Episode 2.02 Letters From The Past

[Reyn]

2.02 – Letters From The Past

[/u]



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Promo Poster
Promo poster courtesy of Harrison

After being magically transported to the past, Prue must come to terms with Andy’s death if she is to return to the present.

Illustrated Set List
Wardrobe
Newspaper Clipping #1
Newspaper Clipping #2[/center]

[Phoenixlighter]

My 2.02 review:

SPOILER: Click to show

Reyn Reviews for Alt. Season 2.

Okay, I must admit right now that I was planning to read this episode later, but just wanted to at least read the teaser. What can I say? I’m hooked so I’m going to read the episode right now. And I’ll tell you the reason why Im hooked in the coming parts of my review as I’m going to backtrack and review the teaser.

-Script format I must say is appealing to me. This form, I mean. I’m used to a much more simple unofficial format. I may even translate an old script series of mine to this. It is very neat.
-Okay, one thing I should point out is that you were referring to the bills earlier as “notes”. I believe that’s just for the UK. Just a thing to look out for because I know you referred to them as “bills” later on.
-I do like how the homeless man actually acted on his own morality to question the Suit. Though I did kinda expect him to be like, “WTF?” when he was magically showered down and dressed. I do like how the Suit ended the scene. (Going into Favorite Quotes)
-Also, it said the homeless dude knew how to handle a gun. I wonder if it was because of the Suit’s magic and that is some serious powerful stuff if so.
-The scene with Prue was good. Very clear that she had other work to do and when the homeless man showed up, I honestly half expected that Prue would get hit with one of the bullets.
-The reason I’m HOOKED: Madam Executive. I’m loving this chick and I can picture the actress going with all these lines. I must say that I wanted to use her for something because of how bad @ss she is, but she deserves the spot you’ve given her. She rocks. Also, she doesn’t seem to just have random babble. She speaks very well worded and actually sounds like she’s saying something if you know what I mean. I loved when she held back her threat because of the suit’s job well done. What I truly loved was how this theme seems SO appropriate for a second season. For one year, the Charmed Ones have been kicking some serious butt and Evil’s not going to stand for it anymore. Time to exact revenge. I love the theme.
-(Reading on)
-Phoebe said “engaged” as in reference to the phone being busy. I know it makes sense, but not to insult Phoebe, but it doesn’t seem like something she would say as it’s a smarter way of just saying “busy”. I realize it’s minor, but I think that you insert your own intelligence into the characters. You are seemingly brilliant, which is why I bring it up.
-Haha, Piper’s phone was off.
-Prue’s reaction is very realistic and working perfectly for Madam Executive’s plan.
-Hmm. These Line Speakers actually want Prue to live. I wonder why.
-It’s been referred to as in this episode as “Buckland”. Shouldn’t it be referred to as “Buckland’s”…?
-I like how they were able to compromise with Prue to work at home.
-Phoebe gave Ryan some good advice about Prue. I find it funny and realistic that she would intervene. Her advice was good though.
-Okay, I haven’t commented so much because I’ve been way too involved in reading the diary entries, but this was handled well. Obvious, but you added such great depth to it. I loved how Alyx (Cool way to spell it) and Andy were compared in the sense that they “both went to war” and how Prue/Patience had no power over that decision. You weren’t kidding when you responded to my previous review that this was a huge part of the second episode. I’m glad the Man was such a good guide. Even kinda welcoming. My only flew with him is his name. Unless he’s someone we know, I wish he had just some cool name. Though we are “Building a mystery” which is a theme that I trust is going to be so well worth it in the end.
-This Ryan dude is cool, but I have to pay more attention to the actor’s image. I keep picturing him as the guy Piper dated who was also a professor.
-Overall good episode. That touching story of Alyx and Patience was definitely fitting for a conclusion to Prue’s general sorrow over Andy.
I love the synopsis for the next episode. Glad to see a Piper-centered episode in the midst.

I must say. If there is one thing that I miss from this season is Piper blowing up things and Phoebe levitating. Any chance of them coming into their powers early?

Also, I have a suggestion. Maybe you can make a future episode for this season based off of something that could be supported off of the actual Charmed-verse. I don’t know. You’re smart, so you could plan a good episode that could have an idea that’s a little more solid than “Morality Bites” because let’s face; Prue was blonde, working at Buckland’s and (dead) two years later. Once again, just a suggestion.

Any idea when the third episode will be up?



Favorite Quotes:

SUIT: Keep the change.
(Very Charmed-like, to say a common phrase like that, though it had more meaning to it. Loved it.)

[Jake]

Here's my old review for the eppie. I'm not as ashamed at this review as I actually wrote more than 3 paragraphs haha!:

SPOILER: Click to show

2.02 Letters From The Past
Okay first off I have to say this new format is growing on me, I really really want to start writing like this. I figured I'd sorta review a little while reading the episode then talk about the episode as a whole at the end.
-I'm really liking your villians for this season The Suit, Maddame Executive(Still trying to figure out why she feels she was scorned my the Charmed Ones or whatever) and the Line Speakers,although they don't exactly seem like villians but more like they are trying to help.
-I also think it's great how your villians actually think and don't do the whole "let's kill the Charmed Ones" thing without thinking and the villians actually have feelings, and believe they are fighting for what they believe in, not just because they are evil.
-I love how the plan is to show Prue's mortality to her by almost getting shot, and it looks like the plan is working well.
-Haha, Phoebe wants the muffins really bad.
-Props on the way you wrote the letters that made them actually sound like people from that era of time, and I love how well you write Prue's job and the aspects of what she has to do.
-I really really am liking this episode, I love how Prue has to learn a lesson and that she along with the audience have to figure it out together.
-I must also praise you on the Phoebe/Ryan scene is his office, I could picture Phoebe and Ryan perfectly as the scene was going on and Phoebe's advice wasn't the corny kind that makes you want to hide your face from the screen because it's just too out there but it was realistic and made sense. You should really be proud of these episodes, I'm also sure that the following ones will be great too.
-I love how you wrote Patience and Richard and how they didn't have a happy ending because Patience was too caught up to see that Richard loved her, and although she liked him she was too busy grieving(which is understandable) to notice his love, and Prue then realizes that she can't make the same mistake=a very touching moment which happened not enough in the original series Charmed.
-Haha, I love Phoebe's quote about Piper's muffins helping Prue, very funny.
-Hmm, I'm still trying to figure out the Line Speakers(Robe guys), they are good, but they have a cooler kick rather than the Elders from Charmed in the later season.

This was a great episode. My favorite, although the one before that was a favorite too, I loved what you did with Prue/Ryan's relationship and how you kinda wrapped Prue/Andy's relationship and you did it in a perfect way too. Great episode, really great funny and emotional writing, and that about sums it up. I will get to reading and reviewing the other episodes soon.

