'Samantha's Power Failure' Obsevations - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PracTz · 08-24-2003, 06:37 PM

This episode's a mixed bag so I hope you all'll bear with me as I make my observations.
1. It starts out with Endora's 'bouncing ball' waking Sam who sneaks out of bed leaving Darrin fast asleep (using the EXACT same footage of when Endora told Sam she was Queen of the Witches) . This is the only time we get to see (or hear about) Darren the whole episode (no doubt filmed during a bad flare up of Dick York's).
2. Anyway, the news is grim that the Witches' Counsel is ready to strip Sam of her powers UNLESS [surprise] she ends her union with Darren. Sam, as usual, refuses to back down.
3.The next morning[evidently after Darren's left early to go to work] Uncle Arthur and Serena pop in to lend their support (only time I can think of any of Sam's relatives besides Aunt Clara doing that re Darren) but Endora gloats as the Counsel
strips them of theirpowers,too. With that rather flimsyset up, Sam convinces Uncle Arthur and Serena they need to find MORTAL jobs ASAP. .hence the stint in the frozen chocolate banana stand.
4.HERE the episode's downright fun (if somewhat illogical) with Uncle Arthur and Serena trying to 'mortally' dodge the 'fresh' manager trying to put the moves on her but he tries to outwit them by sending them a whole BUNCH of peeled,frozen bananas on an assembly line WAY too long to have fit in that tiny roadside stand. .and at this point, they openly ape the Lucy Ricardo Chocolate Factory sketch. What makes thispart of the episode among my 'Bewitched' faves is that it's quite obvious that EM and Paul Lynde are genuinely having fun making a big mess here. But, then again, it's EM seems to have more fun playing Serena than Sam (especially in later eps).
5. Sam decides to appeal again to the WC but they again to reverse their decision of stripping Sam, Uncle Arthur, Serena ..and Tabitha of their powers! (This is the FIRST time it's spelt out that Tabitha's powers got stripped- even though she hadn't said a peep on the subject).
6.Afterwards, Endora gloats some more . .and while I can see her revelling in her annoying kid brother and flighty niece[-in-law?] getting grounded and even perhaps doing an 'I TOLD you so' with Sam, it's downright inconceivable to me that Endora wouldn't even minutely object to or get upset over her beloved granddaughter Tabitha getting herpowers stripped. For that matter, it's odd that Sam herself wouldn't list that as part of her defense that Tabitha hadn't said anything on the subject of her parents' marriage. Likely Tabitha would have supported it but it just seems random meanness to punish SAM to strip her powers away,too- even though nothing was said.
7. Of course by the episode's close, the WC backs up and all three witches and Uncle Arthur gets their powers back but Endora, curiously,is downright mad about this- not even slightly relieved or grateful for Tabitha's powers being back. She leaves in a snit with a most intriguing exit line 'I can't stand all this gaiety!'
8. No doubt the sophisticated Hollywood scriptwriters and performers in 1969 easily caught the double-meaning of that line but it's curious that this got past the censors. Did they not know it or did they think that few audience members outside LA or NY would pick up on that one?
9. It's too bad we don't get to see (or hear about) [b]Darren's reaction to Sam and Tabitha's loss of powers. I KNOW DY likely was in no shape to be in the episode at this time but I think they could have had Sam relate a line or two of what Darren's reaction had been. Happy because his wife and daughter were mortal like him? Or feeling an injustice had happened because Sam and Tabitha had been punished for HIS sake.. .and Endora was now even more menacing to his immediate family without his wife and daughter able to be possible buffers and mediators.
10. I can't recall another episode in which Serena and Uncle Arthur appear together which is too bad as I think they could have been even funnier plotting AGAINST Sam!

Raven-Symone · 08-28-2003, 12:23 AM

I like this epsiode, I like Serena she is so funny.

bb25 · 08-28-2003, 01:11 PM

I have never seen this ep, but I read in a Lucy book that the famous candy line scene from I Love Lucy was used, almost word for word. Do they give credit to Lucy's writers for doing that or is it just an outright steal?

Arfies · 08-28-2003, 05:23 PM

I don't think it was a steal so much as a "tribute"- the "Job Switching" episode on "I Love Lucy" was William Asher's (Bewitched director as well, if ya don't know) first directing job on ILL.

LucyFan · 08-29-2003, 09:32 PM

This particular episode is good as a rip-off. But I wouldn't say it was better or equal to the original I Love Lucy episode entitled "Job Switching".

The first time I seen this episode, I automatically thought about the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy.

