Episode 2.01 So It Begins

[RoseMcGowanlover]

Wow, i just started to look at this thread an i love it. I love how you have the wardrobe and the book of shadows pages. shows how dedicated you are.

[Harrison]

Hey, Reyn. I was wondering what the original airdate was for this chapter? Is the one year anniversary coming up soon?

[Phoenixlighter]

The series started November 17th or 18th. She opened up the thread on RB on the 17th and Nerf was the first to review on the 18th, I just can't remember if the series was available right from the beginning.

[Harrison]

Alright, thanks Phoenix. So what I'm thinking is that the spotlighting order should go.
August-Matriarch/Empath
September-Matriarch/Empath
October- Crap, ummm random no spotlighting month
November-Alt S2.

Idk, that is completely up to you guys but anyways congrats Reyn on getting close to one year.

[Reyn]

Ahh the wardrobe pages! They take forever to do! (and I still haven't put one up for 2.11 - I'll work on it )

And yep - the thread over at rebirth was started on the 17th, and the first episode was available to read on that date, so I guess that is the 'official' premiere date of the series

[Dark Witch.]

Man Reyn, I am so sorry! I made a really nice review for you, as I was reading the first episode, and then I guess I took to long to read and review and it logged me out. I lost my review! So when I have the time again I will rewrite it and post it. This had happened before and it got me mad!

Anyways, just in a general sense, I usually don't like script anymore, but I decided to give it a shot, and boy was I impressed! I loved the first episode, and had the Charmed spunk and relationship that we are used to in the series. You had me going many places at first, and then changed into an entire different direction. 10/10, Brava! And all that other good stuff.

[Reyn]

Ack! That often happens to me as well! Moreso when I'm emailing someone from yahoo and it logs me out, but it is no less annoying, and I can understand your frustration!

Thank you for the review regardless - I'm glad you enjoyed the episode, and I'm always very happy to hear that the episodes have that 'Charmed' feel to them! And woo - a 10! I like 10s

[epiphony]

Me and Script are usually a bad combination considering, I'm a describe-aholic. But, I think your series was the only "main" series I hadn't read yet so, I've read Epiosde 1.

You capture the characters superbly well and I must say it is one hell of a plot. From what I've read in comments, there are a lot more interesting things to come aswell. I love the character Ryan, he seems pretty cool and sounds pretty hot

I just love the conversations and the interaction between the sisters. It was so entertaining. I can't really find anything I didn't enjoy about this episode apart from the length, I tend to hate long episodes so you should be honoured I read this whole thing in one go haha but, I think you clearly deserve another 10/10

Looking forward to reading chapter 2 but I have to give my eyes a break after that haha.

[Reyn]

Hey karla! (can I call you that? karlacharmed sounds so formal...)

It means a lot to me that you would try out the series, considering a) you like your prose and b) you don't like lengthy fics (and with the eppy's usually hitting the 50 page mark, they definitely are lengthy!).

Very happy to hear you enjoyed the first episode and the interactions between the sisters! But i'm esctatic to hear you liked Ryan - I like him too He certainly is quite the looker - although he is hiding a few secrets. Quite the mysterious guy, is Ryan.

Oooh - another 10? Excellent! I do enjoy the 10s I can only hope you find the following episodes are at the same level!

Apologies to your eyes - reading the episodes can certainly take it out of you - but thank you once more for giving the first eppy a try! Your 'Team Ryan' t-shirt is in the mail

[epiphony]

Haha, of course you can call me Karla.

I'll start reading the next episode asap .

Team Ryan t-shirt?! Dude, I'm so excited right now!

[Lexi]

Well, I've just got through the first episode and I've got to say I really like the idea. I really like your character Ryan Hunter, he has some mystery behind him and I can't wait to find out what his secrets are.
The demons were also interesting, I liked that they were new and fresh, so original too. And the ending was perfect with Madame Executive coming into the picture. You've set it up really well for the season and I'm looking forward to reading more. Hopefully I'll be able to read through the next episode soon but as always, real life has to take priority.

[Reyn]

Welcome to the series, lexicharmed, and thank you for the review! I very much appreciate your comments!

I'm glad you liked the episode, and overjoyed you liked the character of Ryan! He's a big part of the season, and he is indeed a bit of a mystery - definitely not what he seems at first!

I had a lot of fun with the Shak'ta as baddies, because they aren't 'evil' by definition - the one who they are oathbound to determines their morality, and that's an interesting thing to explore.

As for Madame Executive - she is a huge part of the season as well, appearing in 11 of the 12 episodes so far - so it's excellent to hear she made a good impression on you.

I'm very happy the first episode left you wanting more, and I look forward to hearing your take on any other episodes, whenever time permits you to read them!

[Harrison]

Yay! It's finally here. I had so much fun. Once again, I'm so sorry. I hope the review was worth the waiting I put you through. If not, I'll try harder on the next one. So yeah, here are my thoughts;

SPOILER: Click to show

2.01 – ‘So It Begins’
Review By Harrison

- First off, (you have heard me say this many times) what a great season opening! For one, you started off with your favorite character and already produced a favorite episode quote for your readers. This line – “You have a good day too.” – was hilarious! I was cracking up. It’s so ‘Prue’ and you have already shown me how much you know about your characters’ mannerisms and personalities.

