-gang in Sunnydale, and the ones from their audience who didn't watch the spin-off Angel, it's like she died in that season finale too...); Dawn-Paige are the new arrivals (Dawn was 1 season late!); Xander-Morris are the normal ones (but not useless!); Giles-Leo are the much older ones who know a lot of stuff more than anyone else (Giles could be the father of all the others, Leo, even if he doesn't show it, the grandfather!); Spike-Cole are the new season enemies when they are introduced but then... (Cole 2 times); Faith-Billie are the new season allies when they are introduced but then... (both 2 times); Angel-Drake are the ones who were bad but then they redeemed a long time before the beginning of the series (I know, Drake appeared only for 3 episodes in season 7 so it may look absurd compare him to Angel, which was in the first 3 seasons and then had a show of his own, but I think his backstory is the closest to the vampire with a soul's one).

[@Me__Myself__and__I]

I still think Cole was. Had even more potential.

[@dancesmokesmile344]

Cole was my favorite character and I kept getting so pissed off at how they treated him. The sisters were so mean to him, they just kept using him and blaming him for everything

[@Surgemaster2012]

Another example is poor Daryl Morris, tbh I don't really think any of the sisters treated him well, and later on abused his position and friendship with him, while giving little in return. The worst example being when Phoebe and Paige stole his soul without permission. The only sister I can think of who wasn't downright awful toward Daryl was Prue. Cole was the worst example, he was treated so poorly and honestly influenced a lot of what would later define a lot of Phoebe's motivations/character, a downfall from how they formed initally. Also the source was after the Charmed Ones since Season 1, since it was implied by Rex and Hannah. The thing I dislike the most about Cole's return past Long Live the Queen is that it just does a disservice to everyone involved. The sisters spend season 5 emotionally abusing him, which causes him to go mentally insane, it just became a repetitious dynamic and wasted half of the season that could've been spent elsewhere. It not only does Cole a disservice by making him not respect Phoebe's space and ignoring the fact he was possessed, but it also ignores Phoebe's part and the Charmed Ones notably Phoebe herself are ruined as a result. His reappearance in Season 7 just added fuel to the fire because Piper just spends the episode blaming him for everything like they did in Season 5 and doesn't even directly mention by name Cole helped her or even give him credit.

[@kristinesharp6286]

Yes I agree about Daryl.

[@AngelaMerici12]

Totally agree. I wished for Cole to end up being good but they really ruined the character.

[@lytemike38]

thank you.

[@tearsofawaterfall2656]

I felt so bad for Daryll, he just wanted to protect his family and they gave him shit for it.

[@derekmathews1557]

@@tearsofawaterfall2656 , yeah that was unfortunate. But things got messy because they asked him to choose between them and Sheridan. Sheridan was on to them.

[@mariashaki89]

If Phoebe wasn't portrayed constantly as a victim and they actually held her accountable we would have had a better storyline than the mess we had to endure in season 5.

[@brelove5613]

She's like Buffy thry want to protect loved ones who kill and justify it. Doesn't make sense your a paragon of good but you can live with a killer? Her marriage to him didn't work out anyways it was a waste lol

[@greeneyelove2003]

I really hated how they ruined his character. It's like the writers get lazy or stop caring and think the fans will accept whatever nonsense is thrown at us. Cole and Phoebe deserved a better ending. And fans of the show and the couple deserved better.

[@derekmathews1557]

You are extactly right.

[@mgfoster9197]

Julian McMahon also got tired of the role around S5 so they wrote him out when he got the pilot for “Nip/Tuck”

[@angelaholmes8888]

He totally made the right choice

[@rhondathompson6942]

@@angelaholmes8888 yeah he did cause after a while charmed dumb down cole

[@katryna192]

Bugger loved him I'm 66 but will give him a go lol

[@brentmartin1981]

And enveloped the role of Christian Troy, one of my all time favorite characters, as well as one of my favorite series ever.

[@rainbowrabbit]

When he left, I left with him. He’s the reason I watched Nip/Tuck.

[@frankbarrie6785]

Cole is easily my most fav character.. his "end" was so dumb in my opinion.. also one of my biggest issues was when Cole tried giving up the sources oowers to that wizard or whatever and PHOEBE is the one who stops him from doing it and makes him get coronated, and yet the sisters still blame EVERYTHING on him and like you said, they keeo acting like hes never been good and/or has no potential to be.. that still drives me crazy to this day lol

[@Skara159]

Thank you!! I HATED that! The writers clearly didn't know what to do with him. They should have killed him off at this point. Sacrificing himself to safe Pheobe. At least he would have had a heroes death.

[@BeneficenzaCristianaPoorMacho]

👍. Cole at least should have been killed off in season 4 ending,much more honorable ,to him and their amazing love story. To me,the real "charmed "ended with prue's death.

[@Skara159]

@@BeneficenzaCristianaPoorMacho For me too. However I did enjoy the Episodes of the 4th season until Cole got bad again. I loved how he got accepted and brought a new dynamic into the group.

