Phoebe Halliwell
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Phoebe Halliwell is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
from the American television series ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
'', played by
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Rom quit the series, and a new pilot was filmed with Milano in the role of Phoebe. The character was created by
Constance M. Burge Constance M. Burge is an American television writer and producer. She is the creator of the television series '' Charmed'' (1998–2006) and the short-lived series ''Savannah'' (1996–1997). Burge was also a writer for '' Judging Amy'', '' Ally ...
and is based on Burge herself. Phoebe is introduced into ''Charmed'' as the youngest sister to Prue (
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
) and
Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Holly Marie Combs from October 7, 1998 until May 21, 2006. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Piper on her second-oldest s ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series ''Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and El ...
). She is one of the original featured leads and, more specifically, a Charmed Oneone of the most powerful
witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...
of all time. Phoebe initially possesses the power of
premonition A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome. Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to: Film and television * "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
, which enables her to see into the future and the past. To make up for initially only having a passive power, Phoebe develops martial arts skills in order to better assist her sisters when they fight evil beings. As the series progresses, she also gains the active powers of
levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
and
empathy Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...
. Phoebe was originally portrayed as the "free-spirited", "carefree", and most rebellious sister. However, Phoebe's progression as a witch helps her become more responsible and grow as a person. She later becomes the middle sister from season four onwards, after Prue dies and the series introduces their younger half-sister
Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead character ...
(
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
). Phoebe's various romantic relationships have been central to most of her storylines. Her longest on-screen relationship is with half-demon
Cole Turner Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...
(
Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
); they have a turbulent marriage in the fourth season, and in the fifth, following their divorce, she is compelled to vanquish him. In subsequent seasons, Phoebe has romantic relationships with her boss Jason Dean (
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
), coworker Leslie St. Claire (
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
), and artist Dex Lawson ( Jason Lewis). In the eighth and final season, she marries a
cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
named Coop (
Victor Webster Victor Webster (born February 7, 1973) is a Canadian actor. He is known for being the second actor to play Nicholas Alamain on the NBC daytime soap ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1999 to 2000, and for his roles as the mutant Brennan Mulwray in '' Mu ...
). The character was mostly well received by television critics, who praised Phoebe's comedic side and felt that Milano was a better fit for the role than Rom. They also commented on the outfits worn by Phoebe in the later seasons, with some critics describing them as "revealing and ridiculous costumes", "sexy" and "skimpy." Milano's portrayal of Phoebe earned her several awards and nominations; she was nominated for a Spacey Award,
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
, and a
Teen Choice Award The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
. In 2007 and 2008,
AOL TV AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV. The product and service were develop ...
ranked Phoebe at number seven on their list of the Top TV Witches. In addition to the television series, the character has also appeared in numerous expanded universe material, such as the ''Charmed''
novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
and its comic book adaptation.


