BEWITCHED: SEASON SEVEN
1970-1971
28 episodes
Season seven of Bewitched kicks things off with a trip to Salem (and it was actually filmed on location). Although the Salem episodes are a mixed bag at best, it does seem to get the show a little bit of a jolt from an energy standpoint. But the energy wanes from there and the show really starts to feel long in the tooth. Some of the episodes are a real chore to get through while others just feel pretty listless. Between Elizabeth Montgomery's growing boredom and Dick Sargent's general ineffectiveness, the show's center just doesn't work and we then get a bunch of Serena episodes and other silly plot lines instead of carefully constructed ideas.
Starring
Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens (28 episodes)
Dick Sargent as Darrin Stephens (28 episodes)
Agnes Moorehead as Endora (16 episodes)
David White as Larry Tate (21 episodes)
Erin Murphy as Tabitha Stephens (12 episodes)
David and Greg Lawrence as Adam Stephens (9 episodes)
Elizabeth Montgomery as Serena (7 episodes)
Sandra Gould as Gladys Kravitz (6 episodes)
George Tobias as Abner Kravitz (4 episodes)
Bernard Fox as Dr. Bombay (3 episodes)
Alice Ghostley as Esmeralda (3 episodes)
Kasey Rogers as Louise Tate (3 episodes)
Mabel Albertson as Phyllis Stephens (2 episodes)
Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur (1 episode)
Robert F. Simon as Frank Stephens (1 episode)
201. To Go or Not to Go, That is the Question Part 1 (9/24/70)
Endora convinces Samantha to go to Salem with her for a witch's meeting but when they decide Darrin is going to go too, they have to deal with the high priestess, Hepzibah.
Season seven of Bewitched kicks off with a redesign (and 70s looking update) to the Stephens house and the beginning of the Salem story arc. While season seven continues the decline overall, the Salem arc has some really good moments. They don't actually get to Salem here though as the episode spends its whole time dealing with Darrin as a frog at first and then the high priestess. Jane Connell is good as Hepzibah but the problem is we saw her do basically the exact same character when she was Queen Victoria approximately 100 episodes ago. I get that Connell plays this type of role well, but it's pretty noticeable with such a similar character. This is why shows today have show bibles.
RATING: 6.5/10
202. Salem, Here We Come Part 2 (10/1/70)
Samantha and Darrin wait for Hepzibah's decision regarding their trip to Salem and in the meantime, she gets to know more mortals like Larry and a client who is put on a spell to take a liking to her.
This two part episode seems like it easily could have been one episode because there's an awful lot of filler in this episode. And for that matter, did we really need the scenes in part one of Darrin being turned into a frog by Endora? There was a tight and interesting story in here, but it got bloated into two episodes that weakened both parts. Jane Connell is solid again and given a few more ways to expand her character than in the first part. The idea of her falling for a client was an interesting idea but by the time they got to it, they couldn't do all that much with it.
RATING: 5/10
1970-1971
28 episodes
Season seven of Bewitched kicks things off with a trip to Salem (and it was actually filmed on location). Although the Salem episodes are a mixed bag at best, it does seem to get the show a little bit of a jolt from an energy standpoint. But the energy wanes from there and the show really starts to feel long in the tooth. Some of the episodes are a real chore to get through while others just feel pretty listless. Between Elizabeth Montgomery's growing boredom and Dick Sargent's general ineffectiveness, the show's center just doesn't work and we then get a bunch of Serena episodes and other silly plot lines instead of carefully constructed ideas.
Starring
Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens (28 episodes)
Dick Sargent as Darrin Stephens (28 episodes)
Agnes Moorehead as Endora (16 episodes)
David White as Larry Tate (21 episodes)
Erin Murphy as Tabitha Stephens (12 episodes)
David and Greg Lawrence as Adam Stephens (9 episodes)
Elizabeth Montgomery as Serena (7 episodes)
Sandra Gould as Gladys Kravitz (6 episodes)
George Tobias as Abner Kravitz (4 episodes)
Bernard Fox as Dr. Bombay (3 episodes)
Alice Ghostley as Esmeralda (3 episodes)
Kasey Rogers as Louise Tate (3 episodes)
Mabel Albertson as Phyllis Stephens (2 episodes)
Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur (1 episode)
Robert F. Simon as Frank Stephens (1 episode)
Endora convinces Samantha to go to Salem with her for a witch's meeting but when they decide Darrin is going to go too, they have to deal with the high priestess, Hepzibah.
Season seven of Bewitched kicks off with a redesign (and 70s looking update) to the Stephens house and the beginning of the Salem story arc. While season seven continues the decline overall, the Salem arc has some really good moments. They don't actually get to Salem here though as the episode spends its whole time dealing with Darrin as a frog at first and then the high priestess. Jane Connell is good as Hepzibah but the problem is we saw her do basically the exact same character when she was Queen Victoria approximately 100 episodes ago. I get that Connell plays this type of role well, but it's pretty noticeable with such a similar character. This is why shows today have show bibles.
RATING: 6.5/10
202. Salem, Here We Come Part 2 (10/1/70)
Samantha and Darrin wait for Hepzibah's decision regarding their trip to Salem and in the meantime, she gets to know more mortals like Larry and a client who is put on a spell to take a liking to her.