- Wasn’t it paper that Prue sat on in the beginning? If so, how did it hurt her butt that bad? LOL.

- “ It’s weird to think of her at college. I’m still getting used to the idea of her taking classes – and psychology ones at that.” – Haha, same ol’ Prue vs. Phoebe issues from what I can tell. I’m wondering if their will be any on-screen tussles like we’ve seen in “The Power of Two”.

- “Dressed rather smartly, he leans against a desk.” – It’s weird. As soon as I saw that Ryan’s description included “professor” and that quote, I immediately thought of Billie’s professor from “Battle Of The Hexes”. I have no idea why. Just a random thought. I guess it’s not completely random since that is how I’ll be picturing Ryan from now on most likely.

- Prue’s reaction to Phoebe talking to Ryan about witchcraft was the same as mine. “How dumb is she!? Let’s just shout I’M A WITCH to the world!” Although, I was intrigued to see Ryan’s reaction to the subject also. He definitely seems like he could be the type of person to expect it. Also, since I know the identity of ----- – I have to say that his reaction and statement before Prue enters was a great clue and could’ve been a great red herring (fake clue) for many readers. At this point, I would definitely have seen him as a demon if I didn’t know the truth.

- Oooh, Prue thinks he’s a cute stranger… I’m betting from that completely random clue that she will either;

a. Marry him
b. Have his child
c. A, C, or both, and then become a widow because he dies defending her.

- Uh-oh. Why aren’t Prue’s powers working? I’m guessing that it either has to do with Andy’s death or this particular demon.

- Aww, he’s going to return her datebook - the first step towards the chapel. Haha. I wonder how she will react?

- I can’t help but picture the girls talking in a P3-like scene in the next scene. Is that how I’m supposed to be imagining it or is this club supposed to be something totally different? Hopefully she’ll be able to afford it. But if I know Piper, which I think I do, I’m sure she’ll think of something.

- You’ve seemed to nail Piper’s dialogue and personality as well – I noticed this the most prominently when she ushered the men out of the club after unfreezing them. I found some of our lovable sarcastic Piper in there.

- Huh, is Piper gaining some sort of new sensing ability? She seemed to be able to detect the presence of the robed man without him making a sound – at least according to the description he didn’t seem to make a sound. If she is gaining a new power – how is it matter manipulation related like you explained to me her powers were?

- I wonder what the robed man did want with the BOS? I liked his teleportation – especially the purple eyes.

- My only question is – if the Shak’ta like to stay out of affairs unless they owe a debt to someone, how did they begin in affairs? I mean, you wouldn’t owe a debt to someone if you lived in another dimension and didn’t bother anything. Would you? I don’t know – maybe I’m looking too far into this.

- From the sense of the dialogue from the ‘line speakers’, I think they are on the side of good, the same as the man in the purple-ish robe. I think the line speakers are the founders and the man is Arcas. I’ve heard about two “The Man” s around the boards so I’m not sure which one is which yet.

- Back to college again, and Piper and Prue don’t seem to happy, haha. Speaking of college, how long has Phoebe been there now? A better question is what episode do you plan to have her out by?

- LMAO. I loved the pizza-removing scene. Great line! It’s going in my signature.

- Good to see Piper making the potion. Nice form of continuity even though it wasn’t mentioned a lot in S1. I do hope you continue to form her into the potions master.

- Wow, I totally felt Prue’s pain when Phoebe brought him up in the elevator. I know you don’t like Andy, but jeez, you sure are doing a good job of making Prue’s emotions for him come through.

- Glad to see the potions worked. Way to go Piper! That was funny how Prue found out there was only a chance they wouldn’t work. You sure are keeping to the ‘Charmed’ humor. Also, these demons sure seem to be punching everyone in the face. Do they have teleporting and punching power only?

- Wow. That was really cool. A great mystery that began at the beginning, followed by lots of little clues which then came all together in the talk with Ryan after a magical battle. And the episode isn’t even over yet! This is definitely a very enjoyable form of writing for me and I’m very excited to keep reading more and more. I just love typing more of these comments because they just make me feel so much when I read every line. It’s baffling how good you are.

- Yay! Go Shax’ta! I’m really glad that they decided not to fight the sisters. It showed that they could be the type of creatures who are reasonable enough to like. I would definitely be okay with the girls working with them in a later episode if necessary.

- Ok. I’m totally in love with Prue and Ryan. If they don’t get together in some way. I’m not going to read S3! That scene at the door was too perfect! And then too top it all of you finish it with pet names – Ms. Halliwell & Dr. Hunter.

- Madame E is pretty in control! She sure has those Suits whipped in shape! Also, did she shimmer when she first appeared? Because when she leaves it said she left in white light while shimmering but in her appearance, she just shimmers. I sure am looking forward to episode 11 and learning more about her and seeing her again. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the sisters meet her.

- Ouch. It looks like the Suits can pack quite a punch of a transformation. It’ll be cool to see what type of demons they are and IF Madame E is a demon or not.

Overall, an amazing episode that had a perfect balance of drama, comedy, description, plot, and mystery. Yup, you did it! You covered it all. One of my favorite writers/ books (if this was a book, haha) to read! I’m so motivated to catch up on episodes now. Better late than never. And you know what they say…

Third time is the charm.

