I'm watching Bewitched from the very beginning, and I've found Smanatha not as likeable as I have in the past. She's beautiful and she has a lot of heart and is clearly in love with Darrin, but sometimes she is a "naughty witch," as Endora has called her.

The current episode I just watched, "Love is Blind," has Samantha going a little too far to make sure her friend, Gertrude, ends up marrying Darrin's friend, Kermit. She actually puts words in another woman's mouth to turn Kermit off of this woman, and then has the straps of the woman's dress come undone so she won't return to the table (after the woman is free of Samantha's spell).

In the episode, "Witch or Wife," she looks in through airplane windows to find Darrin and scares another passenger who sees her hovering outside a flying plane. That's quite "naughty."

Are there any times when you've questioned the things that Samantha has done?

I'm watching Bewitched from the very beginning, and I've found Smanatha not as likeable as I have in the past. She's beautiful and she has a lot of heart and is clearly in love with Darrin, but sometimes she is a "naughty witch," as Endora has called her.

The current episode I just watched, "Love is Blind," has Samantha going a little too far to make sure her friend, Gertrude, ends up marrying Darrin's friend, Kermit. She actually puts words in another woman's mouth to turn Kermit off of this woman, and then has the straps of the woman's dress come undone so she won't return to the table (after the woman is free of Samantha's spell).

In the episode, "Witch or Wife," she looks in through airplane windows to find Darrin and scares another passenger who sees her hovering outside a flying plane. That's quite "naughty."

to me she was always a goody 2 shoes lol

Are there any times when you've questioned the things that Samantha has done?

She really let Darrin's old girlfriend have it in episode 1, but she deserved it.

I think in time Serena became her alter ego. Good witch, bad witch.

That's an excellent observation regarding the alter ego. When the writers wanted to have something said or done that was less-than-nice, they were then able to ascribe the behavior over to Serena much of the time.

Although, at times Samantha was still forceful. For example, Samantha flipped the frog character over to a pond well into the Serena era. She seemed extremely sensitive at times if she perceived someone as out of line, making what may have been a pass, etc.

It was fun to watch both characters deal with aggressive male strangers. From their perspective, consider those tantalizing short skirts...!:)

99.999%of the time, yes. She really has a good heart.

She really let Darrin's old girlfriend have it in episode 1, but she deserved it.

I think in time Serena became her alter ego. Good witch, bad witch.

It's great to see Samantha in that instance, trying to control herself but ultimately giving in and humiliating the embarrassingly rude ex-girlfriend. That woman was embarrassing herself, flirting with newly married Darrin in front of all her guests, belittling Samantha in the process.

Most of the time I'm fully on Samantha's side, but I think she goes too far in "Love is Blind." So far, that's really the only episode I have re-watched where I think she interferes too much when she should just let things happen with that couple.

I like the "alter ego" view but I don't think of Serena as being a "bad witch." Serena, Endora, they sometimes lack self control when provoked, and they are very easily provoked. They are fun witches who use their powers to have a good time, and only wish Samantha would go back to doing the same.

I think it's more a case of Serena being a free spirit and Samantha repressing her own once free spirited self to live that "mortal" life with Darrin.

You're right, bad witch isn't a good description for Serena. The fun loving description is a good one.

I wouldn't apply that description to Endora though. She is downright evil, IMO. There are only a few times when when a little good side shows through. One time was when Tabitha was born. And Darrin reciprocated by going along with the name Tabitha.

Think about all the horrible spells she put on Darrin. Samantha should have booted her out of their lives. Even Maurice was tame compared to her.

You're right, bad witch isn't a good description for Serena. The fun loving description is a good one.

I wouldn't apply that description to Endora though. She is downright evil, IMO. There are only a few times when when a little good side shows through. One time was when Tabitha was born. And Darrin reciprocated by going along with the name Tabitha.

Think about all the horrible spells she put on Darrin. Samantha should have booted her out of their lives. Even Maurice was tame compared to her.

Yep. Serens’s Not mean = just mischievous. And very funny too!

