Hollywood history has a funny way of repeating itself. Spider-Man gets rebooted for the third time, Meryl Streep wins another Oscar, and, in the case of Charmed, one of the three witches ends up leaving after just three seasons. Shannon Doherty, a.k.a Prue Halliwell, exited the original incarnation of Charmed back in 2001, leaving a void that would be filled by Rose McGowan. Now, it seems The CW will need to find its own Paige Halliwell. Madeleine Mantock, who plays eldest sister Macy Vaughn on the Charmed reboot, is leaving after the third season.
Madeleine Mantock confirmed her exit from Charmed in a statement (via Deadline). In her parting message, she had nothing but kind words for the cast and crew of the show. The actress said:
Playing Macy on Charmed for the last three seasons has been an immense privilege and I have so enjoyed working with our fantastic producers, creatives, cast and crew. I’m incredibly grateful to The CW and CBS Studios for my time on the show and for being a brilliant support in my difficult decision to leave. Huge thanks to our fans who can look forward to, what I know will be, a spectacular fourth season.
Poor Charmed. If Hollywood had a nickel for every time the eldest witchy sister on Charmed left after three seasons, it would have two nickels - which isn't a lot. But seriously, it's weird that this exact situation has happened twice. Madeleine Mantock hasn’t offered a reason for her departure, but the show’s executive producers Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro wished her the best of luck and even left the door open for Macy Vaughn to reappear on the series down the line.
Based on their goodwill, we can probably assume Madeleine Mantock’s departure wasn’t spurred by any kind of behind-the-scenes drama. That’s one difference from the original Charmed -- Shannon Doherty reportedly left due to creative differences with her co-star Alyssa Milano, who played Phoebe Halliwell.
It’s a shame that Madeleine Mantock decided to leave Charmed, considering Macy’s character development. The penultimate episode of Season 3 found Macy reclaiming her demonic powers from Abby, the half-demon, half-witch who claimed the title of Demon Overlord. Season 4 could have seen Macy further asserting her new power and punishing Abby for her crimes. However, it seems that Charmed will have to find another sister to fulfill the Power of Three. At this point, it's hard to say how the show will explain Macy’s absence.
While initial reactions to the reboot’s trailer were mixed, Charmed has managed to build a solid fan base, and it doesn't seem to be losing steam. Hopefully, the season finale will close this season out on a high note and give us answers in regard to Macy's fate. The finale airs Friday, July 23 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