Casting and development

In 1998,
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
began searching for a drama series, and looked to
Spelling Television Spelling Television Inc. was an American television production company that went through several name changes. It was originally called Aaron Spelling Productions, then Spelling Entertainment Inc. and eventually part of Spelling Entertainment Gro ...
, which had produced the network's most successful series '' 7th Heaven'', to create it. Expanding on the popularity of supernatural-themed dramas, the production company explored forms of
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
to find mythological characters they could focus on with contemporary storytelling."Genesis" Documentary, ''Charmed'': The Complete Final Season Region 1 DVD In order to create the series,
Constance M. Burge Constance M. Burge is an American television writer and producer. She is the creator of the television series '' Charmed'' (1998–2006) and the short-lived series ''Savannah'' (1996–1997). Burge was also a writer for '' Judging Amy'', '' Ally ...
was hired as the creator as she was under contract with 20th Century Fox and Spelling Television after conceiving the drama ''
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
''. The character of Phoebe Halliwell was conceived by Burge, who wrote the pilot script for ''Charmed''. The pilot script was based around three mismatched sisters who are initially based on Burge and her two older sisters, Laura and Edie Burge. Phoebe is based on Burge herself. On creating the Halliwell sisters, Burge stated "Phoebe was honestly the easiest. It just grew from within." Executive producer
Brad Kern Brad Kern is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer/showrunner of CBS TV procedural '' NCIS: New Orleans'' since midway through season two until the end of season four. Previously, he served as executive produce ...
claimed Phoebe was written into the series as the classic younger sibling and stated that at the start of series Phoebe is "trying to find her own identity by living life large and not really having a care in the world." When the series was in its first development stages, actress Lori Rom was cast in the role of Phoebe. Rom played the role in a 28-minute test pilot (the "unaired pilot" never aired on television) with which the series was picked up by The WB. Rom later pulled out from the series before a 45-minute version of the pilot could be filmed for proper network television, leaving the role of Phoebe vacant. Executive producer
Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
then turned to actress
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
, who was previously cast in another television series produced by Spelling Television, ''
Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
''. While Milano was in Hawaii shooting an episode for ''
Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
'', Spelling phoned Milano and asked her to consider joining the series. After receiving a copy of the original pilot and the script, five days later Milano began shooting the re-shot pilot episode.


Appearances


Television


Season 1

Phoebe enters the series as the youngest Halliwell sister. She was first portrayed by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot, which the role was later given and portrayed by
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
in all of the show's aired 178 episodes. At the start of season one (1998–99), six months have passed since the death of her Grams,
Penny Halliwell ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(
Jennifer Rhodes Jennifer Rhodes (born Janice Wilson, August 17, 1947) is an American actress.
, jennifer-rhodes.com; accessed August 15, 2015.


< ...

). A jobless Phoebe returns from New York City and moves back to San Francisco into her family's Victorian Manor with her two sisters Prue (
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
) and
Piper Piper may refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe Television * Piper Chapman, lea ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series ''Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and El ...
). On the night of Phoebe's return, she finds a book called the ''Book of Shadows'' within the Manor's attic. After Phoebe unknowingly recites aloud what turns out to be an incantation from the book, the three sisters each receive a magical power and discover their destiny as The Charmed Ones – the most powerful good witches the world has ever known. Phoebe obtains the power to " see the future" which contrasts with her known reckless persona. Because of her free-spirited nature, Phoebe often brings conflict into the Halliwell Manor, more often with Prue during the first season — this is especially in regards to their witchcraft. Initially drawn apart due to Prue's speculation of Phoebe being the cause of her failed engagement to Roger (
Matthew Ashford Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on the soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' and '' The Bay'', for the former of which he received a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstand ...
), the two sisters mend their relationship over the course of the season.


Season 2

In season two (1999–2000), Phoebe is seen re-entering college and majoring in psychology. She continues to embrace her destiny as a witch and is noted by her sisters as being the best at writing new spells. In the absence of an active power, Phoebe becomes progressively adept at martial arts in order to better fight demons and warlocks. Throughout the season, Phoebe struggles to open herself up to love and attempts to find a love interest who can live up to her "ideal guy" as portrayed in her favorite in-verse movie, ''Kill It Before It Dies'' by the character Billy (
Chris Payne Gilbert Chris Payne Gilbert is an American actor. He is best known for his television role as Todd on the TBS sitcom '' 10 Items or Less'' (2006–2009). He also appeared in episodes of television series ''Dexter'', ''Burn Notice'', ''Moonlight'', '' ...
). In the season two finale, Phoebe and her sisters discover that the many attacks on their lives by evil beings have been orchestrated by a demonic force known as The Council.