[@nataliiatotka]

Loved him the most too

[@jameslyon2338]

Some info you're missing. Julian was meant to be in exited in Long Live The Queen as the 100th episode like you said. But the reason this didn't happen was because the network told the production the show might be cancelled in season 4 so they truncated the planned evil Phoebe and Source Cole storyline to a few episodes instea of a much longer arc so they could end season 4 on a high, wrapping up the whole show in case they did get cancelled.

[@racheldoesfandom]

I didn't know that, but it makes sense!

[@BetterWithBob]

And then I think to make up for messing them around, they gave an automatic two season renewal, which is why Season 5 ends on a cliff hanger

[@Lola6920]

@@racheldoesfandom Yes - I constantly fantasise about Long Live the Queen being Cole's exit XD - because that was what his original ending was meant to be. It would have been perfect - a tragic, but still beautiful ending for the character. The original plan was the season finale of Season 4 was meant to be Charmed & Dangerous (i.e. the Source is vanquished, with the cliffhanger for Season 5 being that Cole has now become the Source). Then the second half of season 4, was really meant to be season 5. But, since the network and the show assumed that Season 4 would be the last, they decided to put those two (in my opinion) great storylines - i.e. the Source being vanquished and Cole becoming the Source/Phoebe becoming the Queen of the Underworld and needing to vanquish him into one season. Although this is what for me makes Season 4 the greatest season the show ever did (you seemed to not love the Cole becoming the Source storyline from your video, but I personally loved it and thought it was it was great to see Phoebe really embrace that dark side she has) but it explains why the continuation past Long Live the Queen felt so out of place (I do believe Julian was contractually obligated until the mid of season 5 as well as you mentioned) and the beginning of season 5 really doesn't have much of a direction. It's a shame, because the original plan I think would have made the overarching narrative of the show feel more organic - but I can understand how it happened, and at least the show seemed to get back on track once Wyatt was born and Chris was introduced - it felt like it found it's direction again after the misfire with Cole's character. Gosh - I think I could write a whole video essay about this! haha - but thanks agains for another great Charmed video!

[@darianrose2195]

Cole became my only reason for watching Charmed. How they made a literal half demon, some time ruler of the underworld the inevitable victim in his relationship with Pheobe, while still framing him as the villain, boggles my mind. Pheobe became one of my most hated characters in general and was part of why I stopped watching the show. Well, that and the writers wouldn't have known consistency if it slapped them.

[@VioletFlame-Ivy]

Phoebe was a terrible character, very self absorbed and arrogant.

[@newjeansfan238]

not for me, the reasons i love charmed and watched is for the sisters

[@newjeansfan238]

i love phoebe and i hate cole

[@akshaya6770]

I got so sick and tired of Cole and his issues. I loved the sisters living togather at their cosy manor and going on adventures, having fun, meeting at the quake/P3 format. It was so fun untill sad boy Cole came along.

[@darianrose2195]

@newjeansfan238 You must not have lent much attention to the writing. Phoebe is one of THE most selfish and self centered characters who literally damned Cole more than once, even when he was begging her to kill him. Phoebe is awful.

[@skullslace2426]

An actual interesting KZbin recommendation, and a great throwback. I loved Phoebe and Cole so much, and hated what they did to them, though I never gave much thought to why. You did an excellent analysis here, and I agree completely.

[@buterafirevocals8177]

At the very beginning its funny when Prue yeeted Cole after he just walked inside the house I miss prue

[@AngelaMerici12]

I loved her character so much!! I also loved Rose, but wished they kept Prue.

[@blaxican]

Thank you Rachel! When I was watching this series back in the day, I thought Cole was a total badass and I thought he was going to be the ultimate villain the sisters face at the end of s3. Then, as the series progressed, seeing the chemistry between Cole and Phoebe was interesting. Seeing Cole struggle between his sense of duty and his love for Phoebe was gripping. Julian McMahon deserved an Emmy. I always liked Cole and Phoebe's relationship more than Piper and Leo´s. Grams said that the Charmed ones were destined for greatness. Cole and Phoebe's love story is better than a Twilight film or The Vampire Diaires. I really thought his end came in s4 when they vanquished him. Cole saved the sisters from the Source and he does NOT get credit for that very often. Then, to see him be treated like a nuisance in s5 irritated me. The seer is the one that put things in motion, but the writers seemed to have retconned that. Cole and Phoebe should have been endgame. They were on the level of Piper and Leo. Coop annoyed me with speeches about love. I'm glad I'm not the only that believes Cole deserved better.

[@bres.4806]

I agree to everything you said. I absolutely loved Cole and Phoebe’s relationship.

[@shadowhashira2772]

Personally I liked Coke I just wanted more from the character Cole had soooo much potential for the show

[@lennypearl]

It wasn't just an insult to the character and the actor, it was also an insult to us fans! I HATED what they did to Cole in season 5 and how they (the writers and characters) treated him. I'm glad you made this video!

