Review(s): DVD Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (B&W)
When is Season 3 coming out???
Thank heavens we won't have to choose between B&W and color since the 3rd was all color! Keep up the releases, Sony!
Don't twich your nose away from Season Two!
The 1965-1966 season of this Elizabeth Montgomery sitcom continued placing a spell on viewers. These thirty eight episodes had very important series milestones.
In this season alone, we meet the irrepressible Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) in the "Joker is a card", Tabitha is born, and we say goodbye to Gladys Kravitz #1, Alice Pearce.
In season opener "Alias Darrin Stephens" we lean that Samantha is expecting a baby. She now has to find Darrin---who Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne) accidentally transformed into a chimpanzee. Darrin is enthusiastic about this news, but in "A very special delivery" he takes the `pregnant women should be active' idea which was then-just coming-into-popularity to comedic extremes. Endora (Agnes Moorehead) subsequently decides that Darrin needs to understand what being a pregnant woman really is like. In a supernatural version of `Junior' she gives Darrin many sympathy experiences.
He learns that if Samantha wants to be active during her pregnancy she will do so when and how much she really wants.
Because Elizabeth Montgomery was also pregnant in real life, episodes for season 2 were shot out of order. The camera angles attempted to minimize Mongtomery's real-life pregnancy and flashback' episodes later in the season enabled the recycling of selected Season One episodes as memories while Montgomery was taking maternity leave.
Avoiding the `floppy bow' maternity outfits that Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) had to wear on `I Love Lucy' and were still the common fashion for pregnant women into the 1970's , the maternity outfits on this season of Bewitched are infinitely more stylish
Children are a theme throughout this entire season. In "My grandson the warlock" Samantha's father Maurice (Maurice Evans) is led to believe that his grandchild is already born and thus proceeds to teach the baby which he finds at his daughter's house all about being a witch. The problem is that the baby really belongs to Darrin's boss, Larry Tate (David White), and the Stephens were only babysitting (no doubt to get used to having a kid in their house).
Although this episode replete with `London warlock club' trip was funny, Samantha's own father should have known that his daughter was not due until another couple of months or at least realized that he would have been told when she had given birth since they are on good terms.
"A strange little visitor" is a good example of an episode which used kids to get laughs and did not abandon the plot. Foreshadowing the premise of `Charmed', a witch used their magic to thwart criminals who would otherwise get away with stealing.
The episode is notable because it both acknowledged that crime also happens in the `safe' world of suburbia and Darrin explicitly had encouraged the young warlock named Merle Brocken (Craig Hundley) to use his witchcraft to scare the burglar off. Darrin thus concedes that being a witch is useful after all.
The season also alludes to combating prejudice against witches---and other social groups---in "Trick or Treat:" When Endora transforms Darrin into a werewolf after a disagreement, Samantha chides her mother for giving into the cultural stereotype of a witch as `mean'. Her daughter's reminder subsequently prompts Endora to relent and change him back. The `civil rights' metaphor is not as strong as it was in the first season however because the bulk of season two focuses on Samantha's pregnancy and delivery.
Samatha's impending childbirth `'softens' Endora. She actually thinks about sticking up for Darrin in "My boss the teddy bear" Because she threatened to turn Larry Tate (David White) into something for not allowing Darrin to leave for somebody else's wedding, Samantha and Darrin panic upon finding a teddy bear in the boss's office. All is restored to normal when we learn Larry had just stepped out and Endora left this in his office as a gift. Endora ultimately has a heart of gold beneath her gruff exterior.
Tabitha is finally born in "And then there were three".
After all of the adventures Samantha had during this season(including becoming REALLY sick in "Take two aspirin") Tabitha's `healthy' birth would be considered a miracle if script writers added a little more drama into this family sitcom. Laura and Heidi Gentry play in `Tabitha' role at this time; it (of course) eventually went to Erin and Dianne Murphy. This episode also marks the start of Elizabeth Montgomery's double role as the mischievous cousin `Serena'; even though it's only a wig and a voice change, seeing Montgomery's character versatility is still interesting.