[Reyn]

Awesome, awesome review, Harrison! A plethora of thank you's! Regarding some of your comments:

SPOILER: Click to show

Very happy to hear that you thought the characters mannerisms and dialogue were in keeping with how they were portrayed in the real Charmed! That's very high praise and a great compliment for a writer, so thank you! I've tried to remain 'true' to each character as they were presented in the first season of Charmed, and I'm especially pleased that you liked Prue, as I know she is your favourite character (and mine too, of course)

Interestingly enough, the scene you mention about Prue sitting on Piper's papers and then remarking on them has been removed in the later edit (which I am yet to post). I always thought that line said by Prue was one of the weaker aspects of the episode, and so it was removed in a later edit.

There will definitely be some Prue vs. Phoebe on-screen tussles this season! I always loved the sisterly interaction of the first season, so there will be plenty of that this season!

Ack no! Ryan is definitely more attractive than that professor guy! I'm putting my foot down on this one, Harrison - you have to check out the main characters thread and see the pic of Ryan, so that it is that picture you have in your mind when reading the scripts! Don't make me bring out the scold stick, Harrison!

Ya big spoiler! You had to go and read 2.13 and spoil quite a lot of mysteries all in the one go! But doing so does put you in an interesting position in that you'll be more attuned to the clues and red herrings throughout each of the earlier episodes. The one you mention is indeed a clue, but there are several more in the episode. Can you find them, given what you know?

There is a pdf document with pictures of the club if you wanted to check it out. It is much larger than P3 and has two levels rather than just 1. I believe the pdf is either in the first post of this thread, or the first post of 2.04.

Regarding Piper's potential sensing power - no - she isn't gaining a new power, but there is a very specific reason she and she alone was able to sense The Man and neither of her sisters were.

To answer your question about the Shak'ta, I have to reveal some of their history, which is obviously a spoiler. The Shak'ta will make a re-appearance in the season, so I won't give away all of their secrets, but I will say this: the Shak'ta weren't always solitary beings. They used to live side by side with mortals and magic practitioners. Something happened that changed who they were and their outlook on life, and it is this that made them the solitary beings they are now. As they used to live with humans, they have ties to them, and some of these ties carry debts.

Since Phoebe is studying psychology and psychology is a long course, she'll be in college for quite a while I like the opportunities the college setting provides for story hooks, so expect there to be quite a few demon related problems cropping up at SFSU

Piper will defintely be getting in touch with her inner potion mixing master! She also begins to establish a respect for her abilties as a witch, something that I always thought season 2 Piper was lacking. She was a powerhouse with her abilities, but she never really had confidence with other aspects of her wiccan heritage (like spellcasting and potions mixing). Expect that to change here.

Glad to hear you liked the scene with Prue mentioning Andy in the elevator! As you said, I didn't like Andy, mainly because I always saw him as Prue's past and not her present or future. I never saw anything in season 1 that implied or made me believe Andy was Prue's soulmate. He was certainly her first love, but in my opinion he was not her true love or her great love.

Regarding the Shak'ta and their penchant for sucker punching people - since they are a mostly passive race, they wanted their captives subdued but not killed - which is the reason for the prolific punching (leaving their victims unconscious, but also unharmed)

I think my favourite part of your episode was your comment that you like Prue and Ryan together! Woo! I like them too Ryan will definitely be around for the whole season, and perhaps the season after that. That is, if he isn't killed by something first (as you mentioned earlier). Until then, however, your 'Team Ryan' t-shirt is in the mail!

Thank you for the pick-up regarding Madame E's entrance - I will have to check that. I did originally have her entering and exiting in a different manner than the one she uses now (in order to hide some of her history) but I thought I only used either shimmering or the white light. If I used both, I will have to change one.

"It's baffling how good you are" - aww thanks Harrison! That totally made my day! Thank you so very much for your review - it was definitely worth the wait and I am so pleased that you enjoyed it so much!

It's great to hear that you enjoyed the episode and I look forward to you comments about future BAM episodes!

[Amanda]

Okay, I actually had a big long review for you Reyn, but I accidently forgot to post it. This one isn’t as good but it is a review – technically. Lol.

Anyways, I hope it will suffice.

SPOILER: Click to show

Wow, Reyn. Wow.

I tend to keep away from fanfictions written in script format, mainly because I possess a severe dislike of that style of writing – I generally stick to prose as I enjoy reading the description, only reading script under special circumstances (i.e.) the story is indescribably brilliant. Another factor which delayed the speed of my reading and reviewing is length; I usually don’t have the time or the will to sit down and read really long chapters/episodes of stories. A little while back one of your devoted fans ( guess who ) started telling me some of the most wonderful things about your Alternate Season Two, he has really sped up the process in which I read and the leave you my thoughts – in what can only be described as a ‘meh worthy’ review.

Now my ramble-a-thon has finished I'll leave you with some actual substance. I hope that this review makes up for my rather long-winded ramble and also the fact that it has taken me such a very long time to actually read the first episode and leave it a review.
Even from the very beginning of this episode you have Prue’s character nailed, the choice of words is spot on and the way you’ve written Prue in this particular scenario is perfect. I find this specific quote to be the strongest use correct Prue-ish dialogue which you’d written up to this point:

PRUE (CONT’D)
(hangs up, annoyed)
You have a good day too.