[@LadyArmand2000_]

Phoebe and Cole would've remained an awesome couple had they not messed it up. I always loved Cole as a character because you never knew quite where he stood. He constantly towed the line between good and bad, or moral vs. immoral. He always did what was necessary, even if he went about it the wrong way. That begs the question: If the bad man does the right thing for the wrong reasons, could he still be considered inherently bad? AND... Can the bad man be reformed with the love of a good woman? It was a very unique situation to be in, especially given Phoebe's propensity for evil herself, which we saw with several of her past lives, which you pointed out. They made it clear that she could have gone either way, too. It totally made sense that she would fall for Cole. I think a lot of people forget that Phoebe was given a passive power, unlike her sisters, as punishment because she had already abused her active power in a previous life. The story had all the makings of something epic, but I couldn't help but think that they kept sacrificing Phoebe and Cole, and their happiness in favor of keeping Piper and Leo the "super couple" of the show. Everything pretty much became all about them and their children. They only threw in Phoebe a HEA as an afterthought, in my opinion.

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

Oh my gosh it’s out!!!! Yesss!!! I’m so happy you’re doing this. Justice for Cole! They could have done so much better. He did well with what he was given but man!

[@steveyj3002]

Prue was the best part and when she left it was Cole that took charmed to another level until they dropped the ball and never bothered to pick it back up

[@intotheunknown6736]

I also think it has a lot to do with what they originally wanted to do with the character in season 4, which was to go in the direction of Pagie and Cole, an enemies-to-lovers trope, and then the drama of Pagie betraying Phoebe. However, neither Rose nor Julian liked this storyline, so it was dropped, not to mention, by this point Julian wanted out as a series regular.

[@editaudioaesthetic]

WHAT! Thank goodness they didn't do that.. that feels even worse!

[@panloum]

Great analysis and great video! It always bothered me that Phoebe was never held accountable for her part in how Cole became the Source. She had a chance in season 4 to help Cole turn away from the Underworld, yet she decided to be evil with him instead, and turning her back on her sisters. So, I always held Phoebe accountable of all evil things did in season 4 and so beyond. She knew how hard he tried to be good and human and knew how difficult it was for someone to resist evil, yet when he reached his hand with all the strength he had left to try and choose the good side, she decided to become the Queen of the Underworld instead. To me, Cole killing Jena (the witch from season 3) was worse that what he did afterwards since he was still in the half-demon half-human faze and could still make decisions at the time, so since Phoebe had found a way to justify his actions for this crime (since his Boss had his father's soul, (which to me was not reason enough to forgive an action like that) why couldn't she realize that she had a huge part in Cole becoming complete evil again? And especially when literally Cole was possessed by THE SOURCE OF ALL EVIL In the end, it is neither the character's (Phoebe) or Milano's' fault for this poor outcome, but writers' and producers' fault for underestimating once again the fans' intelligence. Cole's fate, and "Witchstock" are the 2 things in this series that made me realize (and left a little bitterness in me at that time) how much they really did not care for the show anymore . Nor us the fans. And the interviews of the cast members of how WB treated Charmed through it's initial run, is evident through the later season of the show.

[@elecrom_9757]

I'm curious, what are the problems with Witchstock?

[@panloum]

@@elecrom_9757 it completely screws the complete timeline. I know that the story was supposed to be about patty and Finola Hughes was not available, but putting Penny in it, makes the girls dates and that 70s episode is then very difficult to place within that timeline. It was like they said , no worries the fans won't realize that it completely destroys the history

[@elecrom_9757]

@@panloum I don't remember anything of the sort except maybe that it might be weird that Penny seemingly aged much in those ~10 years because young Penny had a different actress (but that's understandable).

[@theantone7476]

I'll never understand how the sisters were so cruel to Cole in season 5 when it had been explained and clearly laid out to them that Cole was possessed by The Source. Granted, Cole should have spoken out a lot sooner in season 4 but I guess he was too stubborn and thought he could beat his former boss. Still, the sisters should have realized and understood that, especially Pheobe of all people Plus when Cole became an Avatar I think it would have been better once he joined them he didn’t try to use his powers to win Phoebe back, instead he accepts he can never win her back or be accepted by the sisters as a whole. So he disappears but returns in season 7 for the Avatars Utopia arc where we see a completely changed Cole who has let go of his love of Phoebe or underwent some spiritual journey

[@leykimayri]

Because he was not possessed by the Source. He was corrupted by the evil powers he absorbed.

[@boki98737]

​@leykimayri That's a continuity problem. It isn't crystal clear what the Source of all evil actually is?

[@thesapphicplot]

I had no idea that Paige and Cole were planned to be a thing... let's just say I would have been happier continuing with my life without ever knowing this... just no, it seems so out of character for Paige, not to mention it would have broken the 'power of three' which was the main focus for the whole show

[@lilithiaabendstern6303]

far worse, it was supposed to be a triangle between Phoebe, Cole and Paige

[@derekmathews1557]

Thank god it wasn’t Paige and Cole, that would have been terrible.

