Charmed (TV Series) Once Upon a Time (2000) User Reviews

The One With Fairies...

[taylorkingston · 8/10 · 17 October 2014]

I really like this episode. It's really good. It brings the more childhood-ish side to the show.

In this episode, we meet Kate, a young child who believes that trolls are trying to steal her fairy, who just happens to be the princess of the kingdom. Sounds believable, right? Well, it actually is. Phoebe finds out that they used to be able to see things like that, but now that they are adults, and don't believe, they can't. Kate uses fairy dust on Prue and Phoebe to make the innocent again, so they will be able to see the fairies and trolls. And it works. Meanwhile, Piper has given up on being a witch. She's gone on strike until the Elders send Leo back to her. So when she see Prue and Phoebe acting like children, she wants no part of it. Cole comes over to the Halliwell Manor whilst Phoebe and Prue are children. But he just thinks they're drunk. He pretends to use their bathroom, and shimmers up to the attack, changes into Belthazar, and the sisters come in, and scream and run away. Phoebe said, "that was a very big troll", and Prue responded, "that wasn't a troll, that was a demon". It's funny how they react to those kinds of things. When true trolls steal a key, that protects the fairy princess, they revert back to adults. And they, along with Piper, must find the fairy princess and Kate, because the trolls turned her into a fairy and took her.

Overall, I give this episode an 8 out of 10.

Fairy tales and nightmares

[owlaurence · 8/10 · 13 May 2013]

A rather good episode, although not a very memorable one. Its main strength, as often, is that it uses the magical context to illustrate a point about real life. The magical part is good and manages to tap into childhood fears and beliefs without making them any less scary than the "adult" demons the Charmed Ones usually come across. The child actress who plays Kate is excellent in that regard. So while more childish than usual, this part of the plot, which mostly concerns Prue and Phoebe, never crosses the line into silly.

But beyond being plagued by trolls, Kate's actual issue is her parents' divorce, which makes her want to escape reality. This echoes Piper's rebellion against the Elders, which has led her to "go on strike" and escape her magical duties. It is hard not to empathise with poor Piper here, especially when she has that breakdown moment in the parking lot. As a result, her sudden change of mind (ten minutes later!) is a bit brutal. While we can accept that her sense of duty would compel her to go back to helping the innocents, having her suddenly trust the Elders to know what is best for her seems so convenient as to be hypocritical. Fortunately, the Elders do not care, so once again Leo is back --but I hope that after all this, the relationship will settle down for a while, as the angst and drama is really starting to get old.

Once upon a time

[Realrockerhalloween · 9 September 2016]

The Charmed ones stumble upon a young girl in the middle of the road and get more then they bargain for when she tells them about saving a fairy from trolls. A fantasy is wonderfully crafted with world building and really sticking to the lore without going off the rails. It was cute and entertaining. The humor world and even stops a magic secret from being revealed to soon. The music adds to the magical themes and keeps the whole affair innocent.

The only thing that didn't work is trying to force Cole into the story and making him feel underused. It gives his relationship with Phoebe some time to grow and his character to be fleshed out a bit. Some may find it silly, but it was fun and keeps the creative process alive. It has a lot to love. If I was knew to charmed I would be hooked at this point.

Fairies and Trolls

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 5 April 2007]

Piper has a nightmare with Leo and tells Prue that The Powers That Be have ordered Leo to disappear from her life. Meanwhile Phoebe meets Kate, a young girl that claims that she saved the fairy princess Thistle and now the trolls come in the "tween time" to scare her and capture the fairy. Prue and Phoebe uses magic fairy powder and revert to little girls to see Thistle. Cole Turner visits Phoebe in her house and tries to steal the Book of Shadows disclosing his true appearance, of the demon Belthazor. In the end, Leo returns to Piper telling that The Powers That Be have given a second chance to them.

"Once Upon a Time" is a very silly and boring episode of "Charmed", where the transformation of Cole into Belthazor is the best part. I had good expectations for this show after "Magic Hour", but I was really disappointed with the fate of Piper and Leo. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Era Uma Vez…" ("Once Upon a Time…")