I can actually imagine Prue/Shannen saying that. Not only imagine her saying it but easily imagine her saying the above quote. Even the best of writer’s struggle with Prue’s character, largely due to her complexity, and as a result the character usually turns out horribly, however, you seem to be able to write her with an apparent ease which, I’m sure many Charmed fans/writers both applaud and envy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Prue/Piper scene. Especially the part when Prue oh so kindly points out to Piper that the ‘yearly’ expenditures were way to extravagant, before Piper corrects her saying that they were actually monthly prices. That fun little conversation made me laugh out loud.

I love that you had Phoebe start collage before the start of the Alternate Season Two. It’s better than listening to her humming and hawing about the idea of furthering her education. I also like how you had her take psychology just like in the actual show, I’ve always found that studying psychology suits Phoebe and I would love it if you explore that further perhaps even having her work in the field of psychology once she has graduated from collage – assuming she survives that long.

Oooh, I can’t wait to read Phoebe’s psych paper on witchcraft. I do hope that we get the chance to read it, that’d be pretty fun. If not – I’d like to know if and how Phoebe incorporates her many experiences as a witch into the paper.

LMAO at – “Another ramble down memory lane.” I love the inclusion of humour in fanfictions. It makes them more enjoyable.

IMHO, Ryan accepted the attack a little bit too quickly. Maybe there’s something more to him than you’re letting on ... And LMFAO at Phoebe and Prue’s explanation - drugs.

Again LMAO at:

PIPER (CONT’D)
Oh, and watch the stairs.
Apparently they’re a safety hazard.

PHOEBE
Well I’ve always thought they were
a bit too narrow at the top –

PIPER
(interrupting)
Don’t start with me!

I really enjoyed this scene. I love how Phoebe unintentionally commented on something that the Tradesman/Investment Banker had touched upon only moments/minutes previously.

I like your description of this Man. “He wears a black robe accented with purple across the shoulders and in a straight line down the front. Attached to the robe is a hood, making only his nose and mouth visible.” – The way he looks is really vivid in my mind, he’s really easy to imagine – in a good way.

Sensing. Hmm, I’m honestly not sure if I like the idea of Piper developing Sensing. I’ve always associated it with whitelighters/witchlighters so I really get envision Piper with this power. I honestly hope that it isn’t Sensing and that there is some other reason why Piper and Piper alone is able to sense The Man. Whilst, I’m in the subject of new powers, are the sisters going to develop the same ones they displayed on the show or are they going to have different ones. I always thought that in different universes powers grow differently due to different circumstances etc ... One power I hope none of the sisters develop is Molecular Combustion it made things too easy.

I love the imagery of “The Man’s” form of Teleportation. Have you coined up a term for it as of yet?

I like the idea of the “Shak’ta”. It’s a brilliant idea, and I also like The Book of Shadows page on them.

Hmm, the three robed men. Elders? Btw, do the Elders possess the same abilities that they displayed in “main-stream” Charmed? I only ask because I was a little iffy with some of the powers we were presented on the show-Elder wise. Anyways, whoever they are I like their form of Teleportation. Misting?

LMAO at Prue getting pizza stuck on the bottom of her shoe. And her many failed attempts to remove it from the heel of her shoe, before finally resorting to using her Telekinesis to remove it forcibly. Man, you gotta love that power. Although, isn’t that personal gain? I especially like these two quotes regarding the pizza incident:

PHOEBE
(smiling)
Hey Prue – I think you have some
shoe in your pizza.

PRUE
(glares)
This isn’t funny Phoebe – these
were my favourite shoes!

And:

PHOEBE
Well at least you sacrificed your
shoes for a good cause – I found
what we were looking for.

Haha. I like that Phoebe has the hots for her professor.

I like the idea of using potions against the Shak’ta.

Ick! Disgusting tradesman. Go Piper. You’re not a blonde ex-cheerleader. You need morals.

Oooooh, Ryan likes Prue. Phoebe likes Ryan. I wonder where this could lead ... Phoebe’s second love-triangle sice the first season; the funny part is that this is only the second season.

I like how you’ve introduced scrying.

I love the scene where the Shak’ta resign their help. That was an interesting read.

I adore how you gave Phoebe the lip-reading talent. It’s nice that she has a non-magic talent.

Oooh, I love the Madame Executive character. I’m gonna love reading more of her.

Bearing in mind that Season Two is my favourite season, I have to say that this season looks to be more promising than the actual Season 2.

Anyways, hope it didn't bore you.

[Terry]

Well, I promised you months ago I'd be putting my reviews here. That time has finally come It's just a copy-pasting of the old reviews, though, at least for now

SPOILER: Click to show

Anyway, gee lol, I totally understand what Phoenix means by "it [is] one of the best series on this site. It's truly beautifully written by a mature writer who knows what she's doing and often has me looking towards my dictionary as I learn a new word." I usually don't read "alternate" series, because well, it's hard to try and erase years of events in one flick of fingers but this is beyond compare.

I am not just saying this to drop in a few compliments and take off lol I did read episode 1 and though I won't write a full review 'cause that'd mean rereading the whole 55 pages, I'll try herewith to tell you a few things.