[Deleted]

I just finished reading this episode, but I'm going to wait until later to post a review, first, because it's very late here and I'm going to have another very busy day at work tomorrow and second, because I want to think on what I read first.

But I'll tell you this much:

SPOILER: Click to show

I'm sorry, Reyn. Much as I adore this episode and would've loved to have seen it on screen, I am offended by Prue's reaction toward Ryan at the end as much as I was offended by her reaction at the end of the first episode. It's not Prue-like; not in the least bit realistic.

Like her, I can see what she was supposed to be learning, and you were right; Andy's death isn't Prue's fault. But I'm offended that you think that that's the only reason why she continued to love him, continued to honor him, continued to miss him. Their love was so much more than that, the reason why her just jumping Ryan's bones makes me shudder...that's SOOO not Prue!

Prue doing things with her sisters; doing things with her friends; going out with Ryan, that would be her reaction toward what she had seen. Throwing her feelings for Andy all behind her and immediately taking up with another, no, that's not Prue. That makes her as shallow as Freebie after each of her so-called loves, or Paige when she got over Kyle so quickly or Piper when she took up with Greg the fireman so very soon after Leo's promotion. That's depicting love the way Kern did, not the way Connie did, and I hate Prue being depicted that way during what would've been a Connie-season.

A bit like C:RR you're making me hate my favorite sister, and I'm not happy about that.

That being said...

I still have my curiosity piqued enough to want to know what's going to happen. I'm wondering if the bad guys (and I have yet to figure out if the shadow guys are good guys or bad guys...I was thoroughly expecting to have it revealed that The Man was either Ryan or Andy...) need Prue to fall for Ryan in order for their plans to come to fruition. And in order for that to happen, she has to put aside her feelings for Andy. If I find out that's the case, I'll be very happy with it. If not, I won't.

As I said, I'll give you a better review of what I liked and what I didn't like tomorrow.

[Reyn]

Hi JustEs, some comments about your above post:

SPOILER: Click to show

It is a shame that you felt the end scene with Prue and Ryan was not keeping in character with Prue. If I may, I’d like to explore why you felt it was out of character. First, though, I wanted to express my reasoning behind writing that scene and the kiss between the two (which from what I gather, is the part of the scene you had issues with).

From my perspective, the kiss they shared and Prue’s acceptance of a potential romance between the two wasn’t meant to signify that Prue had ‘gotten over’ her love for Andy, or that the only reason she was depressed about his death was because she felt it was her fault. Instead, the kiss was signifying that, although Prue still loved Andy, and although her relationship with him was a special one, she was willing to take a chance on something new and open herself up to the possibilities of finding someone else attractive. I want to stress that it is the potential of this occurring, rather than the fact that it had occurred that was the significance of the kiss. That moment was Prue opening herself up to the possibility, and saying ‘It’s ok to be open to this, and to see where this leads’ rather than her saying ‘I’m over Andy and I’m moving on.’

Prue had just been shown that someone in a similar situation (namely Patience) denied herself the chance to be happy with anyone else, because she believed she had lost her soulmate when Alyx died. His death deeply affected her, and she mourned him, but she let his death rob her of any potential happiness because she saw the love they shared as something no-one else could come close to matching. And rather than taking a chance with someone else, she clung to her past memories with the man she loved and lived with the regrets she felt over not having a future with him. She let that past love stop her from experiencing another love (or even a romance). As much as I wanted the parallels between Patience’s situation and Prue’s situation to signify that Prue had blamed herself for Andy’s death just as much as Patience had for Alyx’s (and for just as little reason), there was another main aspect of the Patience/Alyx relationship I wanted to highlight. That was the fact that Patience allowed her love for Alyx to stop her from experiencing (potential) love with anyone else. And by allowing that to happen, she tainted the love they shared, because it became a barrier between her and anyone wanting to become close to her. It isolated her and closed her off from everyone else – in some ways it became a shield for her - a reason for her to shut herself away and not become involved. To allow that to happen – to have the love you shared with someone used as a justification as to why you won’t take a chance on anyone else – it demeans that love you shared and makes it less than what it should be. Through the letters Prue realised this and understood that to treat the love she had with Andy in a similar light wasn’t fair on either of them.

Her decision to take the next step in her ‘relationship’ with Ryan (and by next step I mean kiss) was born out of her understanding that doing so didn’t mean that she was ‘done’ with Andy, or that the love they shared was replaceable, but rather that to close yourself off from any possibilities simply because of the strength of your previous relationship was, in effect, tainting that love. The kiss was more an affirmation (both to herself and to Ryan) that she was interested in him, and that that was ok. Her interest in someone new didn’t cheapen her feelings for Andy, or make them any less special, or even over-ride the feelings they had for one another, it was just her way of saying that it was ok for her to open herself up to the possibility of a romance.

Keeping in mind that although this is only the second episode, more than 6 months has passed since Andy’s death, and in that time Prue has withdrawn into herself and taken Andy’s death hard. Although she had agreed to coffee with Ryan, she was still upset about Andy’s death and still grieving for him. She’d cancelled several times on Ryan, and even Ryan was wondering if she just wasn’t that interested. The letters and the parallels between her situation and Patience’s were the catalyst that pushed her into realizing that what she was doing wasn’t respecting the love she had for Andy, it was cheapening it. The kiss between the two was Prue’s way of saying ‘I’m not going to end up like Patience, lost in the memories of a love that won’t let me experience any happiness with anyone else.’

So, to summarise, I didn't mean for the kiss to signify that Prue was over Andy, or that their love for one another was that shallow that she could simply replace Andy with someone new so quickly. It was more meant to signify Prue accepting that it was ok for her to be open to the possibility of a romance. Her love for Andy and what they shared isn't forgotten or made null and void (and it will be referenced later). This is just Prue's way of accepting that loving Andy and realising their love was special doesn't stop her from being able to love someone else in the future. Whether this is Ryan or someone else - she needs to take a chance for it to happen.

[Deleted]

Here's my full review, including "my response to your response". By the way, you can just call me Es. That's the meaning behind my screen name, JustEs. Rather than Esmeralda, I'm just Es.

SPOILER: Click to show

I'm going to do this review a bit differently than my last one. While reading this one I kept coming up with responses, so I decided to just post them that way.

I like the teaser for this episode a lot more than the one for the first episode...a lot more drama and suspense, making me eager to "see" more.

My comments on Prue's phonecall with Ryan is the same as for the first one. Use the "..." rather than talking about something going on that the audience doesn't see in order to keep the fluidity of the conversation. If you used an intercut so the audience would see what Ryan is doing and saying, that's totally different, but as is...