Season 3

In the show's third season (2000–01), Phoebe receives the active power of
levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
and enters a relationship with
Cole Turner Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...
(
Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
), who is actually the demon mercenary Belthazor that was sent by The Triad (who have replaced The Council) to kill The Charmed Ones. Upon this discovery, Phoebe struggles between her loyalty to her sisters and her love for Cole. After a tumultuous love affair, often deterred due to Cole's frequent struggle between good and evil, Phoebe manages to graduate from college. Phoebe and her sisters eventually learn that The Triad work for an even greater evil,
The Source of All Evil '' Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good ...
who is the leader of the demonic realm known as The Underworld. In the season three finale, Phoebe ventures into The Underworld to save Cole from his dark side, while her sisters face dire consequences in the world above. Prue and Piper unwittingly expose themselves as witches to the world after being caught on camera by a local news crew fighting with The Source's personal assassin Shax. This results in Piper's catastrophic death in the arms of Prue, and Phoebe unable to help them. In order to save Piper's life, Prue orders
Leo Wyatt Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season that initially set Phoeb ...
(
Brian Krause Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
) to find Phoebe and pass on a deal to The Source to turn back time. The Source agrees, knowing that he plans to double cross her in the end as Phoebe will be immune to the time reset while in The Underworld. Time is reversed to the sisters' first encounter with Shax, however Phoebe no longer answers when Prue calls for help, as she was never sent back. The season ends on a cliffhanger with Piper and Prue left for dead after losing in the fight against Shax. Meanwhile, Phoebe remains trapped in The Underworld.


Season 4

The opening episode of the fourth season (2001–02), "
Charmed Again (Part 1) The fourth season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, originally aired in the United States on The WB from October 4, 2001 through May 16, 2002. Airing on Thursdays at 9:00 pm. Paramount ...
", reveals that Phoebe was rescued from The Underworld by Leo and Cole. However, because of this they arrived too late and were only able to heal Piper of her injuries from the season three finale. Prue's injuries from Shax were too severe and was unable to be saved. Later in the episode, while attending Prue's funeral, Phoebe meets
Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead character ...
(
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
) and receives a premonition of the woman being attacked by Shax. This incident leads to Phoebe and Piper discovering that Paige is their younger half-sister. By the end of the season premiere, Paige helps to restore the
Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer  as the exponent. Applications The powers of three give the place values in ...
and avenge Prue's death in vanquishing her murderer Shax. During this season, Phoebe finds herself forced into the role of the middle sister as she attempts to play mediator between Piper and Paige, much like Piper was once for her and Prue. Alongside continuing her Charmed role, Phoebe receives a marriage proposal from Cole, accepting after he becomes stripped of his demon half. Phoebe eventually pens the spell to vanquish The Source, whom escapes a final vanquish by possessing the now human Cole. For the remainder of the season, Phoebe plans to marry Cole unaware that he has become the new Source of All Evil and ruler of The Underworld. After being tricked by Cole and
The Seer The Seer may refer to: Film and television * ''The Seer'' (film), a 2007 Italian thriller and horror film * "The Seer" (''Sliders''), an episode of the TV series * "The Seer" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the TV series * "The Seer" ...
( Debbie Morgan) into participating in a dark marriage ceremony, Phoebe lands a job as an
advice columnist An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response. The responses are wr ...
for the newspaper ''The Bay Mirror''. Soon after she discovers that she is pregnant and subsequently chooses to join Cole as his queen in The Underworld. As season four draws to a close, Phoebe is forced to choose between her husband and her sisters. She mournfully sides with her sisters to vanquish Cole. Later, her unborn child is magically stolen by The Seer who claims that the child is rightfully hers and was never Phoebe's. About to be sacrificed as human offerings during The Seer's coronation as the new Source, Phoebe and her sisters tap into "The Power of Three" and vanquish The Seer and the entire Underworld council. In the season finale, the Angel of Destiny (
Dakin Matthews Melvin Richard "Dakin" Matthews (born November 7, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and theatrical scholar. Best known as Herb Kelcher in ''My Two Dads'' (1987–1989), Hanlin Charleston in ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) ...
) visits and gives the sisters an offer to live a normal life without magical powers or the threat of demons. After some contemplation Phoebe declines alongside her sisters, but the Angel of Destiny is not done with the sisters' and makes hints about Piper's pregnancy, which only Phoebe takes the hint and announces it.


