Summary
- Prue Halliwell's character growth shines in key episodes, showcasing her emotional depth and vulnerability.
- Shannen Doherty's performance as Prue evokes both strength and raw emotion, making her one of the most beloved Charmed characters.
- The impact of Prue's untimely death in Charmed is a testament to the late Shannen Doherty's talent and the character's lasting legacy.
Many great episodes of Charmed ran for eight seasons from 1998 to 2006, telling the story of Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and (later) Paige – sisters who discover they are witches destined to fight off evil. The Halliwells try to balance their predestined purpose with their jobs, romances, and families.
While all the characters have their strengths, Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell is frequently listed as one of the most likable Charmed characters despite her abrasive and stubborn nature. Sadly, on July 13, 2024, Shannen Doherty ed away after a long battle with breast cancer, causing fans around the world to mourn. The actress’ ing is a time to reflect on one of her best roles of all time – Prue Halliwell in Charmed – and the episodes that make the character beloved.
What Was Shannen Doherty’s Best Project?
Shannen Doherty recently ed away at 53 from cancer on July 13, 2024. This led to an outpouring of love for the actor on social media from fans, friends, loved ones, and co-stars. It also made me think about my favorite Shannen Doherty project. Of course, Charmed and 90210 are two of her most famous television shows, and for good reason. Yet, my favorite Shannen Doherty role was Heather Duke in the movie Heathers. It was my introduction to Doherty and will always hold a special place in my heart now that she’s sadly ed far too young.
12 “Deja Vu All Over Again”
Charmed Season 1 Finale
Some of the best Prue Halliwell episodes challenge her emotionally, forcing her to engage with her feelings instead of suppressing them. “Deja Vu All Over Again” does just that, making Prue more vulnerable every time she interacts with her first love, Andy Trudeau.
Sadly, the end of the episode rips him away. While heartbreaking, the episode at least provides a peaceful moment of closure when the pair talk to each other inside Prue’s head. Andy forces her to go back and do the right thing for the greater good instead of saving her lost love, which is a moving moment of clarity.
While there’s a lot of character growth in this episode, it explores fewer sides of Prue’s personality, placing it lower on the list of the character’s best episodes in Charmed. Additionally, it takes away one of Prue’s best love interests, which is sad for a character who deserves so many great things.
11 “Ms. Hellfire”
Charmed Season 2, Episode 9
The episode “Ms. Hellfire” is a fun Prue-centric episode of Charmed, with her going undercover as a professional assassin in one of the most iconic outfits on the show. The show allows Prue to explore a darker, more unrestrained side of her personality, which is enjoyable considering she’s usually so focused on order and control. Her swag is off the charts. The episode also introduces Bane Jessup, one of Prue’s first love interests with whom she has chemistry after Andy.
While Charmed tries to push Prue and Jack, they have a weak dynamic in comparison to Prue and Bane. On top of the non-magical character growth, this episode marks the first time that Prue astral projects – an extension of her ability to move objects. Despite all the entertaining aspects of “Ms. Hellfire,” other episodes sur it in exploring multiple sides to Prue and showing Shannen Doherty’s acting skills.
10 “Give Me A Sign”
Charmed Season 2, Episode 15
After Prue Halliwell loses her first love, Andy Trudeau, she struggles to engage in a romance with anyone else. “Give Me A Sign” is a significant moment of character growth for Prue in this area of her life. After breaking out of jail, Prue’s old flame, Bane Jessup, kidnaps her to help him evade demons who want to kill him.
During their time together, they rekindle their romance, which gets steamy and leads to the pair having sex. The pair’s chemistry is off the charts, making it easy to root for them. Considering her grief about Andy impairs her ability to connect with men, it’s lovely that Prue receives a new romance.
The Charmed episode also highlights Prue’s empathetic and forgiving nature. She does the right thing by helping Bane despite her sisters’ wishes. She’s also willing to stay and take care of his wound even though he tells her she can leave.
9 “Sin Francisco”
Charmed Season 3, Episode 18
One of the most hilarious performances by Shannen Doherty in Charmed occurs in “Sin Francisco,” when the Charmed Ones and Leo get infected by the seven deadly sins, preventing them from fighting back against a demon. Of all the sins, it was a given that Prue would end up with pride. The character’s pride is her fatal flaw on many occasions.
Doherty exaggerates the trait in a comedic way, making Prue reckless and confident to a ridiculous degree. She nailed the funny moments, including when her character walks out, not realizing that a bullet hit her arm.
It also feels appropriate that Prue cannot seem to shed herself of pride, considering that her feeling like she can defeat it comes from her pride. She gets caught in a catch-22 that fits perfectly with her character.
8 “All Hell Breaks Loose”
Charmed Season 3 Finale
Though it’s the last episode for Prue Halliwell, “All Hell Breaks Loose” also lands on the list of the best Prue episodes of Charmed. In this episode, the Charmed Ones are outed when someone catches Prue and Piper using their powers on videotape. Of all the Halliwell sisters, Prue has the most dynamic character arc in this episode.
