Post by vandergraafk on Aug 26, 2008 0:53:45 GMT -5
With Season 4's Lost and Bound, Charmed directly confronted the issue of whether adolescents should have their powers bound. Ultimately, Tyler opts to allow Piper to bind his powers.
Yet, the issue of whether to bind adolescent powers goes far beyond the specifics of Lost and Bound. True, in this episode, we become aware that adolescents might have difficulty controlling their powers as powers are tied to emotions and teens and pre-teens are less emotionally fixed than adults. On the other hand, not even the most aware of teens could fend off the neverending efforts of greedy adults (Tyler's adoptive parents and the demon Ludlow whose obsession with gaining control of Tyler's powers and marshalling them in service of the Source) endangers Tyler) to exploit adolescent powers to their own ends.
Piper agonizes over this very issue when confronted by the great powers that her own first born son has and has exhibited from inside the womb. On the one hand, she is favorably impressed by the nascent child's ability to defend both mother and fetus. On the other, as events during Season 6 demonstrated ad nauseum, many, many demons wished to appropriate the child's powers or the child itself in order to burnish their own demonic credentials. Grudgingly, Piper realizes that binding Wyatt's powers would not necessarily end demonic attacks. It would simply expand the range of targets to include the witch who had cast the binding spell since death of that spell would release the child's bound powers.
Both Prue and Piper are awestruck by the abilities that little Prue and litte Piper display in That 70s Episode. Given their own recent acquisition of powers upon the death of Grams and the incantation of the power of three, Piper and Prue wonder how their lives would have been different if they had been allowed to develop their powers throughout adolescence. Perhaps Grams would have been able to fend off attacks initiated by the Source to destroy an incipient power of three before it reached maturity. Yet, at this stage Piper and Prue's reaction is governed by their own experience with persistent warlock and demon attacks on adult sisters struggling to gain the full measure of their powers.
The issue of whether to bind adolescent powers is not easily resolved. Arguments can be brought to bear on both sides. Can adolescents handle the great responsibility that accompanies great power? Do they have the wherewithal and the foresight to protect and defend themselves from demonic attacks? To what extent would knowledge of and the ability to access their powers prevent adolescents from enjoying the innocence of youth?
Yet, the issue of whether to bind adolescent powers goes far beyond the specifics of Lost and Bound. True, in this episode, we become aware that adolescents might have difficulty controlling their powers as powers are tied to emotions and teens and pre-teens are less emotionally fixed than adults. On the other hand, not even the most aware of teens could fend off the neverending efforts of greedy adults (Tyler's adoptive parents and the demon Ludlow whose obsession with gaining control of Tyler's powers and marshalling them in service of the Source) endangers Tyler) to exploit adolescent powers to their own ends.
Piper agonizes over this very issue when confronted by the great powers that her own first born son has and has exhibited from inside the womb. On the one hand, she is favorably impressed by the nascent child's ability to defend both mother and fetus. On the other, as events during Season 6 demonstrated ad nauseum, many, many demons wished to appropriate the child's powers or the child itself in order to burnish their own demonic credentials. Grudgingly, Piper realizes that binding Wyatt's powers would not necessarily end demonic attacks. It would simply expand the range of targets to include the witch who had cast the binding spell since death of that spell would release the child's bound powers.
Both Prue and Piper are awestruck by the abilities that little Prue and litte Piper display in That 70s Episode. Given their own recent acquisition of powers upon the death of Grams and the incantation of the power of three, Piper and Prue wonder how their lives would have been different if they had been allowed to develop their powers throughout adolescence. Perhaps Grams would have been able to fend off attacks initiated by the Source to destroy an incipient power of three before it reached maturity. Yet, at this stage Piper and Prue's reaction is governed by their own experience with persistent warlock and demon attacks on adult sisters struggling to gain the full measure of their powers.
The issue of whether to bind adolescent powers is not easily resolved. Arguments can be brought to bear on both sides. Can adolescents handle the great responsibility that accompanies great power? Do they have the wherewithal and the foresight to protect and defend themselves from demonic attacks? To what extent would knowledge of and the ability to access their powers prevent adolescents from enjoying the innocence of youth?