[@derekmathews1557]

@@lilithiaabendstern6303 , that was even worse.

[@diegotrindademg]

Good thing I wasn't the only one annoyed by the way the show treated him. He was one of my favorite characters.

[@ryanappleton3653]

Sometimes I think that the men of Charmed don't get the same fleshed out characterisation as the sisters.

[@angelaholmes8888]

Oh you are so right about that

[@judigemini178]

The show is about the sisters not their boyfriends & husbands, the show was very female driven and its annoying that even now people think the writers are supposed to apologise for that

[@Jkjoannaki]

@judigemini178 this is wrong in so many ways 1) bts: the production team and director have called the actresses extremely sexist names. They have been accused by the lead actresses for emotional abuse, forcing them to dress off for fanservice etc... you bought the female empowerment bullshit when these women were forced to take their clothes off when they admitted they didn't want to. The writers followed director and production orders, which shows the difference of s1 which was about sisterhood and s6 which was cringe fanservice 2) the show butchered both phoebes and pipers character a lot later on, not JUST the male ones. The male ones suddenly from decent side characters became unbearable creeps who were also at the same time horribly treated my extreme entitlement suddenly from the 2 sisters who both end up having episodes that they showcase that they want to only have powers for personal gain and HATE when they are FORCED by Paige to fight demons and help people, which is the reason they CHOSE at s1 to maintain their powers. Is that your version of female empowerment and sisterhood? The shit that we see after s4-5? Or how it begun, which didn't disrespect neither its male nor its female characters. Only its non able bodied people. Female empowerment as long as you are able bodied yeyyy go pink capitalism!

[@Jkjoannaki]

That ended up better for them after s4. The less we knew about a character, the more likable they became. Which is why Prue and Paige were the most likable ones from the sisters

[@judigemini178]

@@Jkjoannaki get your facts straight instead of using long winded vague strawmans ...the show is the brainchild of Constance and her vision was a female-centric show, in fact she was super against hyper-focusing on their love lives, that doesn’t change simply because of brad kern & his failure to continue that vision, don’t conflate 2 things in a sad attempt to refute actual facts, so I have no clue what you’re rambling about esp this able-bodied diatribe you’re on. If you think the repetitive dragged out love triangle that was Piper leo & Dan in ssn 2 was treating the men with respect then I guess it’s different strokes for different folks

[@angelaholmes8888]

Cole was a great character julian was brilliant in the role I'm still furious how the showrunner brad kerns ruined him I'm glad julian decided to leave the show thanks for doing this video

[@AirQuotes]

The same thing happened with Darryl.

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yep I really hated what they did to him

[@ariana9099]

I love your videos! Happy to see you back! I agree with your take on Cole, it was kinda upsetting seeing his character getting worse and worse from season 4, he got so much potential, he deserved a better ending!

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yes I'm so angry at how cole was ruined 😡

[@crystalfajman3732]

It would have been interesting if Chris had traveled far enough back to save Cole. In the dark future it was Cole' spirit(and not a that Phienix Witch), who helped him the most and helped him travel back to save Wyatt and his family.

[@iamcasihart]

This is absolutely perfect. For over 20 years now, Julian has been my future ex-husband (in my head). I love this man’s presence, acting, charisma, and every inch of him, from the top of his gorgeous head to the tips of his toes. I’m enjoying this video essay so much! I concur with your points regarding the treatment of Cole/“The Source.” Honestly, Julian brought leading man film star type energy to his every scene and moment. I remember being 25 years young, and glued to my TV on channel FX. This was before most people had any sorts DVR or “TiVo.” I was waiting to watch the premiere of Nip/Tuck for the sole purpose of following and supporting Julian McMahon in his first true starring lead role in a shoe I loved immediately. So, again, this is awesome sauce! 🥳♥️

[@TheRealBlkButterfly]

Ahhh Julian.... The son of a former Prime Minister and insanely handsome and the fact that he and Dannii were married for a little bit lives rent free in my head always. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@BCS9022]

Cole, the character he created, we all would have loved to have been given a chance to redeem himself. The chemistry of love that Cole and Phoebe achieved was what catapulted the series to be the success of the 90's. Charmed 👍🏻

[@dlamancha5697]

Your video and observations is amazing and I totally agree. Julian McMahon deserved much better. The writing was just God-awful. They write the women as selfish harpies and emasculate the male characters and treat them as if they were the C.O's accessories. The fact that Cole was multi-layered was a testament to Julian's acting, I think. Then the character was so downgraded by the horrible writing and by the C.O's complaining about how evil he was. When he went to Nip/Tuck Julian could shine in a role where he had so much to stick his teeth into.

