- P. Russell: "Would you tell your husband to play something different? I'm bored with this old song."
- P. Baxter : "Don't worry about her, baby. Just keep playing."
- Gordon Johnson: "Anything for you."
- — Baxter annoying P. Russell[src]
P. Baxter was a witch descended from the Warren line of witches, and possessed the power of Molecular Deceleration. She was the wife of Gordon Johnson, the mother of Penny Halliwell, the grandmother of Patty Halliwell, and therefore the great-grandmother of the the Charmed Ones. Baxter died in December 1970, and was reincarnated three years later as Piper Halliwell, her second great-granddaughter.
History
Early life
Baxter possessed the power of Molecular Deceleration, which allowed her to slow down the movement of molecules so that time itself appeared to be slowed down.
In 1898, Baxter's parents built what was referred to, by Beth Whittlesey, as "a masterpiece" of a house on Prescott Street in San Francisco in order to keep evil from taking control of the Nexus located underneath the building[2]. As the house was completed when Baxter was one, she presumably grew up in it. When the house burned down because of the fires of the 1906 earthquake, Baxter and her husband, Gordon, rebuilt it and raised their own family there, thus keeping it (and the Nexus) in the protective custody of the Halliwell line.
At some point in her life, Baxter met a man whom she fell in love with. However, she eventually broke up with him in favor of another man named Gordon Johnson. She and Gordon married, though Baxter had a brief affair with her former lover before their marriage. She and her new husband lived in her parents' house. Although Johnson was a mortal, he accepted the fact he was married to a witch.
At an uncertain time, Baxter's maternal cousins, P. Bowen and P. Russell, moved into the house, where they lived for several years.
Speakeasy
Baxter with her husband at the speakeasy
In the 1920s, alcohol was prohibited in the United States. Disagreeing with it, Baxter held a speakeasy at her and Gordon's house. She employed Jake Larson as the bartender[3], while her husband entertained the guests by playing the piano in a small band, Russell divined the future and made potions, and Bowen made use of her career as a professional photographer.
Magic appeared to have been practiced openly at the speakeasy, as Russell made potions and cast spells for other people, and even offered to curse people for others. Baxter also used her power in the open at least once, though in a life-threatening situation.
Bowen and Baxter soon came to learn that Russell's boyfriend, Anton, was an immortal warlock who had seduced her into turning evil, and hoped to steal their powers. After several unsuccessful attempts to sway her back to good, Baxter and Bowen decided to kill her and curse her future-lives to die as well, as they could not risk her and Anton joining forces in any life. Baxter was charged with obtaining the curse.
Fighting Anton
Baxter knocking out Anton
On February 17th, 1924, after Russell's refusal to talk to Bowen, Baxter gave the curse to Bowen, who slipped it in her garter.
Later on, Baxter was watching Gordon play when she saw her ex-boyfriend in the hallway. She told him that she was married and could not be with him anymore, but he continued to grab her sexually. After saying that that was not like him, he revealed that he was Anton in a glamour. He put his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming, but she managed to. After he pulled her to the ground and began to choke her, she tried to use her power on him, but he broke free. Finally, she kicked him in the groin, incapacitating him, stood up and dropped the Grandfather Clock on him.
Killing Russell
- Phoebe Halliwell: "Uh, I'm not who you think I am. I'm a different me. A me from another lifetime where we've involved into sisters. Good sisters. H-happy sisters."
- Baxter: "Must have cut off too much blood to her brain."
- Bowen: "Must have."
- — Baxter and Bowen dismissing Phoebe's claims.[src]
Baxter choking Russell
Baxter then went into the other room, where she saw Bowen wrestling with Russell on the floor. Baxter got down to help Bowen, and began to strangle her evil cousin. However, Phoebe Halliwell, Russell's reincarnation, then came into possession of Russell's body and escaped their grip using martial arts before running upstairs. Baxter believed that she was luring the two of them into another trap, but they went upstairs anyway after Bowen's cryokinetic power missed.
After going upstairs and finding nothing, Baxter and Bowen doubled back downstairs and found "Russell" there. Baxter began to strangle her again and the cousins recited the curse, which killed her. However, Phoebe had left the body and returned to her own in the nick of time. It is unknown as to what the cousins did with the corpse, or what they said to cover it up.
Later life
In a Boston hotel room on June 23rd, 1930, Baxter gave birth to a daughter, Penelope Johnson, through a breach-birth. Penny was, like her mother, a witch, and possessed the power of telekinesis.
Baxter passed away in December, 1970, meaning she may have met her eldest great-granddaughter, Prudence "Prue" Halliwell. She was reborn, not long after, as Prue's younger sister, Piper Halliwell. It was said that Piper's half-sister, Paige Matthews, inherited Baxter's eyes and good-looks.
Powers and Abilities
Baxter slowing down Anton.
- Basic Powers
- Spell Casting: The ability to cast spells and perform rituals.
- Potion Brewing: The ability to brew potions.
- Scrying: The ability to locate a person or object by the use of a scrying crystal, a map, and sometimes other tools.
- Mediumship: The ability to see and commune with spirits of the dead.
- Active Powers
- Molecular Deceleration: The ability to slow down the molecules of a person or object to the point that they appeared to be slowing down in time. Baxter channeled this power by flicking her hands at whatever or whoever she wished to slow down.
- Other Powers
- High Resistance: The ability to be highly resistant to otherwise-lethal powers.
Personality and Traits
Baxter appeared to be a stern and intimidating woman, brave enough to hold a speakeasy as a protest in the 1920s, though she was less severe compared to her cousin, Bowen. She was also loyal, as she ended an affair she had for the sake of her marriage.
As a witch, Baxter was shown to be as determined and resourceful as Bowen: during her fight with Anton, though the warlock managed to break free of her power, she managed to incapacitate and knock him out by dropping the Grandfather Clock on him. Besides this, despite her plea for God to forgive her and Bowen's actions, she still cast the curse upon their evil cousin as they killed her, which demonstrates her being the kind of person who would overcome their feelings to and take terrible actions for what she believed was right.
Physical description
- "She was a real looker..."
- —Penny on her mother.[src]
To Phoebe Halliwell, Baxter looked exactly like her sister, Piper, because she recognized her soul. Baxter was depicted as having brown hair and eyes, and wore black clothes. According to Baxter's daughter, Penny, Paige Matthews, her youngest great-granddaughter, has her mother's eyes. Baxter was also similarly described in the short story, Old Friend, from The Warren Witches.
Romantic Life
Gordon Johnson
Baxter and her husband
P. Baxter fell in love with Gordon Johnson at some point prior to 1924. However, while they dated, she had an affair with another man. After he proposed, she ended her affair and married Gordon.
The two lived together at 1329 Prescott Street, and Baxter had presumably told Gordon about her true identity as a witch. Gordon risked his life trying to save Baxter from Anton, despite not having a chance.
Other Relationships
Baxter's ex-boyfriend
- Ex-boyfriend: Before her marriage to Gordon, Baxter had an affair with another man, which she ended after her marriage. In order to kill Baxter, Anton glamoured into him to catch her off-guard. However, she made it clear that she did not have romantic feelings for him anymore, and did not want to betray her husband. Baxter's former lover was reincarnated as Leo Wyatt, her own future-life's husband.
Familial Relations
P. Bowen and Baxter
- P. Bowen: Baxter's relationship with her cousin, P. Bowen, is largely unknown, given that in the one episode where they were featured, the two rarely made eye contact, and spoke seriously and one-toned to each other. However, this might have been simply because of their situation with Russell, whom they joined forces against in 1924. It was most likely that their relationship was an amiable one in times of peace, given how they lived together in the 1920s, and most probably continued to do so after they killed Russell - the Charmed Ones found Bowen's camera in the attic many years later. In the short story of Family History, they were also shown to be intimate friends who banded together to fight against the forces of evil.
P. Russell and Baxter
- P. Russell: The early stages of Baxter's relationship with her other cousin, P. Russell, is unknown, but it was highly likely that they at least had a positive acquaintanceship, given how Baxter allowed Russell to live with her and her husband at their house. However, it was a confirmed fact that their relationship rapidly deteriorated during 1924, as Russell was seduced into turning evil by Anton. Despite being briefly hesitant to hurting both Baxter and Bowen, Russell was persuaded by Anton to help him kill her cousins. Baxter herself later exclaimed "God forgive us" before casting the curse on her, implying that she may have loved her deep down despite what she became, or she simply did not want to kill a family member.
Notes and Trivia
- It is unknown what Baxter's first name is, other than that it begins with a "P". In the Spanish dub, Bowen referred to her as "Piper". However, this cannot be considered canon, as it was most likely a mistake.
- Baxter's running of her speakeasy was likely what influenced her future-life to be manager at the restaurant, Quake, own her own nightclub, P3, and eventually her own restaurant, Halliwell's.
- Some fans believe Baxter possessed Molecular Immobilization, however, there was not enough evidence to prove this in the one scene in which she used her power. This was also invalidated in Old Friend from the Charmed short story collection, The Warren Witches, as P. Baxter had slowed down molecules instead of completely immobilizing them.
- She was also mentioned in House of Shards. There are two passages in the novel that described odd happenings on the street (due to their magic and fights) during this time.
- It was likely that Baxter, like Bowen, was renowned as a formidable warrior in the fight against evil, given that Anton found it necessary to triple Russell's powers in case her cousins were "ready for them".
Appearances
P. Baxter has appeared in a total of 1 episode throughout the course of the series.
| Charmed, Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Witch Trial" | #09 | "Ms. Hellfire" | #17 | "How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans" |
| #02 | "Morality Bites" | #10 | "Heartbreak City" | #18 | "Chick Flick" |
| #03 | "The Painted World" | #11 | "Reckless Abandon" | #19 | "Ex Libris" |
| #04 | "The Devil's Music" | #12 | "Awakened" | #20 | "Astral Monkey" |
| #05 | "She's a Man, Baby, a Man!" | #13 | "Animal Pragmatism" | #21 | "Apocalypse, Not" |
| #06 | "That Old Black Magic" | #14 | "Pardon My Past" | #22 | "Be Careful What You Witch For" |
| #07 | "They're Everywhere" | #15 | "Give Me a Sign" | ||
| #08 | "P3 H2O" | #16 | "Murphy's Luck" | ||
References
- ↑ As Piper Halliwell
- ↑ Is There a Woogy in the House?.
- ↑ Mentioned by his daughter, Christina Larson.