When I watched this show as a kid I wondered why Darrin would antagonize Endora. He was certainly justified that's not the issue, but Darrin going toe to toe with Endora was a canoe taking on a battleship. She could wave her hands and put him in the oven, turn him into an animal basically do anything she wanted. Taking her on was a losing proposition she could make his life a living hell. On top of this, Darrin had a unique set of skills to deal with this, he was an advertising man for God sakes, his career was getting people to like and buy particular products. Why not use those skills to get on Endora's good side. No matter what he should have treated her like a queen when she was around because God help you if she got mad.

I think he was influenced by his mother (Phyllis "I have a sick headache") similarly neurotic and stubborn behavior, and he also had male ego issues feeling diminished by both his wife and mother-in-law's clear superiority (this was still the 60's after all).

When I watched this show as a kid I wondered why Darrin would antagonize Endora. He was certainly justified that's not the issue, but Darrin going toe to toe with Endora was a canoe taking on a battleship. She could wave her hands and put him in the oven, turn him into an animal basically do anything she wanted. Taking her on was a losing proposition she could make his life a living hell. On top of this, Darrin had a unique set of skills to deal with this, he was an advertising man for God sakes, his career was getting people to like and buy particular products. Why not use those skills to get on Endora's good side. No matter what he should have treated her like a queen when she was around because God help you if she got mad.

I agree. She could have swished him like a bug if she wanted to. Considering his impudence, she was surprising tolerant. I liked the old gal a lot...

I always found it interesting that Endora was never right about Darrin. She would accuse him of being something (greedy, miserly, narcissistic, etc.) but she had to put a spell on him to make him that way. Still, Darrin was his own worst enemy in picking fights with Samantha's relatives.

However, it did lend itself to some great scenes between Darrin and Endora specifically. Agnes and Dick York who had a great acting chemistry between them. One of my favorite scenes/dialogues was between York and Agnes:

Darrin (York) comes into the kitchen where Samantha and Endora are talking:

Darrin: Morning, Sam. Bad news...
Endora: I resent you addressing me like that!
Darrin: I wasn't addressing you, I just said bad news.
Endora: You were looking at me.
Darrin: Well, if the shoe fits...
Endora: I'm warning you, shoes can kick!

There is no "good side." Endora's a narcissistic psychopath. There's nothing he can do to make her happy.

This is kind if the direction I was going to go. Trying to get on her good side would have been futile. There might even have been an episode or two where he went in that direction, to no avail.

Actually, the only friendly moment I remember between them was when Tabitha (then spelled Tabatha) was born. And there were a few times when she rescued him from Maurice's wrath.

I loved the Darrin and Endora chemistry especially with Dick York. I think it was it was natural for Darrin to lose patience with Endora as it was getting old with her interfering as the seasons progressed. I agree that Agnes Moorehead and Dick Sargent did not has as much chemistry.

Conflict between Darrin & The Wiches Councils & Endora
Bottom line the conflict that existed from The Wiches Councils point of view was between Darrin's insistence that his family live in mortal world context magic free & Endora & the Witch World's insistence that they & particularly Samantha & the children live a magical life in the Witch world.

Now this had to be to create the dramatic tension & conflict that the story-lines were created around.

Without it there would have been no show Bewitched as we know it.
There would have been only a half a season with that premise of magical gratification before the show got stale with everyone getting what they wanted through magic.

To stay true to the premise & to maintain the credibility and integrity of Darrin's character he had to remain consistent in his insistence that their life be magic free.

This is demonstrated in the episode "The Girl with the golden nose" & others in the line of "A is for Aardvark".

The conflict was never a personal one between Darrin & Endora & company or even that he was mortal, it was all based on his insistence of no magic & whenever he even for a moment changed his tune on that such as when he said he was wrong in a situation of magicalness then Endora's attitude went 180 degrees in respect to Darrin & no longer was a hostile one.

Although Darrin received no assurance from Samantha's family of no witchcraft, he was simply being consistent in his opposition to witchcraft by whomever, especially if it impacted on the life of him & his family.

It wasn't that he didn't want Samantha's family to not visit but rather that they not impose witchcraft on he, his family & most of all his children in the process.

I don't think Darrin was ever abusive towards Samantha, rather he was reacting to the extreme to some impossible situation he was placed in by magic be a member of Samantha's family.

If he had been accepting of the use of Witchcraft by Samantha & her family then he would have been a hypocrite and a traitor to his values & all that he stood for, the hard working all American executive devoted to free enterprise & the American way.

He took it out on her at times as she was his contact to her witchly world inhabited by her family that were causing all the problems in his life.They thought Mortals & their way of life to both inferior to theirs and assinine, as well as a threat to their own continued existence.

Just the inter-marriage aspect was a threat, as The Witches Council & Endora saw it would have diluted their Witchlieness down to the point that eventually over a very long period of time they would be more Mortal then Witch.

Remember there were very few of them, so much so that when Tabatha was born as the first new Witch of her generation it was a big deal to them as it signified a continuence of who they were as well as an addition to their small numbers, they really were a small minority.

With Endora interfering in their marriage all the time, of course Darrin would have to lose his temper and confront her, even he if restrained himself it wouldn't work because there's nothing he could do to change Endora's mind.

What Endora didn't like about Darrin is that he's human, and obviously Darrin can't change that, so he's doomed .

I dreamed once I met the Bewitched characters and Endora and I got along great! I wanted to learn witchcraft and she was happy to teach me, against Samantha objecting lol

I dreamed once I met the Bewitched characters and Endora and I got along great! I wanted to learn witchcraft and she was happy to teach me, against Samantha objecting lol

Yeah, I always thought Endora came across glamorous and chic. And I bet she would have taught me a little something; but not TOO MUCH as I’m only a mortal lol.

Regarding Darrin, what a pill!

Yeah, I always thought Endora came across glamorous and chic. And I bet she would have taught me a little something; but not TOO MUCH as I’m only a mortal lol.

Regarding Darrin, what a pill!


I always saw Endora being a pretty cool person who most could get along with as long as they didn't start saying ignorant things about witches.

Yeah, I always thought Endora came across glamorous and chic. And I bet she would have taught me a little something; but not TOO MUCH as I’m only a mortal lol.

Regarding Darrin, what a pill!

This is how I saw Endora too.

The problem with Endora is that she could not accept that Samantha chose to give up witchcraft for Darrin. Then there was Darrin insisting that he and Samantha could and would make a comfortable life for themselves without the help of witchcraft, so all Endora could see was that this man was changing Samantha into someone she wasn't.

Darrin antagonizing Endora was quite stupid. Darrin never stopped antagonizing Endora and she never stopped trying to break Sam and Darrin up. They were both extremely stubborn, but you would think that Darrin would eventually stop yelling at Endora just to save himself from being zapped into something by her.

I always saw Endora being a pretty cool person who most could get along with as long as they didn't start saying ignorant things about witches.

Yeah, I agree. She was very restrained considering her vast powers. She even protected him from Maurice at least once.

I disagree with those who see her as a narcissistic psychopath. I think if Darrin had been less of a jerk, they would have gotten on much better.

Yeah, I agree. She was very restrained considering her vast powers. She even protected him from Maurice at least once.

I disagree with those who see her as a narcissistic psychopath. I think if Darrin had been less of a jerk, they would have gotten on much better.


Exactly! Darrin is usually the one to hurl the first insult whenever Endora comes over. It's kinda like between Fred Sanford and Aunt Esther... I always thought they could have gotten along if Fred had layed off her

It would have not been as much fun and would have been boring if they got along.