You're right, bad witch isn't a good description for Serena. The fun loving description is a good one.

I wouldn't apply that description to Endora though. She is downright evil, IMO. There are only a few times when when a little good side shows through. One time was when Tabitha was born. And Darrin reciprocated by going along with the name Tabitha.

Think about all the horrible spells she put on Darrin. Samantha should have booted her out of their lives. Even Maurice was tame compared to her.

I see Endora as a mother who just cannot deal with her daughter choosing such a mundane life when she could have it all, and it drives her crazy.

Darrin's attitude about the use of witchcraft just serves to push Endora to do what comes naturally to her, namely cause trouble through witchcraft. I see Endora as more frustrated and angry than 'evil.'

You would think that Endora would come to accept Darrin after so many failed attempts to prove to Samantha that he could not be trusted and would not be faithful, but she never gives up trying to get Samantha to see things her way.

Endora does come to Darrin's defense, for Samantha's sake but against her own personal desire, when Maurice first learns that Darrin is a mortal and has made him disappear into a puff of smoke, but she mostly does go downhill from there.

I would have liked to have seen Endora finally accept that Darrin was a good man and the right person for Samantha.

It is a constant battle between Darrin and Endora. He could have cut her some slack, too.

I thought there was a time when Maurice actually tried to kill Darrin but Endora helped save him. I think Endora just like to have an on-going conflict with Darrin but was pretty harmless outside of putting a few spells on him, but I think Maurice would have ended him if pushed too far.

Some of the spells that Endora and/or Serena put on Darrin were dangerous. I don't remember which witch sent him back in time (one I kind of remember was to the time of Darrin the Terrible or some name like that), but any of those outings could have been the end of him. If any of that was Aunt Clara's doing, of course we know she didn't mean it.

Right again, Maurice was no warlock to fool around with. On the other hand, didn't he come to the rescue when the hags wanted to send Tabitha (or maybe it was Adam) to some school (or something like that) and Darrin and Samantha objected? The result was they (along with Serena and and Uncle Arthur) were "glued" in place by the hags, and Maurice saved the day.

In Maurice's first episode he does "vanish" Darrin into the air, and Endora does not go along with it even though I think she'd love it if Darrin would disappear for good.

Endora frequently punishes Darrin when he challenges her, and he never seems to learn how to keep his angry opinions to himself to avoid being turned into any number of things by Endora or Serena. You'd think that after being turned into a werewolf once, that would be enough to curb Darrin's attitude, for his own sake, but he just keeps on resisting that lifestyle that Endora wants Samantha to be a part of.

But I think that Endora really just wants Samantha to see for herself that Darrin isn't right for her. She knows that if she goes too far with Darrin that Samantha would never forgive her.

Maurice isn't as much a constant in Samantha's life, but he does stop Endora from taking Tabitha away from Sam and Darrin to go to a witch school.

I think Endora likes to make Darrin's life miserable, but I don't think she'd really harm him seriously. If Darrin was in real trouble I think she'd probably save him and be like, "Oh, I'll hate myself for this, but VERY WELL!"

I mostly agree with everything Samantha does. I think the show tried to show Samantha's charitable side as well. She was always volunteering for things like the Women's Committee, or saving the park, or trick or treating for UNICEF.
I think when someone ticked her off or rubbed her the wrong way, I think she was justified for letting them have it. I remember this drunk guy kept pestering her, so eventually she conjured up a bucket of water over him.
The Love is Blind episode is a good example of her not being so nice, but it was very early in the series, and I think the character hadn't really developed.
Fergus the frog was pestering her and followed her home, so I think she was justified flipping him into the water fountain. I don't think at that point she realized he was really a frog in need of help. I think she thought he was harassing her or coming on to her. I believed he called her "Girlie".

Let's just say that the series had a rather unique perspective on right and wrong. If I recall correctly Samantha failed to inform Darrin that she was a witch until after she was married (I think most people would agree this was more than a little unethical). Samantha also failed to mention that she didn't age at the same pace as mortals (she was hundreds of years older than Darrin), as time goes on this will be a bigger and bigger issue. Of course Darrin is in advertising game in the 1960's (the setting for Mad Men), not exactly the most ethical industry and Samantha sometimes aids him.

All the above finishes well behind the single biggest challenge when dealing with Bewitched, the abhorrent treatment of poor Gladys Kravitz, who was constantly being overmedicated. Her husband is under the mistaken impression she is hallucinating so he delivers to her yet another hit of some psychotropic medication for her "nerves". The poor woman's health is being compromised because it's in the best interest of Samantha's secret.




You can't discuss the

Gladys was too nosy and got what she deserved, though I don't ever remember her being medicated with drugs by Abner,:crazy: that's a bit much.

Sam in the last couple of years turned into a busy body herself interfering where she didn't belong in other people's lives. The show went lib in the last couple years and that's when it went downhill, aside from the fake Darrin arriving on the scene which was the beginning of the end.

Gladys was too nosy and got what she deserved, though I don't ever remember her being medicated with drugs by Abner,:crazy: that's a bit much.

Sam in the last couple of years turned into a busy body herself interfering where she didn't belong in other people's lives. The show went lib in the last couple years and that's when it went downhill, aside from the fake Darrin arriving on the scene which was the beginning of the end.

I agree Gladys got what she deserved(I love the ep where those dog aliens zap her with their “nice gun”, because she was being so belligerent and troublesome.)

I also agree the show trying to go “hip” by injecting “lib” themes did drag it down. BUT the real nail in the coffin was Dick York leaving. Also Marion Lorne’s passing; Aunt Clara was such a great supporting character, and was the only relative of Sam Darrin really liked—when she wasn’t causing blackouts or zapping everyone back to Plymouth Rock LoL.

Endora's a stone cold psychopath.

Endora had a lot of power and very little patience, and Darrin had a delusional sense of...entitlement, for lack of a better word. He seemed to feel he was entitled to rant at Endora or any other member of Samantha's family, because he was the "man of the house."

For a man who's supposed to be intelligent and appealing, Darrin has a big flaw of not being able to control his temper with people who could turn him into anything they wanted.

I mostly agree with everything Samantha does. I think the show tried to show Samantha's charitable side as well. She was always volunteering for things like the Women's Committee, or saving the park, or trick or treating for UNICEF.
I think when someone ticked her off or rubbed her the wrong way, I think she was justified for letting them have it. I remember this drunk guy kept pestering her, so eventually she conjured up a bucket of water over him.
The Love is Blind episode is a good example of her not being so nice, but it was very early in the series, and I think the character hadn't really developed.
Fergus the frog was pestering her and followed her home, so I think she was justified flipping him into the water fountain. I don't think at that point she realized he was really a frog in need of help. I think she thought he was harassing her or coming on to her. I believed he called her "Girlie".

I think the writers did make Samantha a good person, overall. I've just finished re-watching to the end of season 2 and Sam hasn't really done anything equal or close to what she did in "Love is Blind."

Let's just say that the series had a rather unique perspective on right and wrong. If I recall correctly Samantha failed to inform Darrin that she was a witch until after she was married (I think most people would agree this was more than a little unethical). Samantha also failed to mention that she didn't age at the same pace as mortals (she was hundreds of years older than Darrin), as time goes on this will be a bigger and bigger issue. Of course Darrin is in advertising game in the 1960's (the setting for Mad Men), not exactly the most ethical industry and Samantha sometimes aids him.

All the above finishes well behind the single biggest challenge when dealing with Bewitched, the abhorrent treatment of poor Gladys Kravitz, who was constantly being overmedicated. Her husband is under the mistaken impression she is hallucinating so he delivers to her yet another hit of some psychotropic medication for her "nerves". The poor woman's health is being compromised because it's in the best interest of Samantha's secret.




You can't discuss the

I agree Samantha should not have waited until their wedding night to tell Darrin that she's a witch. It was very manipulative of her, and she does continue to manipulate Darrin on occasion, especially early on in the marriage, by using witchcraft and then sweet talking her way out of "trouble" with Darrin.

I'm not sure Samantha knows about Abner medicating Mrs. Kravitz, and I think both Darrin and Samantha express guilt over what Mrs. Kravitz has seen going on. It's complicated by the fact that Mrs. Kravitz does sneak around trying to "catch" Samantha doing something, so she comes off as a nosy and unstable busybody. But she probably needs some medication after seeing all she sees at that house.

My favorite episode (or one of them) is called "Charlie Harper, Winner" where Darrin was kind of intimidated by Darrin's college friend Charlie Harper and his wife Daphne. So Samantha produces that mink coat after Daphne makes a comment or something about Darrin, calling him a loser. But then Darrin is the one who is left to feel bad b/c he says he can't make enough money to always buy Samantha mink coats and things like that whereas she can just whip them up with witchcraft. I fell in love with that episode after just watching the end of it, but now that I've seen the whole thing it's one of my very favorites.
BTW, this is a great topic, Katie Ann!

The conflict has nothing to do with either Darrin or Endora's tempers. It has to do with what Endora does in cold blood. She refuses to accept that Darrin s a legitimate son-in-law or father to his children. It is rightful that Darrin would be angry over that.


The "conflict" wouldn't exist if Darrin could accept Samantha for who she is all the time, and not only when it's convenient for him. She is a legitimate witch and he has had instances where he's perfectly content to use her witchcraft for his benefit. Once he did that, he really had no right to pick and choose when Samantha could be a witch and use her magic.

If Endora is "cold blooded" in her reaction to Darrin's hypocrisy and his desire to supress Samantha's (and later Tabitha's and Adam's) true nature, she's not wrong to be. I'm only surprised she has the self control to not completely banish him when he has one of his many irrational outbursts. If a person really loves you, they accept your culture and heritage, and Darrin doesn't, so how would Endora (or any mother-in-law) tolerate that?

It's only Samantha's love for both her husband and her mother that keeps them in check. As angry as Darrin may have the "right" to be over Endora's unwillingness to do things his way, he puts himself in harms way often, which is, to put it plainly, incredibly stupid.

My favorite episode (or one of them) is called "Charlie Harper, Winner" where Darrin was kind of intimidated by Darrin's college friend Charlie Harper and his wife Daphne. So Samantha produces that mink coat after Daphne makes a comment or something about Darrin, calling him a loser. But then Darrin is the one who is left to feel bad b/c he says he can't make enough money to always buy Samantha mink coats and things like that whereas she can just whip them up with witchcraft. I fell in love with that episode after just watching the end of it, but now that I've seen the whole thing it's one of my very favorites.
BTW, this is a great topic, Katie Ann!

Thanks. I think Ronny G. made a good point about Samantha's character still being developed when she behaved in a not so great way. By the time "Charlie Harper, Winner" came along, the writers had Samantha's heart and actions really balanced, beautifully.

Samantha's family always meddling in the family affairs I always sided with her and the way she handled the situation. Her mother simply was the worst of them all especially trying to split her and Darrin up and also trying to control Tabitha and how she should be raised once she was born.

Endora, in "Witches and Warlocks Are My Favorite Things:



Endora doesn't try to take Tabatha away because Darrin won't let her be a witch. The proof of that is that Endora sent Samantha away, because that's what the "chic people" did. She tells Samantha, who she supposedly loves, that even SHE is incompetent to raise her own child. And she's not concerned about Tabatha because she's a child, or a witch child, but because she's an IMPORTANT witch child.

Endora's a psychopath, a massive narcissist, and a snob. That doesn't mean she can't be funny, but one has to be twisted to make a sympathetic character out of her.