Season 5

For season five (2002–03), Phoebe attempts to live a life without Cole where she can focus on her career. This plan is stunted when a resurrected Cole returns to San Francisco eager to reconcile with Phoebe. After a series of attempts to win back Phoebe's affections, even trying to seduce her to evil once again, Cole is vanquished in the 100th episode of the series, "Centennial Charmed". Later in the season, Phoebe helps to deliver Piper and Leo's first child,
Wyatt Matthew Halliwell ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
. Soon after she begins a romantic relationship with her new boss, multi-millionaire Jason Dean (
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
).


Season 6

In season six (2003–04), Phoebe continues her relationship with Jason and also sees her magical abilities grow to include the power of
empathy Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...
. Phoebe eventually becomes more serious with Jason, moving with him to Hong Kong. After a year of dating, Jason discovers Phoebe's secret identity as a witch by accident and, unable to handle the revelation, breaks up with her. Phoebe subsequently moves back to San Francisco and into the Manor. In the episode "The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell", Phoebe experiences a
vision quest A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. It is usually only undertaken by young males entering adulthood. Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English- ...
and not only discovers that her new time-traveling whitelighter
Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
(
Drew Fuller Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...
) is actually the second child of Piper and Leo, but that she is also destined to have a child of her own. This puts Phoebe on a selfish path of using her psychic powers to find the father of her child to the neglect of her other duties. For this, Phoebe is stripped of her unique powers by a Tribunal Council made up of both high-powered demons and Elders, though she retains her basic abilities as a witch and Charmed One. In the sixth-season finale, the sisters, Leo and Chris discover that a powerful Elder named
Gideon Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiez ...
(Gildart Jackson) wishes to destroy the Twice-Blessed Wyatt, an act which causes Wyatt to turn his back on good in the future.


Season 7

At the start of season seven (2004–05), Phoebe is still stripped of her powers. After she begins to feel disconnected from her advice column audience, Phoebe takes a sabbatical from work and is temporarily replaced by a ghost-writer Leslie St. Claire (
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
). Phoebe and Leslie enter a brief romance, but it does not last long as Leslie moves to Los Angeles. In the episode "Styx Feet Under", Phoebe only regains her power of premonitions. In the hopes of having a demon-free life, Phoebe and her sisters join forces with The Avatars, powerful beings who are neither good nor evil, in their plan to turn the world into a utopia. Phoebe is the first of the sisters to regret this when her premonition powers show her how much the world has been robbed of its free will. The Charmed Ones team up with The Underworld's new leader, Zankou (
Oded Fehr Oded Fehr ( he, עודד פהר; born ) is an Israeli actor based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of ''The Mummy'' and its sequel ''The Mummy Returns'', as well as Carlos Olivera in '' Reside ...
) to defeat The Avatars. However, Zankou then turns on the sisters, becoming their adversary for the remainder of the season. During this season Cole, while stuck in Limbo, arranges for the good-natured demon Drake De'mon (
Billy Zane William George Zane Jr. (born February 24, 1966) is an American actor. His breakthrough role was in the 1989 Australian film ''Dead Calm'', a performance that earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promi ...
) to enter Phoebe's life and keep her from giving up on love. In the season seven finale, during a suicide mission to vanquish Zankou, Phoebe and her sisters fake their deaths in order to escape the constant threat of demon attacks, as well as police and government investigations.


