The Charmed Reboot Isn't Afraid of Anti-Feminist Backlash

It should come as no surprise that the Charmed reboot isn't afraid to be feminist AF, and the premiere will be chalk full of pointed reference to the show's female-forward agenda.

It won't be the first show to lay it all out on the table from the get-go (Supergirl and The Bold Type come to mind as shows that similarly made their stance on gender equality, sexual assault and harassment very clear from day one), but sadly, that means it also likely won't be the first to receive a wave of anti-feminist backlash as a result. Supergirl, in particular, was often criticized for being too loud and in your face with its feminist ideals, something which put off viewers who were hoping for a more subtle approach. Those viewers are going to find a similar issue with Charmed -- whose first episode includes quips about consent, references to sexual assault investigations as witch hunts, and a even a women's rights protest -- not that the cast and executive will mind.

"I stand by it," Madeleine Mantock, who plays Macy, tells TV Guide of Charmed's outspoken feminist agenda. "We have a platform and our writers are passionate. ... We don't want it to be a gimmick. We're talking about it because it's real life and it matters and we care about it, not because we want it to be preachy or a PSA of the week. We want to be careful to not do that."

Everything You Need to Know About The CW's Charmed Reboot

"I think it's awesome that we're super aware of our privilege and our platform," Melonie Diaz, who plays Mel, adds. "If we didn't talk about it, that would be a disservice to the cause as well. People are going to complain no matter what, and we've just got to do our job and tell our story and make sure they're authentic and real, and that's it. That's all we can do."

As for the producers, being authentic is the objective for them and they're very aware that audiences don't want to feel like they're in a gender studies classroom every week. Even if some of them probably should be.

"I think you don't want it to feel like medicine," creator Jennie Synder Urman says. "The balance is always hard because you have things you want to say and then you have to figure out how to say them within the context of your show, where you're serving story and character. I think trying to find that balance is something that we're going to be continuing to refine."

Charmed premieres Sunday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c on The CW.

(Full Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, The CW's parent company.)