This two part episode seems like it easily could have been one episode because there's an awful lot of filler in this episode. And for that matter, did we really need the scenes in part one of Darrin being turned into a frog by Endora? There was a tight and interesting story in here, but it got bloated into two episodes that weakened both parts. Jane Connell is solid again and given a few more ways to expand her character than in the first part. The idea of her falling for a client was an interesting idea but by the time they got to it, they couldn't do all that much with it.
RATING: 5/10
203. The Salem Saga Part 1 (10/8/70)
The Stephens arrive in Salem and have to deal with Endora's meddling and a bed warmer that won't leave them alone after a tour.
Bewitched finally gets itself to Salem but even then it has trouble settling into the plot with an unnecessarily long introduction with Endora causing havoc. Once it settles in though, the show begins the arc in earnest and the Salem episodes as a whole are the most inspired the show has been in awhile. Although this episode is a little reminiscent of season three's "Sam's Spooky Chair," the Salem setting makes things feel different enough. I do think they could have leaned in a little more to the Salem culture instead of the Endora stuff but oh well.
RATING: 6.5/10
204. Samantha's Hot Bed Warmer Part 2 (10/15/70)
Darrin is taken to jail for being a suspect in the theft of the bewitched bed warmer while it is discovered the bed warmer is a former flame of Serena's.
This episode starts well but stalls out about halfway through when it gets into the Serena stuff. I've come to the conclusion that maybe I'm just not a big fan of Serena aside from a few episodes (her early appearances and, of course, "Serena Stops the Show"). The early part of the episode with Darrin hauled off to jail (and another solid appearance with Dick Wilson) is good but I'm just not interested in the Serena backstory and wish they had a more creative and interesting resolution to the bed warmer problem.
RATING: 4.5/10
205. Darrin on a Pedestal (10/22/70)
While in Salem, Serena makes a statue come to life and he falls for her. In the meantime, she turns Darrin into the statue in his place.
This is a fun episode partly just because of a very different setting. The story is somewhat similar to a lot of Bewitched plots but there's a freshness here because they're in Salem. It was a good idea to actually film in Salem, not just have the characters visit there but still film at their regular soundstage. It also doesn't hurt that Dick Sargent's involvement is kept to a minimum since he spends a lot of the episode as a statue. My complaint here (as with so many Bewitched episodes in later years) is that the resolution feels pretty unsatisfying to a pretty decent setup.
RATING: 6/10
206. Paul Revere Rides Again (10/29/70)
While trying to help Samantha with a teapot for a client from Paul Revere's era, Esmeralda accidentally brings Paul Revere to present day Salem.
This is another historical figure episode so it's another one of the Bewitched tropes but just like the previous episode, the Salem setting gives it a bit of a jolt. There's also a wistfulness and sweetness to this episode that we don't usually see in these historical episodes. There's some really nice conversations between Samantha and Paul Revere and Bert Convy's interpretation of Paul Revere makes him quite likable and not a caricature. Even the resolution with the client at the end of the episode is solid. It's the the best Salem episode.
RATING: 8.5/10
207. Samantha's Bad Day in Salem (11/5/70)
A warlock who loves Samantha conjures up his own Samantha who is devoted only to him, which confuses both Larry and Darrin.
This is an okay episode that has a good, but thin, premise. How many times does Larry or Darrin need to run into the fake Samantha for the story to work? Whatever the answer is, it's less than they did in this episode. That's the biggest problem here - the premise is solid but there's just not enough. This was one of the better scenes at the Witches Council which usually plays pretty weird (likely intentionally). Also, doesn't one get the feeling that Larry is a little obsessed with Darrin at this point?
RATING: 6.5/10
208. Samantha's Old Salem Trip (11/12/70)
Esmeralda accidentally sends Samantha back to 17th century Salem without her powers and Darrin must go to rescue her.
This is an episode that works far better in concept than in practice. This is a show about witches after all and they just did an arc in Salem so a trip to old Salem at the time of the witch trials seems like a very natural and compelling plot. In practice though, it just doesn't work out as well as it should and seems like pale imitations of season five's superior "Samantha Goes South for a Spell" or season four's "Samantha's Thanksgiving to Remember." This just goes to show how lazy the Bewitched writing has gotten by season seven. They can't even bother to put a creative spin on an episode centered around an historical place for witches.
RATING: 4/10
209. Samantha's Pet Warlock (11/19/70)
An old flame of Samantha's visits and then turns himself into a dog to keep an eye on Darrin who is entertaining a dog-loving client.
This is a mildly entertaining episode as far as a "dog episode" goes. Despite being a dog lover, I am not usually a fan of dog episodes. But this has a pretty solid setup and a good performance from Edward Andrews as the dog-loving client. There's even a decently funny moment with Darrin and Larry as they try to explain Darrin's made-up dog to the client. It's one of the first times I thought Dick Sargent actually handled the comedy pretty well despite being over a year into his tenure.
RATING: 7.5/10
210. Samantha's Old Man (12/3/70)
Frustrated with their marriage, Endora turns Darrin into an old man and they have to pretend its Darrin's grandpa, Grover, after a run-in with the Tates.
This is a clever and enjoyable episode all the way around. It touches on an issue first explored in season one's "Eye of the Beholder," but it actually dives into it even more thoroughly. There's actually quite a bit of clever writing here (surprising for season seven) and it might be Dick Sargent's best episode in his entire run. Now of course, that could also be considered problematic since he is not actually playing Darrin. But his interpretation of Grover works better and there's a clever plot with the Tates plus one of the sweeter Darrin-Samantha scenes in several seasons to close the episode. It's a pretty inspired effort overall.
RATING: 9.5/10
211. The Corsican Cousins (12/10/70)
Endora puts a spell on Samantha that makes her feel everything Serena is feeling as Serena is on a date with a warlock and Samantha has to impress country club members.
After a great episode, Bewitched follows it up with a super bizarre one that doesn't play nearly as well. The concept is interesting with Samantha feeling everything Serena is feeling, but the episode is awkwardly put together. There are some funny moments by Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha (dancing in the grocery store and playing drunk) but the splices to Serena on her date just give the episode a jarring feel and it doesn't flow nicely at all. I think this concept could have worked better if they had a better plan for incorporating or transitioning to the Serena scenes.
RATING: 6/10
212. Samantha's Magic Potion (12/17/70)
When Darrin is feeling down about work and worrying that he is under a spell, Samantha creates a fake potion to boost his confidence.
This is an interesting episode and it's pretty well-executed. In some ways, it feels like an earlier Bewitched plot because it's more grounded in a well-constructed story. The idea that Darrin is failing at work and not because of witchcraft leads the show to deal with some of the central themes - is it worth it to just get everything you want when you want it? Charles Lane is always enjoyable, but I feel as though he's made one too many appearances as a client by this point. He's so memorable as an actor that playing this type of client yet again feels redundant. Still, it's a pretty solid episode.
RATING: 8/10
213. Sisters at Heart (12/24/70)
A black girl stays with the Stephens for the holidays and Tabitha wishes they were sisters leading to spots appearing on both of their faces.
This was a famous Bewitched episode because the story came from a 10th grade Los Angeles high school English class. The episode veers a little too far down the "very special episode" path for its to fully work for me. It almost seems like Bewitched was realizing it had entered the 70s and was trying to suddenly be more relevant. The irony is that Bewitched always had themes of prejudice within its plot and dealt with it occasionally in subtle and clever ways. This one is a little bit too overt but the motives are good and that has to count for something. There's also a blackface scene that surely will upset some. I get that, but I think intention is important. Yes, it's very clumsy but this was 1970's attempt at preaching tolerance and acceptance. Even though it wouldn't fly now for good reason, they were trying to do good and were not using blackface for humor or derogatory reasons. Would the better choice have been to not do it at all? Of course. But I'm not going to condemn a show that is 50+ years old for that like I would if a show chose to do that now.
RATING: 6.5/10
214. Mother-in-Law of the Year (1/14/71)
Endora gets involved with Darrin's campaign by suggesting a Mothers-in-Law Day and then becomes the spokesperson for the campaign.
This episode has some good moments and is a great showcase for Agnes Moorehead. She helps to rescue a flimsy plot and an unsatisfying resolution. It's almost as if the Bewitched writers decided they wanted to get Endora to appear in an ad campaign and the only thing they could think was to loosely tie it to a "Mothers-in-Law Day." Then, there is the resolution where Samantha and Endora trade off impersonating one another and it never quite gets the comedy or plot development that it should. So it's a decent performance from Moorehead but not enough to keep it from being a ho-hum episode.
RATING: 5.5/10
215. Mary the Good Fairy Part 1 (1/21/71)
Tabitha loses a tooth and the Stephens are visited by Mary the Tooth Fairy who gets drunk and ends up wanting to stay with the Stephens.
I know this two part episode has some fans thanks to Imogene Coca's guest appearance. She is memorable, but I have never been a big fan of these episodes because I find Coca's Mary more annoying than funny or interesting. It also shows where we are with Bewitched in season seven because this feels like a little kid storyline and Bewitched was veering more and more in that direction. After the initial sequences with Mary, the show also comes to a grinding halt as it feels like very little happens in the rest of the episode.
RATING: 3.5/10
216. The Good Fairy Strikes Again Part 2 (1/28/71)
After taking a break, Mary the Good Fairy has decided to quit her job and tries to pass off the job to Samantha.
The conclusion to the tooth fairy episode meanders even a little more off course than part one. There's more of Imogene Coca's insanely overplayed version of Mary but then we also delve into a pretty bad plot involving Larry and a client where Samantha has to cover up her "fairy outfit." It plays way too long and isn't very funny. There is a decent resolution with Mary but it doesn't make up for two straight dull episodes. It was a thin plot that also felt overstuffed. I know that may not make sense, but that is the best explanation I can give. I will admit that watching this back, I could have sworn there were more "drunk Mary" scenes than there actually are.
RATING: 3/10
217. The Return of Darrin the Bold (2/4/71)
Serena goes back to the 14th century to see Darrin the Bold in an effort by her and Endora to give Darrin warlock powers.
This is a bizarre episode. I wasn't a big fan of Dick York's Darrin the Bold in season three and Dick Sargent is even less funny. This is a bad example of construction of an episode because the show oddly jumps around from Darrin the Bold to Darrin now to a situation with Serena to a situation with a neighbor. I just don't understand how a show that was so good at tight storytelling early on in its run can do episodes like this. There just doesn't seem to be any planning that goes into episodes like this. It's like they had four different writers working on this episode and not talking to each other.
