BEWITCHED

They tried that, Samantha's powers weren't strong enough.

Very few had equal powers, Uncle Arthur and Maurice were two that were equal to Endora.

O.P., you should actually watch the show! (Cretin.)

I love r1

Do you remember the episode where Endora puts a spell on the popcorn and everybody who eats it gets high? Fuck. I loved that show.

A remark Endora makes to Samantha:

"We are quicksilver, a fleeting shadow, a distant sound...our home has no boundaries beyond which we cannot pass. We live in music, in a flash of color...we live on the wind and in the sparkle of a star!"

There was that one witch that was a lot more powerful than Endora. Sam had been promised to marry her son.

Maurice was stronger than Endora.

There is another witch more powerful than Endora whom Endora describes as zap to zap unbeatable. Carlotta played by Mercedes McCambridge who had arranged for her son to marry Samantha.

It seemed like Maurice had the strongest powers, and that was pretty much accepted as fact. Not even Hagatha or Enchantra could do what Maurice could do.

I recall the conversation between Endora and the queen of the witches, which seemed to imply that she had been under orders to break the marriage up (it was apparently looked down upon in general by witch society). The queen was surprised that Darren "withstood the pressure" and Endora admitted that he "loves my daughter". That actually impressed the queen and she allowed Darren to have his say in front of her. In another episode, Endora admitted that if she had to have a mortal for a son-in-law Darren was "as good as any". She also made him into a witch at one point, as I recall, and tried to protect him from Maurice's live-threatening rage at another.

It didn't suit the format of the show (where Endora was the mother-in-law from hell), but I would have liked to had a scene where they just talk it out. Endora always was trying to protect Sam I think, among other things from the knowledge that Darren's mortality would cause Sam grief. I could see Darren pointing out that it had always been Sam's choice to live without her powers (not that she didn't use them in every episode anyway).

I think that Endora was ultimately a grudging ally of sorts. She enjoyed tormenting him, but it was more on the prank level and she never did anything that couldn't be undone.

Ok, a lot of analysis for a sitcom.

And Endora was totally sweet to Durwood when Tabitha was born. That made me love her even more. I always threaten to turn my boss into an artichoke if he doesn't behave. I even call him "young man".

I loved it when Endora and Derwood would friends for a few minutes when Tabitha was born. That was the best episode.

What about when Samantha became Queen of the Witches? Endora was on her side and even bowed to her, but what if she had wanted the power herself and rebelled? Would Samantha have had the power to overcome Endora? I read OP's question as hypothetical more than actually based on the show.

I remember the Queen eoisode R9 refers to, but it would imply that Sam had the power to make Endora earthbound when she became Queen if she wanted to.

Yes, it was completely hypothetical.

I realize it was a sitcom but still enough could eventually become enough.

R12 I remember an episode as well where Endora secretly granted Darren three wishes. He ended up using one to wish her out of their lives - originally it looked like was going to say "forever" but Sam intervened and he said either a week or a month, I forget which.

Another thing that could have been interesting is if it had turned out that Endora had basically warned other witches off doing actual harm to Darren, if the marriage really was so unpopular. The family seemed to have some standing in witch society (Sam's election to Queen, for example). It was implied that Sam's own powers were considerable, particularly for her age, and Endora herself was clearly of prominence.

OP, there were a few episodes that Samantha did just that. Sometimes Endora backed down, a few times not.

Samantha was a powerful witch, but both of her parents were more powerful. That's why she couldn't do anything like that her mother, Eudora's magic was more powerful. So Samantha had to try to outsmart her instead.

Darrin should have fucked Endora

And they also say why didn't she make Darren more handsome? There was actually a commercial made about that on TV Land. Because Samantha didn't think he was ugly, and loved him as is. Elizabeth herself had a "beauty and the beast" thing going on with the man she bore all her children with. That's why her daughter was pretty, but nowhere near as beautiful as her. Her husband way sexier than Dick York anyway. You could see her attraction.

Ab-NUH! Ab-NUH! Come quick! Misht-uh Stephens is fucking his mother-in-law right in the their living room!

Shit. Almost spewed water on the keyboard, R19.

R19 RIP Alice Pearce and Sandra Gould - you always made us laugh.

I heard Gladys in Sandra's voice, the 2nd Gladys everyone likes to say is so inferior to Alice Pearce. Sandra did perfectly fine, she was the Gladys for most of the show's run. I never had a problem with the 2nd Darren either, and he was a lot more handsome too.

R17, I don't know about that, but I heard Darrin #2 fucked Uncle Arthur. Why was Aunt Clara such a dimwit?

If you mean in real life, r24, no. Dick Sargent and Paul Lynde were both gay, but Sargent said both Lynde and Agnes Moorehead were nasty to him. Agnes because she resenting that he'd replaced her friend Dick York, and Lynde just because he was mean drunk.

I loved the gestures they would use to accentuate their powers. Endora's exits were always so dramatic, but Serena would just snap her fingers and go away. I've always been curious about how Serena is related to Samantha.