So 2x01 So It Begins:
First, the characters. It’s good that you have kept some elements from the actual show regarding the sisters since it makes the transition easier and also that way you keep the Charmed Ones we’ve known and don’t bring complete strangers – like Piper’s restaurant dreams but opening a club instead, Phoebe going back to college and Prue blaming herself for and refusing to deal with Andy’s death.

I liked the college clichés, they were hilarious, and go Prue! with your pizza

Ryan seems a good guy, we’ll see him in later episodes and I wonder if the alchemy between he and Prue will develop …

Poor Piper with all her troubles for her new nightclub, but anyway it gets better at the end

I also wonder where the intruder and the “line speakers” storyline will lead us, that was a great addition to the episode that shows you’ve got quite some story arcs in mind.

Madame Executive, since that’s how we’ve gotta call her lol seems like the tough type! I like how you bring the “humanised” demons into the picture, the ones that work like mere humans in society to get their plans executed – that aspect of the show was not brought up that early in the series (well there was "Rex and Hannah" but they were only after the Charmed Ones, not trying to make money or something to expend Evil's supremacy).

And her “suits” are scary lol I suppose they’re the demons that are dealt with in 2.03 since they’re described first off as “shadow creatures” in that scene Also I have a theory that it must be them and that the secret room found in Piper’s club is actually either leading to their “abandoned complex” or is it or it might just be a trick of my mind wanting to tie everything in one big melting pot lol
Oh, btw, the link to "Piper's Nightclub" set isn't working :/

So with all these pros also comes some cons, one in fact; spelling (you’ll notice – you can ask Phoenix – I’m a spelling-checker and I can just tell you for my defence I don’t do it on purpose I just tend to notice typos and such :/). Anyway, the most repetitious was, nearly all your ‘its’s, whether they should be “it’s” or actual “its”, are all, mostly, written “its”. Other than that I wasn’t struck by anything big or it’d be coming back into my mind and right now, nothing does.
So, once again, this is certainly not to disparage or anything, I just do this, call me manic if you will lol but don’t be offended; I know there are some writers who don’t like it, others who don’t even care, but there are also some like Phoenix (I seem to name you a lot round here lol) who like it and be sure of this; the typos have in no way diminished the worth of your story

So this is it lol, I had never intended it to be so long since I didn’t have a review prepared but have it anyway ^^

Lol we've come many miles since that review

[Reyn]

Great to have a new reader, Amanda! Especially when they provide such awesome reviews as the one you have written!

Some comments:

SPOILER: Click to show

First off, thanks for taking a chance on the episode! I'm very happy you gave it a go, and next time i'm talking to you know who i'll have to thank them for recommending the series. It means a lot that Brandon would do that, and also that you would check it out, so thanks

I'd have to agree with you that script format can often have little to no description, which lessens its impact. I think, though, that my writing has a lot more description than your average script. I'd almost go so far as to say that BAM is a hybrid script/prose format - a scripprose if you will (or stript?) Since you mention that, I must post somewhere that whilst BAM follows script format, it does include description, as I'm sure there are people who are turned off by the script format, who might read if they knew description was included.

Thank you for the huge compliment about nailing Prue's character - that comment means the world to me! As you mention, I also find Prue's character to be one of the hardest to conceptualise, and I think that is because of how complex she is. She's the big sister, but she also has a wry sense of humor. She can have a laugh, but she's serious when she needs to be. She has the same frailties as her sisters, but she keeps them hidden. She's protective of the people she loves, but she also wants someone to be protective of her. I think that's part of the reason I love writing for her, but damn - if she's not frustrating to write!

Regarding the Prue/Piper and sisterly scenes - I've tried to write at least one light sisterly scene in each episode - as they were one of the things I most enjoyed about Charmed. The naff little sisterly moments in between the woes and the demons always made me smile, and I think Charmed wouldn't be Charmed without them.

I agree that Psychology suits Phoebe's character - and as I'm currently completing my Doctorate of Psychology - I can interject my own knowledge of the field into the college scenes, which always brings a bit of realism to the show. Phoebe will definitely be using her college degree in the future, however - I won't be going down the same 'relationship columnist' road as the show did.

You are the second person to ask about the witchcraft paper and wanting to see it! I may just have to write one and post it. I was just going to reference it in quotes, but it appears it might be more appropriate to post the actual paper

Ryan definitely accepted the attack too quickly - that was intentional on my behalf. There is certainly more to Ryan as you hint at

The description of The Man was something I put a lot of thought into, as he becomes one of the main characters in the show, and his costume needed to be easily identifiable. Happy to hear he was easy to picture for you!

Piper is definitely not developing sensing, so no need to worry! The reason she was able to sense the presence of The Man in that scene has nothing to do with a power and everything to do with a situation. Piper does develop another power during the season, but it is not sensing, and it isn't Molecular Combustion, either I agree that it made it way too easy during vanquishes, and as a result, took a lot of the suspense out of the show. Regarding the other sisters - Phoebe and Prue both develop new powers different from those they received in the real Charmed. I never though levitation or astral projection fit Phoebe and Prue's power definition, so I've changed them

The Man's teleportation I call Shadowing.

