9. “Death Takes a Halliwell” (Season 3, Episode 16)
While Charmed may explore the concept of death quite frequently, nothing strikes quite like “Death Takes a Halliwell.” When Prue comes into contact with the Angel of Death she must reckon with what death means and realise that she doesn’t always have the power to stop it. Given how traumatized the sisters were from losing their mother, death has never been something they’ve been able to properly deal with. Because of her connection with Patty, Prue has never truly been able to accept it. It’s rather ominous considering the unplanned fate Prue meets just mere episodes later.
10. “All Hell Breaks Loose” (Season 3, Episode 22)
Prue’s final episode, “All Hell Breaks Loose,” is the culmination of a series of trials the sisters have been put through over the course of the season as the battle with the Source of All Evil continues to grow closer with Shax, the Source’s assassin, becoming their target for the week. Another fantastic episode that showcases the talent of Doherty, the girls’ lives are shattered when they are exposed to the world as witches with a video of a vanquish airing on the local news. As a crowd gathers around their house, both the supportive and the antagonistic show up to rally. Also directed by Doherty, it’s an unusual episode that starts at a mid-point of their fight against Shax with an innocent under their protection, rather than viewers seeing how the story began. And, it’s an impressive final outing for Prue, showing just how far she’s come and the lengths she will go to for her sisters.
11. “Charmed Again” (Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2)
After the death of Prue, Piper and Phoebe are left to grieve for their older sister, struggling to accept their new reality. But, upon learning of their long-lost sister, Paige makes her way into their lives and becomes someone they need to save, multiple times. Not many shows can pull off the long-lost sibling trope, but Charmed planted the perfect seeds along the way (like Patty having an affair with her whitelighter, Sam) to pull this off after the unexpected exit of Doherty. And, unlike most shows, this is just the beginning of Piper and Phoebe slowly letting Prue go and letting Paige in. It’s unmissable television.
12. “A Paige from the Past” (Season 4, Episode 10)
As a teenager, Paige’s parents were killed in a car accident. To the present day, Paige is haunted by their deaths, blaming herself for them being in the car to begin with… though nobody could explain how she didn’t meet the same fate since she was also in the car. “A Paige from the Past” gives Paige a chance to relive her last day with her parents, putting her in a precarious position about whether to try to change things or not. It’s also the first major dive into Paige’s history (not counting her Enchantress past life) and how she became the woman she is now. It’s incredibly important as her story is so different from Piper and Phoebe’s, but the similarities are also undeniable and helps to strengthen their sisterly bond.
13. “Charmed and Dangerous” (Season 4, Episode 13)
The biggest battle of the Charmed Ones’ lives is on the horizon when Phoebe has a premonition of the Source killing her boyfriend Cole in the attic. As the girls scramble to prepare themselves and find a way to stop the foe that was able to orchestrate the death of their sister, Paige must help a woman from her job as a social worker that is a victim of domestic violence. While this episode shows how far the girls have come as witches, particularly Paige who’s so new to the craft, it also evokes the same feeling as “P3 H20” except with Prue instead of Patty. Plus, Paige’s side story is also a very true definition of the person she is over the rest of the show as her whitelighter side increases, always trying to find a way to help everyone who needs her.
14. “Witch Way Now?” (Season 4, Episode 22)
After stopping the Source twice, and Phoebe having lost her baby, the girls are now beginning to recover from everything they’ve done over the last year and what they’ve lost. Matters aren’t helped by the Angel of Destiny coming to visit them, offering a chance to give up their magic and live out their days as normal people. Given that her journey has only just begun, Paige is immediately reluctant. But, after losing Prue, Piper and Phoebe aren’t as quick to make a decision. There are many opportunities to see why these women love being witches, despite the trauma of it all, but this episode does a particularly great job at exploring that.
15. “Centennial Charmed” (Season 5, Episode 12)
The series’ 100th episode finds Paige and Cole travelling to another universe where, after Prue’s death, the Charmed Ones were not reconstituted and Paige was also killed by Shax. It’s an ode to Paige, as we see how much her presence helped keep Piper and Phoebe’s lives together, exploring how Prue’s death impacted them and how Paige helped them to heal from such a substantial loss. While it may not be the traditional milestone episode and focuses on the newest of the bunch, it truly comes together in the perfect way.
16. “The Day Magic Died” (Season 5, Episode 15)
The day Piper and Leo (Brian Krause) have been waiting for has arrived in an unexpectedly Charmed way. Though it’s not quite their baby’s due date, the stars align and an ancient prophecy begins to be fulfilled as all magic leaves the world and Piper goes into labor. Given the lack of magic and the immediate threat of demons running amok, Phoebe and Paige must think outside of the box and use some unconventional methods to save the day and ensure the safe delivery of their… nephew?
17. “Sense and Sense Ability” (Season 5, Episode 20)
With a story co-written by one of the show’s stars, Krause, “Sense and Sense Ability” leaves the sisters in a bit of a jam. The Crone, eager to get her hands on Piper’s son, Wyatt, steals Piper’s sight, Paige’s voice and Phoebe’s hearing when they need them most. But, being a little senseless is no match to the Charmed Ones’ bond, which is much deeper than any of them expected.