RATING: 3/10
218. The House That Uncle Arthur Built (2/11/71)
Uncle Arthur brings a fiancee to the Stephens' house but tries to contain himself because she doesn't like practical jokes.
After a couple real clunkers, this is not a terrible episode and probably the best showcase for Paul Lynde on the series in quite awhile. It's also Lynde's final appearance on the show. Unlike the last couple episodes, the plotting is much better here and there is more motivation for the client scenes to allow for a more cohesive plot. Lynde does some really good work here as the lovesick Uncle Arthur and I actually think an entire episode could have been built on that premise without the client part of the episode, but including that does allow for some funny sight gags with the pranks.
RATING: 7.5/10
219. Samantha and the Troll (2/18/71)
When Samantha deals with an issue with her powers, Serena fills in as Samantha for a dinner party and keeps flirting with the client.
Yet another "Serena fills in for Samantha" episode. This isn't a terrible episode but it's such a tired plot point for Bewitched at this point. It seems like we are getting a ton of Serena now, likely because Elizabeth Montgomery has grown tired of playing Samantha. It is one of the better Serena appearances with some funny moments, but we've seen this type of episode done better with season four's wonderful "Double, Double Toil and Trouble." It's weird that this episode is titled "Samantha and the Troll" considering both Samantha and the Troll play a very small part in this episode and a majority of it deals with Serena, Darrin and the client.
RATING: 6/10
220. This Little Piggie (2/25/71)
Endora puts a spell on Darrin that makes him unable to make up his mind about anything.
This is a super obnoxious episode from start to finish. First, there is a whole lot of Dick Sargent being under a spell and playing it unconvincingly. Then there's the horribly unfunny part with Darrin in a pig mask that looks like it belongs in some kind of horror movie. Then there is a very hastily and poorly written out ending. Among the many ways Bewitched deteriorated over the years is Endora goes from being an interesting and meddling enchantress to a petulant woman who seems to pick on Darrin for next to no reason. That's a far less interesting character to watch.
RATING: 1.5/10
221. Mixed Doubles (3/4/71)
Samantha and Louise switch places mysteriously through witchcraft, and Samantha is the only one who can see it.
I like a good mistaken identity episode and this is a pretty ambitious episode as far as season seven of Bewitched goes, but it doesn't put it all together unfortunately. I think part of the problem was that only Samantha knew about the switch so she was stuck with interacting with Endora and Dr. Bombay to figure out the problem. If Samantha and Darrin knew about it, there could have been more of a madcap rush to figure it out, but there didn't seem to be an urgency here with the plot because what really would have changed? Darrin, Larry, and Louise were all on the same page so it didn't seem like anything needed to be fixed quickly.
RATING: 4.5/10
222. Darrin Goes Ape (3/11/71)
Serena turns Darrin into a gorilla and Samantha tries to keep Gladys and police officers at bay from finding him.
This is an obnoxious episode. First of all, we've already seen Darrin in the monkey family (season two's "Alias Darrin Stephens"). Secondly, this just amounts to one long chase of the gorilla and Serena is barely seen despite being central to the whole reason Darrin is a gorilla in the first place. The action just shifts from the Stephens house to the police officers to the Kravitzes and back around again. It's just an excuse to get a giant gorilla running around in an episode, not an interesting or well-crafted story. This is the last appearance by George Tobias, who sadly became a pretty forgettable character in later years after so many wonderful appearances with Alice Pearce in the black and white seasons.
RATING: 2/10
223. Money Happy Returns (3/18/71)
Darrin finds a bag full of $100,000 and is convinced that Endora is behind it after she called him cheap.
This is a better episode than the last couple and one reason is that it's predicated on a misunderstanding and that drives the action forward. Rather than Endora simply being behind the cash, it's better to have Darrin think it's Endora as the real owner tries to get the cash back. That leads to a lot more happening in the plot. The added misunderstanding between Larry and Darrin and a fight between Samantha and Darrin makes for a lot happening in this episode. A whole lot better than an entire episode spent chasing a gorilla!
RATING: 7/10
224. Out of the Mouths of Babes (3/25/71)
After an argument with Darrin, Endora changes him into a little boy.
We're in the era of many Bewitched episodes being remakes of earlier ones. This is quite obviously a very similar plot to season two's "Junior Executive." But they try to do a few different things and every choice they make is inferior to season two's choices. First of all, keeping the young boy with an altered version of Darrin's voice was a very odd choice. Secondly, the whole reason for Darrin being under a spell was simply "a fight with Endora" instead of a more organic story (remember, season two was all about pregnant Samantha wanting to know what Darrin was like as a boy). Sigh. These later episodes are a shell of what the show once was.
RATING: 4/10
225. Sam's Psychic Pslip (4/1/71)
After Darrin gives Samantha a bracelet, she suddenly develops an issue where something happens every time she hiccups: either bicycles appear or things disappear.
What even is this episode? At this point, the plots have gotten so madcap and silly that they are possibly worse than the many "dumb-coms" of the 1960s. This episode includes a bizarre floating object, a goat, Serena, Dr. Bombay, and a plethora of bicycles. What would season one and two Bewitched say about this when they were doing something totally different from the other silly sitcoms of the era? I've always groaned when Dr. Bombay pops up but we're at the point where I'm having the same reaction to Serena appearing.
RATING: 1/10
226. Samantha's Magic Mirror (4/8/71)
Esmeralda is feeling down about her looks and life so Samantha gives her a makeover with help from a magic mirror to boost her confidence.
