#and how generational trauma is explored (all the mother-child relationships are *chef's kiss*)

[penrose-quinn]

I was expecting something similar to Perfect Blue when I watched Mask Girl because I only saw the teaser and not the trailer, but god, I love that it was so much more than that as the story went on 🖤

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

My favourite Charmed episodes - Top 10 of all time

This is the ninth part of my Favourite Charmed Episodes meta series all posts in the series will be tagged as #favecharmedeps

Since I finished selecting my favourite episodes from each season, I wanted to follow up with my top 10 all time favourite episodes from across the season. I won’t write much about any of the episodes I choose since I’ve already done an in-depth analysis of them in the previous posts. So check out the tag if you want to read my full thoughts on these episodes. 

In total, throughout this series I selected 44 episodes out of 178 as my favourites, so narrowing those 44 down to 10 was not an easy choice. My top 10 list includes one episode from season 1, one episode from season 2, two episodes from season 3, four episodes from season 4 and two episodes from season 5. Here they are ranked from #10 to #1:

10. Coyote Piper (3x09)

Posession episodes are generally interesting to me. I love the focus and development Piper gets in this episode, and how Prue and Piper’s dynamic and relationship really shines through. The plot is simple but engaging and for an episode I rarely see on anybody’s favourites, I think it’s always been very memorable to me and provides an in-depth look into the sisters.

9. P3 H2O (2x08)

I love delving into the history of the sisters and the Halliwell family, and that’s what this episode does. It’s a necessary exploration of the circumstances surrounding Patty’s death and Prue’s trauma. I enjoy the introduction of Sam and the overall drama of the episode. Since the sisters are facing the same demon that killed their mother, it feels like the stakes are high and they’re in real danger. 

8. That 70s Episode (1x17)

This episode is the older cousin of P3 H2O and I love it for the same reasons. I enjoy learning more about Penny and Patty, seeing the sisters as children and having the sisters in a unique situation whereby they have to figure everything out without relying on their powers. Also, who isn’t a sucker for time travel?

7. The Good, the Bad and the Cursed (3x14)

Years ago this episode wouldn’t have even come to close to being on my top 10 list, but it’s grown on me more and more. Alyssa’s acting is off the charts, I enjoy seeing Victor’s dynamics with the sisters and his scenes with Leo, Prue and Cole’s dynamic is fun and different and I appreciate the moral story attached to the innocents. The idea of the townspeople uniting and standing together to stop the man whose terrorising them all to save an innocent man’s life... It takes great courage. And very often, ordinary people coming together with their families, friends and communities is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. 

6. Long Live the Queen (4x20)

This is by far one of the most dramatic and memorable episodes for me. There are few other episodes that pack as much of a punch as this one. The stakes have never been higher than they are in this episode. We’ve seen the sisters turn evil before, but never like this. Charmed has a certain predictability to it whereby you know the sisters will always save the day, but this is one of those times where that doesn’t feel like a given. There’s doubts as to whether Phoebe will make the right choice. She’s not just evil this time or being manipulated by evil forces, she’s also doing it out of love for her husband and unborn child. Overall, this episode just shows how awesome Charmed can be when its at its best. 

5. Charmed and Dangerous (4x13)

I can’t help it, I love The Source. He’s still one of my favourite villains from across the series. He terrified me as a child and I’ve never really been able to break that association. The Source was the Big Bad, the one demon that actually had the power and cunning to destroy the sisters. This episode was everything I wanted after such a long build-up of the plot involving The Source. It’s action-packed, dramatic and no matter how many times I watch it, I genuinely fear for the sisters lives. 

4. Charmed Again (4x01+2)

I love, love, love this episode (I mean, technically it’s two, but I’m counting it as one). It does a great job of dealing with the aftermath of Prue’s death, introducing Paige and showing that Prue’s death certainly doesn’t mean the death of the show. There’s no other show that’s handled the death of a main character so well, particularly when they’re unable to show that character in any capacity. I take my hat off to the writers with what they were able to achieve with this season premiere. It’s brilliant. 