[@wrongnumber878]

I'm so happy that in 2023, someone finally noticed Cole's tragedy. Sadly, many fans still hate him and believe he's the ONLY one at fault for the toxicity sometimes present in his and Phoebe's relationship. Like she's always the only victim. He really WANTED to be good. He tried so hard and yet, he stayed a villain in Phoebe's eyes in the end. I always though he was her true soulmate, despite it not working out. After all, she chose to be with Cole, whereas Coop was chosen for her and sent to her by the Elders, just so she could have kids. Never sat right with me. Maybe they can be together in another life. Thanks for the video!

[@nataliiatotka]

Their love was my favorite ❤ he always tried to be good for her….and had to save the sisters so many times..,he wanted to be human, he tried everything to be with her.

[@utkarshgaur1942]

OMG! Does this mean we may get a video dedicated to Leo?? I agree that Cole's first vanquish should have been the end for his character. I thought everything leading up to it was pretty affecting. He was a great character in seasons 3 and 4. I also give kudos to the show for giving the happy ending to the angel and the tragic ending to the demon. Too many shows/books glamourize the bad boy romance without taking it to its logical end.

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

A Leo video would be really interesting. I want her take!

[@AirQuotes]

Hmm, I've always found Leo soooo boring

[@humanbeing4995]

What always mystified me is that an angel was sent down to personally help them and he wound up being the butt of jokes and generally looked down on until they needed his help and they were like "I know, leo!. LEO?! LEO Where tf are you Leo. *frustration* never around when you need him." Maybe even angels don't like being treated like that, even if they never say so.

[@hameley12]

​@Human Being 😬 😒 🥸 I always hated and still do when they yell "Leo! Leo! Where the hell is a whitelighter when you need one?" It made me cringe so much. Even, I don't treat my boyfriend, my friends or my dog by yelling "Tevi! TEVI DAMN WHERE THE H ARE YOU!" The Charmed ones treated Leo like a throw away, even if Piper said she loved him. It took her years to finally respect him and marry him. Yes, the show had it's flaws and strengths but Wowwza! How the treated Leo, Cole and Darryl, and some guest characters.

[@humanbeing4995]

@@hameley12 I love shows about wicthes and the magic of nature and stuff like that. Spiritually, I guess I fall somewhere near there. I'm all about being an expression of nature so I thank you for your thoughtful comment. Be well.

[@LisA82G]

You do such a good job in these videos. Can you do one of Tara Maclay from Buffy the vampire slayer?

[@Fireguy723]

By far the beat character on the show. It's a shame the way his arc went and I can't disagree with any part of this video.

[@ahsokatanoss]

I feel like both Cole and Daryl got suchhh shitty treatment by the writers, especially the further into the show you get. I recently rewatched a few episodes from Season 1 + 2 and it's wild to see where Cole wound up by the end. I do remember absolutely hating the Queen and King of Hell storyline so much.

[@LBF522]

I agree. I would add I also hated how they did Leo wrong as well.

[@calimoss]

I agree with you.... they had a opportunities to give C&P a wonderfully tragic ending and failed. But I thank the show for giving us that ending in season 7 (w/Drake) ❤ GREAT VIDEO!

[@KrisBryant99]

To be fair Charmed seemed like it was built around Cole without saying so because I get the feeling he was integral to almost everything that went on in that world.

[@kittyunderwood8918]

From what I read, they weren't sure if they were gonna be canceled after season 4 or not, so they had to wrap up those storylines by the end of that season just in case. Then the show got renewed and they still had the actor contracted for another half a season

[@zeroendless2]

I remember watching charmed when I was younger, very occasionally tho. But when Cole came in, I watched religiously because i loved the character so much. After he was gone, I kinda slowly stopped watching. I still like charmed and rewatch here and there, but Cole was really one of the main reasons I loved it.

[@Mangomesh]

I love the cole and phoebe relationship. I don't know how to put it into word, but Charmed was the best show ever when I was growing up. I wanted cole and phoebe to get back together, always hoped love would come through for them.

[@humanbeing4995]

I don't know how many seasons it took for the "I get to abuse you because this is about me." attitude of the show to really get to me. C'mon Cole was just an excuse for the writers to come up with more of those terrible rhyming triplets.

[@poslednisoud]

Yeah, Cole was my favourite character at his best, when he was this morally grey energy ball slinger but season 5 where he was like 5 different characters, from crazy hobo to jaded ex-husband psycho, ruined him for me.

[@BurghFinsFan]

Cole was my favorite character. I always felt like they did him dirty in season 5, thank you for making this video.

[@SabrinaRina]

Ive also heard that Julien was dating Shannon really, so that may have created turmoil. I HATED how they all eventually said "Cole's fault" even when he was gone. Pheobe is selfish, immature and bad a decency towards others... two seasons after Cole. I know first hand holding onto issues past a relationship and that feelings are real, but the person was toxic, and possibly they were improving, but not enough to work out. But two seasons out Pheobe being annoying and not even caring about her duties that pulled them apart, is on her. They treat him like the embodiment of malice, all intentional and evil. When someone keeps addressing you the problem you either become or you remove yourself. He got neither as a choice and got both.