Before the opening credits roll, we have an elephant in the Stephens' living room and I'm rolling my eyes again. But this is actually a better episode than the last several and perhaps the best Esmeralda episode even if it's a little bit of a copy from the season two Aunt Clara-themed "Aunt Clara's Old Flame." It is aided immensely by the presence of Tom Bosley as Esmeralda's beau. He brings his usual charm and warmth that helps the episode succeed despite some more fantastical elements. I also feel like they're practically turning Larry Tate into Gladys Kravitz in these episodes as he is straight up witnessing witchcraft on a regular basis and that was never his character's purpose.
RATING: 7/10
227. Laugh, Clown, Laugh (4/15/71)
Endora puts a spell on Darrin that makes him first tell very bad jokes and then laugh at the most inopportune times.
Another episode, another Endora spell. I would have been much more interested in seeing Dick York do this episode because he could have hammed it up and made it enjoyable. But when it's Dick Sargent with the reins, it becomes awkward. He should not be asked to do major comedy episodes like this one because his laughing, joke-telling Darrin was more scary than anything. He looked like he was possessed. York would have been manic and over the top, but in a funny way. The rotating cast of clients (Charles Lane in this one) has gotten old at this point but there is a short appearance by Marcia Wallace as a secretary just over a year before she became a famous one on The Bob Newhart Show. This is Sandra Gould's final appearance on the show. Many recurring characters were not seen in season eight.
RATING: 3/10
228. Samantha and the Antique Doll (4/22/71)
Tabitha puts a spell on an antique doll from Phyllis and when Phyllis sees it moving around, she believes she has developed supernatural powers.
Bewitched has mined a lot of comedy from the concept of a mortal thinking they have powers. This isn't the best episode in that category, but it's not a terrible way to end a lackluster season. It also features the return of Robert F. Simon as Frank Stephens. He hadn't played the role since season three as Roy Roberts had taken over for several years. I'm not sure what the reason was for the switch to Roberts in the first place or the switch back to Simon. Either way, Mabel Albertson has a couple funny moments here especially as she is setting up the seance. Although Robert F. Simon had just returned, this is the last appearance of Darrin's parents.
RATING: 6/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON SEVEN:
5.3/10
The Best Episodes
1. "Samantha's Old Man" (#210) - 9.5/10
2. "Paul Revere Rides Again" (#206) - 8.5/10
3. "Samantha's Magic Potion" (#212) - 8/10
4. "The House That Uncle Arthur Built" (#218) - 7.5/10
5. "Samantha's Pet Warlock" (#209) - 7.5/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Sam's Pyschic Pslip" (#225) - 1/10
2. "This Little Piggie" (#220) - 1.5/10
3. "Darrin Goes Ape" (#222) - 2/10
4. "The Return of Darrin the Bold" (#217) - 3/10
5. "The Good Fairy Strikes Again" Part 2 (#216) - 3/10
The Stephens arrive in Salem and have to deal with Endora's meddling and a bed warmer that won't leave them alone after a tour.
Bewitched finally gets itself to Salem but even then it has trouble settling into the plot with an unnecessarily long introduction with Endora causing havoc. Once it settles in though, the show begins the arc in earnest and the Salem episodes as a whole are the most inspired the show has been in awhile. Although this episode is a little reminiscent of season three's "Sam's Spooky Chair," the Salem setting makes things feel different enough. I do think they could have leaned in a little more to the Salem culture instead of the Endora stuff but oh well.
RATING: 6.5/10
204. Samantha's Hot Bed Warmer Part 2 (10/15/70)
Darrin is taken to jail for being a suspect in the theft of the bewitched bed warmer while it is discovered the bed warmer is a former flame of Serena's.
This episode starts well but stalls out about halfway through when it gets into the Serena stuff. I've come to the conclusion that maybe I'm just not a big fan of Serena aside from a few episodes (her early appearances and, of course, "Serena Stops the Show"). The early part of the episode with Darrin hauled off to jail (and another solid appearance with Dick Wilson) is good but I'm just not interested in the Serena backstory and wish they had a more creative and interesting resolution to the bed warmer problem.
RATING: 4.5/10
While in Salem, Serena makes a statue come to life and he falls for her. In the meantime, she turns Darrin into the statue in his place.
This is a fun episode partly just because of a very different setting. The story is somewhat similar to a lot of Bewitched plots but there's a freshness here because they're in Salem. It was a good idea to actually film in Salem, not just have the characters visit there but still film at their regular soundstage. It also doesn't hurt that Dick Sargent's involvement is kept to a minimum since he spends a lot of the episode as a statue. My complaint here (as with so many Bewitched episodes in later years) is that the resolution feels pretty unsatisfying to a pretty decent setup.
RATING: 6/10
206. Paul Revere Rides Again (10/29/70)
While trying to help Samantha with a teapot for a client from Paul Revere's era, Esmeralda accidentally brings Paul Revere to present day Salem.
This is another historical figure episode so it's another one of the Bewitched tropes but just like the previous episode, the Salem setting gives it a bit of a jolt. There's also a wistfulness and sweetness to this episode that we don't usually see in these historical episodes. There's some really nice conversations between Samantha and Paul Revere and Bert Convy's interpretation of Paul Revere makes him quite likable and not a caricature. Even the resolution with the client at the end of the episode is solid. It's the the best Salem episode.
RATING: 8.5/10
207. Samantha's Bad Day in Salem (11/5/70)
A warlock who loves Samantha conjures up his own Samantha who is devoted only to him, which confuses both Larry and Darrin.
This is an okay episode that has a good, but thin, premise. How many times does Larry or Darrin need to run into the fake Samantha for the story to work? Whatever the answer is, it's less than they did in this episode. That's the biggest problem here - the premise is solid but there's just not enough. This was one of the better scenes at the Witches Council which usually plays pretty weird (likely intentionally). Also, doesn't one get the feeling that Larry is a little obsessed with Darrin at this point?
RATING: 6.5/10
208. Samantha's Old Salem Trip (11/12/70)
Esmeralda accidentally sends Samantha back to 17th century Salem without her powers and Darrin must go to rescue her.
This is an episode that works far better in concept than in practice. This is a show about witches after all and they just did an arc in Salem so a trip to old Salem at the time of the witch trials seems like a very natural and compelling plot. In practice though, it just doesn't work out as well as it should and seems like pale imitations of season five's superior "Samantha Goes South for a Spell" or season four's "Samantha's Thanksgiving to Remember." This just goes to show how lazy the Bewitched writing has gotten by season seven. They can't even bother to put a creative spin on an episode centered around an historical place for witches.
RATING: 4/10
209. Samantha's Pet Warlock (11/19/70)
An old flame of Samantha's visits and then turns himself into a dog to keep an eye on Darrin who is entertaining a dog-loving client.
This is a mildly entertaining episode as far as a "dog episode" goes. Despite being a dog lover, I am not usually a fan of dog episodes. But this has a pretty solid setup and a good performance from Edward Andrews as the dog-loving client. There's even a decently funny moment with Darrin and Larry as they try to explain Darrin's made-up dog to the client. It's one of the first times I thought Dick Sargent actually handled the comedy pretty well despite being over a year into his tenure.
RATING: 7.5/10
Frustrated with their marriage, Endora turns Darrin into an old man and they have to pretend its Darrin's grandpa, Grover, after a run-in with the Tates.
This is a clever and enjoyable episode all the way around. It touches on an issue first explored in season one's "Eye of the Beholder," but it actually dives into it even more thoroughly. There's actually quite a bit of clever writing here (surprising for season seven) and it might be Dick Sargent's best episode in his entire run. Now of course, that could also be considered problematic since he is not actually playing Darrin. But his interpretation of Grover works better and there's a clever plot with the Tates plus one of the sweeter Darrin-Samantha scenes in several seasons to close the episode. It's a pretty inspired effort overall.
RATING: 9.5/10
211. The Corsican Cousins (12/10/70)
Endora puts a spell on Samantha that makes her feel everything Serena is feeling as Serena is on a date with a warlock and Samantha has to impress country club members.
After a great episode, Bewitched follows it up with a super bizarre one that doesn't play nearly as well. The concept is interesting with Samantha feeling everything Serena is feeling, but the episode is awkwardly put together. There are some funny moments by Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha (dancing in the grocery store and playing drunk) but the splices to Serena on her date just give the episode a jarring feel and it doesn't flow nicely at all. I think this concept could have worked better if they had a better plan for incorporating or transitioning to the Serena scenes.
RATING: 6/10
212. Samantha's Magic Potion (12/17/70)
When Darrin is feeling down about work and worrying that he is under a spell, Samantha creates a fake potion to boost his confidence.
This is an interesting episode and it's pretty well-executed. In some ways, it feels like an earlier Bewitched plot because it's more grounded in a well-constructed story. The idea that Darrin is failing at work and not because of witchcraft leads the show to deal with some of the central themes - is it worth it to just get everything you want when you want it? Charles Lane is always enjoyable, but I feel as though he's made one too many appearances as a client by this point. He's so memorable as an actor that playing this type of client yet again feels redundant. Still, it's a pretty solid episode.
RATING: 8/10
A black girl stays with the Stephens for the holidays and Tabitha wishes they were sisters leading to spots appearing on both of their faces.
This was a famous Bewitched episode because the story came from a 10th grade Los Angeles high school English class. The episode veers a little too far down the "very special episode" path for its to fully work for me. It almost seems like Bewitched was realizing it had entered the 70s and was trying to suddenly be more relevant. The irony is that Bewitched always had themes of prejudice within its plot and dealt with it occasionally in subtle and clever ways. This one is a little bit too overt but the motives are good and that has to count for something. There's also a blackface scene that surely will upset some. I get that, but I think intention is important. Yes, it's very clumsy but this was 1970's attempt at preaching tolerance and acceptance. Even though it wouldn't fly now for good reason, they were trying to do good and were not using blackface for humor or derogatory reasons. Would the better choice have been to not do it at all? Of course. But I'm not going to condemn a show that is 50+ years old for that like I would if a show chose to do that now.
RATING: 6.5/10
214. Mother-in-Law of the Year (1/14/71)
Endora gets involved with Darrin's campaign by suggesting a Mothers-in-Law Day and then becomes the spokesperson for the campaign.