The three robed men are from a separate group than the Elders, whom you'll find out about in later episodes As for what powers the Elders have - I always saw the elders as pacifists, so their powers reflect that. Orbing, Sensing, Healing and a couple of other powers in a similar vein to those. Misting - I like it!

Regarding the Phoebe love triangle part - I always thought that Phoebe's feelings for Leo (if that is the triangle you are refering to from the first season) were always more about liking the guy her sister liked, and being devilish because of that, rather than actually liking the guy for who he was. Sure, she thought Leo was hot, but I never thought she liked him, liked him. Piper made her feelings clear early on, and knowing about them, Phoebe stopped seeing Leo in that way. I never thought her feelings for Leo went beyond simple attraction. It's similar to the situation here in BAM, where Phoebe finds Ryan attractive, but if Prue develops an interest in him, Phoebe wouldn't fight her for his affections. Having said that, however - there is a love triangle in BAM And it does involve Phoebe.

Madame Executive is certainly an interesting character! I hope you continue to enjoy reading about her, as she is one of the main characters for this season.

Wow - thank you very much for your comment about enjoying the season so far! Here's hoping you continue to enjoy the following episodes as much as the premiere!

Definitely didn't bore me - and once again thank you for your fantastic review

Terry! You posted your reviews! I heart you My reply to your review, all those months ago:

SPOILER: Click to show

Hi Charmy - many thanks for the review! It's great to have a new reader to the series! The linespeakers deal and Madame Executive's backstory are the two main mystery arcs within this season - they'll be addressed in each episode, with one of the arcs coming to its conclusion mid-way through the season (around episode 12-13). Hopefully the mystery is not solved before then by certain people *cough*Phoenixlighter*cough* who are annoyingly accurate in their theories so far.

The 'alchemy' (nice one ) between Prue and Ryan does indeed develop throughout the season, much to Phoebe's annoyance.

Humanised demons will definitely be a large part of the season - with some mortals using supernatural foes to further their own plans as well. Mortals can be just as evil as demons, after all.

The link to Piper's nightclub sometimes goes offline, due to geocities absolute horrid bandwidth limits. Give it a day or so, and hopefully it will be back up.

As to the spelling errors - thanks for that - I appreciate you noting them and I'll try to correct them in the next version of that episode's draft. There's always a few that escape me, it seems!

Sure have come a long way from that!

[Dark Witch.]

Here is my review...again, and finally for 2.01!

SPOILER: Click to show

Since it is long, i am going to review scene by scene. .

-Scene 1: I like the scene with Prue and Piper. you did a great job at keeping the sisterly bonds together. i really like the lines you gave them on Piper's figures. I am glad that you put the same sort of reaction to the numbers of Piper's club. Still keeping some points of the original season 2 intact. Phoebe taking classes so early is not a bad thing, but it does sort of set us up for Phoebe's new intelligence. I noticed that throughout Charmed, as Phoebe got into her studies, the more intelligent she got.

-Scene 2: I like the topic of Pheobe's paper. Of course she would pick it, and using psyhology to prove witchcraft is very interesting. I also am a little worried about Ryan. Though I know what happens in this episode, I will try to show the reaction I did when I first read, hehe. But Ryan seems a little too eager to understand about witchcraft...

-Scene 3: The part with Phoebe and Prue is pretty cool. The part with Prue back in college was pretty funny. I actually like what you have descibed as the demon. The demons that they have now, are always described the way you have said, but the episodes never show the demons now. Prue's power doesn't work? I don't remember why...I guess I will find out lol.

-Scene 4: Now Miranda seems a little fishy, or someone tried to kidnap her. in my opinion, I think a demon is after her, but with twists, you never know...lol. I really like the random explanations. I missed those in Charmed. Keeping the secret .

-Scene 5: I feel bad for Piper because of the guys evaluating the club. They are always so worried about things, and are always thinking the worst. I just don't understand people like that...lol. But oh well. lol. YOu are doing such a great job with the sisterly chemistry. i like it alot. Good work!

-Scene 6:
I wonder who the demon is, the person who is watching them...Maybe they are a demonic group, a dark coven of some sort? I don't know, i just speculate while reviewing...excuse the inner dialogue hehe.

-Scene 7: Oh so I misread, Miranda WAS kidnapped. Okay lol. I like the Shak'ta demons. Very original. I also like the idea of a demon being able to cancel out the powers used against them. making them very indestructabe . Again, a great original idea. I wonder who the higher being is that needs the help of a Shak'ta? Piper and Prue crack me up, you play them so well.

-Scene 8: Hmm...so the men are after the Book of Shadows. What else is new? lol. But this is exciting, could this be the evil in the series? If not, then who is? All questions that will be answered in time I guess, lol.

-Scene 9: The roomate is a piece of work, but oh well, what can anyone ask for in the perfect room mate? The pizza incident was funny. I can still picture this. Lol. Prue still cracks me up no matter what. I loved Prue's character, and you portray her so well, so no complaints there. hehe. I wonder what this Curtis has to offer, I think he may be the one who hired the demons...