Season 8

For the eighth and final season (2005–2006), Phoebe takes on the false identity of Julie Bennett (Monica Allgeier) and begins a relationship with an artist named Dex Lawson ( Jason Lewis). While under the influence of a spell cast by the prodigy of the Charmed Ones,
Billie Jenkins Billie Jenkins is a fictional character who appeared in the American television supernatural drama ''Charmed'', which aired on The WB from 1998 to 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern and was portrayed by Kaley Cuoco. B ...
(
Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (2002 ...
), Phoebe marries Dex under the alias of Julie. Unsure if she could ever have a lasting marriage with someone she is not completely honest with, Phoebe reveals the truth of her hidden identity to Dex. The pair eventually break up and agree to get an annulment. Phoebe later meets a cupid named
Coop Coop, COOP, Co-op, or ''variation'', most often refers to: * A chicken coop or other enclosure * Cooperative or co-operative ("co-op"), an association of persons who cooperate for their mutual social, economic, and cultural benefit ** Housing ...
(
Victor Webster Victor Webster (born February 7, 1973) is a Canadian actor. He is known for being the second actor to play Nicholas Alamain on the NBC daytime soap ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1999 to 2000, and for his roles as the mutant Brennan Mulwray in '' Mu ...
), who was sent by The Elders to help her find love again. When Phoebe discovers that Billie and her sister, Christy (
Marnette Patterson Marnette Provost Patterson (born April 26, 1980) is an American actress and singer. Early life Patterson was raised as an only child by her mother in Los Angeles, California, where she was born. Her name is her mother's middle name: Marnette. ...
) are the ultimate power The Charmed Ones must defeat to save Leo from the Angel of Death (
Simon Templeman Simon Templeman (born January 28, 1954) is an English actor. He is known for his video game roles as Kain (Legacy of Kain), Kain in ''Legacy of Kain'', Gabriel Roman in ''Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'', Loghain in ''Dragon Age'' and Admiral Han'G ...
), she has reservations because the women are human and not demons. In the end, Phoebe participates in the ultimate battle between The Charmed Ones and the Jenkins sisters, which destroys the Halliwell Manor, and only Piper and Billie survive. In the series finale "
Forever Charmed "Forever Charmed" is the last episode of the American supernatural-drama television series ''Charmed'', and the 178th overall. It is the second part of the double-episode series finale of the show's Charmed (season 8), eighth season. The episode w ...
", Piper uses Coop's time-traveling ring to call upon her mother and grandmother and save Phoebe and Paige. After Christy is defeated, Phoebe and her sisters write about their lives in the Book of Shadows. An
epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the w ...
shows Phoebe and Coop getting married and that their marriage will produce three children, all daughters. Phoebe also becomes a successful author, writing a self-help book on finding love.


Literature

As one of the central characters throughout the entire series, Phoebe appears in the majority of ''Charmed'' literature. These appearances first began in the series of novels. The novels follow no strict continuity with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
. However, the television series producers have final approval of everything in the novels, which could indicate the literature fitting into the established canon of the series and the so-called "''Charmed'' universe". Phoebe's first appearance in ''Charmed'' literature takes place within the novel ''The Power of Three'' by Eliza Willard on November 1, 1999, which acts as a novelised version of the series premiere episode. Her last appearance in a ''Charmed'' novel takes place within ''Trickery Treat'' by
Diana G. Gallagher Diana G. Gallagher (March 14, 1946 – December 2, 2021) was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults based on television series. She contributed to book series based on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series), Buffy the Vamp ...
on January 1, 2008. In 2010, ''Charmed'' gained an officially licensed continuation in the form of a
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
, which is often billed as '' Charmed: Season 9''. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. Set eighteen-months after
the series finale "The Series Finale" is the ninth episode and series finale of the American television miniseries ''WandaVision'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows Wanda as she tries to p ...
, the sisters are seen living happy demon free lives and have each entered into motherhood. Phoebe has had her first daughter with her husband Coop, who is named Prudence Johnna and nicknamed P.J. by Grams. Phoebe is also seen preparing to return to work as an advice columnist for The Bay Mirror. In the second issue of the comic, Phoebe regains her previously stripped powers of Levitation and Empathy. In Issue #6 of the comic, ''Morality Bites Back'', Phoebe learns that she used Advanced Empathy to murder Cal Greene in a previously visited future of February 26, 2009, by reflecting his emotions back onto him which caused his brain to overload.


