After I recorded who the victims were in Season 1 of the 1990's television show Charmed, I was asked to look at the victims and the villains. Here you go!
E1: Witch Trial
Victim: Sisters
Villain: Demons that they vanquished in Season 1 (White man, black cloud, White men, race-less demon man)
E2: Morality Bites
Victim: Sisters
Villain: Karma?
Ha ha! This was filmed in 1999, and they said that MTV's Real World would still be on (is it?), and that it'd be on the moon!!!
Also, this episode makes it so obvious that all witch hunts are really about misogny.
E3: The Painted World
Victim: Sisters
Villain: White warlock couple (heterosexual)
E4: The Devil's Music
Victim: Young White women at concerts.
Villain: Demon
A creepy, White business man also harasses Prue, not taking a "no" from her. Either personally or professionally.
E5: She's a Man, Baby
Victim: White men
Villain: White woman (succubus demon)
When Prue becomes a man, she becomes a very stereotypical man. She suddenly cares about sports and can fix things around the house. She also felt more "manly" after hitting another guy. Us, essentialism.
E6: That Old Black Magic
Victim: White and Indian male hikers, old White woman
Villain: White woman witch (but evil)
There was a silly Blair Witch reference in this episode. Oh, the '90s!
E7: They're Everywhere!
Victim: Young White man
Villain: Two White male warlocks, although one might be Middle Eastern.
OMG, Alyssa Milano is cold a lot! You can tell because this is the time before padded bras were common.
E8: P3 H2O
Victim: Random people on a lake: White male police officer, old, White lady, the sister's mother, who was a witch (White woman)
Villain: Water demon
E9: Ms Hellfire
Victim: Witches (only saw one young, White woman)
Villain: White male demon
E10: Heartbreak City
Victim: Cupid, a White man
Villain: Hate demon, a White man
E11: Reckless Abandon
Victim: Men of a wealthy White family, including a baby
Villain: White man ghost
E12: Awakened
Victim: Piper, then a Black woman nurse, and White guy, and they say "others"
Villain: "exotic" infection, incarnated as a ninja toy that appears to be White and male
E13: Animal Pragmatism
Victim: Three college women who wanted love (two White, one Asian)
A pedestrian and soccer mom were killed off-screen. Later, a White man was killed.
Villain: Animals turned into White men (Why would a snake automatically be of European descent?)
E14: Pardon My Past
Victim: Phoebe
Villain: White male sorcerer, and Past Phoebe
E15: Give Me a Sign
Victim: Prue
Villain: White guy (Antonio Sabato Jr.!) who later becomes a victim, White male demons
Also, Phoebe cast a spell related to Piper's love life when Piper specifically asked her not to. Consent, hello?
It was supposed to be cute when Prue teases a guy about using her powers to take his pants off, but it sounds rape-y to me.
E16: Murphy's Luck
Victim: White woman (Amy Adams!!)
Villain: ethnically-ambiguous male demon.
Also in this episode, Phoebe thinks that being in Psych 101 can help her talk to a suicidal woman. Seriously?
E17: How To Make a Quilt Out of Americans
Victim: Sisters, two random old White men
Villain: Three old White women (who later become victims); White male demon
This episode suggests that being old and single is the worst fate EVER, worthy of giving up your soul to change. Ug.
Some of the dialogue is about Phoebe needing glasses. Amazingly, she wears them for the rest of the season!
E18: Chick Flick
Victim: Moviegoers (mostly White)
Villain: White male demon, but also horror film villains (White woman and man)
E19: Ex Libris
Victim: White women; Black woman and her father
Villain: White guy, gray demon
E20: Astral Monkey
Victim: Monkeys and White, male criminals
Villain: White male doctor, although he was also a victim
E21: Apocalypse Not
Victim: Sisters
Villain: The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, who all happen to be White men.
E22: Be Careful What You Witch For
Victim: Sisters
Villain: White male gypsy and White male demon
The overall summary is that White men are most likely to be victims, surprisingly. Only five victims weren't White, out of 24. Out of the villains, they are heavily dominated by White men. There were only six White women villains out of the 30 villains, and no female villains of color. So, basically, this show about White sisters is really about what they do for, and to, White men. Huh.
This count might be slightly different if I didn't include all of the random, "collateral" victims, and just looked at who was the main target.
I'm not sure that I can keep up these records during the school year, but if I can, then Season 3 will be looking at what the show is telling people through the storytelling. For example, at this point, several men have learned of their secret, and each man has rejected them. The show is saying that when men learn who a woman really is, and that she's powerful, that women can expect to be rejected by men.