[@chillysoup]

Cole was quite literally the best character in the entire show

[@tracygardner6318]

I’ve always liked him. I missed him when he left the show.

[@kallistoindrani5689]

It is sad that they made Cole and Phoebe's relationship toxic in the end.

[@LBF522]

I agree. She turned on him badly.

[@freyarobinson804]

I felt this too like it was very jarring near the end how badly the sisters treated him even though I felt he did a lot to earn some charitablity and good faith it was frusterating and in a way it ruined my perception of the sisters because dude was obviously trying and they had the means to help but they turned their backs. He deserved a better send off aswell.

[@strawberryseeds]

I loved this show as a teen and never looked that deep into characters. Cole was my crush ❤

[@LadyDi0514]

I honestly wasn’t paying that much attention to the storyline bc I was too busy drooling over Cole the whole time!! 😻

[@zayn181]

They overused Cole and ended up dragging the character on way too long he was a good character on the show but the point where he was basically invincible kinda ruined it and defeated the purpose of phoebe and cole’s tragic love story

[@ineshadixon1377]

Thank you for talking about this!!!!! ☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾 They did try to make up for it in the comic book.

[@Женёк-б5в]

They killed him forever, destroyed his soul! Was this how they compensated?

[@nicolebowman8509]

Not only did they get lazy with the writing but their sole image of "The Source" was greatly lacking. When we first see him, his presence portrays dark gray wings, long heavy hooded robe, red skin and pitch black claws holding a sword, not to mention a deep intimating voice. When we finally see his face, he's an average looking almost low level demon (in my opinion) with an eye missing. The child who played Wyatt was not even terrified when he 1st met the character, very disappointing on so many accounts.

[@thelearner9984]

Agreed, when we first met the source he was so intimidating, he had a black hood so you couldn't see his face, incredible voice, and everything you said but then when he takes off his hood, you see he looks horribly disfigured with one eye missing making him less intimidating. I wish he had never taken off his hood because I was so disappointed.

[@lady_v3nus]

To me,Charmed ends at season 4. I just can not watch more and see how bad they treated Cole, and Phoebe of course beeing the victim. Phoebe? Do you remeber Cole took the power of the source to save you? Remeber when he was ready to give his powers to the wizzard but YOU stopped him? He was ready to give everything to be good and be with you. He just wanted have powers to protect you. He didn't put a pistol on your head and forced you to be the Queen of all Evil. The victim is Cole! Not you Phoebe. It makes me mad 😢

[@ydjda.2634]

!!!!

[@Emily00Strange]

Cole & Phoebe has some of the best on screen chemistry in tv history. I always wished these two would've had a happy ending.

[@mochigotbored]

Cole tried so hard for his love to be good. To this day I never got over how the writers decided to go about this. Wish Cole and phoebe got a better ending, there was so much potential.

[@brendacastillo8146]

I remember watching charmed as a teenager and was super in love with Cole, their plot and chemistry stole the show.

[@lukebassi4861]

I’ve recently rewatched charmed as an adult. And if I’m honest I see the Phoebe and Cole relationship as a metaphor for cohesive control. Rewatching it opened my eyes so much. Yes we all loved Cole in the beginning. But then his manipulation and control. Isolating Phoebe from her sister’s and so on, all signs of cohesive control. If this was the writer intent then I say bravo. It was done so well especially seeing Phoebe find her strength again in season five. That is a true survivor. I choose to think the writers intended this as it make the whole Cole and Phoebes love story that much more of an amazing depiction of this type of relationship which I think more young woman need to see and recognise rather than romanticise about.

[@AdonisAngeloLexiYanulis]

I agree with this so much!!!

[@angelofthe2000s]

Maybe it’s a good metaphor for how you see a person you love seemingly become possessed and another person entirely. But it was poorly written because cole was literally possessed and not in control of himself, and they all blamed him even after everything he did to help them including taking the source in the first place. It wasn’t good writing it was character assassination of both Phoebe and Cole. She didn’t come of as a survivor she came off as a selfish person who blamed the person who loved her for something that was literally not his fault. Like she could have decided not to be with him without being completely evil to him lmao

[@Jkjoannaki]

If it's a good metaphor for something is that phoebes selective amnesia of what happened and her complete immaturity to self reflect on her choices of becoming an evil queen (if Cole wasn't manipulated from the sorce, then phoebe chose to betray her sisters and the side of "good") is a perfect portrayal of bpd and someone who isn't able to actually be empathetic (like narcissist, histrionics and sociopaths in the b cluster), which is why when Prue became an empath she learned a lot, when phoebe became one she made people around her suffer because "IM MAD IM FEALING YOUR FEELINGS JESUS AAAA". Cole could be of course as well cluster b, but the inconsistencies of his character are so intense, it's impossible to see how he splits (demonize and obsess), how he projects his personal choices as if it was other people's choices etc.

