Back on my "Geez, Darrin!" rant - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

hch · 07-21-2009, 01:29 PM

I love this show and I am enjoying watching the Seasons on DVD. But does it seem to me that in each of the episodes Darrin acts like a jerk? I'm looking at this from a 2009 perspective.

I know that he made Sam promise NO WITCHCRAFT but I don't think that he had a right to bar Sam's family from visiting. That's exactly why he gets in so much trouble with the people in the witch realm.

The man had ZERO TOLERANCE for magic and the people doing it.

Samantha tries to get him to reason with the witches and warlocks, but he further puts more trouble on himself when he doesn't comply. and what more, whenever something's wrong he's always yelling at SAMANTHA! God, man, get a grip. If you have a gripe, don't take it out on Sam.

Half the time, I wanted to yell at him for yelling at Samantha. She's the one trying to make peace with everyone involved. Sam tries her hardest but Darrin's really the one who needed the attitude adjustment.

Just my two cents, what do you all think? Feel free to correct me or elaborate if you will.

catlover79 · 07-21-2009, 01:32 PM

Yeah, Darrin could be overbearing sometimes. Both Dick York and Dick Sargent even said (according to the book Bewitched Forever) that Darrin could get out of line sometimes.

MickeyMac · 07-21-2009, 04:40 PM

I think Darrin forbidding Samantha to do witchcraft was the whole point of the show. That said Darrin never learned. Each time he forbid any of Sam's relatives to do witchcraft or when he would yell at them, he always ended up getting a curse put on him. Me personally I would have let Sam do all the magic she wanted, and it would help keep Endora calm.

catlover79 · 07-21-2009, 08:02 PM

In the book Bewitched Forever, Dick York even said that if he was Samantha he would've told Darrin to "lay off or I'll zap you one".

Adamantium · 07-22-2009, 07:54 AM

I do agree. It's one thing with Samantha. She agreed to no more witchcraft. That was her choice. But her family never agreed to such a thing. And I would wonder why he'd get so mad at Endora, Maurice, Uncle Arther, etc. because they used their witchcraft.

I guess what it comes down to is, it's Darrin's home. Samantha's family are guests and if Darrin doesn't want witchcraft in his house, they should respect that. Much like smoking. You wouldn't go to a house where the people don't smoke and just light up a cigarrette and start smoking. That'd be rude.

However, it got to the point where the meer sight of Endora would get Darrin furious. I mean, she has a right to visit her own daughter. Though, I guess she could knock on the door instead of just popping in and out.

Thie thing Darrin needed to accept was that witchcraft existed. It was a part of his world whether he wanted it or not. He was always trying to make it not exist. So he'd get furious when a relative would come by and use witchcraft, or when Tabitha would use it. Darrin just needed to accept his surroundings, even if he didn't like it.

With all that said, I love Darrin.

Larry Tate · 07-29-2009, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hch

I love this show and I am enjoying watching the Seasons on DVD. But does it seem to me that in each of the episodes Darrin acts like a jerk? I'm looking at this from a 2009 perspective.

I know that he made Sam promise NO WITCHCRAFT but I don't think that he had a right to bar Sam's family from visiting. That's exactly why he gets in so much trouble with the people in the witch realm.

The man had ZERO TOLERANCE for magic and the people doing it.
Samantha tries to get him to reason with the witches and warlocks, but he further puts more trouble on himself when he doesn't comply. and what more, whenever something's wrong he's always yelling at SAMANTHA! God, man, get a grip. If you have a gripe, don't take it out on Sam.

Half the time, I wanted to yell at him for yelling at Samantha. She's the one trying to make peace with everyone involved. Sam tries her hardest but Darrin's really the one who needed the attitude adjustment.

Just my two cents, what do you all think? Feel free to correct me or elaborate if you will.

Bottom line the conflict that existed 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.

Larry Tate

catlover79 · 07-29-2009, 08:22 AM

^ Beautifully put. I really can't blame Darrin for wanting to make it on his own, to carve out a successful marriage and career with no magic. They would've been hollow victories otherwise.

MickeyMac · 07-29-2009, 05:55 PM

^

I agree but with Samantha's power's there are some advantages that if I were Darren I would have took.

catlover79 · 07-29-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

^

I agree but with Samantha's power's there are some advantages that if I were Darren I would have took.

Now that just sounds dirty.

MickeyMac · 07-30-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Now that just sounds dirty.

No comment

catlover79 · 07-30-2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

No comment

FanofRetroTV · 07-31-2009, 01:49 PM

I have to agree, he could be such a jerk, witchcarft is Sam's brith right. As for her family, they never promised to stop what comes naturally to them. He should have essied up on them. After 8 years, would he have gotten use to it by then? I know if I was in he's shoes, I would not stand in the way of Sam and her magic. I might even use it to my adventage. Nothing big, maybe if I want watermellon in March I have her zap up a bow. Or if rain was ruining a nice sunny day she could make it go away.