-Scene 10: Well, I like the scene you are working in here about Prue feeling guilty about Andy's death. Now, I saw this last time, and I made a small complaint. When Darryl says, I meant to 'ring' you, that is a British term, and not an American, so it bugged me a little, but not to say it isn't a huge thing, just a small thing that I caught sight of. I feel bad for Prue, she is always thinking everything is up to her. Though Andy's death wasn't her fault, because she is the oldest, and in love with him, she believes it is her fault.

-Scene 11: I like the bonding of Phoebe and Piper, they seem a little awkward in the series, and it stays true here. I mean, it is never shown that much since they are supposed to be sisters, but it shows, and you showed it here, great job. Well, well, Curtis is the new victim..hmm...interesting.

-Scene 12: I wonder where Leo is. I am very interested to see how that relationship goes. But it will take place another time I guess. I am excited to see how loves go in this series... Hmmm, I wonder how Ryan ties into all this...very interesting...again. you are keeping me captivated.

-Scene 13: Whoa, that plumber is freakin' nasty! Why would they do that to Piper! Well, the guys are out there.

-Scene 14: I feel bad for Phoebe with Prue's bickering, and it is totally what normal people say when they study psychology. They think it is useless and not the point. People don't respect psychiatrists like they should...oh well, not to say it was a bad play you did on Prue, it is, because it shows that she is like most people.

-Scene 15: I like the whole thing with Prue and Ryan, they seem to like each other, very nice . The potions I don't think worked, it seemed a little too much like a teleportation thing than a vanquish. Also, I dont think the demons have actual powers except super strength, for all they do is knock people out, and through them across the room.

-Scene 16: I like the lies again, but of course, some mortals are too smart for their own good, so of course Ryan wouldn't believe Prue's little lie. But I like how he is calm about it rather than being all freaked out at the same time. I am also liking the explaining part of Charmed, i always liked that part. It is always fun to understand how everything happens, and how the story unfolds. I remember now, the Dean is responsible for the demons, but i am curious to see how this plays out still, for I don't remember how it turns out...Ryan is very funny in his flirtations with Prue. He will get to her heart eventually though. I know he will. lol .

-Scene 17: Wow, going back to them first learning what scrying is, it is pretty amazing to see how ignorant they are, after us knowing so much about them. I like it, muy interesante. lol. Haha, I am guessing Prue and Piper don't like college very much...lol.

-Scene 18: Oh, so the Shak'ta DID get vanquished, my bad. lol. The Shak'ta leader is pretty wise to not deal with the Charmed Ones, and I am interested in how he can sense their power and why the demons could not attack them, it is pretty interesing. i can't wait to see if more comes from that...The Suit guy is pretty interesting, i wonder why people in suits have got to deal with supernatural affairs. it is like Wolfram and Hart in Angel...very interesting...lol.

Scene 19: The sisters spent all that time discussing what happend? Wow, they must really take time on their demonic activities. lol. I also like how you are sort of wrapping it up, very nicely done . Wow, I am surprised that she accepted that quickly. When Andy asked her for coffee first episode of the series, she was reluctant then...but oh well. lol. Nicely done .

Scene 20: I am interested to see more of Madame Executive. She seems like an interesting character, and the tossing away of the Dean is pretty evil, and him dying is even more creepy...NICELY DONE!

All in all, a good first episode, sorry it has taken me so long to finally review this for you, but there is the first and hopefully more come soon!

[Quiet Desperation]

Review, copied from the old C-Net:

SPOILER: Click to show

-The opening scene was amazing, very Charmed-like, you reflected Prue's character in a prefect way.

-The Piper and Prue scene was really nice, very sisterly. You brought out that Piper is gonna open a club in a prefect way.

-Also, I liked how you brought out that Phoebe was going back to collage.

-The collage scene was a great part. I like how you intruduced Ryan Hunter to the series, I feel that he's gonna play a big role.

-Prue thinking that Phoebe was told Ryan that she was a witch was funny, very nice idea.

-I loved the scene when Phoebe and Prue are walking and talking, I can imagine it in my head. And I when she had the premention.

-Very nice oening sequence.

-Phoebe and Prue got really lucky that Ryan didn't see anything.

-I love the club scene. Piper sounds so much like her original charcter. I can tell she was stressed. And her freezing the men and then Phoebe and Prue sharing looks is all so imaginable.

-I really liked the idea of Piper sensing that there's someone else in the attic.

-The sisters looking through the BOS was very Charmed-like amd you explained things in a great way.

-The demon scene was very clever, the way they speak was very demon-like.

-I just loved the scene at Miranda's dorm. You made Phoebe sound so smart. And I love Piper's jokes, and the pizza stuck to Prue's shoes was so funny.

-The Prue and Dyral scene was touching. I really liked the conversation between them.

-The talk between Piper and Phoebe was really good. You really made it look original.

-I liked that Piper wishes for Leo to come back.

-I liked that the Shak'ta go after the ones who are connected to Miranda.

-I love how Piper freezed the workers at the club again. Oh and I liked the word 'Pre-freeze', very smart.

-The scene of Prue, Phoebe and Ryan was a great one. I love Ryan's character, he sounds so mysterious, and I love the idea of him crushing on Prue.

-Phoebe and Prue got lucky again for not getting exposed.

-I love how you explained everything about Miranda and her poilitics.

-Prue and Phoebe having a 'fight' was so funny.

-I love how you brought out scrting, much better than the original.