[@judigemini178]

Thank you a million times for this comment. This is exactly what I keep saying. When you rewatch this show as an adult, and hopefully a mature one, youre not gonna see it through the lovey dovey naive lens of "they were endgame, theyre destined for each other" and all that teen angst nonsense. Some of the things Cole does are CLASSIC textbook abusr tactics. And yes i believe this was the writers' intentions with the character. He was straight up an abusr and it was a toxic rship. Unfortunately, I think they failed miserably in conveying this, because to this day a huge majority of people still unwaveringly think of and perceive Cole as a victim. It's one of the worst cases of poor writing I've ever seen.

[@shaungerald23]

They didn't insult his character. His character was done that way so the viewers would dislike him and wouldn't care to want him on the show anymore. The writers are the ones who do that. If they had his character die in a blaze of glory protecting Phoebe or whomever, the viewer would want him to stay on the show. Julian wanted to do other things. So they had to have the viewers despise his character. Unfortunately.

[@merimalicina635]

I think that Cole was one of the best and most complex characters of the show, I do understand that the end didn't do him justice but they portrayed him brilliantly, I sometimes go back to the series just to watch the episodes that include his story.

[@ClairesUniverse]

Could not agree more! Personally, I think he should have died a hero in Charmed and Dangerous.

[@marinakotova51]

I think Cole should have died anyway but by making an ultimate sacrifice to redeem himself. The issue that they had that once they saw the chemistry between the actors and saw the audience’s reaction to that - they only developed Phoebe and Cole inside of the relationship. Phoebe’s character suffered the most because of this since in her case her whole personality and arc was giving to Page. If I had a chance to rewrite - yes, I would still kill if Cole in a way that Spike died in Buffy(yeah, I saw Angel, I’m only talking about the purpose of the scene). With his death being the end of the the 4th season. I would not develop the relationship between Page and Piper so soon. I would have left them on terms of getting a long of each other but not feeling like sisters. After Cole’s death I think the logical development for Phoebe would be a role and responsibility of an oldest sister. But not in a way Prue did. But more a bit in caring and motherly role since she at this point would have lost 2 people she loved in one year. I don’t like will they/won’t they in general. But in supernatural tv shows, it’s almost always a disaster since the toxicity of this dynamic becomes the abuse due to extra powers. Phoebe should not have end up with Cole. She is life, she is fun, she is light. Ending up with a centuries old ex demon who is tortured by his thoughts is not fair. It will take her will take her light away, she is already a typical healer. After Cole’s death I would let Phoebe be single for a couple of seasons since she would have probably thought anyway that she already met the love of her life and he tragically died. So she would not think much of dating. So I would let her focus on her career and bringing Paper and Page closer together. And then by the end i think it would be nice for her to end up with a normal guy who adores her. I always thought she was most alike to her mother. So it be cool

[@twistedelegance_]

When Cole told Phoebe he had issues, Phoebe just told him she doesn't care and doesn't wanna know. That was it for me. If you're policing the world and try to decide whether someone is good or bad, you kinda do need to know the full picture and what is influencing Cole to act the way he does. She just shoved him away, and decided he needs to be get rid of. Then again, the writing was always really bad. It seemed like none of the sisters ever learned from what had happened previously, like a full mind reset every episode. Doors unlocked 24/7, a security system in place but never used nor active, only reacting in the moment and never really preparing for attacks properly until the first attack has happened. I had really fond memories of this show, but re-watching it now as an adult just makes me think this series really never deserved the status it has. Even if it was the only witchcraft kind of drama on TV at the time, the production and directing was absolutely terrible. I'm not surprised they got budget cuts and every season was basically fought for even to the point of having to give the actors producer credit due to cutting their paychecks.

[@ayiza8511]

Honestly Cole was as much a victim of the source as Phoebe was. and they basically killed Cole whit the source, he was possessed. Honestly I always preferred Cole and Phoebe together

[@kanepain0819]

I hate how they treated Cole after all he sacrificed for them. He gave up his humanity for them.

[@mrbabadookbooks]

Thank you!!! He was my favorite and I hated where they left him

[@martinacold9255]

That's ok Nip/ Tuck was awesome and he did a great job😊

[@markrobinson9394]

Believe it or not, I really like the Source storyline. I even liked the way Cole was vanquished, with Phoebe torn apart by her decision and Cole declaring his eternal love for her. But my god, what was done to him after that absolutely sucked. Phoebe treated Cole like he meant nothing to her. With the way all the characters were to him, his eventual madness was completely understandable. They somehow made the villain more sympathetic than the heroes. Make that make sense. And as for the 100th episode, that was the lowest point of the series. It was the final nail in the coffin of Cole’s character, as Phoebe didn’t even seem bothered about vanquishing him this time. It made the whole storyline worthless, with no emotional payoff.

[@tessax]

Cole got very stale before he was killed off in Season 5, I grew very tired of him being Evil then trying to be Good then swaying back to Evil again, I couldn’t stand his relationship with Phoebe either but I do think because he loved her he wouldn’t hurt the sisters even tho he tried in the end but he’s love for Phoebe because toxic even for him to handle and made him completely snap, then he was vanquished, and also when he returned in Season 7 he said he would only return if he got to choose what scenes he wanted to be in and who he wanted to work with, which is why we only see him with Piper because he grew tired of Alyssa taking tantrums on set.