The directions for the scene between Prue and the homeless man don't seem to be in the right order, as they should be in the script. Here's how I think that part should've been written:

Hearing a noise she looks up to see someone in the doorway. He looks to either side of the hallway, then takes a step forward into the room. It's the homeless man from before. His eyes are still glazed over.

HOMELESS MAN
Are you Prue Halliwell?

PRUE
Yes. Can I help you?

He smiles and in a motion too quick to track, whips out the gun from behind his back and fires straight at Prue's chest.

Shocked and not expecting this, Prue has little time to react. She uses her power to deflect the bullet away from her. It lodges itself in the wall behind the homeless man. Freaked out that his bullet did not harm her but instead barely missed him, he fires again, but this time wildly.

It is too late to for Prue to deflect this second bullet. It flies past, barely missing her head, and slams into a cabinet behind her, shattering the glass of its doors, even as she watches the homeless man. back out of the room and runs away.

That's part of why I don't like scripts; as prose, the way you wrote it would've been perfect.

Wow! That conversation between Madame Executive and the Suit really threw me for a loop...the fact that the homeless man had indeed done exactly what she wanted him to do, and that the reason was to remind Prue of her mortality and the fact that she had become complacent.

I also like finding out Madame Executive is *not* a demon but a "cousin" of sorts...makes me more than a bit curious and makes me smile. As she said, the demons, even the Source, were stupid in the way they handled the Charmed Ones, both when Connie was in charge and when Kern was. The exceptions are Cole, the Seer, the Crone and Zankou, my own favorite demons. It definitely sounds like Madame Executive may be a proper adversary for the Charmed Ones and as such may become one of my favorite characters...like the others, a character I love to hate (although in S7, I hated the sisters so very much that I actually loved Kyra, Drake and Zankou more!)

I loved the conversation between Piper and Phoebe; that sounded so much like them, and I also smiled when you called Piper's cell phone her mobile, reminding me that you're not American like the sisters are. Most of your lines sound very American but every now and then...but that's being too picky; no need to change it, just letting you know it made me smile.

I truly loved the conversation between Prue and her sisters, now that was perfectly spot on, both with the way Piper reacted and the way Phoebe did. For Prue to actually be shaking, wow, it shows how much this has thrown her, exactly as Madame Executive said! WOW!

Another wow! The robed guys! Like you mentioned in your reply to my first review...are they good guys or are they bad guys? Are they working with Madame Executive or working to help the sisters....Can't wait to find out!

Here's the part that really made me smile:

You know what I'm talking about.
Ever since Andy's death, she's been
different. Throwing herself into
her work, ignoring her friends,
locking herself away in her room
–its not healthy.
(beat)
I thought maybe her agreeing to see
Ryan was a turning point, but she's
been avoiding him as well. I want
to help her, Piper, but I don't
know what else I can do!

It told me that the part that bothered me last week wasn't Prue getting over Andy too quickly, rather a way of showing that she hasn't at all!! Perfect!!

Although I still find myself wondering if this is truly six months after Andy's death. I just can't imagine Piper and Phoebe allowing Prue to put up a wall between them for that long. I hope you didn't tell me that just so I would be able to accept Prue and Ryan's relationship easier.

Didn't write much after reading this just because I enjoyed what I was reading so much but I had to comment on the conversation between Piper and Phoebe with the muffins...perfect! So perfect! You SOOO know how and when to throw in that bit of special Charmed humor!

Once I got past this part, I got so wrapped up in the fic that I couldn't tear my eyes away long enough to write down what I thought. I completely loved the whole bit with the letters and the seeing the past, especially with having it yellowed like an old letter. And the part when it was at P3 and Piper was stuck in the back room...perfect!

I also loved the very last scene. It definitely has my curiosity piqued and I can't wait to find out what happens.

What I didn't like was what the letters and the past were trying to say to Prue and how she reacted towards them. She and Patience are totally different. If indeed Prue stayed stuck in her room for all those years, then she would be just like Patience and the letters would have a point. But she hasn't. As I said, I don't think it's even been a month since Andy died. And I can't imagine Phoebe and Piper allowing Prue to do that--nor can I imagine Prue doing that to herself; she wouldn't, she couldn't because she knows it would be dishonoring Andy's memory and that beautiful scene Up There when he told her that she'd have to go on and continue to save innocents. That's why I find it hard to believe that it's been six months. Prue not find an innocent in over six months, even if there's been no demon attacks?? NO WAY! That's NOT Prue! *shrug* Well, at least not Prue the way I saw her.

And Patience is torturing herself because she feels she killed Alyx, not because she truly loves Alyx--that is *so* not love! Andy and Prue are a whole totally different story. Yes, Prue feeling guilty is part of it, but just a very, very small part.

The major thing is IT'S TOO SOON!!! Maybe not for Prue, if indeed six months has gone by, but it is for us fans. It's like shoving Paige on us before we had a chance to mourn Prue. The same way Paige shouldn't have been introduced until the third or fourth episode of Season Four, Ryan and Prue's relationship shouldn't have been introduced this soon. If it's truly part of the mystery, well, OK, maybe, but from what you told me (unless you're throwing red herrings my way), I don't think so. I TRULY hope Ryan will end up being the Big Bad of the series, only pretending to love Prue in order to get her to do something horrible for him, but I truly don't think that's what you're up to.

If you'd let Ryan be a tweener, like Jack, I'd feel totally differently, but what you wrote in your response to my response doesn't match what you wrote in your script. Everything you've written about Prue and Ryan says that Ryan is THE ONE! Even more than Andy was. And that's much too much, much too soon. If this had happened at the beginning of your second season (Alternate Season 3) or even halfway through this season, then that's different...I truly believe that had Prue lived, she would've taken up with Mitch, the guy who looked like Micah from "All Halliwell's Eve", but, please, not at the very beginning of the season that comes right after Andy dies to save Prue!

You see, I don't think that the kiss is "Prue accepting that it was ok for her to be open to the possibility of a romance"--if that's what you truly meant for that kiss to mean, oh, man, were you way off the mark! I think it's Prue saying she loves Ryan when the only thing we know is they have chemistry. A HORRIBLE Kern-type reason for loving! Falling in love, yes, having an affair, sure...after all, we know what happened when she had such strong chemistry between her and Bane...but actually loving Ryan like she loves Andy, no. And I truly hope that you simply said what you said in hopes that it would get me to accept Prue and Ryan as a couple easier, because if indeed the kiss was "Prue accepting that it was ok for her to be open to the possibility of a romance" it would make me hate her even more, because she would be misleading Ryan, using him to feel alive again and that's horrid on her part and SO not Prue--or at least not the way I saw her.

Of course, what makes this so tough is that S2 is my favorite season and it's hard to have it written so differently, especially my favorite sister written so very differently than the way I saw her.

