Bewitched itself is an interesting premise, having the typical sitcom setting of a married couple, blended with the fantasy element of magic and wizardry. It stars Elizabeth montgomery as Samantha, the witchy wife of Darrin, played by Dick York, a mortal man who is still adjusting to the magical life of Samantha. In this episode, Samantha’s mother, Endora, wants to throw a halloween party, but Darrin doesn’t like the fact that Endora’s house just appears out of nowhere for this party. Instead, Endora throws the party at his and Samantha’s house, inviting all kinds of strange guests and having some unexpected ones as well.
Since the plot wasn’t very complex, the dialogue was what kept viewers captivated. It was witty, and each line helped the audience understand each character and their relationship with one another. The near-constant banter kept the tone humorous and light-hearted, and the visual humour added to that as well. Boris’ female/feline companion aided the goofy mood of the episode with her strange dancing and the mere fact that she is part-cat.
The magical effects assisted in solidifying the tone of the show as well, such as the floating plate gag. Not to mention, the effects were also pretty solid for a show from the 60’s, though the teleportation editing was slightly choppy, it wasn’t enough to distract from the show. The effects at the time were quite well-respected and some even considered it groundbreaking for such a casual sitcom. Everything that happened, magic or not, was understandable to the audience and the episode flowed smoothly.
The people behind the scenes did a wonderful job with the editing, costume design, and camerawork, but the actors also did a fantastic job as well. Each actor portrayed their character full out. They didn’t show any awkwardness or “normalness” if they played a strange character, such as Boris and his companion, or even Endora herself. The chemistry between actors was amazing as well. Even at the beginning, I could tell that Samantha and Darrin were married, and their jokes and jabs played off each other perfectly. Samantha’s uncle was also portrayed incredibly well. His humour never let up during the entirety of the episode, and his comedic timing was impeccable.
From the set design, to the acting, to the editing, this episode was quite solid all around. I had never seen bewitched before, so I had little to no expectations, but I truly enjoyed and would recommend to others if they wanted to watch a classic, casual show. The plot itself was the only thing that bored me as I watched, and thus would most likely not get invested in the show for a long period of time. Overall, I would give it 4 out of 5 flying plates.
TV Critic 