This episode has some good moments and is a great showcase for Agnes Moorehead. She helps to rescue a flimsy plot and an unsatisfying resolution. It's almost as if the Bewitched writers decided they wanted to get Endora to appear in an ad campaign and the only thing they could think was to loosely tie it to a "Mothers-in-Law Day." Then, there is the resolution where Samantha and Endora trade off impersonating one another and it never quite gets the comedy or plot development that it should. So it's a decent performance from Moorehead but not enough to keep it from being a ho-hum episode.
RATING: 5.5/10
215. Mary the Good Fairy Part 1 (1/21/71)
Tabitha loses a tooth and the Stephens are visited by Mary the Tooth Fairy who gets drunk and ends up wanting to stay with the Stephens.
I know this two part episode has some fans thanks to Imogene Coca's guest appearance. She is memorable, but I have never been a big fan of these episodes because I find Coca's Mary more annoying than funny or interesting. It also shows where we are with Bewitched in season seven because this feels like a little kid storyline and Bewitched was veering more and more in that direction. After the initial sequences with Mary, the show also comes to a grinding halt as it feels like very little happens in the rest of the episode.
RATING: 3.5/10
After taking a break, Mary the Good Fairy has decided to quit her job and tries to pass off the job to Samantha.
The conclusion to the tooth fairy episode meanders even a little more off course than part one. There's more of Imogene Coca's insanely overplayed version of Mary but then we also delve into a pretty bad plot involving Larry and a client where Samantha has to cover up her "fairy outfit." It plays way too long and isn't very funny. There is a decent resolution with Mary but it doesn't make up for two straight dull episodes. It was a thin plot that also felt overstuffed. I know that may not make sense, but that is the best explanation I can give. I will admit that watching this back, I could have sworn there were more "drunk Mary" scenes than there actually are.
RATING: 3/10
217. The Return of Darrin the Bold (2/4/71)
Serena goes back to the 14th century to see Darrin the Bold in an effort by her and Endora to give Darrin warlock powers.
This is a bizarre episode. I wasn't a big fan of Dick York's Darrin the Bold in season three and Dick Sargent is even less funny. This is a bad example of construction of an episode because the show oddly jumps around from Darrin the Bold to Darrin now to a situation with Serena to a situation with a neighbor. I just don't understand how a show that was so good at tight storytelling early on in its run can do episodes like this. There just doesn't seem to be any planning that goes into episodes like this. It's like they had four different writers working on this episode and not talking to each other.
RATING: 3/10
218. The House That Uncle Arthur Built (2/11/71)
Uncle Arthur brings a fiancee to the Stephens' house but tries to contain himself because she doesn't like practical jokes.
After a couple real clunkers, this is not a terrible episode and probably the best showcase for Paul Lynde on the series in quite awhile. It's also Lynde's final appearance on the show. Unlike the last couple episodes, the plotting is much better here and there is more motivation for the client scenes to allow for a more cohesive plot. Lynde does some really good work here as the lovesick Uncle Arthur and I actually think an entire episode could have been built on that premise without the client part of the episode, but including that does allow for some funny sight gags with the pranks.
RATING: 7.5/10
When Samantha deals with an issue with her powers, Serena fills in as Samantha for a dinner party and keeps flirting with the client.
Yet another "Serena fills in for Samantha" episode. This isn't a terrible episode but it's such a tired plot point for Bewitched at this point. It seems like we are getting a ton of Serena now, likely because Elizabeth Montgomery has grown tired of playing Samantha. It is one of the better Serena appearances with some funny moments, but we've seen this type of episode done better with season four's wonderful "Double, Double Toil and Trouble." It's weird that this episode is titled "Samantha and the Troll" considering both Samantha and the Troll play a very small part in this episode and a majority of it deals with Serena, Darrin and the client.
RATING: 6/10
220. This Little Piggie (2/25/71)
Endora puts a spell on Darrin that makes him unable to make up his mind about anything.
This is a super obnoxious episode from start to finish. First, there is a whole lot of Dick Sargent being under a spell and playing it unconvincingly. Then there's the horribly unfunny part with Darrin in a pig mask that looks like it belongs in some kind of horror movie. Then there is a very hastily and poorly written out ending. Among the many ways Bewitched deteriorated over the years is Endora goes from being an interesting and meddling enchantress to a petulant woman who seems to pick on Darrin for next to no reason. That's a far less interesting character to watch.
RATING: 1.5/10
221. Mixed Doubles (3/4/71)
Samantha and Louise switch places mysteriously through witchcraft, and Samantha is the only one who can see it.
I like a good mistaken identity episode and this is a pretty ambitious episode as far as season seven of Bewitched goes, but it doesn't put it all together unfortunately. I think part of the problem was that only Samantha knew about the switch so she was stuck with interacting with Endora and Dr. Bombay to figure out the problem. If Samantha and Darrin knew about it, there could have been more of a madcap rush to figure it out, but there didn't seem to be an urgency here with the plot because what really would have changed? Darrin, Larry, and Louise were all on the same page so it didn't seem like anything needed to be fixed quickly.
RATING: 4.5/10
222. Darrin Goes Ape (3/11/71)
Serena turns Darrin into a gorilla and Samantha tries to keep Gladys and police officers at bay from finding him.
This is an obnoxious episode. First of all, we've already seen Darrin in the monkey family (season two's "Alias Darrin Stephens"). Secondly, this just amounts to one long chase of the gorilla and Serena is barely seen despite being central to the whole reason Darrin is a gorilla in the first place. The action just shifts from the Stephens house to the police officers to the Kravitzes and back around again. It's just an excuse to get a giant gorilla running around in an episode, not an interesting or well-crafted story. This is the last appearance by George Tobias, who sadly became a pretty forgettable character in later years after so many wonderful appearances with Alice Pearce in the black and white seasons.
