| "All Hell Breaks Loose" | |
|---|---|
| Charmed episode | |
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| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 22 |
| Directed by | Shannen Doherty |
| Written by | Brad Kern |
| Production code | 4300066 |
| Original air date | May 17, 2001 |
| Guest appearances | |
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"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American fantasy drama television series Charmed. The episode was originally broadcast in the United States on May 17, 2001, on The WB. Written by Brad Kern and directed by Shannen Doherty, "All Hell Breaks Loose" originally aired on The WB on May 17, 2001.
Charmed focuses on the three Halliwell sisters, Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who are known as the Charmed Ones; the most powerful good witches of all time. They live their everyday lives battling demons and warlocks in San Francisco, while trying to lead normal lives. "All Hell Breaks Loose" focuses on their secret of being witches coming out into the public, when Prue and Piper are caught on tape battling the demon Shax (Michael Bailey Smith), which proves to have deadly consequences.
Shortly before the episode aired, Doherty was fired from the series. The reason for Doherty's departure was due to an ongoing conflict with Milano, who had provided an ultimatum to the show's producers that one of them had to be let go, also threatening to sue them. Following Doherty's departure, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tiffani Thiessen were offered the role of Prue but turned it down, at which point it was decided to kill the character off; this resulted in the episode's ending being recut. In a retrospective interview, Kern would clarify that he intentionally wrote the episode to end on a cliffhanger with all three sisters' lives being in jeopardy directly because of the Doherty-Milano feud and the crew's uncertainty over any potential cast changes.
"All Hell Breaks Loose" was watched by 5.26 million viewers and received positive reviews from critics, often being cited as among the show's best episodes. Discussions have often focused on the episode marking Doherty's final appearance in Charmed and Prue's death, which critics have described as shocking. The episode's main plot of magic being exposed to the mortal world and the dire ramifications this has for the Charmed Ones was also praised, being noted for its connection to prior works with a similar theme.