Powers and abilities


Magical powers

In ''Charmed'' it is revealed that magical witches can develop and master a variety of magical skills and powers which include; scrying, spell casting, and brewing potent potions. As a magical witch Phoebe can utilize scrying, a divination art form that allows one to locate a missing object or person. Phoebe can also cast spells, often written in iambic pentameter or as a rhyming couplet, to influence others or the world around her. She can also brew potions, most often used to vanquish foes or to achieve other magical feats similar to the effects of a spell. As a witch and Charmed One, Phoebe has also developed a number of magical powers which include premonitions, levitation, empathy and pathokinesis.


Premonitions

When Phoebe first comes into her powers, the first power she develops is the ability to see the future in the form of premonitions. Premonitions are considered to be a passive power. She triggers this power when she touches or is in the presence of something that is related to the subject of her premonitions, making them a form of psychometry. This originally only encompassed precognition, to see the future, but grew to include retrocognition, to see the past, as well. This power was initially uncontrollable, but in later seasons she learns to summon premonitions at will. While her premonitions are initially shown as black and white in the show, it is mentioned several times that Phoebe experiences them in color. As her power grows, her premonitions become more vivid to where they become slightly colored and she can hear and feel what is taking place. Phoebe's premonition powers also allow her visions to reveal the truth. For instance, in the season one finale, "Deja Vu All Over Again", when the world is caught within a recurring time loop by the time sorcerer Tempus (
David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playi ...
), Phoebe is able to realize that the same day is repeating over and over again because of her premonition powers. By season five, her power evolves to enable her to experience aspects of astral projection allowing her to interact with the environment of her premonitions. This aspect of her power is highlighted in the season five episodes "The Eyes Have It" and "Sand Francisco Dreamin'", as well as the season eight episode "Hulkus Pocus". Her premonition powers also evolve to allow Phoebe to anticipate the actions of others as in many instances Phoebe has sidestepped and jumped out the way of incoming fireballs and energy balls with perfect timing. Examples of this can be seen in the season seven episodes "Freaky Phoebe", where Phoebe is able to sense a demon who is behind her with a pair of scissors, and in the episode "Ordinary Witches", where Ronnie ( Brian Howe), a cab driver Phoebe loses her powers to, is able to sense when and where the next fireball of a demon is going to be launched using her power of premonitions. Phoebe also develops the power to trigger a vision in someone else with similar powers, "sharing" visions with Elders and knowing how to trigger a specific "trap" premonition in the evil witch Mitzy (
Jenny McCarthy Jennifer McCarthy Wahlberg (' Jennifer Ann McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, and television personality. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named their Playmate of ...
), who has temporary possession of her powers. Kyra (
Charisma Carpenter Charisma Carpenter (born July 23, 1970) is an American actress. She played Cordelia Chase in the supernatural drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–1999) and its spin-off series ''Angel'' (1999–2004). She also starred as Kyra in ...
), a powerful demonic seer, tells Phoebe her powers were once limited to psychometry but they grew, like Phoebe's will in time.


Levitation

At the start of season three, in the episode "The Honeymoon's Over", Phoebe obtains her first active power in the form of levitation, the power to defy gravity and float in the air. This power is uncontrollable when she first obtains it, but she later learns to maintain complete control over it. When new to her power, Phoebe is unable to move horizontally, and in the season three episode "Once Upon a Time", Prue uses
telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
to guide Phoebe across a cavern while she is levitating. Later in the series, Phoebe often mixes her martial arts and kick boxing with her levitating power to knock out her enemies. In season four, the power advances so that Phoebe is able to glide short distances while levitating and she even learns to use her power to walk on walls. During the fifth season, she is able to propel herself while levitating, as seen when she propels herself through a ventilation duct with her levitation powers in the episode "The Importance of Being Phoebe". In the season six episode "Forget Me... Not", Phoebe showcases a form of projective levitation, when she levitates herself and a weatherman. Phoebe displays projective levitation again in the episode "Love's a Witch" when she levitates the pillow she is sitting on along with her. In the ''Charmed'' comic books, specifically in issue #16 "The Heavens Can Wait", her power has been shown to have grown stronger, allowing Phoebe to levitate Paige's orb-shield which contained herself, her two sisters and Leo. While inside the Nexus of The All, Phoebe became able to use her power to its full potential, allowing her to not only fly but also to carry Piper and Paige with ease. Later, Prue tells Phoebe that her power will advance to this stage naturally at some point in the future.