RATING: 2/10
Darrin finds a bag full of $100,000 and is convinced that Endora is behind it after she called him cheap.
This is a better episode than the last couple and one reason is that it's predicated on a misunderstanding and that drives the action forward. Rather than Endora simply being behind the cash, it's better to have Darrin think it's Endora as the real owner tries to get the cash back. That leads to a lot more happening in the plot. The added misunderstanding between Larry and Darrin and a fight between Samantha and Darrin makes for a lot happening in this episode. A whole lot better than an entire episode spent chasing a gorilla!
RATING: 7/10
224. Out of the Mouths of Babes (3/25/71)
After an argument with Darrin, Endora changes him into a little boy.
We're in the era of many Bewitched episodes being remakes of earlier ones. This is quite obviously a very similar plot to season two's "Junior Executive." But they try to do a few different things and every choice they make is inferior to season two's choices. First of all, keeping the young boy with an altered version of Darrin's voice was a very odd choice. Secondly, the whole reason for Darrin being under a spell was simply "a fight with Endora" instead of a more organic story (remember, season two was all about pregnant Samantha wanting to know what Darrin was like as a boy). Sigh. These later episodes are a shell of what the show once was.
RATING: 4/10
225. Sam's Psychic Pslip (4/1/71)
After Darrin gives Samantha a bracelet, she suddenly develops an issue where something happens every time she hiccups: either bicycles appear or things disappear.
What even is this episode? At this point, the plots have gotten so madcap and silly that they are possibly worse than the many "dumb-coms" of the 1960s. This episode includes a bizarre floating object, a goat, Serena, Dr. Bombay, and a plethora of bicycles. What would season one and two Bewitched say about this when they were doing something totally different from the other silly sitcoms of the era? I've always groaned when Dr. Bombay pops up but we're at the point where I'm having the same reaction to Serena appearing.
RATING: 1/10
226. Samantha's Magic Mirror (4/8/71)
Esmeralda is feeling down about her looks and life so Samantha gives her a makeover with help from a magic mirror to boost her confidence.
Before the opening credits roll, we have an elephant in the Stephens' living room and I'm rolling my eyes again. But this is actually a better episode than the last several and perhaps the best Esmeralda episode even if it's a little bit of a copy from the season two Aunt Clara-themed "Aunt Clara's Old Flame." It is aided immensely by the presence of Tom Bosley as Esmeralda's beau. He brings his usual charm and warmth that helps the episode succeed despite some more fantastical elements. I also feel like they're practically turning Larry Tate into Gladys Kravitz in these episodes as he is straight up witnessing witchcraft on a regular basis and that was never his character's purpose.
RATING: 7/10
227. Laugh, Clown, Laugh (4/15/71)
Endora puts a spell on Darrin that makes him first tell very bad jokes and then laugh at the most inopportune times.
Another episode, another Endora spell. I would have been much more interested in seeing Dick York do this episode because he could have hammed it up and made it enjoyable. But when it's Dick Sargent with the reins, it becomes awkward. He should not be asked to do major comedy episodes like this one because his laughing, joke-telling Darrin was more scary than anything. He looked like he was possessed. York would have been manic and over the top, but in a funny way. The rotating cast of clients (Charles Lane in this one) has gotten old at this point but there is a short appearance by Marcia Wallace as a secretary just over a year before she became a famous one on The Bob Newhart Show. This is Sandra Gould's final appearance on the show. Many recurring characters were not seen in season eight.
RATING: 3/10
Tabitha puts a spell on an antique doll from Phyllis and when Phyllis sees it moving around, she believes she has developed supernatural powers.
Bewitched has mined a lot of comedy from the concept of a mortal thinking they have powers. This isn't the best episode in that category, but it's not a terrible way to end a lackluster season. It also features the return of Robert F. Simon as Frank Stephens. He hadn't played the role since season three as Roy Roberts had taken over for several years. I'm not sure what the reason was for the switch to Roberts in the first place or the switch back to Simon. Either way, Mabel Albertson has a couple funny moments here especially as she is setting up the seance. Although Robert F. Simon had just returned, this is the last appearance of Darrin's parents.
RATING: 6/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON SEVEN:
5.3/10
The Best Episodes
1. "Samantha's Old Man" (#210) - 9.5/10
2. "Paul Revere Rides Again" (#206) - 8.5/10
3. "Samantha's Magic Potion" (#212) - 8/10
4. "The House That Uncle Arthur Built" (#218) - 7.5/10
5. "Samantha's Pet Warlock" (#209) - 7.5/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Sam's Pyschic Pslip" (#225) - 1/10
2. "This Little Piggie" (#220) - 1.5/10
3. "Darrin Goes Ape" (#222) - 2/10
4. "The Return of Darrin the Bold" (#217) - 3/10
5. "The Good Fairy Strikes Again" Part 2 (#216) - 3/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week!
Next Thursday: A look at the eighth and final season of Bewitched!
In Mixed Doubles, there would have been urgency to solve the problem if you are worried about Darren sleeping with Louise, or Samantha being pursued by Larry.
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