5 Best Prue-Centric Episodes of "Charmed"

The passing of Shannen Doherty is a painful loss for everyone around the world, but especially for the family she left behind. Her roles in classic TV series will forever be remembered, from her early stint as Jenny Wilder in "Little House on the Prairie" to her breakout on "Beverly Hills 90210". However, her most iconic part for many would be as the modern-day witch Prue Halliwell on "Charmed" (1998-2006). Her time with the cast may have been rocky, but her character is forever loved and pivotal to the series. We remember Shannen Doherty with some of the best Prue-centric episodes!

1. "Primrose Empath" (Season 3, Episode 6)
The emotions run high in this episode as Prue attempts to save the life of a “shut-in” after his home is set to be demolished. She later learns the man kept himself away from everyone because he had powerful empath abilities that made him feel everyone’s emotions. Prue casts a spell, taking his gift away, only for it to transfer to her. The 3 sisters must fight the new demonic threat all the while Prue is suffering from feeling for everyone. This episode is a great look at how Prue reacts to the world around her and how she wants to remove pain from everyone. Her compassion is both her strength and weakness, as she discovers through this episode. 

2. "Death Takes a Halliwell "(Season 3, Episode 16)

Prue literally fights death in this episode. The eldest Halliwell becomes fed up with all the loss that comes with being a charmed one. Giving into her stubborn yet caring nature, she goes off to find the Angel of Death himself. While doing so, she is faced with the memory of her mother’s passing. This may be a tough one to rewatch after Shannen’s passing, but also cathartic. Facing death with understanding and acceptance is an important message to convey, especially when dealing with real-life loss. 

3. "The Truth Is Out There... and It Hurts" (Season 1, Episode 8)

This episode shows us how Prue is dealing with keeping her life a secret from everyday humans. The eldest Halliwell wants to learn if her boyfriend, Andy, would be freaked if she told him about being a witch. Prue stumbles upon a truth spell in The Book of Shadows and uses it to see how he’d truly feel about it. Knowing that he would forget the next day, Prue casts the spell only to accidentally subject her sisters to the day of truth. Prue dumps Andy, simply because the spell did what she needed it to do. She learned that he wouldn’t accept her. She shows her convictions and how she can value self-love over a man who could be afraid or even hate her for something out of her control. 

4. "Which Prue Is It Anyways?" (Season 1, Episode 16)

In this episode, a man is wreaking havoc in San Francisco by stealing powers from people all over the city. His eyes are set on Prue, and in order for her to protect herself, she tries to hone in on her powers. The sisters are surprised, as there are now 3 separate Prues to deal with. Each version of Prue is a different inner self. Unity and balance are the lessons the still-green witch learns and uses this understanding to save herself, and potentially her sisters, from the latest Big Bad. 

This one initially appears to be a Pheobe-centric episode, but later we learn who is front and center. In the episode, Phoebe wakes up from a bizarre premonition about a demon they would later learn is a succubus that attached itself to the youngest sister. Prue casts a spell, and, as always, it backfires and turns her into a man that they dub "Manny". While transformed, Prue learns how different life as a man can be. She learns the struggles that often get overlooked. They do play into some of the classic stereotypes as well and admittedly didn’t age very well. The best part of the episode is the ending where the 3 sisters finally have a small breath of relaxation, dancing to The Cranberries at P3. 

Shannen Doherty’s role in "Charmed" will forever be remembered. Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, her role as Prue never showed anything but care for her character. Her character was a role model for many young women and girls, with more to come. The power of sisterly love and loving yourself as much as anyone else is what we all should strive for, especially as women in general. The world will never be the same now that Shannen is gone, but here is to a life well lived. Thank you, Shannen, for being the best female role model a young girl could have.