Her mother was Enchantra, the younger sister of Maurice and Hagatha.

Didn't Eudora call Darrin his real name when Tabitha was born? I live that episode but it's been a long time since I've seen it.

Yes, Tate-McMahon was handling the ad campaign for Eudora Welty's latest short story collection and she paid Darrin a visit at the hospital.

Wow, it really HAS been a long time since I saw that episode, R28!

Ha! I downloaded all of them a month or so ago. Each season has around 35 episodes. TV fodder.

You can hear the harp.

Yeah, 35, can you believe that? Elizabeth worked like a dog. The show probably made her filthy rich though, the 60s #1 sitcom. A lot of the episodes were terrible, but the made so many, around 250, there were still plenty of good ones.

S04E01 Samantha becomes queen. Was my next one to watch.

////

S04E02 Babes in Toyland

Endora teaces Tabitha to animate her toys. The resulting creations are very meta.

Concerning the toy soldier animated...

Darrin: Larry, he's a doll!

Larry: Well, your're gonna have to decide that for yourself.

I like the Prince Charming episode. The guy they got to play Prince Charming was beautiful.

[quote]I remember an episode as well where Endora secretly granted Darren three wishes. He ended up using one to wish her out of their lives - originally it looked like was going to say "forever" but Sam intervened and he said either a week or a month, I forget which.

It was one week. They just showed the episode on Antenna TV yesterday (I watched while I was off for the holiday).

[quote]Maurice was stronger than Endora.

There were times when Maurice went head to head with Endora and nothing came of it, because they were equal.

Maurice) You're getting stronger, dear

Endora) You're getting older, DEAR

[quote]I've always been curious about how Serena is related to Samantha.

Serena is a cousin, on Maurice's side of the family

[quote]I heard Gladys in Sandra's voice, the 2nd Gladys everyone likes to say is so inferior to Alice Pearce. Sandra did perfectly fine, she was the Gladys for most of the show's run.

The real problem was when they changed actresses, they change the way Gladys was portrayed. The first Mrs Kravitz was more or less a "victim.," much like Dr Bellows. She just ran across odd things happening.

The second Mrs Kravitz was a snoopy nosed busy body who refused to mind her own business.

Both were funny in their own way but the viewer had more sympathy for the first Mrs Kravitz.

[quote]Another thing that could have been interesting is if it had turned out that Endora had basically warned other witches off doing actual harm to Darren

You're right, they had an episode where Maurice banished Darrin forever (later remade with the second Darrin) and Endora sticks up for him, saying she won't have a human being on her conscious and if he didn't bring him back, she'd move back in with him.

The power of witches pretty much depended on the plot.

Uncle Arthur was shown on at least two occasions to be equal to his sister Endora, Samantha even says "They have equal powers, this could go on forever."

But what made little sense was on a few occasions, Endora was able to limit or do away with Samantha's witchcraft. If so then why couldn't Samantha do that with Tabitha instead of worrying about what the little girl would "witch up." Of course then that wouldn't be funny.

There was another occasion where Samantha put a spell on a witch and Darrin asks "how were you able to do that?" and Samantha says "I caught him off guard."

Did any other 1960s sitcom have so many gay performers?

BIOTCHED.

Mostly the second Dabbin got mad in the first five minutes of the show then went golfing. Little Tabitha carried more episodes than he did. The probably paid the little actress shit. They sure got their money's worth though.

I figured that had happened at least once.

It would've been funnier if instead of twitching her nose, Samantha had to wiggle her ass.

That way if she wanted to cast a spell, she couldn't hide her nose like she does; can't you hear Larry saying "Darrin, why is your wife, shaking her ass at me?" Or Abner, that lesbian next store keeps shaking her groove thing at me.

Please don't give them any ideas for the black reboot that is happening.

I am on Season 04 Ep 27. It is certainly is nostalgic for me. Then there are ones that I saw in reruns only like once. I wonder why. Sargent's been missing for a few episodes. I wonder if the back problems are the cause.

A wonderful show to "just watch."

I loved Aunt Clara.

They did do it. You must have missed the episode:

York! opps! I've been watching for like three months.

...and I'm high

The "R" thing does not work in the "poster" spot...hmmm?

[quote]And then cast a spell banishing her from ever entering their lives again.

I’m hexing you now, so I don’t have to hex you then!

This is a delightful thread. thank you, OP. I guess I was and am a Bewitched fan, but prefer the years of black and white and definitely prefer the Dick York years. I remember being quite happy to learn that Angnes M. was such a good friend of Dick Y. Nothing against Dick Sargent, but it was akin to how much I would have not appreciated Vivian Vance being replaced in the role of Ethel Mertz.

I like the spinoff:

Talent-less. Bougee. Basic. R58

The best episode, and it brings a little tear to you eye, is when Sam and Endora join together to reunite Dumbdumbs parents. I love how they admit it's so complex that they can't do it alone and will need each other.

Me too, R60. Darin's parents always made me a little sentimental.