Predictably, Tabitha's birth sets off competition among the grandparents. "The dancing bear" has a toymaker become so enamored with a spell-affected toy Endora gave Tabitha that he plans to market this product for the general public. Endora made a bear dance to so Tabitha would pick her present over what was being offered by Darrin's mom, Phyllis Stephens (Mabel Albertson). Samantha of course prevails and convinces the toymaker that dancing bears would be difficult to produce...etc. Samantha conveniently forgets to tell him that Tabitha's bear had moved only because it was placed under a spell. Tabitha ends up keeping the dancing bear but we do not see it again in the series.
Even the Kravitz's attempt to spoil Tabitha in "My baby, the tycoon". They give Tabitha a share of stock. Because she is too young to immediately appreciate the particular gift, it actually might have been the Kravitz's attempt to ingratiate themselves with the Stephens's---although it did not stop Mrs. Kravitz's legendary snooping. When Tabitha begins to `predict the stock market' initially making the Stephens very rich and causing the Kravitz's to loose a lot of money. Darrin believes that she might also be a witch. To his credit he is remarkably calm about the prospect and also loves her for herself.
Samantha is a `nice witch' but she is certainly not a `goody-goody'. "The magic cabin" has her change back a magic cabin to the original ramshackle state and put a spell over Charles and Alice McBain (played by Peter Duryea and Alice Hammond) which makes them believe that they are still in the glamorous environment they accidentally had observed Samantha and Darrin in.
The idea of `sweet' Samantha doing a `bait and switch' on an unsuspecting couple provides an interesting plot twist. Montgomery deserves yet more props for having her character not always act `perfect'.
The theoretically lighthearted "The horse's mouth" episode at the end of this season has a somber overtone because Alice Pearce died from ovarian cancer by the time it originally aired. A tribute to Pearce either in the series' original run or this releases extra features would have been nice, but overall the season is excellent. Like the first season, getting the black and white DVD is preferable to the colorized version.
Extras include another set of Bewitched outtakes and special effects secrets. Additionally, famous stars such as Charlie Ruggles (Bringing Up Baby), Robert Strauss (Stalag 17) and Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss (Best Actor, The Goodbye Girl, 1977) continue making their `guest role' cameos; look for a soon-to-be famous Maureen McCormick (Brady Bunch) in `Trick or Treat' playing the young Endora! An awesome Bewitched trivia game rounds out the official extras in this season release.
This season was (of course) showered with a stream of justly-deserved nominations and awards.
The impeccable class of Elizabeth Montgomery and company ensures that Bewitched-Season 2 enchants all viewers.
"Bewitched": One of My Favorite TV Shows of All Time
Between 1964 and 1972, TV audiences were mesmerized by a lovely fictional witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery, 1933-1995) who fell in love with an ordinary mortal named Darrin Stevens (for the first five seasons, played by Dick York, 1928-1992). Initially, Darrin didn't know that Samantha was a witch and was initially frightened by the prospect upon learning about it, but his love for Samantha was very strong. Equally in love with Darrin, Samantha promised not to use her powers and learn how to live as an ordinary mortal herself. However, Samantha periodically found that using a little witchcraft from time to time wasn't a bad thing; especially when one of her relatives that didn't approve of her marriage with Darrin decided to pay a visit. In particular, neither her mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead, 1900-1974), nor her father, Maurice (regularly returning guest actor Maurice Evans, 1901-1989), were particularly fond of Darrin and often referred to him as "What's His Name", "Dustbin", "Derwood" or some other unflattering name. However, Samantha's sensitive and very kind Aunt Clara (regularly returning guest actress Marion Lorne, 1883-1968), who had a penchant for collecting doorknobs, liked Darrin; but Darrin (and Samantha) would often get a little nervous when she paid a visit because her powers didn't always do what Aunt Clara expected. Three of Samantha's other aunts who would visit less frequently were Aunt Agatha (occasional returning guest actress Georgia Schmidt, 1904-1997), Aunt Bertha (occasional returning guest actress Reta Shaw, 1912-1982) and Aunt Hagatha (Diana Chesney). Then, there's Samantha's joke-loving Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde, 1926-1982) who made his first appearance in the second season. Recognizing the difficulties that could occur if other mortals found out that Samantha and her relatives were witches and warlocks, Darrin and Samantha do their very best to keep other mortals from learning their secret. This includes Darrin's boss Larry Tate (David White, 1916-1990), his wife Louise (played in the first two seasons by Irene Vernon, 1922-1998), Darrin's often-confused mother Phyllis (Mabel Albertson, 1901-1982) and his sensible father Frank (Robert F. Simon, 1908-1992). After Darrin and Samantha purchase their house in the fictitious neighborhood of "Morning Glory Circle", they must contend with a very nosy neighbor across the street by the name of Gladys Kravitz (first two seasons by Alice Pearce, 1917-1966); but her husband Abner (George Tobias, 1901-1980) always managed to keep her in check.