Prue Halliwell's display of strength, vulnerability, fear, and anger in a single episode is a testament to her resilience. This is a character who has evolved significantly from her early episodes in Charmed. The scene where Prue desperately tries to get her sister to the hospital is not just heartbreaking, but also a powerful display of her unwavering strength.
The strength of Prue's character in “All Hell Breaks Loose” makes her untimely death at the end of the Charmed episode all the more devastating. The credit for this episode's place among the best Prue episodes goes to the strong writing, Shannen Doherty’s fantastic performance, and the emotional impact of Prue's departure.
“All Hell Breaks Loose” is the third episode Shannen Doherty directed after “Be Careful What You Witch For” and “The Good, The Bad, And The Cursed.”
7 “From Fear To Eternity”
Charmed Season 1, Episode 13
On top of introducing the best Charmed villain, “From Fear to Eternity” is a fantastic episode for Prue’s character development – though it technically centers on all the Halliwell sisters. In this episode, Barbas tries to come back to life by killing 13 witches using their greatest fears.
While the other sisters face a single fear, Prue is haunted by both her fear of drowning – which Barbas uses against her – and her fear of saying, “I love you.” The episode reveals that these were Prue’s last words to her mom before she died, a moment that deeply impacted her and shaped her emotional barriers.
It’s painful to see Barbas use Prue’s fear to make Phoebe’s fear of losing a sister come true. Ultimately, Prue overcoming her fear to save her youngest sister helps them gain a closer relationship, which is an essential step in the pair's character development.
6 “Sight Unseen”
Charmed Season 3, Episode 5
One of the best Prue-centric episodes of Charmed is “Sight Unseen.” Prue’s storyline in this episode shows the witch’s greatest strengths and weaknesses as a character. She is perceptive and picks up on patterns, allowing her to see Cole’s suspicious behavior before her sisters. On the other hand, she is so hyperfocused on her theory that she can’t recognize that she’s also getting targeted by a stalker. It’s a great character study of Prue Halliwell.
This episode of Charmed also creates a moment of righteous indignation for Prue. Though she certainly has flaws, Prue spends the whole episode picking up the slack for her sisters. Phoebe also mocks Prue and treats her like she’s losing her grasp on reality. While the sisters’ treatment of Prue is angering in this episode, it ultimately displays the weight she carries in her family.
Charmed: 8 Best Quotes From Prue
The oldest of the Halliwell sisters, Prue took on a motherly/leadership role in the family and she had some of the best quotes to fit her personality.
5 “We All Scream For Ice Cream”
Charmed Season 3, Episode 10
While Prue’s connection with her mother before her death is discussed relatively often, Charmed rarely explores the strained and unhappy relationship with her father. “We All Scream For Ice Cream” goes into depth about their complicated dynamic and is by far one of Prue’s best episodes. The character displays a strong protective quality towards the children, which reflects the role she took on as the parent to her sisters after her mom’s death.
The story with the Ice Cream Man, Prue, and Victor helps the Charmed One mend her relationship with her father. There’s still a degree of hurt, but she is more forgiving of the choices he made in her childhood. The episode was moving to begin with, but it is one of the strongest in retrospect because she needed this peace for her character arc to end half a season later when Prue dies in Charmed.
4 “Just Harried”
Charmed Season 3, Episode 15
When it comes to Charmed episodes where Prue Halliwell shines, one of the most entertaining, “Just Harried,” gets overlooked because the main plot centers on Piper. The main plot shows Piper and Leo trying to get married against all odds; however, the secondary plot features Prue trying to express the rebellious side of her personality that she suppresses because of her responsibilities.
The distinction between Prue’s role as an older sister and her role as a stranger in a bar shows two conflicting motives that push and pull within the character. It’s nice to see Phoebe and Prue trade places for once in the family dynamic, with Phoebe being responsible and Prue being selfish.
Additionally, Prue’s subplot in “Just Harried” shows how incredible Shannen Doherty was as an actor. She had peak comedic timing and managed to make the two versions of Prue distinct from one another.
3 “P3 H20”
Charmed Season 2, Episode 8
While Prue Halliwell is one of the toughest characters on Charmed, her strongest moments show less visible parts of her personality. “P3 H20 " is one of the most grounded explorations of Prue’s background despite centering around a supernatural water demon. It explores the childhood trauma that Prue faced when seeing her mother die and the subsequent emotional baggage.
Prue relives her trauma and tries to overcome her grief by going back to the lake where it occurred. Still, she refuses to directly mentally confront her emotions until she needs to face the demon that killed her mom. Prue also views Sam in a layered way, understanding him as culpable in Patty’s death but empathetic. Ultimately, the writing and Shannen Doherty’s performance transform this episode, which would otherwise be painfully slow, into a case study on childhood trauma.
