Bewitched is a classic sitcom, embedded in pop culture for eternity. It was a 1960s gem, set in New York, focusing on a young married couple who aren’t your average next-door neighbors. Darrin (Dick York) and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) Stephens often find themselves in the middle of some kind of situation, thanks to Samantha’s witchcraft or impromptu visits from one of her relatives or acquaintances.
It was always hilarious, and somehow, the two always worked together to get things back to their normal in the end. Samantha always tried to live up to her husband’s expectations to live a life as an ordinary housewife, but never quite managed to do it. Despite this, Darrin always stuck by her side and loved her through all their crazy shenanigans. Still, while there were many good episodes, they had their share of bad, leading us to this article’s topic, the 5 best and the 5 worst episodes of Bewitched.
Worst: Sam’s Witchcraft Blows A Fuse (3.9)
When Samantha has a cocktail created by a potential client of Darrin’s, she has all kinds of side effects. Stripes on her face and a loss of her powers altogether included. The famous Dr. Bombay is called in, but there are complications to getting Samantha a cure for her ailments.
Perhaps the episode’s plot seemed too familiar, as Season 4 had a similar episode where Sam had stripes on her face, as well as an episode where she’d lost her powers. This one just seems to put the two together. Considering this was the second-to-last episode of the series, perhaps ideas were running out and recycled plots were necessary.
Best: I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha (8.7)
The series’ pilot episode had a lot to offer from day one. In this episode, we see the young couple meet, court, and marry. While on their honeymoon, Samantha tells Darrin that she’s a witch, earning a comical reaction from her shocked husband. He makes her promise to give up her powers, but she’s put to the test when she’s invited to a dinner at Darrin’s ex-girlfriend’s home, and said ex makes Samantha feel less than everyone else.
Samantha isn’t quite ready to give up her powers just yet…in her own words, it’s harder to break the habit than she thought. The pilot did a splendid job of introducing Darrin and Samantha, letting the audience know what they’d be in for over the next eight seasons.
Worst: A Good Turn Never Goes Unpunished (3.8)
Darrin is struggling with his newest ad campaign, and is losing sleep over it. Naturally, Samantha wants to help. When she does, Darrin rejects. Not because he doesn’t like her ideas, but because he believes that she used witchcraft to come up with said ideas.
We’re as angry and offended as Samantha. Darrin doesn’t seem to believe she’s capable of coming up with a creative thought on her own without using her powers, so not only is he underestimating her, he also doesn’t seem to think too highly at her, at least on this matter. That in itself could be the main reason as to why this episode is rated so lowly.
Best: Samantha Meets The Folks (8.9)
Meeting the in-laws is nerve-wracking enough without adding witchcraft, but that’s exactly what Samantha gets.
Her Aunt Clara decides to show up for a visit at the same time as Darrin’s parents, and while Samantha is grateful for moral support from her own family, she also finds that Clara unintentionally complicates things, that being her forwardness about Samantha and herself being witches. Darrin’s unknowing parents somehow walk away none-the-wiser, but they find that their new daughter-in-law certainly has some spunk up her sleeve.
Worst: Samantha’s Not So Leaning Tower Of Pisa (3.7)
Samantha’s housekeeper Esmeralda inadvertently winds up in Italy while she and Darrin are still on vacation in Europe, which also happens to be the site of one of Esmeralda’s biggest mistakes. That being the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is leaning because of her. She’s swept off her feet by another man, and in her happiness, decides to right her wrong.
Perhaps it was the fact that Esmeralda was messing with history, or seemed a little more hysterical than usual. Whatever it was, audiences were just not into this episode.
Best: Which Witch Is Which? (9.0)
Endora lands Samantha in a major dilemma, and it all starts when she takes her daughter’s place at a dress fitting to allow Samantha more time to run her errands. Endora begins dating an author, as Samantha, and it complicates things further when the author turns out to be an old acquaintance of Darrin’s.
Endora doesn’t even bother to tell her daughter, so Samantha has to find out in a rather difficult manner when she meets the author herself as to what her mischievous mother has been up to. Can Samantha straighten things out with Darrin and the author before everything blows up in their faces? Everything about this episode is intriguingly hilarious, making it one of the best of the series.
Worst: Samantha and the Loch Ness Monster (3.6)
Samantha’s put in a bad spot while on vacation with Darrin. The Loch Ness monster is really a warlock that had been turned into the monster by Serena years before, to get him to stop courting her. The warlock is placed in danger when a specialist, who really wants to capture the monster for the fortune it’s worth, decides to pursue it.
Perhaps there was too much ridiculousness going on, or just the idea of the Loch Ness monster itself being involved was too much to accept. Not to mention Serena is also turned into a mermaid at one point in an act of revenge on the part of the warlock. There’s only so much you can pack into one episode. Then again, the later seasons weren’t doing as well as the earlier seasons, so that could be a factor too.
Best: The Joker Is A Card (9.1)
This episode is the debut of Samantha’s practical-joke loving Uncle Arthur. Uncle Arthur was a character audiences loved instantly, so naturally his debut episode made the list. His series of practical jokes announce his entry, and when Arthur comes up with a “spell” for Darrin to use to get Endora to disappear, it’s Arthur’s biggest joke yet.
The thing is, Samantha, Endora and Darrin decide to give Arthur a taste of his own medicine, which provides plenty of laughs as the joker has now become the joke.
Worst: Darrin Goes Ape (3.5)
Darrin doesn’t tolerate witchcraft, but he takes it too far this episode when he rejects a gift from Serena upon learning it’s connected to witchcraft. Serena transforms him into an ape in retaliation, and Darrin gets mixed up in a whole mess of trouble from then on. Darrin and Serena have never gotten along, and since this episode takes place in the eighth season, you’d think Darrin would learn to tread lightly when it comes to Serena by now.
Perhaps the storyline of Darrin and Serena’s squabbles had been overused, or the events deemed too ludicrous, hence earning the episode its low rating.
Best: Double Tate (9.3)
This episode is the highest-rated in the series, and it’s for good reason. Darrin is unknowingly given three wishes, courtesy of Endora, for his birthday. His third wish is the biggest one, that being he wishes to be his boss for a day.
Turns out playing Larry Tate isn’t so simple, as Darrin has to feign knowing anything about a certain client and has to deal with his boss’s wife. Playing someone else isn’t simple, but it’s one of our favorite debacles that Samantha and Darrin ever had to encounter, likely because of its incredibly messy, and by extension hilarious, nature.