*sigh* BUT I've ran into other fics where I truly did not like how a character or a character's relationship with others was portrayed, and if the rest of the plot was interesting enough, I've been able to look past it and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the fic. And that's what I hope we can agree to do here...just agree to disagree, because I'm truly curious about the whole "building a mystery thing" and the fact that I thoroughly enjoy it EXCEPT for the Prue/Ryan thing doesn't prevent me from wanting to know what's going to happen.

Because I sincerely can't wait to see what happens next week.

[Reyn]

I will start calling you Es now, then Usually I wait until the person says 'call me such and such' as I don't want to jump the gun and assume I can call them by their nickname (when sometimes that is reserved for friends/special acquaintances etc).

Big review! Thank you very much for that - as a writer yourself, I'm sure you know how appreciative I am that you wrote your thoughts down and critiqued the episode. Some responses to your comments:

SPOILER: Click to show

Happy to hear you enjoyed the teaser more, and that it was an improvement on last weeks. This teaser is more in line with the teasers of the future episodes.

The directions for the scene were hard to do in script format - as I approached it as though we were following what the camera was featuring. So I had to go into the slo-mo, and then describe Prue's reactions. I'll see what I can do about it in a second edit.

Madame Executive is definitely not your run of the mill 'demon of the week' - she is the big bad, and sooner or later the Charmed Ones are going to realise just how much of a threat she is. For the moment, she's happy to conduct her plans from the shadows, but eventually she'll become more bold - and I hope you continue to enjoy her machinations.

I am also happy to hear you enjoyed the interactions between the sisters and found them to be in character. I also love the muffin comment - and I had a lot of fun adding in that segment so I am very glad you enjoyed it as well The early charmed humor was one of the things I loved about the show (because it was dry, witty humor) and I've tried to incorporate that into the scripts as much as possible. Each episode has at least one of those scenes.

Regarding the six months thing - it has indeed been 6 months since the season finale (the timeline is very crucial to later events in the season, so its not something I could tweak after seeing your comments - that will make more sense when you read a few of the later episodes lol).

Now to your comments regarding what you disliked most about the episode (as weird as this sounds, I'm glad the only thing you didn't like was the Prue/Ryan subplot - it's good to know that you enjoyed the rest of the episode.) I'll try to organise my thoughts, but I have several things going through my head at the moment, so I apologise in advance if my comments are a bit over the place.

I accept your point that including Ryan as a potential romance interest right from the first episode is jarring for the reader. Even though six months have passed, those six months have passed off screen with little indication of what has happened during them. It is hard for me to have an unbiased viewpoint on the Prue/Ryan relationship (mainly because I wrote it) but also because I'm looking at it from the perspective where I know where it's going, and I know the reasoning behind why it is the way it is. I know the character of Ryan and how he fits into the whole season, and I know his motives and attitudes. I can't say much for fear of spoiling future episodes, but I will say that Phoebe's comment about Prue's behaviour during the six month gap was her opinion of her behaviour and was a generalisation at that. Things did happen during that six months, and Prue did shrink into herself - but that's not to say she didn't continue being the Prue that spent time with her sisters and saved innocents. She just became more reserved and shut herself away. Certainly not to the extent that Patience did, but had she been allowed to continue the way she had, that was the end result. By seeing the letters, Prue realised that was the path she was heading down, and made a decision not to let herself get to that point.

I won't comment much more on this (as my thoughts are racing!) but I will ask - you mention that if six months have gone by, that Prue starting a relationship with Ryan wouldn't necessarily be too soon for her, but that it is for us as fans (as we haven't been able to 'live' that six months, as it happened off screen). So, part of the reason you dislike the 'pairing' (as it were) of Prue and Ryan is because it seemed to happen so quickly after Andy's death, and was therefore jarring for the readers? And because Ryan was only introduced in the first episode, we hardly know much about him and having a main character begin a relationship with someone we hardly know (after that character has lost their love) is hard to take? I'm hoping this is the case, as I expect that as the season progresses and more is written about the subplot, that that will provide some insight into the character of Ryan, and also Prue's motivations for starting a romance. So even if you don't come to like the pairing (or whatever form it takes) you can at least see it for what it is and understand the reasoning behind it.

Regardless, I'm happy to hear that (aside from the romance subplot) you enjoyed the episode, and I'm very glad that your misgivings with the Prue/Ryan pairing won't stop you from reading more episodes - that means a lot to me.

[Deleted]

Jul 8, 2008 5:45:55 GMT Reyn said:

I will start calling you Es now, then Usually I wait until the person says 'call me such and such' as I don't want to jump the gun and assume I can call them by their nickname (when sometimes that is reserved for friends/special acquaintances etc).

Thank you; I appreciate both your waiting and then your agreeing to call me Es.

Big review! Thank you very much for that - as a writer yourself, I'm sure you know how appreciative I am that you wrote your thoughts down and critiqued the episode.

YAY! Glad to hear that. Now that I've provided my links and my introes to my own fics I hope you'll give some of them a try and let me know what you think.

Here's a quick reply to the thing you wondered the most:

SPOILER: Click to show

I won't comment much more on this (as my thoughts are racing!) but I will ask - you mention that if six months have gone by, that Prue starting a relationship with Ryan wouldn't necessarily be too soon for her, but that it is for us as fans (as we haven't been able to 'live' that six months, as it happened off screen). So, part of the reason you dislike the 'pairing' (as it were) of Prue and Ryan is because it seemed to happen so quickly after Andy's death, and was therefore jarring for the readers? And because Ryan was only introduced in the first episode, we hardly know much about him and having a main character begin a relationship with someone we hardly know (after that character has lost their love) is hard to take? I'm hoping this is the case, as I expect that as the season progresses and more is written about the subplot, that that will provide some insight into the character of Ryan, and also Prue's motivations for starting a romance. So even if you don't come to like the pairing (or whatever form it takes) you can at least see it for what it is and understand the reasoning behind it.

Yup, that's exactly what it is, the fact that it was much too soon for us fans, especially this Andy-fan, who thinks that Andy is Prue's soulmate and will always find it hard to accept someone else, especially an OMC (Original Male Character) whom I know nothing about, the way other fans can't accept anyone but Cole for Phoebe or Leo for Piper (even if I think both of those guys is the worst guy possible for that gal--no, other way around--those gals are the worst gal possible for those guys--while Andy and Prue are perfect for each other, since I'm certain, had he lived, Andy would've eventually accepted Prue as a witch--he was already halfway there in the S1 finale despite what he had told her...but after all, that was when he JUST found out...I would've felt the same way if my boyfriend just came right out and told me he was a witch and that all of our sons would be witches! I didn't find Henry's reaction to finding out that Paige was a witch realistic at all.)

I truly hope that you decide to give my and Primrose_Empath's "Our Screwed-Up Destiny" a shot. I'd be interested to see what you think of how we write Prue.