08-24-2003, 06:37 PM	#1
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	'Samantha's Power Failure' Obsevations This episode's a mixed bag so I hope you all'll bear with me as I make my observations. 1. It starts out with Endora's 'bouncing ball' waking Sam who sneaks out of bed leaving Darrin fast asleep (using the EXACT same footage of when Endora told Sam she was Queen of the Witches) . This is the only time we get to see (or hear about) Darren the whole episode (no doubt filmed during a bad flare up of Dick York's). 2. Anyway, the news is grim that the Witches' Counsel is ready to strip Sam of her powers UNLESS [surprise] she ends her union with Darren. Sam, as usual, refuses to back down. 3.The next morning[evidently after Darren's left early to go to work] Uncle Arthur and Serena pop in to lend their support (only time I can think of any of Sam's relatives besides Aunt Clara doing that re Darren) but Endora gloats as the Counsel strips them of theirpowers,too. With that rather flimsyset up, Sam convinces Uncle Arthur and Serena they need to find MORTAL jobs ASAP. .hence the stint in the frozen chocolate banana stand. 4.HERE the episode's downright fun (if somewhat illogical) with Uncle Arthur and Serena trying to 'mortally' dodge the 'fresh' manager trying to put the moves on her but he tries to outwit them by sending them a whole BUNCH of peeled,frozen bananas on an assembly line WAY too long to have fit in that tiny roadside stand. .and at this point, they openly ape the Lucy Ricardo Chocolate Factory sketch. What makes thispart of the episode among my 'Bewitched' faves is that it's quite obvious that EM and Paul Lynde are genuinely having fun making a big mess here. But, then again, it's EM seems to have more fun playing Serena than Sam (especially in later eps). 5. Sam decides to appeal again to the WC but they again to reverse their decision of stripping Sam, Uncle Arthur, Serena ..and Tabitha of their powers! (This is the FIRST time it's spelt out that Tabitha's powers got stripped- even though she hadn't said a peep on the subject). 6.Afterwards, Endora gloats some more . .and while I can see her revelling in her annoying kid brother and flighty niece[-in-law?] getting grounded and even perhaps doing an 'I TOLD you so' with Sam, it's downright inconceivable to me that Endora wouldn't even minutely object to or get upset over her beloved granddaughter Tabitha getting herpowers stripped. For that matter, it's odd that Sam herself wouldn't list that as part of her defense that Tabitha hadn't said anything on the subject of her parents' marriage. Likely Tabitha would have supported it but it just seems random meanness to punish SAM to strip her powers away,too- even though nothing was said. 7. Of course by the episode's close, the WC backs up and all three witches and Uncle Arthur gets their powers back but Endora, curiously,is downright mad about this- not even slightly relieved or grateful for Tabitha's powers being back. She leaves in a snit with a most intriguing exit line 'I can't stand all this gaiety!' 8. No doubt the sophisticated Hollywood scriptwriters and performers in 1969 easily caught the double-meaning of that line but it's curious that this got past the censors. Did they not know it or did they think that few audience members outside LA or NY would pick up on that one? 9. It's too bad we don't get to see (or hear about) [b]Darren's reaction to Sam and Tabitha's loss of powers. I KNOW DY likely was in no shape to be in the episode at this time but I think they could have had Sam relate a line or two of what Darren's reaction had been. Happy because his wife and daughter were mortal like him? Or feeling an injustice had happened because Sam and Tabitha had been punished for HIS sake.. .and Endora was now even more menacing to his immediate family without his wife and daughter able to be possible buffers and mediators. 10. I can't recall another episode in which Serena and Uncle Arthur appear together which is too bad as I think they could have been even funnier plotting AGAINST Sam!

08-28-2003, 12:23 AM	#2
Raven-Symone john cena and edge rules Senior Member Join Date: May 08, 2003 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 2,390	I like this epsiode, I like Serena she is so funny.
	__________________ <------ Bubbles John Cena Rules, and he is 3x WWE. Champion Edge get well soon, I miss you so much John Cena and Edge rules.

08-28-2003, 01:11 PM	#3
bb25 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 22, 2002 Posts: 784	I have never seen this ep, but I read in a Lucy book that the famous candy line scene from I Love Lucy was used, almost word for word. Do they give credit to Lucy's writers for doing that or is it just an outright steal?

08-28-2003, 05:23 PM	#4
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	I don't think it was a steal so much as a "tribute"- the "Job Switching" episode on "I Love Lucy" was William Asher's (Bewitched director as well, if ya don't know) first directing job on ILL.

08-29-2003, 09:32 PM	#5
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	This particular episode is good as a rip-off. But I wouldn't say it was better or equal to the original I Love Lucy episode entitled "Job Switching". The first time I seen this episode, I automatically thought about the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy.