9-10: Exceptional
7-8: Strong
5-6: OK
3-4: Mediocre
1-2: Terrible
BEWITCHED: SEASON FOUR
1967-196833 episodes
Season four of Bewitched is the first sign of some cracks in the armor. There are still some really great episodes here, but there are also some exceedingly silly ones. It seems as though the show is starting to run out of really good storytelling and starting to resort to more gimmicks (we have more "witch disease" and "Endora puts a spell on Darrin for no real reason" types of episodes than in seasons past). The balance is still alright, but it's starting to tip. There is clearly a step down from season three, but it's just not as far as it eventually falls. Dick York also misses four episodes and episodes without him rarely work.
Starring
Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens (33 episodes)
Dick York as Darrin Stephens (29 episodes)
Agnes Moorehead as Endora (18 episodes)
David White as Larry Tate (23 episodes)
Erin Murphy as Tabitha Stephens (21 episodes)
Kasey Rogers as Louise Tate (9 episodes)
Sandra Gould as Gladys Kravitz (8 episodes)
Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara (8 episodes)
George Tobias as Abner Kravitz (7 episodes)
Mabel Albertson as Phyllis Stephens (3 episodes)
Jill Foster as Betty (3 episodes)
Bernard Fox as Dr. Bombay (3 episodes)
Elizabeth Montgomery as Serena (3 episodes)
Roy Roberts as Frank Stephens (2 episodes)
Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur (1 episode)
The Queen of the Witches abdicates her throne and Samantha is chosen as the new queen.
The kickoff to Season 4 begins a new storyline for Bewitched where Samantha becomes queen of the witches. It seems like it's going to be a recurring theme with the setup here but it only ended up being addressed in one more episode. Although it would have been more interesting if it had actually turned into a full blown narrative arc, it is an interesting episode to see the inner workings of the witches. It's also a good source of tension between Darrin and Samantha that allows Darrin to figure out that he's in the wrong on his own.
RATING: 8/10
109. Toys in Babeland (9/14/67)
Endora gets called away while babysitting Tabitha so she brings some of her toys to life to sit with Tabitha.
This is an odd episode that's a little all over the place. The first part is pretty dumb with the toys coming to life. It's also out of character for Endora, who is usually such a doting grandmother, to leave Tabitha with a doll that has come to life. But it does get better when Larry gets involved and thinks Darrin is trying to start a rival ad agency. It all stays a little bit too bizarre to be a strong episode but it does end up being better than it first appeared.
RATING: 6.5/10
110. Business, Italian Style (9/21/67)
When Darrin tries to learn Italian for a client, Endora makes him fluent in Italian without being able to speak English anymore.
This is an episode that is a little bit of a one trick pony that gets tiring after awhile. The idea of Endora making Darrin fluent in Italian is a little flimsy but a decent premise in theory. However, it seems like the entire episode is just one language barrier joke or situation after another. While Dick York does a good job with the Italian accent, the humor in it wears thin after a very short time. It's one of the more boring episodes of Bewitched to date and they could have done more with it. If this had been done in season one or two, I think there would have been a better constructed plot.
RATING: 3/10
When Darrin makes Samantha stop attending to her royal duties, Endora gets mad and summons Serena to impersonate Samantha in order to get Darrin to leave.
Perhaps the funnest episode of the season, this episode has a lot of comedy and plot and marks the triumphant return of Serena, who was last season in Tabitha's birth episode of season two. Elizabeth Montgomery is quite obviously having a blast playing both Serena and Serena's version of Samantha. This episode also has quite a moment of Serena's Samantha kissing Larry Tate and we also see the Stephens' laundry room for the first and only time. This is also the first time that I think the show effectively uses Sandra Gould's Gladys in the plot after not quite knowing what to do with her in season three. The pie in the face bits at the end of the episode are a little silly, but work for the tone of the episode.
RATING: 9.5/10
112. Cheap, Cheap (10/5/67)
After a disagreement between Samantha and Darrin over an expensive coat Samantha bought, Endora puts a spell on Darrin that makes him a cheapskate.
This is a funny episode but it's indicative of the Bewitched storytelling as the years wear on. There's a slight level of parallelism to season one's brilliant "A is for Aardvark" with the coat story. But here, the plot is much more flimsy. There's a token scene at the beginning where Darrin and Samantha have a Ricky/Lucy type discussion about an expensive coat. But then, it's just an "Endora puts a spell on Darrin" episode. While Dick York is funny as cheapskate Darrin, it's just a pretty obvious and thin plot that tires quickly.
RATING: 6.5/10
113. No Zip in My Zap (10/12/67)
Samantha loses her powers and has to be levitated in the air while Darrin meets with an important client and think she is interfering.
This episode is better than an average "witch illness" episode because it's not really the main plot, it's a catalyst for a larger story involving Darrin and a client. That's a much more enjoyable way to do a witch illness episode than one that is spending the entire episode trying to solve the problem. Even with a Dr. Bombay scene, it's a pretty funny episode. Dick York plays a very drunk Darrin well and there's layers to his performance as part of it is a more vulnerable side of an old high school flame not recognizing him. Although it's interesting that in the 1960s, there seemed to be no problem with Darrin driving home in a drunken stupor. It's always interesting to see how so many things couldn't be seen on TV in that era, but this was not a problem.
RATING: 8/10
114. Birdies, Bogeys and Baxter (10/19/67)
When Darrin tries to brush up on his golf game to impress a client, Endora puts a spell on him that makes him a golf prodigy.
I have to confess, I'm a sucker for golf-themed episodes of sitcoms despite not being much of a golfer myself. This is no exception. I really enjoy the scenes out at the golf course and I think it's a more refreshing Endora spell than some episodes. The complete lack of a good sport from client Joe Baxter (guest star MacDonald Carey) adds to the fun of the golf outing. Larry's spineless behavior (not to mention his insanely 60s golf attire) is pretty funny too. All in all, this is a fun episode, but that could be a little bit of my golf episode bias talking.
RATING: 9/10
On Halloween, Tabitha makes characters from a storybook come to life and one of them accidentally swaps places with the Kravitz's nephew.
This isn't my favorite Halloween episode from Bewitched (both the black and white ones are superior), but this is a fun episode that gives the most personality to Tabitha we've seen so far in the series. This episode also utilizes Gladys Kravitz well and gives us a fun glimpse at what Halloween in the 1960s looked like. My only complaint is that I think the episode loses momentum once Gladys arrives at the Stephens' house and the Tates are involved in the story. It's almost like they had a good idea but couldn't see it all the way through.
RATING: 7/10
116. Out of Sync, Out of Mind (11/2/67)
When Aunt Clara tries to fix a home movies for Darrin's mother that are out of sync, she accidentally makes Samantha's voice out of sync.
This episode has some funny moments, but I can't get past the pure silliness of it all. And on top of that, it's a little bit convoluted with Darrin's mother involved. There are sort of two episodes here that are smashed together. One plot is pretty flimsy (with Darrin's mother) and the second is just dumb (the voice out of sync). This marks the first episode of the season for Phyllis, Aunt Clara, and (sigh) Dr. Bombay. It also marks the first appearance of Roy Roberts as Frank Stephens and I don't like him as much as Robert F. Simon. Then the show decides to start giving Samantha green stripes. Was this just an episode where the writers decided to jam in every plot they had lying around?
RATING: 4/10
117. That Was No Chick. That Was My Wife (11/9/67)
While Darrin and Samantha are in Chicago with a client, Samantha pops home and is accidentally seen by Louise, causing Larry and the client to believe Darrin is cheating on Samantha.
This is an episode that is reminiscent of season one's "Witch or Wife" because it involves Samantha oddly being in two places at once. The initial plot is actually a little better though I think even with the unnecessary and overused plot device of Tabitha turning a stuffed animal into a real animal (this is the third time in 10 episodes they've done something like this). But the story with the client is fun and a little bit twisty. It comes off the rails a little bit with a weak resolution with both the client and Louise and that takes away from an episode that had some good moments.
RATING: 6/10
118. Allergic to Macedonian DoDo Birds (11/16/67)
Endora loses her powers and is grounded at the Stephens' house. Dr. Bombay figures out that she came in contact with a long extinct bird.
Despite the presence of Dr. Bombay for a little bit of the episode, this is a pretty funny one with a lot of good performances. Endora's self-pitying, pathetic self without her powers is a new side to that character. Darrin's sheer delight at Endora's misery is also fun to watch. And then there's a great comedic reveal of the newly rejuvenated Aunt Clara after she picks up some of Endora's powers. Of course, we are treated to another edition of Tabitha turning a storybook character or toy into a real thing. It's used at a bizarrely frequent rate during this run of episodes.
RATING: 8/10
On Thanksgiving, Aunt Clara accidentally zaps the Stephens and Gladys Kravitz back to Plymouth in 1620 where Darrin is accused of being a witch.
Bewitched had many Halloween and Christmas episodes, but this is the only Thanksgiving one. It's a clever concept that plays around with an historical event in a clever way. The idea of Darrin being put on trial as a witch instead of Samantha is also a clever stroke from the writers here because it is less predictable. The idea to bring Gladys Kravitz along was a good one, but I felt like they didn't do enough with her in the Plymouth scenes. I also always like when Bewitched gets a little political as they did in Samantha's speech during the trial.
RATING: 8/10
120. Solid Gold Mother-in-Law (11/30/67)
After another fight with Darrin, Endora manipulates a client that Larry and Darrin are trying to land, which causes a fight between them.
This is a mess of an episode. There are some nuggets of good ideas here, but nothing really works. The scene with Endora's picture following Darrin around at work goes on way too long. It's also a premise entirely built on something off-screen. Darrin upsets Endora so he's already an animal at the beginning of the episode then it's about Endora getting revenge and then it's about the umpteenth fight between Darrin and Larry. For a show that revisits the same plots quite frequently, they at least need to do so in a meaningful way and that doesn't happen here.
RATING: 2.5/10
121. My, What Big Ears You Have (12/7/67)
When Darrin is sneaking around to buy Samantha an antique, Endora puts a spell on him that causes his ears to grow every time he lies.
This is a little bit of a gimmicky episode but I enjoy it because it's rooted in a good story. This is reminiscent of the black and white seasons because it takes a conventional sitcom story (a misunderstanding about a marital gift) and spins it on its head a little bit to fit the Bewitched mold. I once read that Bewitched is the opposite of I Love Lucy in the sense that Lucy and Ricky took reality and bent it out of shape to create fantasy, while Samantha and Darrin take fantasy and bend it out of shape to create reality. This episode is a good example of that idea.
RATING: 8.5/10
122. I Get Your Nanny, You Get My Goat (12/14/67)
Samantha hires her childhood nanny to look after Tabitha, but they get into trouble when her former employer doesn't want to give her up.
Although I could argue that this is another episode like the previous one that takes a conventional sitcom plot and puts a fantasy spin on it, this episode is not nearly as good in my book. I think some of that is personal preference as I'm not a big fan of the British accent, especially from guest star Hermione Baddeley. I also don't think the episode really goes anywhere. It just feels like the whole episode is a debate or argument about whether Elspeth should stay or go. It doesn't really have a plot that moves in any sort of direction besides a circle.
RATING: 4.5/10
When a Scrooge-like client insists on working on Christmas Eve, Darrin holds his ground and the client fires Darrin until Samantha visits him and takes him to the North Pole.
This is a fun Christmas episode even if it's a little similar to the superior season one Christmas episode. Still, it's fun to see a Bewitched Christmas in glorious color and there is a great guest turn by the perfect curmudgeon Charles Lane. I think this was a great setup to a Christmas episode. My only regret is that the trip to see Santa is just so similar and I'm not sure the resolution is as earned this time around. The riding in the sleigh is also painfully bad graphics that doesn't age well. But it's still a very heartwarming episode and definitely will put you in the Christmas spirit.
RATING: 9/10
124. Samantha's Da Vinci Dilemma (12/28/67)
Aunt Clara accidentally conjures up Leonardo Da Vinci and he gets involved with Darrin's campaign for a toothpaste client.
I don't know what happened when Bewitched turned to color but they suddenly decided it would be a great idea to have basically every major historical figure get conjured up at some point in the run. It happens here with Leonardo Da Vinci. I'm never too entertained by these episodes in general, but I think this is a pretty weak entry even among the "historical figure" episodes. The toothpaste resolution at the end is actually pretty clever, but the whole episode just kind of plods along and John Abbott as Da Vinci is pretty forgettable.
RATING: 5/10
125. Once in a Vial (1/4/68)
Endora creates a love potion to help an old boyfriend of Samantha's at a dinner party but ends up drinking it herself and falling for a client of Darrin's.
I think the intent here was to do a madcap dinner party episode, but this is one of those episodes that just feels disorganized and with no real direction. The show seems to quickly set up a couple plots: the ex-boyfriend and the client with Endora, but they don't really develop either story. Then they add in the random other friends at the dinner party who were never seen before and are never seen again (was this supposed to be the Tates but they weren't available?) So, the whole episode doesn't play funny. It's like watching a bunch of kids play with no real purpose or direction.
RATING: 3/10
126. Snob in the Grass (1/11/68)
With McMann & Tate trying to woo her father's company, Darrin's ex-girlfriend Sheila comes back into his life.
The first part of what essentially plays as a two episode arc, this episode brings back Sheila from the pilot of Bewitched. This is not as good as the pilot but is an interesting bookend to it with the reverse of the games Sheila plays with Samantha. At the same time, it all feels a little bit too similar to the pilot in my opinion. I think they could have taken this plot and had enough callbacks from the pilot without it being so overtly nearly the same plot. However, this episode still has some spark in particular thanks to the delightful snobbery of Nancy Kovack as Sheila.
RATING: 6.5/10
After Samantha and Darrin fight over Endora, she casts a spell that shows Samantha what Darrin's life would be like if he never met Samantha.
This is an interesting episode that plays with the time continuum, something I always enjoy. This is another nice entry in the Samantha & Darrin love story and it's a new way to prove their love. Four seasons in and completely original ideas for stories on Bewtiched are getting fewer and further between so this is a nice one. The scene between Darrin and Samantha at the bar is particularly sweet. My only complaint is the lead-up to the main plot takes a little too long.
RATING: 8.5/10
128. Hippie Hippie Hooray (2/1/68)
Serena is arrested at a love-in and when it lands on the front page of the paper, Larry and Louise mistake her for Samantha.
Bewitched fully steps into the hippie 60s culture for the first time with this episode and to no surprise, it's Serena who embraces the hippie lifestyle. As fun as the purely 60s theme is, this is a little bit of a one-trick pony of an episode as pretty much the whole plot involves the mistaken identity between Serena and Samantha. The first Serena performance in the series is also kind of annoying ("The Iffin' Song" is much weaker as a song than her later performance of "Blow You a Kiss in the Wind"). I feel like in these early Serena episodes, Montgomery was still holding back a bit.
RATING: 6/10
129. A Prince of a Guy (2/8/68)
Tabitha brings Prince Charming from a storybook to life and the Tates and Samantha's friend takes an immediate liking to him.
Another "Tabitha brings a storybook character to life" episode and this one has the added problem of being a non-Darrin episode. This feels like an episode biding its time and trying to make do without Dick York's presence, something they will have to do quite a bit over the next 40 episodes. Bewitched also seems to try to shoehorn random characters into episodes, especially non-Darrin ones. Helen and Ralph have a big part in this episode and are never heard of again. There were occasional early episode that did that like "Love is Blind" and "Little Pitchers Have Big Fears" but those characters felt more integral to the plot and more developed.