3. Sympathy for the Demon (5x07)

This episode is amazing, and I’d be surprised to find anybody that disagrees. Barbas is the scariest villain in Charmed history and with Cole’s powers he becomes practically invincible in this episode. It’s such a fascinating exploration of the human psyche, I liked the dynamic between Cole and Paige, and Paige’s character development is just *chefs kiss*. 

2. Hell Hath No Fury (4x03)

Do I really need to explain why this is here? The exploration of Piper’s grief is handled so well and Holly’s acting is phenomenal. The new dynamics between the sisters and Paige’s value becomes clearer and clearer. She’s the one that saves the day and knows what to say to help Piper release the pent up rage that’s inside of her. It’s the beginning of Piper and Paige’s sisterly relationship and I’m here for it. 

1. Centennial Charmed (5x12)

What else could I put in the top spot? I love everything about this episode. I love the twist on time travel with Paige travelling to an alternate universe. It’s so interesting to see just how different life would’ve turned out for the sisters if they’d never found Paige. This episode is incredible for Paige’s development and shows just how important she was. She really was what brought the family back together. Seeing au!Piper showed that Paige was the one that saved Piper, and seeing their dynamic was so sweet. It’s such a strong episode with amazing plot, character development and it shows just how unbreakable the sisterhood is between the sisters. Even in an alternate universe where Piper and Phoebe don’t know who Paige is, she’s able to convince them and unite with them to defeat Cole. It’s so powerful and epic. 

That’s the end of my Top 10 all time favourite Charmed episodes. This list is very interchangable, as I said at the beginning, but overall, these are the episodes that I go back to rewatch time and time again, that have a special place in my heart and that are most memorable to me. They’re also the episodes that I believe represent the very best that Charmed has to offer. 

The next and final post in this series will be a ranking of my favourite seasons, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Thanks for reading!

[cromwxll]

                          “NEVER TRUST A PRETTY SMILE LACED WITH POISON.”

⌠ 𝑮𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑵 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑾𝑶𝑶𝑫, 𝟐𝟏, 𝑪𝑰𝑺𝑴𝑨𝑳𝑬, 𝑯𝑬/𝑯𝑰𝑴 ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, 𝑹𝑯𝒀𝑺 𝑪𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑳! according to their records, they’re a 𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑺𝑻 year, specializing in 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑼𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑺, 𝑪𝑼𝑳𝑻𝑼𝑹𝑬, & 𝑨𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 + 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑻 𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵; and they 𝑫𝑰𝑫 go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of ( 𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑿𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝑴𝑪𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵 𝑬𝑵𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑫 𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺, 𝑫𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑶𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑼𝑭𝑭𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 𝑶𝑵 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑬 𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮, and 𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑽𝑬𝑹-𝑻𝑶𝑵𝑮𝑼𝑬𝑫 𝑳𝑰𝑬𝑺  ). when it’s the 𝑺𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑷𝑰𝑶’s birthday on 𝟏𝟎/𝟑𝟎/𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖, they always request their 𝑻𝑶𝑵𝑲𝑶𝑻𝑺𝑼 𝑹𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑵 from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. 

* / CHARACTER INFLUENCES: LOGAN ECHOLLS ( Veronica Mars ) + GINA LINETTI ( Brooklyn 99 ) + BLAIR WALDORF ( Gossip Girl ) + VARYS “THE  SPIDER” ( Game of Thrones ) + OLIVIA POPE ( Scandal ) + LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR ( Lucifer ) + NUCKY THOMPSON ( Boardwalk Empire )

* / VINE REFERENCES: x x x

* / PERSONAL ANTHEM: BEEF FLOMIX - Flo Milli

Hi all, I’m Bri and this is my mess of a child RHYS. Feel free to like this post or hmu on discord if you want to plot :)

TW: Abuse, depressive thoughts, substance abuse, sex. Read with caution.

* / GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Rhysand Salvatore Cromwell.

KNOWN AS: Rhys.