McGillicuddy · 08-02-2009, 08:15 PM

Samantha tried to stay neutral when it came to Darrin vs. Endora, Maurice, Serena, Arthur, Dr. Bombay or Esmerelda. But I loved when she spoke up when Darrin said Aunt Clara had to go. Samantha said she had as much right to be there as his parents, and she had the last word on that! And Aunt Clara always meant well, anyway.

catlover79 · 08-02-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

Samantha tried to stay neutral when it came to Darrin vs. Endora, Maurice, Serena, Arthur, Dr. Bombay or Esmerelda. But I loved when she spoke up when Darrin said Aunt Clara had to go. Samantha said she had as much right to be there as his parents, and she had the last word on that! And Aunt Clara always meant well, anyway.

Exactly. Even Darrin's mom reamed him out when Sam said that. "What did you say to that poor old lady, anyway??"

MickeyMac · 08-03-2009, 02:23 PM

Aunt Clara seemed to be the only relative of Sam's that Darrin could tolerate.

07-21-2009, 01:29 PM	#1
hch Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 07, 2001 Location: Montross, VA 22520 Posts: 983	Back on my "Geez, Darrin!" rant I love this show and I am enjoying watching the Seasons on DVD. But does it seem to me that in each of the episodes Darrin acts like a jerk? I'm looking at this from a 2009 perspective. I know that he made Sam promise NO WITCHCRAFT but I don't think that he had a right to bar Sam's family from visiting. That's exactly why he gets in so much trouble with the people in the witch realm. The man had ZERO TOLERANCE for magic and the people doing it. Samantha tries to get him to reason with the witches and warlocks, but he further puts more trouble on himself when he doesn't comply. and what more, whenever something's wrong he's always yelling at SAMANTHA! God, man, get a grip. If you have a gripe, don't take it out on Sam. Half the time, I wanted to yell at him for yelling at Samantha. She's the one trying to make peace with everyone involved. Sam tries her hardest but Darrin's really the one who needed the attitude adjustment. Just my two cents, what do you all think? Feel free to correct me or elaborate if you will.
	__________________ "You don't own the rights or the patent on scuffling!" Willona from "Good Times"

07-21-2009, 01:32 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Yeah, Darrin could be overbearing sometimes. Both Dick York and Dick Sargent even said (according to the book Bewitched Forever) that Darrin could get out of line sometimes.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

07-21-2009, 04:40 PM	#3
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	I think Darrin forbidding Samantha to do witchcraft was the whole point of the show. That said Darrin never learned. Each time he forbid any of Sam's relatives to do witchcraft or when he would yell at them, he always ended up getting a curse put on him. Me personally I would have let Sam do all the magic she wanted, and it would help keep Endora calm.

07-21-2009, 08:02 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	In the book Bewitched Forever, Dick York even said that if he was Samantha he would've told Darrin to "lay off or I'll zap you one".

07-22-2009, 07:54 AM	#5
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,836	I do agree. It's one thing with Samantha. She agreed to no more witchcraft. That was her choice. But her family never agreed to such a thing. And I would wonder why he'd get so mad at Endora, Maurice, Uncle Arther, etc. because they used their witchcraft. I guess what it comes down to is, it's Darrin's home. Samantha's family are guests and if Darrin doesn't want witchcraft in his house, they should respect that. Much like smoking. You wouldn't go to a house where the people don't smoke and just light up a cigarrette and start smoking. That'd be rude. However, it got to the point where the meer sight of Endora would get Darrin furious. I mean, she has a right to visit her own daughter. Though, I guess she could knock on the door instead of just popping in and out. Thie thing Darrin needed to accept was that witchcraft existed. It was a part of his world whether he wanted it or not. He was always trying to make it not exist. So he'd get furious when a relative would come by and use witchcraft, or when Tabitha would use it. Darrin just needed to accept his surroundings, even if he didn't like it. With all that said, I love Darrin.

07-29-2009, 08:22 AM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	^ Beautifully put. I really can't blame Darrin for wanting to make it on his own, to carve out a successful marriage and career with no magic. They would've been hollow victories otherwise.

07-29-2009, 05:55 PM	#8
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	^ I agree but with Samantha's power's there are some advantages that if I were Darren I would have took.

07-31-2009, 01:49 PM	#12
FanofRetroTV Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 15, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 292	I have to agree, he could be such a jerk, witchcarft is Sam's brith right. As for her family, they never promised to stop what comes naturally to them. He should have essied up on them. After 8 years, would he have gotten use to it by then? I know if I was in he's shoes, I would not stand in the way of Sam and her magic. I might even use it to my adventage. Nothing big, maybe if I want watermellon in March I have her zap up a bow. Or if rain was ruining a nice sunny day she could make it go away.

08-02-2009, 08:15 PM	#13
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Samantha tried to stay neutral when it came to Darrin vs. Endora, Maurice, Serena, Arthur, Dr. Bombay or Esmerelda. But I loved when she spoke up when Darrin said Aunt Clara had to go. Samantha said she had as much right to be there as his parents, and she had the last word on that! And Aunt Clara always meant well, anyway.

08-03-2009, 02:23 PM	#15
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	Aunt Clara seemed to be the only relative of Sam's that Darrin could tolerate.