Charmed Re-Watch: Dream Sorcerer (Season 1 Episode 5)

There may be nothing scarier than a rejected man with unchecked power.

Charmed Season 1 Episode 5, “Dream Sorcerer” is the first of the show’s episodes to actually scare me. It makes me gasp and clutch my throw pillows as I try to shake off the heebie-jeebies.

Delightfully, “Dream Sorcerer” frightens while delivering a surprisingly progressive message: accepting encouragement from your sisters empowers you to fight off the most insidious of monsters, man’s insecurity.

Honestly, this episode is a strange foreshadowing to the #metoo movement that actress Alyssa Milano, who plays Phoebe Halliwell, champions. The episode and Charmed itself has moments where it is 20 years ahead of its time.

That’s the power of witchcraft I suppose.

Charmed

I am charmed by most aspects of “Dream Sorcerer,” and topping the list is the episode’s sex-positivity. Piper and Phoebe are a bit lonely and find a totally reversible lust spell in The Book of Shadows. Score!

The resulting escapades show a frank openness towards Phoebe’s sex drive that is refreshing.

Phoebe assures her sisters that she had safe sex with Hans, “lots of safe sex.”

The beautiful thing about this line is that what Phoebe feels compelled to explain to her sisters is not that she is having sex, but that she is using protection. That means that she doesn’t feel too worried about being judged for having sex.

She is not worried about a reputation for promiscuity; she is worried about her reputation for being irresponsible.

That is darn revolutionary. That is a sisterhood to strive for.

Andy and Prue’s parallel storylines on “Dream Sorcerer” also charm me. The two are working on the same case but never realize it. On a rather serious and seriously scary episode, the secret connection is refreshingly cute.

Andy calls Prue in the middle of the night — he’s at the office too, and there is something sexy about how he doesn’t question her extreme work hours like her sisters do. His phone call actually saves her life.

So, Andy’s ability to communicate with his girlfriend, not punish or judge her for working long hours, literally saves her life. I cannot get enough of this humble heroism!

“Dream Sorcerer” has many delightful and subtle feminist narratives.

More overtly, the episode closes with Piper and Phoebe unable to use their magic or The Book of Shadows to save Prue. Instead, they use the power of their belief in her.

Dang, that’s gorgeous.

The terrifying monster of the episode is a man who murders women for rejecting his offer to buy them a drink. He is in a wheelchair, and his deep anger comes from a place of feeling emasculated by his disability.

He blames all women for his insecurity. This monster is as real in 2018 as he was in 1998. Truly scary.

The way that the show has this villain defeated is by allowing Prue to gather confidence from the women she loves. Her sisters assure Prue that she is strong; she can do it; they need her; they trust her. It works, and Prue is able to access her powers within her dream.

The message is that us women can overcome our paralysis and extinguish the murderous rage of the entitled men in our lives when we allow ourselves to believe our sisters when they say we are strong enough.

This episode is #metoo before it ever existed.

Chagrined

There are two elements of “Dream Sorcerer” that chagrin me. The first is the inclusion of traits and descriptions of men in the Lust Spell that contribute to toxic masculinity.

Phoebe repeatedly emphasizes wanting a well-endowed man, and Piper repeatedly corrects that she wants a well-employed man.

Neither of those traits is bad to desire in a mate, but it seems that these two qualities are the limits of what is “manly.” Reducing sexual satisfaction to the size of a man’s penis presents a type of masculinity that contributes to the monster we see on the episode.

Likewise, highlighting a man’s ability to earn a living more than other traits enforces a toxic masculinity that tells men they have to perform and be non-emotional, complex beings.

The options for a perfect man on the episode were either bad boy with a big penis or romantic man with a good job. There wasn’t really even a hint that a perfect man might be one who is a partner.

The closing scene actually reinforces the toxic masculinity version of a perfect man by Andy coming to the hospital and being both a bit bad boy and romantic man. He steals a rose from an already present bouquet and then hands it over to a grinning Prue, along with the cheeseburger and fries that he brought.

The two other sisters look on, seemingly thinking, wow, Prue’s man has it all — the rebel and the romance.

The “perfect man” trope is a fun one, and the episode doesn’t overly-emphasize this message about bad boys. The strongest message from the episode is definitely about sisterhood overcoming monsters.

But, with a reboot of Charmed heading our way soon, I hope the series is able to mimic the amazing feminist messaging from the original and move away from some of the outdated messaging about masculinity.

The other aspect of “Dream Sorcerer” that I am chagrined by is the lack of diversity in casting.

The episode features many guest characters as we see the throngs of men court Phoebe and Piper after their spell. We also have our monster and his victims. There is much opportunity to cast a diverse set of characters for these small roles.

That opportunity is wasted on the episode.

Every single one of the suitors is a fit, young, white man. The villain, his victims, and his fellow scientists are all fit, young, and white.

San Francisco is a very diverse place with thriving immigrant communities. The lack of diversity on the show fails to reflect the diversity in age, race, ethnicity, and body type in the city.

Although the lack of diversity is a mistake, it is also quite understandable as it reflects the very common practices of casting in the ’90s. This mistake is a reminder of how far we’ve come since 1998 and how far we have to go as we still see shows that don’t accurately reflect the wonderful diversity of the world.

Changed

The first time I watched “Dream Sorcerer” I was not a critical viewer of television. I sat back on the couch in my dorm room and just consumed. Now, I process the things I watch, and I consider the messages and impacts of the show.

My new lens allows me to see how special the first season of Charmed is. My changed way of watching has revealed what many knew the whole time: Charmed is a stand-out and underrated feminist icon.

What did you think about Charmed Season 1 Episode 5, “Dream Sorcerer?” Let us know in the comments!

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