AGE: Twenty-one.

DATE OF BIRTH: October 30, 1998.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Manhattan, New York.

GENDER: Cisgender male.

PRONOUNS: He/him.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual.

RELIGION: Agnostic.

* / PHYSICAL & MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS

HEIGHT: 5'11 ( the last inch escapes him ).

WEIGHT: 168 lbs.

HAIR COLOUR: Black.

EYE COLOUR: Black.

TATTOOS: Gavin’s tattoos.

PIERCINGS: None ( you can see ).

BODY TYPE: Athletic.

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Peak.

NOTABLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Signature smirk, dark eyes, curly hair.

FACE CLAIM: Gavin Leatherwood.

VOICE CLAIM: Gavin Leatherwood’s speaking voice.

CLOSET / STYLE: Chuck Bass.

ILLNESSES / CONDITIONS: Dyslexic ( kept secret ).

ADDICTIONS: Making people cry.

VICES: Wrath, pride.

* / BACKGROUND, OCCUPATION & EDUCATION

BIRTHPLACE: Manhattan, New York.

RAISED: UES Manhattan, New York.

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Gallagher Academy.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, German, learning Japanese.

EDUCATION LEVEL: HS diploma from spy academy.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Upper class / Wealthy.

* / FAMILIAL BACKGROUND

FATHER: Salvatore Cromwell.

MOTHER: Natalia Cromwell ( née ? ).

SIBLINGS: None.

BIRTH ORDER: Only child.

RELATIONSHIP WITH FAMILY: Tense/Estranged.

PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Francis Cromwell + Constance Cromwell ( née Delgado ).

MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: n/a.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None/Rose Park ( deceased ).

* / PERSONALITY

POSITIVE: Intelligent, charming, loyal, and dedicated.

NEGATIVE: Impulsive, cynical, arrogant, and wrathful.

ZODIAC: Scorpio.

MBTI TYPE: ENTJ.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral.

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin

AESTHETIC: Bubble baths, whiskey-filled crystal tumblers, penthouse parties, hate fucking until dawn, scarred knuckles, YSL cologne, secret hiding spots, guilt-ridden hues, broken promises, sly smirks with hidden intentions, uncontrollable impulsion, designer scarves, wrathful masochism, rolling blunts in town cars, full passports, lost boy syndrome, knives on tongues, hallowed out chest.

* / BIO: There was no option for Rhys on the night of his birth, he was destined for GREATNESS. Born to Salvatore Cromwell, a high ranking official in the Directorate of Operations of the CIA, and his wife Natalia on a chilly October night ─ the night before Halloween as a matter of fact ─ both saw his arrival as the best thing to happen to their seemingly perfect family. In a sense. And so he had to be the best.

He went to the best schools, only associated with the best families, the best parties and clothes and girlfriends, they were only the best of the best. Growing up, he didn’t recognize the pressure put on him was insurmountable. The lifestyle he lived didn’t expose him to those who had other options and chose their own path. He grew up with kids whose lives were planned out the second they were born. Just like him. Rhys assumed they were all the same. All their mothers were knocking back martinis with the egg white omelet they had for breakfast every morning, didn’t they? And when their dad came home after months of being away and says he was passed up for promotion again, he grabbed their arm so tight that sometimes it felt like it was gonna snap, right? His mother’s tears were normal. Getting hit with a belt any time he scored lower than expected on tests were normal. So why didn’t it feel normal?

Rhys’ home life was the one element he couldn’t control. But his social life he could. At school, he was a legend. With a family name like Cromwell, notorious to have spawned politicians and businessmen and entrepreneurs over the past couple of centuries, all great in their own right, Rhys was known. And he liked it. He had the perfect life at the spy school his father enrolled him in. With a group of friends as close-knit as they could be in a world driven by infamy and lies and a girlfriend he loved more than life itself, Rhys couldn’t imagine anything better. Until it wasn’t.