First of all, we don't really know what being sent away to school in this witch world of theirs really means, but clearly Samantha is close to both her parents and adores them, so it wasn't really an issue. Endora wants Samantha and the kids to live their rightful heritage, and Darrin doesn't. If Samantha was Hispanic or some other culture and Darrin insisted that she leave the traditions of her culture behind in favour of being what Darrin is (Anglo/Irish/Scottish white) one wouldn't think that was right, hopefully. Well, Samantha's culture is the culture of the witch and Darin expecting Samantha to leave it behind to be like him, should irk her family, even if Samantha is so in love with Darrin that she's willing to do it. They might think that she's lost her mind, and I think Endora does think that a lot of the time. That Samantha is infatuated and has lost her mind in "love."

I don't understand your need to try to take a jab at me for seeing Endora's side in this show - using the word 'twisted' regarding my understanding of Endora - is it because you see my point but don't want to admit it? It's okay, I don't take it personally, and if you didn't think you were taking a jab, then never mind.

I don't know if I would go so far as to call Endora a "sympathetic" character, even if at times she definitely seemed needy and lost, expressing feelings of loss over Samantha's new life with her mortal husband. I'm sure a lot of mothers might feel a loss when daughter or son suddenly has a new life with a spouse. Even Darrin's mom expresses feeling shut out because she doesn't feel needed.

What I am saying is that I see Endora's side, I understand her fear and her outrage. Early in the series when Darrin told Endora that Samantha wouldn't be going someplace with Endora and Endora responded, 'you mean to set yourself against me,' and Darrin said something like, 'not exactly,' well, I think he wasn't being truthful. He did set himself against Endora, and he really only hurt himself. While that makes for humorous comedy, it also ended up turning Darrin into joke of a character. He was willing to endure so much pain and humiliation when all he had to do was be a little more open minded and willing to bend a little. He ended up doing it often, anyway, and he could have done so with a lot less suffering.

Samantha's family always meddling in the family affairs I always sided with her and the way she handled the situation. Her mother simply was the worst of them all especially trying to split her and Darrin up and also trying to control Tabitha and how she should be raised once she was born.

Endora definitely never gave up on trying to split Samantha and Darrin up. even in the final season she was still hoping to do so. By then Darrin had mellowed a bit and it would have made sense that Endora do so as well. I guess to Endora, 7-8 years of marriage was nothing considering that witches live thousands of years, so she still was still working on it. Time would have taken care of Darrin, but Endora remained too impatient.

I would have preferred to see Darrin and Endora actually come to an understanding and accept each other after a few years of sparring.

My favorite episode would be the day Darrin burned Endora at the stake.:happyface

The "conflict" wouldn't exist if Darrin could accept Samantha for who she is all the time, and not only when it's convenient for him. She is a legitimate witch and he has had instances where he's perfectly content to use her witchcraft for his benefit. Once he did that, he really had no right to pick and choose when Samantha could be a witch and use her magic.

If Endora is "cold blooded" in her reaction to Darrin's hypocrisy and his desire to supress Samantha's (and later Tabitha's and Adam's) true nature, she's not wrong to be. I'm only surprised she has the self control to not completely banish him when he has one of his many irrational outbursts. If a person really loves you, they accept your culture and heritage, and Darrin doesn't, so how would Endora (or any mother-in-law) tolerate that?

It's only Samantha's love for both her husband and her mother that keeps them in check. As angry as Darrin may have the "right" to be over Endora's unwillingness to do things his way, he puts himself in harms way often, which is, to put it plainly, incredibly stupid.



I tend to agree. I never thought it was right for Samantha to have to totally abandon who she was to conform to Darrin's life...... Yet when Maurice wanted to enable Darrin to do Witchcraft, he wanted to do with it. ~ I'm thinking if a witch gave me a magic charm to do magic, I'd be all over that! lol ~

But also I agree... When I was little I used to think,"If Darrin wouldn't always start throwing insults at Endora, they could probably get along ok" It is usually Darrin that hurls the first insult.


Also, I don't know that Endora could turn Darrin into just anything...at least not very long... I get a sense within the context of the show, the witches have to take some responsibility for their action....if I recall the witch's counsel have taken witches' powers away for doing certain "immoral" things.