The Charmed series finale wrapped up last Friday with a major nod to the original series.
How did the Charmed series finale end?
The Charmed series finale, titled The End is Never the End, concluded with the shocking revelation that the reboot is part of a multiverse that also includes the world of the original Charmed show.
After reuniting Inara (Nazneen Contractor) with her sisters and stopping another magical apocalypse from happening, the reboot’s Charmed Ones ― Mel (Melonie Diaz), Maggie (Sarah Jeffery), and Michaela (Lucy Barrett) ― found a strange door bearing their signature triquetra.
Curious about what lies on the other side, the trio ultimately decided to go through the door and was greeted by the façade of the Halliwell Manor, the iconic home of the Charmed Ones ― Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Paige (Rose McGowan) ― from the original series.
No one seemed to be around at the Halliwell Manor. But after the door magically shut following the entry of the reboot’s Charmed Ones, it’s safe to assume that at least one of the original’s Charmed Ones was actually at home to welcome the unexpected visitors.
Was it always the plan to connect the reboot with the original?
In an interview with TVLine, executive producer Joey Falco revealed that the ending of the Charmed series finale was already written and filmed long before The CW canceled the reboot after four seasons.
“We knew for months that there was a 50/50 chance of us getting canceled, so we wanted to end on something that could move forward but could also be a satisfying conclusion,” said Falco. “We wanted to eventually tie these universes together. We were going to do it in a much bigger, crazier way at a certain point, but since we knew there was a chance we were getting canceled, this was the sweet spot where we felt like we got to do what we’ve always wanted to do — make it a Charmed multiverse — but also end in a way that’s hopeful and satisfying and wraps up everyone’s emotions.”
How would the show continue if it had gotten renewed for season 5?
Executive producer Jeffrey Lieber told TVLine that season 5 of Charmed would have started with tying the two worlds together by bringing back some of the legacy characters.
“We were looking to start next season with the universes knit together, and then we would have seen [which cast members were] around and amenable,” Lieber shared. “We would have, in the first five minutes of season 5, dealt with how those universes were knit and then would have moved back into our world again.”
Falco confirmed that there were plans to bring back characters from the original series for season 5. “There were going to be phone calls made about which cast members are available and who’s willing to do it,” the executive producer said. “We had a very flexible plan based on [those logistics], but we never had those conversations because we weren’t going to have them until we got a pick-up. So we’ll never know who may or may not have made an appearance.”
Falco also clarified that no phone calls were made about getting anyone from the original series for a cameo in the Charmed series finale, as they were planning to launch season 5 with that.
How did fans of the original series react to the reboot’s finale?
Despite the producers’ efforts to please the fans of the original series, many of them are not delighted with the multiverse twist at the end of the Charmed series finale.
“Can’t stand the reboot Charmed, I’m a fan of the OG Charmed!! I can’t believe they put the Manor in the reboot! Does not belong there!!” user sarastivers515 tweeted after the finale.
Another OG fan, Patas Arraba, commented on Twitter: “You cannot recreate the magic of Charmed… same way they couldn’t recreate it with The Craft reboot.”