Rhys loved his girlfriend Rose Park. He knew he did because he treated her the way his father should’ve treated his mother. Their relationship wasn’t perfect, no relationship was, but they always found their way back to one another. For Rhys, she was a shining beacon of light and love and hope that one day, life would be better. That was until he found polaroids of Rose kissing their mutual best friend, Josephine. He was stunned. For a week he avoided her and their friends like the plague. What he felt wasn’t anger or rage, he didn’t turn spiteful, he was just...heartbroken. In the end, all he wanted was Rose’s happiness. While he hoped this was a need for sexual exploration, he knew that if Rose wanted to be with someone else that he would still support her. Because he loved her. And living a life with her in it as his friend was better than one without her at all. He was going to tell her this.

Until she was murdered.

Her death happening because her personal bodyguard, Josephine’s father, left her unprotected to tend to Jo’s sickness, sent him into a spiraling downfall. When his mother left a few weeks later, it only added to his growing pain. Nothing made sense. Not how his mother could just leave, no note, no anything. Not how his father barely flinched when he noticed all of her stuff gone. Not how the world seemed to keep on spinning even though Rose was gone. And especially, not how Josephine got to keep on with her life like nothing had changed. The pain he felt only escalated day by day, echoed on by the empty townhouse he returned to every day and the quiet dinners spent with housekeepers while his dad was away. He needed an outlet. And a target along with it.

His senior year, Rhys directed the anger he felt on the girl who took everything from him. Every spiteful word thrown at her, the influence he inspired on the rest of the student body to do the same, it all helped the throbbing ache that constantly permeated his body. When school was over for the day, he turned to recreational forms of comfort that went beyond his usual party favors. How he was able to graduate top of the class is still something that escapes him to this day. But his father knew of his antics and decided that his son would not go to college and only drown further in his sorrows.

In the CIA it’s called “The Lakehouse”. A remote hideout meant to kick into shape covert specialists by training them in all things brutality. Rhys was only there for two years, off the record, where he excelled in weapons and hand-to-hand combat while his pain was to be used as a driving force. There, his father finally sculpted him into the “perfect” son he always wanted: ruthless, cunning, heartless. It was here that Rhys realized that his father never cared about a family, but rather a legacy. Rhys was his breathing legacy, and he’d continue to be so once enrolled at Gallagher.

Waiting for admittance to Gallagher over the summer left him curious. His skills were now more finely honed, so he actively began to seek out his mother’s whereabouts. He quickly realized that it would be difficult, as the name he knew her by was not real. Her social security, passport, ID, even family photos, were all fake. Part of him wasn’t shocked, as marrying someone who was a complete fraud just for appearance's sake sounds like some his father would do, but in the end, it only left him with more questions. Who was she? Where did she go? Why did she leave?

Rhys hopes to find these answers now that he’s attending one of the top spy universities in the world. Surely, they’ll be able to help him find answers. Otherwise, he’ll take them for himself if he has to. On the plus side, if things ever turn out worse than he imagined and the pain returns tenfold, at least he has little Josephine here with him to keep him company. Two years later, she’s just as small, just as fragile. And Rhys always did enjoy breaking things.

* / PERSONALITY: He’s the stereotypical pretty boy with a side of trauma. Cocky. Sweet talker. Renowned partier. Excels in everything he puts his mind to, for what he’d like to think is for himself, but deep down it’s for the recognition and approval from his father. Though his father tried to mold him into something unfeeling, like a brutal machine, it’s just not in his nature. Rhys feels. A lot. That’s why he’s still hurting over the death of a girl he loved over three years ago. Maybe it’s because it was the only healthy relationship he had in his life, and one of the only events he’s held no control over. A stickler for how he likes things, he’s very particular about who he interacts with. At Gallagher, he will be no different. He’s the best, and he needs to be surrounded by only the best.

* / WANTED RELATIONSHIPS: His bros, competition at the school, someone he trusts enough to tell about locating his mom ( only it won’t be immediate but a relationship that builds up to it ), and the usual ( party friends, lovers, etc...)