Empathy

Season six sees Phoebe develop the power of empathy, the power to sense and experience the emotions of others. Being an empath allows Phoebe to directly channel the emotions of those around her. This initially causes considerable problems, as after encountering the emotions of others Phoebe would sometimes act on their whims or amplify and broadcast her own feelings, such as once triggering a fight in the ''Bay Mirror'' offices by accident (Although this could have unintended advantages; when the Halliwells were attacked by a demon that trapped them in their ideal worlds, Phoebe quickly realized something was wrong because her empathy powers caused her to tap into her boyfriend's desire for her to be a large-scale success where Phoebe was content being a local celebrity). In the ''Charmed'' series, magical powers are tied to the user's emotions, and because Phoebe can feel the emotions of others, her empathy allows her to sometimes tap into other characters' magical powers. This is first seen in the second half of the two-part season six premiere, "Valhalley of the Dolls (Part 2)". When a Valkyrie-turned-Piper attacks Phoebe, she channels Piper's telekinetic Valkyrie powers to where she can use them herself. This channeling of Valkyrie Piper's powers, also made her powers, when used against Phoebe, ineffective. In later episodes, Phoebe also uses empathy to deflect energy balls and fireballs, causing them to backfire on their users. In the season two episode, "Morality Bites", when the sisters travel to the future, it is revealed that Phoebe uses a magical power to kill a man named Cal Greene out of revenge. In the ''Charmed'' comics issue #6, "Morality Bites Back", Phoebe learns that this power is an advanced form of empathy, which is called Pathokinesis. Phoebe discovers that her empathy powers grow to allow her to incapacitate or even kill another person. In the comics, Phoebe realizes that she murders Cal Greene by reflecting his emotions back onto him, flooding his mind with painful emotions and memories of the women he had hurt, which causes his brain to overload.


Natural abilities

Early in the series, Phoebe is revealed to be a skilled pick-pocket; having picked up the technique during her rebellious teen years. Also, to make up for initially only having a passive power, Phoebe takes classes in self-defense. Her skills in hand-to-hand combat which includes
Kung-Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
,
Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune ...
, &
Kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
have advanced to the point where Phoebe is capable of beating multiple adversaries, most notably demonic wrestlers, furies, and vampires.