I do wish you'd taken some time in the premiere to let us know what has been happening during the six-month period. Although I still find it very *very* hard to imagine Prue becoming anything like the way you describe her--as I said, I can't see her sisters letting her be that way over a six-month period and I can't see Prue letting herself be that way because she knows that Andy would never want her to be that way. So *shrug* I've accepted the fact that your Prue isn't the way I saw her and that your Andy obviously was not the way I saw him. Happy about that, no. Able to accept it and not let it get in the way of the enjoyment of the fic, yes.

Regardless, I'm happy to hear that (aside from the romance subplot) you enjoyed the episode, and I'm very glad that your misgivings with the Prue/Ryan pairing won't stop you from reading more episodes - that means a lot to me.

On that we can definitely agree.

[Reyn]

I had a quick look at your thread and I'll definitely take a look at your writing. After having a brief look though at the summaries of all your works, I'm wondering - this 'Our Screwed Up Destiny' - was that based around an RPG hosted at a Charmed message board? I remember that they had something like that at one of the boards I was a member of (from memory, they had quite a few and members used to 'play' the part of particular characters and post in story threads. I think i remember seeing something about that at your board, but I can't remember exactly where I read it.

Anyway, back to topic.

SPOILER: Click to show

I was wondering with your comments if you were an Andy/Prue supporter! I would hazard a guess from your posts that had Ryan been introduced as a potential romance interest for either Piper or Phoebe, there wouldn't have been as much resistance (if i can call it that). But since he's coming in so soon after Andy's death (and you believing Prue and Andy were soulmates) it's more upsetting because there hasn't been time for Prue to process dealing with the loss of her love, and it would appear as though Prue's simply moved on from Andy to someone else (and in so doing, cheapened the Andy/Prue relationship). I'm hoping that if you stick with the series, you'll see that Prue's feelings for Andy haven't been forgotten, and that Ryan isn't simply the 'forget about Andy' character or the romance option - he has more to him than that (as anyone to whom Prue was attracted to would).

With Prue's character - I've crafted the episodes so that each one focuses on one specific sister, with side plots for the other sisters included in the B storyline. So there is character development for all three (and the supporting characters) in all of the episodes. You should get a good feel for each of the sisters as they are at this point in time. I will flag something right now, though (now that I understand your feelings on the Prue/Ryan relationship) and that is this: you might find in the next few episodes that things between them are heading in a particular direction, but by the end of the first half of the season, they go a whole other way. I'm sure that probably doesn't make any sense at all - but dealing with spoilers makes it difficult to discuss this sort of stuff. I can see that the Andy fan in you is probably going to be screaming at me soon (if you aren't alreadly lol) but there is a purpose in everything that happens. If you keep with the series, you may be surprised at some of the revelations and the changes to particular characters outlooks.

And regardless of all the Prue issues, there's still Madame Executive to read about - she is most definitely a favourite of mine!

[Deleted]

OMG! OMG! You were a member of an RPG called Our Screwed Up Destiny?? One where it's Piper who dies rather than Prue? Wait until I tell Primrose! My co-author played Prue and Cole in that! Although we loved the way Paige was played, we hated the way the other characters were played so we started doing a RPG of our own with her playing Prue, Cole and Paige and me playing Phoebe, Leo and Andy, and from that RPG we wrote our fic! If you read that RPG you have an idea how we (or more specifically how Primrose) wrote Prue, and we'd love to see what you think of how we wrote the others. Although warning, once they leave for the funeral, it's absolutely nothing like the original RPG! We didn't particularly care for the way the funeral was handled (too much based on the original) and went our own way. Ditto for the beginning. We didn't like Phoebe simply falling and skinning her knee on her way to her job interview the night before Piper's funeral and then her screaming for Leo to heal her and where's Cole? . so we made our beginning a lot more dramatic.

my turn to go Time to get back to it.

As for what was in the Spoiler, I'll simply say that I'm glad you understand and I will definitely try to keep an open mind.

[Lexi]

I've just got through the episode so here's my review for it:

SPOILER: Click to show

I loved the idea to this episode. It was a great way to have Prue learn that there is life after what happened to Andy. I like how you put it all together to fit in with her life. I did wonder whether Alyx was going to turn out to be Andy. I'm so glad she learnt what she needed, but it makes me wonder more of who the men in grey robes are. Are they friend or foe? Why did they want Prue to move on and attempt to find love again?

As for Madame Executive, I really like her even if she is evil. She's very manipulative and smart, I like how she's trying to break the sisters, starting with Prue. She reminds me a little of Zankou. I wonder what she has planned next.

Piper made me laugh about the club, thinking that even the locks need fixing. Poor girl, she just can't get a break with the club, can she?

[Reyn]

A new review so soon after your last one? Thank you very much!

Regarding your comments:

SPOILER: Click to show

Great to hear you enjoyed the episode and that you appreciated the handling of the Prue/Andy relationship plot. I think it was an important step for Prue to see just what would happen if she continued to act the way she had been, and I think it's also a nice way to tie up the Prue/Andy storyline. That's not to say Andy won't be mentioned in future episodes, but for me 2.02 was always about giving their relationship a sense of closure.

The grey robes are certainly a major plot-line during this season, and their motivations and alignment will be explored in later episodes. I wanted their introduction to be veiled in mystery so that the reader would not know whether they were good or evil. As the season progresses their morality becomes clearer, although they are never 100% good or 100% evil.

Very happy to hear you like Madame Executive! That was a goal I had at the start of the season - to create a big bad that people would like - perhaps even secretly cheer - so it is great to hear you like her. I wanted her to be likeable and someone who wasn't your average 'kill the Charmed Ones because they are good' evil being. Madame Executive has a lot more depth to her, a lot more history, and she is one of my favourite characters in the season.

Ahh the Piper line! One of my favourites, as well! And I agree - everything seems to be falling apart around her. Just wait until you see what she has to deal with in the next episode!

Thank you for your comments, lexicharmed - I very much enjoyed hearing what you thought of Letters From The Past!

[Harrison]

Hey, Reyn. I made a promo poster for this episode in the meantime before I read it. I hope you like it.

[Reyn]

The promo poster looks fantastic Harrison! Thank you so much! I'll add it to the main post for this episode! Great stuff

[Terry]

Here we go for the second review:

SPOILER: Click to show

prepare yourself for my overlong review... I think it's the longest review I've ever done

2.02 Letters From the Past

I like the opening of the teaser, with the homeless man being bribed into, as appears, killing Prue. Why is she the one being aimed for? I don’t know, after all, all three Halliwells worked to thwart Mme Executive’s plans with the Shak’ta, but I guess it’s all to do with “the eldest is the most powerful” thing. Better get rid of that one first, he?