RATING: 3.5/10
130. McTavish (2/15/68)
Samantha goes to help a ghost friend of Aunt Clara's in an English castle where Darrin's parents are staying.
This is a clever idea for an episode that is executed well at times but not completely well executed. The idea of having Darrin's parents in England is a better use of those characters because it's not the same old Phyllis-Endora showdown that happens in so many episodes. It's also good to see Aunt Clara again, who isn't used as frequently this season. But where I feel this episode falters is in developing the McTavish storyline. It seems more of an excuse to get Samantha to England and to drive the story with Darrin's parents rather than a developed plot in its own right.
RATING: 6/10
Samantha and Darrin get in a fight when he suspects that she used witchcraft to put artificial grass in the lawn.
I really enjoy this episode because of the simplicity and good storytelling. This feels like a black and white episode in the sense that it takes a domestic situation (a fight about putting artificial grass - how 60s - in the lawn) and spins it around with some witchcraft. I like that this episode also features Endora without Endora actually appearing, it's a clever use of the character. Overall, this is an episode that hums along at a good place and makes you genuinely interested in how everything is going to resolve. And even better, when it does resolve - it's not in a disappointing way. An underrated episode of season four.
RATING: 9/10
132. To Twitch or Not to Twitch (3/14/68)
After Samantha uses witchcraft to get ready quicker, she and Darrin have a fight that leads to her leaving with Tabitha and going home to mother.
It is interesting to have another "fight" episode right after the previous one although this is more of a big blowout fight between Samantha and Darrin. It's a decent episode, but it doesn't play as well as the previous episode. It's still a decent episode and I particularly like the fight between Darrin and Samantha in the car during the beginning of the episode. But the episode sort of stalls out when it prematurely resolves itself about halfway through the episode and then stumbles along towards the end with not much more plot. I also have tired a little bit of Arthur Julian as a client.
RATING: 6/10
133. Playmates (3/21/68)
Phyllis insists that Tabitha should have a playmate so she convinces Samantha to let Tabitha play with a young boy new to the town.
This is a non-Darrin episode, but it's a pretty decent one thanks to a funny plot and a good guest turn by Peggy Pope as a mother who has perhaps read one too many parenting books. This episode is also one of the best showcases yet for Erin Murphy as Tabitha and she has some pretty funny lines at the beginning of the episode. The episode gets bogged down a little bit in the middle of the episode (I think they spend too much time looking for the boy turned dog) but it's still a pretty funny one.
RATING: 7.5/10
134. Tabitha's Cranky Spell (3/28/68)
The Tates have an aunt who carries around a crystal ball babysit for Tabitha and when strange things start happening, the aunt believes she's become clairvoyant.
Unlike the last non-Darrin episode, this one is a mess of a non-Darrin episode. I always feel like episodes without Darrin that feature the Tates are awfully forced and it makes me wonder what the original plan for the episode was before Dick York was unable to do it. Using the Tates and Samantha at a dinner party with no Darrin seems like a pretty far stretch. A silly plot involving crystal balls and telepathy and a lack of use of Endora makes for a disjointed and unfunny episode.
RATING: 3/10
When Darrin angrily suggests they should tell the world that Samantha is a witch, Samantha gives Darrin a dream showing what would actually happen if they did.
Growing up, this was one of my favorite episodes of Bewitched if not my absolute favorite. It still holds up well watching as an adult. I wouldn't put it up with the all time greats that received 10/10 but it's certainly the best of the season and extremely strong. I love the "what if" nature of this episode and it's a great place for characters we know and love to shine under different circumstances. We get to see a great reaction from Larry Tate and his fundamental love for power. We get to see an even better reaction from the Kravitzes in one of Sandra Gould's best moments as Gladys. The episode also has something to say about how we treat people who are different and it's interesting that the original airing was preempted due to coverage of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination.