Reception

Milano and Doherty's rumored off-screen feud earned them a nomination for Best Fight at the 2001 Wand Awards. In 2004, she was nominated for Favorite Female TV Character at the
Spacey Awards The Spacey Awards (also referred to as The Spaceys) was an annual award presented by the Canada, Canadian cable network Space (Canadian TV channel), Space from 2003 to 2007.John McKay, "Rings topp winner of Spacey Awards". ''The Province'', June 27 ...
in Canada. At the 2005 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Milano was nominated for Favorite Television Actress. The following year, she was nominated for Television – Choice Actress at the
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
. Kristin Sample of AOL TV called Phoebe "the hottest" witch out of the Halliwell sisters. In his review of the pilot episode, Ray Richmond of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine described Phoebe as "a free-spirited, self-absorbed conspiracy buff." In another review of the pilot episode, John Levesque of the ''
Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was foun ...
'' also labelled Phoebe "free-spirited", but felt that Milano's acting needed "seasoning." ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' Michael Abernethy wrote that Milano provided "a lighter touch" to ''Charmed'' and noted that her "comic training" in sitcoms was "ideal for her carefree character" Phoebe. Angelica Bastien of ''
Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' magazine called Phoebe a "fan favorite" and commented that Milano "definitely fits the role much better than Lori omdid. Just check out the Youtube video comparing their different takes on the character to see why it's best Milano took on the role." Brett Cullum of
DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...
named Phoebe "a wacky free spirit spitfire" and also believed that Milano was the right choice for Phoebe as she "provided an innate sense of comedy that rounded out the cast well." Rob Lineberger of the same publication felt that Milano's acting in the fifth season was "over the top in every way" and noted that she had a "hysterical physical presence." In his review of the sixth season, Lineberger wrote that Milano was "still singularly, blissfully goofy." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Gillian Flynn also praised the comedy moments in the sixth season, writing "Milano has turned exasperation into an art form, as she's morphed into everything from Mata Hari to her combat-booted former teen self this season."
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
's Jarett Wieselman commented on Phoebe's outfits in the later seasons, noting that many of the episodes featured her wearing "a series of progressively revealing and ridiculous costumes in the name of vanquishing." Joshua Levs of
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
labelled the costumes worn by Phoebe and her sisters "so skimpy", and noted that some of her memorable costumes included being a mermaid, "a leather-clad comic-book hero", and "topless on a horse." Levs also added that casting directors should pay attention because "Milano can act." A writer for
MovieWeb MovieWeb is an entertainment news website and video brand. Overview MovieWeb reports on entertainment news through their long-running website and related social media and video platforms. The site also maintains a searchable database of films. H ...
described Phoebe as a "great, interesting, and relateable character." The writer also praised Milano for delivering an "incredibly convincing and believable performance", further adding that she "was another great casting choice" for ''Charmed''. Hypable.com's Tariq Kyle felt that Phoebe was the best character on the show, adding "She's sweet and innocent in a lot of ways, but she's also strong and realistic. She's smart, but she's relatable. She still fails and makes mistakes, but she constantly grows."


Cultural impact

In 2007,
AOL TV AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV. The product and service were develop ...
ranked Phoebe at number seven on their list of the Top TV Witches. She also ranked seventh on the same list the following year.
Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...
placed Phoebe at number 11 on their list of TV Temptresses, writing "As one of the trio of glamorous witches on ghostly drama ''Charmed'', Phoebe can use her psychic premonitions for all sorts of japery including romance." Milano was referenced in the 2002 teen comedy film ''
Big Fat Liar ''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Shawn Levy, adapted by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Lee Majors, an ...
'' due to her portrayal as a witch in ''Charmed''. In the film, Kaylee (
Amanda Bynes Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ...
) recalls watching an episode of ''Charmed'' on The WB where Milano "was about to cast a spell on her cute demon boyfriend." In his review of the television series ''
Witches of East End ''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by author Melissa de la Cruz and the first entry in her ''Beauchamp Family'' series. It was published on June 21, 2011, by Hyperion Books and follows a family of Long Island witches struggling against dar ...
'' being too similar to ''Charmed'', Christian Cintron of
Hollywood.com Hollywood.com is an entertainment news website covering popular culture topics including movies, television, music and celebrities. Hollywood.com is principally owned by Mitchell Rubenstein and Laurie S. Silvers, who previously founded Sci-Fi Ch ...
noted that
Jenna Dewan-Tatum Jenna Lee Dewan (; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress and dancer. She started her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and later worked with artists including Christina Aguilera, Pink (singer), Pink, and Missy Elliott. She is ...
's "ne'er-do-well, bed-hopping character"
Freya Beauchamp The following is a list of characters from the Lifetime supernatural drama ''Witches of East End'', based on the book of the same name by Melissa de la Cruz. The series centers on a family of immortal witches known as the Beauchamps: Joanna by J ...
is a lot like Phoebe.


See also

* Woman warrior


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halliwell, Phoebe Charmed (TV series) characters American female characters in television Fictional characters with precognition Fictional empaths Fictional Jeet Kune Do practitioners Fictional Shaolin kung fu practitioners Fictional kickboxers Charmed (TV series) witches Fictional writers Television characters introduced in 1998 Fictional demon hunters Fictional characters from San Francisco Fictional college students Fictional witches Female characters in television