[@rainbowrabbit]

Great video. It’s nice to see that someone agrees with me on the subject. I didn’t have the internet or even a working computer back then. So I wasn’t a part of any online chats to know what other fans thought of the storylines. I loved Cole and wished he stayed for the remainder of the series. I’m a little biased when it comes to his character since I had a crush on Julian McMahon. The way he was handled was the final straw in my decision to stop watching Charmed. It already degraded in quality for me when Shannen Doherty left. I still gave it a chance. But after that 100th episode, I was completely done. I won’t even rewatch the Charmed reruns in syndication.

[@mentaleruptionsinc.4686]

The writers also wrote in a line during the finale that tried to retcon the way Cole's character was treated in season 5. It was when the demons tried to convince the sisters to take in the Hollow before Billie and Crissy could call for it so they can win the battle. Paige, in an attempt to explain why they shouldn't do that mentions that when Cole took in the Hollow he got infected and then went crazy. I assumed this was the writers admitting their mistake with the way Cole was just dismissed as being evil.

[@Phl0gist0n]

Great video! Thanks a lot!! Cole was best - at first. At last, his storyline was broken. In my opinion, the show made two great mistakes at least: How to handle Cole as well as how to handle Prue.

[@tarotreadingsbysteven8545]

I remember being impatient for them to murder him off for good. Not because I hate his character, in fact it was one of my favorites, but because I was extremely tired of the back and forth and him being done dirty by the supposed "good guys"

[@thatnytedaez9445]

I loved Cole's character and really liked seeing the dynamic of a demon assisting the sisters in similar fashion to Leo. His knowledge of demons was always valuable, he was a brilliant fighter/powerful demon so could be counted on to hold his own, unlike Leo. And generally he was an awesome character that meshed pretty well with all other characters. I really enjoyed the Brothers-in-law moments Cole had with Leo too. It was nice to see them bouncing off one another too. I get why they had to strip Cole of his demon side, but when they turned him into the Source, it was all downhill from there. Couldn't have him on the side of good with literal source of evil as his powerset. Killing him off completely when he was an Avatar in an alternate reality though... I lost respect for the show by that point but that was a particularly low blow.

[@mjewell69]

Forever and always cole and phoebie

[@nicoleplumley4094]

Idgaf what any of y’all say I love Cole and Phoebe together!!!!!!

[@josephharkreader7875]

PREACH! 100000000% to everything you said. Great video.

[@DestinyPifer]

I will always hate what they did to Cole's character. I loved his character.

[@priscilabee583]

Yess! He was the most charismatic thing on the show and they did him dirty.

[@lakouk1901]

cole and paige should have been lovers

[@mels3958]

I loved Cole. He just wanted to be free to love and live a life of joy. But nooooo!

[@valerien6514]

He was my childhood love, and I think I will always love him. They ruined him in season 5, they shouldn't even start that storyline. It was also strange that when he became a human he couldn't normally live or work, while we saw at the beginning that he lived human life quite well and was accustomed to it. P.S. He is hot as hell

[@em-emma-em]

Great video, I always felt sorry for cole.

[@mrlake8808]

I think a good ending for the character of Cole was to have him leave after the mermaid episode. He could have left for another city and been an occasional guest in later episodes, like how Angel was used on Buffy.

[@rebeccacolon1065]

I loved Cole and Phoebe. Wish their love story could have turned out differently. Still watch Charmed even through they are reruns.

[@jdp3578]

I remember Cole strictly being possessed by the source. There's even a scene taking place in coles mind where the source is torchering Cole. And phoebe goes from loving him to hating him in a single episode, she wouldn't even try to move his soul somewhere other than a hellscape. Should've returned him to Balthazar, then expanded on Chris and Wyatt having a half witch/demon cousin.

[@rjrnj1]

Completely agree with your analysis. What a waste of a good actor's abilities.

[@izuela7677]

I was very disappointed that the show ultimately decided to make him an obsessed stalker. It was a progression that did not feel natural, to me.

[@kyrotv8156]

The sisters were absolutely AWFUL to Cole in Season 5. He deserved better.

[@derekmathews1557]

I’m OUTRAGED what the writers of this show did to the character of Cole Turner. He went through so much from a really good bad guy to a good guy. I admit it, I knew it was going to take someone really powerful to be able to get him to that good side and that’s what Phoebe did. And then his demonic half FINALLY got vanquished by that vengeful bride and he became a man, a real man, a real man who became an innocent. THIS should have became his happy ending and Phoebe and Cole should have lived happily ever after. They deserved that. But the worst thing the writers did was make Cole the Source. Because he never was a good guy ever again. I felt bad for him.

[@kamui003]

Moral ambiguity has always been kind of a weak point with the series.