RATING: 9.5/10
136. A Majority of Two (4/11/68)
When Samantha has to entertain a Japanese client while Darrin is out of town, he takes an immediate liking to Aunt Clara.
This is a bizarre and tired episode. First of all, there's the forced inclusion of Larry and a client in a non-Darrin episode and that feels strained at best. Then, there's the romance with Aunt Clara angle which doesn't play very well and has already been done both with Endora and Aunt Clara in previous episodes. It's also an episode that feels a little outdated now with the use of the word "oriental" and the icky-ness of the client taking a liking to a young Japanese woman at the end. I know it was a different time so I don't think we need to be too hard on things like that, but when it's in an already weak episode, I just felt like mentioning it.
RATING: 4/10
137. Samantha's Secret Saucer (4/18/68)
Aunt Clara accidentally makes a flying saucer appear in the Stephens' backyard and it includes two aliens from a distant planet.
I don't like space/UFO themes in general but this episode makes me sad for a couple reasons. For one, it is the final appearance of Aunt Clara as Marion Lorne passed away a couple months after this episode was filmed. She was such a delightful recurring character and Bewitched is never quite able to fill her absence. But that was out of the show's control. The bigger problem is that this is perhaps the most glaring example yet of Bewitched devolving into a campy, silly 60s sitcom like so many of its contemporaries but unlike what it once was. There are still good episodes to come and there are some funny moments, but this is a kind of episode that would never have been done in seasons one and two.
RATING: 4.5/10
138. The No-Harm Charm (4/25/68)
After a mess-up at work, Uncle Arthur gives Darrin a fake charm that he says will protect him from witchcraft interfering.
Paul Lynde's first appearance in well over a year is a good one with a solid, well developed plot. This episode seems like a spiritual successor to the classic season two episode "The Joker is the Card," which was Lynde's first appearance. What I like about this episode is the plot is a little more complicated than just Darrin thinking he is immune to problems. The added plot of the bank robber makes for a more compelling plot. I also always like the fact that Samantha can't help but be somewhat amused by Uncle Arthur and not just annoyed.
RATING: 8.5/10
After Darrin is named an advertising man of the year, Endora casts a spell that makes everyone impressed by everything about Darrin.
This is a fun episode with a good premise and a solid "Endora spell" concept. Dick York plays smug very well and his bad ideas being met with praise at the dinner party (not to mention Samantha's reaction to them) made for some funny moments. I also think it's interesting that Darrin requests witchcraft to help him out of a jam at the episode. We also meet the elusive Mr. Mann for the first time. I'm surprised Bewitched didn't use this character a little bit more often.
RATING: 8/10
140. Splitsville (5/16/68)
After a fight with Abner, Gladys moves into the Stephens' temporarily with plans to leave Abner.
This episode is the reverse to season one's "Illegal Separation." It isn't as good as that episode for a couple reasons. First of all, it's Sandra Gould not Alice Pearce as Gladys. Second, this is an example of a growing problem as Bewitched gets older. We've seen this plot before. Simply switching who is staying with the Stephens does not mean that the plot is original. There could have been a Kravitz fight episode that was more original but the writers are getting increasingly lazy on the show and that's frustrating. The resolution is a little sillier than the original too. It's still a decent episode, but problematic.
RATING: 6.5/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON FOUR:
6.5/10
The Best Episodes
1. "I Confess" (#135) - 9.5/10
2. "Double, Double, Toil and Trouble" (#111) - 9.5/10
3. "Birdies, Bogeys and Baxter" (#114) - 9/10
4. "Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here" (#123) - 9/10
5. "How Green Was My Grass" (#131) - 9/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Solid Gold Mother-in-Law" (#120) - 2.5/10
2. "Once in a Vial" (#125) - 3/10
3. "Tabitha's Cranky Spell" (#134) - 3/10
4. "Business, Italian Style" (#110) - 3/10
5. "A Prince of a Guy" (#129) - 3.5/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at Season 5 of Bewitched!
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