What made "Bewitched" such a wonderful show was the quality of the acting, the quality of the story writing (for at least the first 5 seasons), the very engaging and interesting characters and the comedy. Sadly, Dick York had to leave show due to health reasons following the fifth season; but the show continued to be produced for an additional 3 seasons with Darrin being played by Dick Sargent (1930-1994). Unfortunately, Dick Sargent wasn't as popular with fans as Dick York had been and in the closing seasons the writing began to suffer as stories from earlier seasons began to be repeated. Overall, though, the show was remarkably entertaining.
The second season had 38 wonderful episodes: "Alias Darrin Stephens" (Samantha is pregnant, but Aunt Clara accidentally turned Darrin into a chimpanzee); "A Very Special Delivery"; "We're in for a Bad Spell"; "My Grandson the Warlock" (Maurice mistakenly thinks that the Tates' baby is his grandson); "The Joker Is a Card" (Uncle Arthur is introduced); "Take Two Aspirins", "Trick or Treat" (Halloween with the Stevens); "The Very Informal Dress"; "...And Then I Wrote"; "Junior Executive"; "Aunt Clara's Old Flame"; "A Strange Little Visitor"; "My Boss the Teddy Bear" (Darrin thinks that Endora turned Larry into a teddy bear); "Speak the Truth" (Aunt Hagatha is introduced); "A Vision of Sugar Plums"; "The Magic Cabin" (one of my favorite episodes with Darrin & Samantha staying for the weekend in Larry's rundown cabin); "Maid to Order" (Alice Ghostley as the accident-prone maid Naomi before she would return in the sixth season as the better-known maid Esmerelda, replacing the deceased Marion Lorne's character of Aunt Clara as the witch with unpredictable powers); "And Then There Were Three" (Tabitha is born); "My Baby, The Tycoon"; "Samantha Meet the Folks"; "Fastest Gun on Madison Avenue"; "The Dancing Bear"; "Double Tate"; "Samantha the Dressmaker" (Samantha zaps up fancy dresses); "The Horse's Mouth" (Samantha turns a horse named Dolly into a human, played by Patty Regan, 1930-1996); "Baby's First Paragraph" (Gladys thinks that the infant Tabitha talk thanks to Endora); "The Leprechaun"; "Double Split"; "Disappearing Samantha"; "Follow That Witch" (two parts, a fantastic pair of episodes); "A Bum Raps"; "Divided He Falls"; "Man's Best Friend"; "The Catnapper"; "What Every Young Man Should Know"; "The Girl with the Golden Nose" and "Prodigy"
Overall, I rate "Bewitched: The Complete Second Season" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. Whether you decide to purchase it in its original black and white or colorized version, you'll be sure to enjoy each and every episode.
Related DVD's Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (B&W)
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