And with episode two, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place finds a footing in making itself its own. I happen to think that we’re still working on getting there, but the thing about this episode is that we took ten steps forward.
And that is a positive thing.
This episode had a lot happening, but in my opinion, it all needed to happen so that we could move forward in a more positive direction and open the door to a lot of storylines that we wouldn’t have had secrets not been exposed and come out. Yes, we’re still learning about the new Russo’s but they are also still learning about each other.
Secrets have a way of coming out and Justin learns that really quickly. Well, with the help of Billie.
MORE: If you missed the first Wizards Beyond Waverly Place review, read it here
Janice LeAnn Brown, who plays Billie, is absolutely charming. The actress gives off future superstar vibes. The thing that I love is that from the first episode, she makes you invest in Billie – you want to see her win. It’s not just because the weight of the world is on Billie’s shoulders. It’s because you see her and you know that this character just wants to belong somewhere.
The Russo household is the first place that she really feels like she can belong.
It’s nice to see Billie excited to be there, but it’s also sad to see her so afraid of every move that she makes. It’s sad to see a child who is so afraid of no one believing in her because that’s what she’s used to. She’s used to no one believing in her at all.
MORE: Disney Releases First Look At ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’
She’s definitely got a lot on her shoulders – secrets to keep, the want to be needed, her magic, etc. She doesn’t want to make mistakes, but inevitably, she’s a child and she’s going to do just that. She’s going to make a lot of mistakes.
Justin tells her that she can’t do magic, except in the lair. I felt bad for her, because this was more about him than it was about her. Now, do I think that it was good advice for her? Yes. But when Justin makes it about him, I have to admit that I was like do your magic wherever girl. I do get Justin wanting to separate his old life, but I think that wizarding is still a part of his life.
Billie is so afraid of messing up every time she does, her anxiety is taking over. She needs to fix it and sees magic as a way to fix the things she has done.
For instance, telling Roman and Milo that Justin is a wizard. Both are shocked but want to talk to their Dad about it. It results in her accidentally making half of their bodies disappear. She had meant to just make them forget what she told them.
As a kid, you’re most likely going to choose to try and fix things yourself, because you fear being in trouble. Should you ask for a parent/guardian/adult’s help? Yes. But again, as a child, it’s most likely that you won’t.
While Billie and the boys are trying to figure out how to get their bodies visible, Giada is trying to get information out of Justin about Billie. Justin is not a good liar and is doing everything he can to not tell the truth. Telling the truth would mean telling Giada all of the secrets that he has kept. BUT, she wants to know the information for a purpose. She wants to create a room for Billie that she’ll feel comfortable in.
MORE: ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ Trailer & Two Pieces Of Key Art
But, as both these worlds collide – with Justin finding out what Billie has done and then Giada seeing Justin doing magic – secrets come to light. His family now knows that he’s a wizard and because of that Billie thinks that she’s going to get kicked out of the house. Which really stinks because she loves it there and for the first time she’s felt at home.
Rather than put Justin and Giada through the steps of kicking her out, she leaves. The boys tell their parents that Billie has left. Justin goes after her and when he finds her, he tells her that she’s allowed to make mistakes, that’s what being a kid is. But, he’s not going to kick her out.
And that moment is where I found the heart of the show. Justin is his Dad, but he’s his own man. Yet, he’s got the heart of the Russo family down pat and the show managed to put that front and center. Yes, Wizards of Waverly Place was about magic, but more than that the heart of it was the Russo’s. They were what kept people watching. The way that they navigated their ups and downs, secrets, relationships – that’s what kept you watching. The uniqueness of each character and the way you genuinely wanted to see them win – that’s what mattered.
It’s the same here. Though we’re only on episode two and we don’t know enough about all of the characters in this show yet, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has done a nice job of introducing them all slowly. Yet it’s also made you want to know more about them and root for each one of them.
It also reminds you that family can be chosen. For Justin and his family, Billie may have only been there for two days, but those two days are enough for them to know that she belongs.
Now we just need to see her feel that she does.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Chores… we all hate them.
- Had to laugh at half bodies missing
- The monster or whatever it was at the end (you need to watch) is the type of VFX I expected at minimum for the first episode.
- I had to laugh at Billie’s room, but I loved it also
- Love seeing the Russo family really come together.