I like how you bring the fact Ryan asked Prue out for coffee, it all ties in with the past episode.

I wonder if the collection is just a random one – which would be why it is not named – or if the missing of the name is done purposefully for us not to know who’s behind what will happen – should anything happen… Even Prue seems worried by the fact she was asked directly…

Hum, Patience Holden… a P name? Will keep an eye on her …

I didn’t expect the HM to attack so soon! And he has all the rights to be afraid but I feel like the trance in which he was put by the Suit should have made him stay, until Bernard came back at least…

Oh, but of course he wasn’t to kill her at all! The Suit expected Prue to deflect the bullet… the “message”! of course, sorry for last paragraph, I know get it all And it’s all Mme Executive’s plan, of course, too.

The sisterly moment was touching. Having Phoebe thinking Prue was kidding at first was just right into character and the whole scene has saddened me lol

Oh, oh, so the collection really was put in by a demon :-OOOO I guessed right, I guessed right, I guessed right youhou

Huh? They hope Prue will learn her ‘lesson’ and survive? What kind of demons are they? Are they even demons?

I loved Phoebe and Piper’s talk, very sentimental and in character too actually, and Prue’s interrupting it, ouch :/

Prue agreed to the compromise, isn’t that a start?

Of course he’d smile, wouldn’t he, eh?

Ah, ah, god, Phoebe, just take the muffin while Piper is off the kitchen lol

You do know what you’re doing, don’t you, with all details of what the collection holds and all…

Patience is Prue’s past life :-O I knew the P name was a hint, I knew it and I like how you wrote the letter, it sounds very real.

Aha, poor Prue, being as much as a ghost in a past that apparently is her own… I am guessing that the Travis guy will look like Ryan and will be his past life too?

The Line Speaker story line is confusing it all, argh lol I knew it’d be them that would curse or jinx or hex the letters but to what effect? what purpose? They don’t seem to want Prue to die, they obviously want her to learn her lesson, but why? And the “Man” that obeys them, how is he supposed to enter the past with Prue? I guess I’ll see…

Aha, Piper doesn’t want to do the whole intermediate-sister thing anymore he? Hehe

Oh, the spell or whatever it is only has effect on the room Prue’s in, that’s great, I was waiting to see her in like a past version of the manor, but this just adds to the greatness

The “Man”’s speech is really confusing, I totally feel like Prue at it all.

Well, that’s Phoebe – she’ll go for it no matter what

Phoebe’s last comment, it sounds like she’s had a premonition about Prue and Ryan being married or something lol like she knows they’ll end up together. Other than that, the whole conversation was touchy, with Ryan wanting to ask the same question and all.

Where the hell did Prue go? Lol

Aha, do the umbrella things have a name than ?? Poor Piper

So that’s where Prue went? The club? How? Piper didn’t buy that place for no reason then? You really are mending things together!!

Ho! Hard blow… wrong I was :-0 Ryan’s past life is the Richard guy from the letter of Patience… ho-huh…

Why would Piper need to be locked in the store room if Prue is in an altered reality? Would Piper and Phoebe have seen Prue if they had looked up to her room window when leaving the manor…? I thought she was in some kind of limbo where neither the past nor the present people can see her :/

I wonder… would Alyx Travis look like Andy…? I have a theory…

Aha, poor Piper, don’t give up, honey

I think I caught a typo other than “its” for “it’s”… : ‘The local San Francisco community is in morning’
don’t you mean “mourning”?

:-0 that was my theory :-O that Alyx would be dead in fact or would die :-O

The scene with Patience’s voice-over as everything about Alyx’s death unfolds is really emotional, you do catch your reader’s heart. And I feel like all this a just Prue’s life copied, the guilt she must feel and all… yeah, more so when I read Patience didn’t go out after Alyx’s death, just like Prue is said by Phoebe to remain in her room.

Arg, Patience has the name she deserves… cause she has patience… with herself >< god, lady, open your eyes, five years!

MWAHAHAHAHAH, I KNEW IT Alyx Is Andy MWAHAHAHAH… sorry, got carried away

OK, the lesson was for Prue not to shut herself away from love, right… but why would the “Line Speakers” want Prue to love… to love Ryan???

God, you had me laugh for the muffins

Love the interaction between the sisters, during the whole episode, actually.

Oh God, The Kiss

So I have made a fool of myself with my ‘past lives’ theory it seems… well kinda anyway since it was just all Prue – how did he say – “personalizing the images”, so let’s take that even farther: I think the Line Speakers are the Elders, or the Founders, as you call them – a quick note on “founder”: I like how you use that term instead of “elder” since that’s how Leo originally calls them in “Secrets and Guys”, thumbs up – I mean, they try to get Prue out of her self-lockage in her own guiltful world … that’s not what a demon would do…

I enjoyed every part of this episode, I can tell you that. You really are the great writer that the premiere gave us a glimpse of. I can’t just wait to read the next, even if I have just to be fair to other people

[Quiet Desperation]

Review, copied from the old C-Net:

SPOILER: Click to show

-Nice beginning. Usually Charmed episodes begin that way.
-So a demon and a homless man working together? This should be intersting, Lol. Original idea.
-It's a very good point that you changed the Homless Man's appearance other than keeping it the same.
-Oh god! That scene in Bucklands has suspence. I love that! And the whole idea is just original.
-I loved the conevrsation between Madam Executive and the Suite. The Madam's words are so formal. I love that!
-Oh and of course the Suite killed that innocent. Very-demon like.
-Haha, I loved the little phone incident. I's funny.
-Original reaction from Piper and Phoebe. Though maybe one of them should've said, 'Oh my god!'. But still, it's original.
-I thought the Line Speakers were evil. Why would'nt they want Prue to die? I must've misunderstood it!
-Phoebe wanting to help was a good point. It's like Phoebe. Similar to Phoebe in Seson 6.
-Oh wow! It was a surprise when Prue came and that she heard the conversation. She got really mad!
-'Please don't stop talking about me simply because I'm here.' I love that line.
-Haha, I loved the muffins idea. It's a funny touch.
-I absolutly loved the idea of the letters. That is a freakin' original idea. And I loved that when Prue read the lters out loud, she went to the past.
-I loved that these letters are connetcted to Prue. Another original idea.
-The Line Speaker's lines are also so formal. Hell, everyone's lines are formal in your S2!
-It's actually a great idea that you made that Man the guide of Prue. Better than keeping her alone.
-I really want Ryan and Prue to work out. And I really want to see Prue with him. Oh, I'm glad Ryan sees that Prue likes him.
-I loved that everytime Prue reads a diffrent letter, it takes her to a diffrent place.
-Oh, I loved that you made Richard have Ryan's face. And 'R'. Perfect!
-I loved the whole VO idea. It's original.
-Also, Patience's VO words were perfect. I espacially loved: ' When the men came – the words the used – their apologies – they meant nothing. All I heard was that you had died.'
-You added perfect scenes and lines for the VO. I thought everything was perfect in these parts.
-Oh wow! Five years and still in the Manor? And Patience only goes to the Graveyard. That's very sad.
-I loved how Richard was trying to show Patience how much he loved her.
-Oh! It was Andy who was Alyx! I knew it! Kinda, Lol. I suspected it. And same letter names.
-Glad Prue undersood everything. So now I can see her out there again. Yay!
-Oh and I must comment on how Prue explained everything Patience went through and at the end, she said 'Just like me.'.
-Haha, Piper can't stop bragging about the clup! Funny.
-'Damn, Piper. Those must have been some hella good muffins.' Lol. Another funny line.
-Sweet sisterly momment. It's perfect that you added it.
-I love Prue's and Ryan's chemistry. It's very obvious!
-Ohh!! They kissed!! Yay! Lol.
-I wonder what the Line Speaker's plan is by making the Man have electric power. Or is it just a reward!
-Loved the very last line in the episode. Great ending.