-Dean Andrews is so damn mean, lol. I hat him, haha.

-I liked how you explained the building shaking. And then the Suit coming and taking Andrews, wow!

-I loved the scene between Prue and Ryan, and how Ryan heard what Prue said. I love how Ryan was talking to her.

-The end was really surprising. Another new character came, and I love her name, Madame Executive. I can't wait to see what she up too.

Great job, Reyn. I loved the episode, and I would give it a 9.5/10.

[Reyn]

Reviews make me happy! Long, detailed reviews make me estatic! Some comments about your uber review, Vampwitch:

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I'll definitely be keeping some things the same from the original season 2, so you will see some tweaks to ideas from the show, but I'll be putting my own unique twist on them, so that they do play out differently. I have a long-term plan for character development for all the sisters, and spoiler here: Phoebe's studies will definitely play a role in her future - I will not be having her complete a psychology degree only to have her giving relationship advice in the local newspaper. There's definitely a better use of her qualifications than that./end spoiler

Ryan definitely is a little too eager to learn about witchcraft! Certainly there's more to him than simply being Phoebe's psychology professor. Whether that bodes well or ill for the sisters is another matter...

The fact that demons started to become more human as the series progressed was always something that irked me. I loved the fact that in the earlier episodes we had demons that looked liked animals, rather than 'demons' that looked exactly like normal humans. I know the 'humanising' of the demons' appearances was due to a lack of funding for visual effects, but I still missed the animalistic/freaky nature of the early season demons. And since I have no limits to what I can write, I'm keeping the freaky-ness of the early season demons in this season!

Very glad to hear you liked the sisterly chemistry - that was a big part of the show (at least in the early seasons) and it was one of the things that I loved about Charmed. I try to have as much of it as I can in the episodes, and to be honest those interactions are a joy to write.

I enjoy your inner dialogue and speculations - keep it up!

The Shak'ta were a very fun bunch to write. I had so much fun writing them that they will definitely be back later in the season.

Very happy to hear that you thought Prue was portrayed well throughout the episode - I must admit she is the character whom I struggle the most with. I think that is mainly due to the fact that she is my favourite character, and as such I'm always conscious of 'nailing' her dialogue when I write it. I don't want her to be out of character, or different to how she was in the first season. Certainly, there will be differences between how she was in the first season and how she is now (people change, after all) but her core character - her main personality traits - need to be the same. I think one of the issues with Prue as a character was that even though she was given a lot of coverage in the show, that coverage was always based around a few personality defining characteristics - so we got a really good idea of who Prue was as defined through those characteristics - but we never got a 'whole picture' of Prue, because she was so self-reliant and private. Phoebe, Paige,and to a lesser extent Piper, talked about their problems and their issues, their thoughts and feelings - so we were given a greater picture of them as characters. Prue didn't do this, and thus we never really 'knew' her. I want to change that in this season - open her character up a bit.

Ahh - so 'ring' is not an American term? I didn't know. So americans would say 'call' or 'phone' or something?

Prue is still struggling with Andy's death - she certainly feels guilty about it - and even though some time has passed since his death, she is still upset about it. And even if she doesn't consciously realise it, his death is still affecting her, impacting on how she lives her life. It is something she will have to work through, but it is something she will have to work through in stages. First, she has to come to terms with letting the guilt go, and then she has to let him go. The next episode deals with the guilt aspect, and the remaining season will deal with her letting him go.

Leo - I must admit I do struggle with Leo - mainly because I always saw him as the 'exposition man' of the show. The guy who comes in and explains things to the sisters (and thus the audience) and helps them figure out what to do. I'd like to expand his role so that he is as much a character as the sisters were, and I'd like to write a few Leo-centric episodes to expand his character. I have a rather interesting plot-line for him next season that doesn't revolve around either a) his whitelighter status or b) his love for Piper, so we'll see how that develops.

Heh - people certainly don't respect psychologists at all - and I think that is because of a generally held erraneous belief as to what psychologists do. As a psychologist myself, I experience this a lot when meeting people for the first time at parties or generally when I tell them what I do. Usually, I get one of two replies - either a) the person makes some crack about whether I am 'analysing' them right now or b) they start telling me their problems and ask me if they are 'normal'. Sure, there are other responses, but generally speaking, most people either think you are weird yourself for being a psychologist or they think they can get some free counselling from you. And end rant lol

Heh - Ryan's a hunny and I think he's fantastic. He's more than just the love interest, though. Definitely more complicated than that!

Madame Executive is also fantastic and I like her too - she will definitely play a major part in this series. And possibly in future series. But shhh on that!

Thank you for your awesome review, Vampwitch! Apologies for the delay in my response, but hopefully my comments make up for the time!

Manar - thank you for reposing your review here - it is great to have them all in one place! My response to your review from cnet:

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Thanks for the review, Manar! Always enjoy hearing what people think of the episodes, as it really does help with the writing of future storylines.

I'm so glad you like Ryan - he's one of my original characters and I must admit I like him as well. He's a good match for Prue (at least in my opinion) and I look forward to hearing your views on the state of their relationships as the episode progresses.

Madame Executive I like as well. She becomes much more of a focus character as the season progresses, so I also look forward to your take on her as a character!

Again, thanks Manar!