THE CLEANERS:WHEN WERE THEY CREATED?

[Waveblade]

We know why they were created (Apparently to prevent magic being exposed to the mortal world.) but do we know when?

Recently I came across a discussion about the Cleaners on the TV.com Forums. The OP asked if the Cleaners seemingly capable of cleaning a whole spectrum of magical exposures, why didn't they fix up the major exposure that ultimately resulted in the death of Prue? (See AHBL)

In the comments several stated that it was the result of lazy writing and it would have been better if they were introduced earlier.

Then matty_32 brought up this idea:

or they could have said the cleaners were "created" because after what happened in All Hell Breaks Loose, the leaders of good and evil decided to combine their magic to create beings with the power to fix the problem of expure, which would benefit both sides.....maybe.

This idea is quite intriguing and let's say the Tribunal were the ones who created the Cleaners. This would make sense because the Tribunal are supposed to oversee all magic.

[vandergraafk]

Interesting! It certainly addresses why nothing was ever done about the Source and the demonic hierarchy that risked exposure to magic by overtly attacking the Charmed Ones in public (Shax). Perhaps the Tribunal was created as a result of this breech of magical etiquette. Releasing the Hollow and breaking the agreement between Good and Evil could have been another precipitating factor!

[Waveblade]

I like that theory.

Ha, I completely forgot this line in epi 6.19 which actually does say that the tribunal created the Cleaners

Leo(About Tribunal): Which is why they created the cleaners and gave them the power to erase events, memories.

[vandergraafk]

Let's assume that Leo is correct in asserting that the Tribunal created the Cleaners. We still need to explain the purpose of the Cleaners. Let me state the proposition that there are two sets of Cleaners: dark-suited Cleaners and the familiar white-suited Cleaners. The white-suited Cleaners are assigned the task of cleaning up exposure problems related to white magic. Thus, in Forget Me ... Not when the Cleaners make their appearance, magic has been exposed due to the dragon conjure by baby Wyatt. When the Cleaners appear again in Crimes and Witch Demeanors, the comments of the Cleaner present are confined to instances when only the Charmed Ones have exposed magic.

[vandergraafk]

As expected, some (in the Charmed Cafe) raised questions about my thesis:

whitelightertony reminded us that the Cleaners were created by the Tribunal:

VK, I thought it was revealed, in "Crimes and Witch Demeanors," that The Cleaners were created by (and took orders from) The Tribunal. So wouldn't exposure of magic by Evil be just as unacceptable?

whitelightertony added:

It's been implied that The Cleaners possess some level of precognition, so they could have foreseen that Tempus resetting time along with the deaths of Prue and Dr. Griffiths would end any further short-term threat of magical exposure.

Meanwhile, maracev noted in concurrence:

That's what I got too. However, it could be that the cleaners were created to cover up messes that nobody else could cover up. Considering the Charmed ones did cover up the mess, there was no need for them to be involved. It did cost Prue her life, but perhaps that's what they wanted, to let things unfold in their natural way.

[vandergraafk]

vandergraafk replied as follows:

Yes, I am well aware that the Cleaners were created by the Tribunal. As you know, the Tribunal was comprised equally of good and evil (2 heads each, as it were). What I am focusing on is an answer to why the Cleaners could not and were, in fact, not used to clean up the mess of All Hell Breaks Loose (beyond the obvious explanation that the writers hadn't thought of this yet and the need to open the possibility for the end of Prue). If you look at those instances where the (white-suited) Cleaners were employed, it is with respect to exposure that results from (white) magic. I simply have extended the thought to suppose that there exist as well dark suited Cleaners who clean up dark magic. Each would answer to the Tribunal.

However, as the Tribunal is an equally divided body, it would have been better to have Cleaners suited to each side. One can only imagine if dark-suited Cleaners had attempted to undo white magic and vice-versa. The Tribunal would be hopelessly deadlocked as each side complained about the other's interference. Think about it!