[Dark Witch.]

My next review for you Reyn! :

SPOILER: Click to show

As before, I will review scene by scene, and I get to finally read a new chapter! .

Scene 1: Whoa, I wonder what the significance of the homeless man is. I doubt a demon would randomly pick a person to kill Prue. Or maybe that is the beauty of it, to use a random person to kill her...hmmm very clever. I like it! lol.

Scene 2: Hmmm, who could the collection be from? I want to think it might be a demon...but actually from the title of the episode, might be related to her past life...very well done in the wonderie department. lol. Also, that must be terrifying to have a gun shot at you, and to barely survive...wow. I liked the drama there, well done.

Scene 3: Aww...poor homeless guy is dead...that is so sad. Wow, Madame Executive has a great plan, I can see she is very innovative and creative at the same time. The plan she has in store, I cannot tell, if she is the reason for her saying they will die, or she is just interested in watching their demise. It is all so intriguing, can't wait for more! lol.

Scene 4: I like the little sisterly moment put in there. For example, the Piper's phone incident. Very comical . That is really scary, as I said, no one knows how it feels to be on the other side of gun, only a select few...and it must be the worst feeling in the world. I feel so bad for Prue, it is very dramatic, and I would never recoperate if it happened to me. Dang...

Scene 5: I wonder who those guys are...I have a feeling they are the guys who are going after the Charmed Ones, that Madame Executive is hoping be killed by. If not, then it has to be her that wants to kill the Charmed Ones...

Scene 6: Phoebe has a point though, Prue has been through alot, and how can she deal with so many things coming her way? It is truly something that could change a person. You have done a great job, not just by creating a good story, but making the sisters human, rather than just being witches. Good job .

Scene 7: Well, I guess we will find out what the letters are significant for...for if demons are involved, nothing good comes from it. lol. Phoebe and the muffin thing was funny. Props. lol.

Scene 8: That was a cool transition, so that must mean the letters are cursed to send her to the past, but how she is not seen is a mystery which is really cool to figure out. I can't wait to see how Prue comes back to the present and what lesson she must learn.

Scene 9: I am confused as to what that demon has to do with anything or what the other does as well. It is a little confusing...but I guess that is what is so fun. lol. Phoebe is such a meddler! She did so with Paige's boyfriend Richard, and now we can see it with her and Ryan. lol, she is a funny one that Phoebe Halliwell lol.

Scene 10: That's interesting, the time reversal is inside the house, but not outside...interesting. And that she must continue reading the letters to continue through the journey. I think the demon guide is a little weird...and interesting. I am just so wondering what the council of demons has to deal with anything...

Scene 11: The demon guide is quite interesting, and I wonder what the letters shall reveal. Very interesting...I think that the letters much teach her to get over Andy's death. Who else better to learn from than a woman who's love could have died in a war?

Scene 12: Well, I thought Phoebe was going to pester more. I guess she isn't as much of a meddler as I thought she would be. I hope Ryan and Prue make it.

Scene 13: I guess Prue,as she said has no choice, but to follow through, I guess this will be an interesting lesson for Prue...whatever it is.

Scene 14: Wow, the party is to be at the site of P3, well, that is cool. And Ryan is involved...but how? That is what I want to know...how do these people tie together? And does that mean that Ryan is meant for Prue if Richard and Patience had a thing? hmmm....

Scene 15: I have a feeling Alyx is supposed to be Andy, that Patience felt guilty for being with Richard, and this is part of the lesson that Prue needs to realise, that she can't wait forever for Andy, that she needs to move on with her life.

Scene 16: So I was right! Alyx has to be like Andy, I am sure of it! And Andy and Prue were as good as fiance the year before...i guess we will see how this pans out.

Scene 17: I feel so sad for Patience, to lose someone like that. I have seen movies where in the old days, people feared answering the door, thinking the army would come and tell them that their loved one was dead, they even do that now, it still must be unbearable...

Scene 18: Wow, I think Patience is not handling death very well. 5 years and never leaving the Manor? She needs something to do...desperately, and it seems almost like Ryan and Prue, except Prue has only dealt with Andy's death for about 2 months, almost 3, so I think she can handle it... I was right! It is all about Prue and Andy! haha. lol.

Scene 19: I like the scene with Prue's realization very nice, and well done. I also like the snip about the muffins again. Cracked me up.lol.

Scene 20: Woo, that was quick. She bounces fast. But the kiss with Ryan was to come sooner or later, just came sooner. haha. Nice little flirtation scene. .

Scene 21: Hmmm...I wonder if this "man" is the one Phoebe falls for...and the power is pretty cool, I am looking forward to see what comes next.

All in all, great episode again. I really liked it, and will read on soon!

[melindacharm]

Ok so here it goes.

SPOILER: Click to show

I liked this Episode in many ways but I found it to be more predictable than the first one. Im not sure if others felt the same but I did. Not the whole time just when the suit seeks out the Homeless man and asks that man to hunt Prue down. I liked how the story played out. I also enjoyed the long descriptions of how Prue felt while going through the process of Andy's death. Dealing with the after affects. Many things clicked when it came time for the flashbacks. Where Prue ended up figuring out that she was going through the same steps that another woman had gone through with her husband. Sad but nicely done. I really liked how mainly Prue was played out in this episode. Even if I thought that she would never get over Andy that fast, she does deserve another love. . The only part I really didnt like was when it neared the end. When Prue went for Ryan.

The fact was I knew she would, but didnt expect her to act the way she did around him. Letting her guard down so easily. Again my opinion.

[Reyn]

A review reply for you, Terry:

SPOILER: Click to show

Madame Executive is gunning for Prue because, as you say, she's technically the most powerful, but more than that, she is the one who more often than not, takes charge of a situation. Piper and Phoebe both look to her for direction when they don't know the next course of action, so if Madame Executive can make her second guess herself, she technically also weakens the whole Power of Three.

The time thing - I seem to be getting a few questions about this - so I apologise for not explaining it well in the episode. You are right in saying that Piper would not have been able to see either Prue or The Man if she walked in on them because although she was in the same space, she was occupying a different time. The Man wanted to keep her in the storeroom, however, because her presence would have distracted Prue, and may have prevented her from taking all of the scene in.

Ha - thanks for picking up that spelling error. Rather funny, considering I did mean 'mourning'. I'll change it

That was indeed the message - although I don't think they necessarily want Prue to love Ryan - they just want her to get out of the self-inflicted rut she is currently in, and start actively getting on with her life.

Thanks for noticing the Founders thing - I wanted to keep that the same and not change the name as they did in the original. Plus, I believe that all through the french version of Charmed, the Founders stay the Founders for all 8 seasons?

Again - thank you for the review Charmy - you picked up on some things I didn't, and I will re-edit the script to change it .

Manar's review reply:

SPOILER: Click to show

Good to hear you like Madame Executive - she has a big role to play in the rest of this season, so I'm glad you like her character. I look forward to seeing what you think as you progress through the episodes!

You'll learn more about the linespeakers as the season goes on - I wrote their first few scenes in a way that veiled their true motives - making it difficult to know whether they were there to help or harm the charmed ones. But as you read through the episodes, their intentions and their status as either good or evil will slowly be revealed. They are part of the mystery, after all!

The letters were a big highlight for me as well - and probably the reason I like this episode so much. I'm glad you enjoyed them too

You like Ryan and Prue together? Excellent! I am so happy to have another Ryan/Prue fan! Pryan, as I call them I hope they work out too - I like them together. I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on their relationship as the season progresses.

Thank you for including your favourite lines and quotes - I always get a kick out of seeing what people's favourite lines were - and the ones you mentioned were among my favourites, as well

The electric power given to the man is a reward from his superiors for a job well done - although it certainly comes in handy later. Whether or not he gets to keep it is another matter.

Thankyou to the both of you for reposting those reviews - it makes it so much easier to have everything in the one place!

Dark Witch - this reply has been a long time coming! Apologies for the delay in replying :$

SPOILER: Click to show

A scene by scene review - I like this format! lol

The homeless killer was just a random guy - someone that Madame E could be sure wouldn't be tied back to either her or the Suit if he was found. A drowned transient wouldn't raise suspicions, after all.

Prue's experience with having a gun pointed at her is one of those 'OMG' moments and the repercussions of such an experience will of course last well past just this one episode. It's certainly not something that you'd expect to have to go through, and as a result her feelings relating to it won't be neatly tied up within one episode.

Thankyou very much for the 'sisters as humans' comment - that means a lot to me I've tried to portray them as more than just 'The Charmed Ones' - which is one of the issues I had with the direction of the original charmed seasons.

Phoebe and the muffin thing! I think that has to be one of my favourite moments of the whole episode!

As I know you have read episodes past this one, I'm going to as$ume that you know that the guide who helped Prue wasn't a demon, and was instead something else

Ahh - so you like Ryan and Prue as a couple, then? I'm glad! I'm a total Pryan fan Shippers unite!

I have to say, out of all the scenes I've written, the one where those men come to tell Patience that Alyx had died is one of the ones I'd most like to see play out on the screen - there was so much emotion behind that that I really wanted to transpose to the script, but nothing beats seeing something actually play out. Plus I like to think Shannen would have absolutely nailed that scene.

Happy to hear you enjoyed the flirtation scene between Prue and Ryan - it appears that that scene has polarised readers - people either liked it or thought it was too soon. Perhaps it's something I'll have to have a look at during a re-write.

Ahh yes, The Man! He is quite a character! Does Phoebe fall for him? Perhaps, perhaps she does

Thank you so very much for the review, Dark Witch - again I apologise for the lateness of my reply! I promise the next reply won't be as long a wait!

Melindacharm - you are flying through these episodes! Some comments:

SPOILER: Click to show

I think that's one of the problems with a show like charmed - sometimes it can become a bit predictable. I do try to mix things up a bit during the episodes so that they aren't so 'oh now she's going to do this and this will happen' but I take your point and I will try harder in future episodes to keep things 'fresh'

Heh. The Prue/Ryan kiss scene - people either liked it or didn't - there doesn't seem to be any inbetween! I understand your reservations with the kiss and Prue's apparent eagerness to get on with her life and allow Ryan into her world. I believe that her actions can be understood in regard to what she's just experienced with the story of Patience/Alyx - she's just seen what can happen if she doesn't allow herself to move on. Sure it is an extreme example, but I think it serves as a wakeup call to her - to show her that that could be her if she keeps going the way she is going. I think when that is taken into account, her decision to open herself up to Ryan (and be open to the prospect of a relationship with him) is not so much an 'I'm over Andy, I've forgotten him - bring on the new guy' reaction but more of an 'I don't want to spend the rest of my life upset and alone when I don't have to' reaction. I can see how the kiss could be seen to be moving too fast on her end, but to me it's always been more of a 'throw caution to the wind, what have i got to lose' reaction. I know that sort of behaviour is not typically Prue, but I don't believe it's out of character in the sense that the Charmed verse established that Prue was a free spirit and an adventurer prior to her mother's death (when she evidently decided to take up the family responsibility role as the eldest sister). To me the kiss was to show that she still has that fiery streak in her, that throw caution to the wind free spirit that is often associated with Phoebe, but that Prue also had. Having said that, however, I see your point and I will look into the scene, to see if perhaps I can reword it so that it better reflects my intention, and therefore doesn't seem so OOC.

Thank you again, melindacharm. As always, I appreciate your comments and your opinions

[melindacharm]

I like these stories alot, to me it doesnt seem like I am flying through them though. I read slower than most people. . I am now of episode 5.

SPOILER: Click to show

I agree, I do think that Prue deserves to move on. That she will never forget about Andy but she cant be alone either. I enjoy seeing that Prue still has a wild / loving side in her like Phoebe does. However it seems more reserved. As shown that she was given the mother duty way before her time. I also think now that is why out of all the charmedones she will never have children. I cannot picture her as a mother figure to her own kids because she is too much protective of her sisters. Its weird how that happens. I also think now that Prue dispises the fact of living in her mother's shoes and wants to be her own person.


Just like Piper tried to fill Prue's shoes in season 4, Prue did the same her whole life with Patty.. Carrying away. Also with the Prue / Ryan kiss its good that people either liked it or didnt it gives you two types of paths to follow. With different opinion views. I find it helpful.