In full honesty, I did not like this episode. I am going to try to put that as kindly as possible because I do understand that people put their heart and soul into this. However, I found this episode to be poorly executed.
Bear in mind that I am really enjoying this series and I do understand that it’s not made for my demographic. However, I think that there will be a lot of people who try out this show for the nostalgia of The Wizards of Waverly Place. And I do believe that is something special.
A lot of the time I do believe that Hollywood doesn’t understand women my age. They think that they have grown older, into parents, and they’ve forgotten what it means to be a fan of something. I would challenge that and say that women never forget what it is like to be a fan of something. They look to remember the life that they lived and expose others to the things that they loved.
MORE: If you missed the first Wizards Beyond Waverly Place review, read it here
I guarantee that a lot of people will sit their kids down and try to bond with them over this show. They’ll talk about the original series and what made it so special.
Now, all of that being said, I also understand that we’re only on the fourth episode and there is a lot to come. We also know that we’re not going to lie about our feelings over episodes, so here we are. A crossroads.
It’s Halloween in the Russo household and no one is more excited about that than Billie. In the wizard world, Halloween is like a mortal’s Christmas. It’s a day of celebration and fun. Billie wakes Roman and Milo up to give them Halloween presents. Both terrify even me.
I did love how the show took Halloween and elevated it to the point that we see that different things matter to different people. Halloween being important to Billie was something that was good to see. Holidays are an important part of every culture and we do get to see that different myths, celebrations, and traditions are important.
Honestly, even the Halloween songs are what impressed me with this episode.
BUT, that being said, the whole thing about some Halloween monster that Billie was excited about was the part that was underdone. So the whole thing is that if you don’t decorate, this monster will come and eat children and candy. She believes in it wholeheartedly and tells Roman and Winter about it.
MORE: Read the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Episode 2 Review here!
Winter, wanting to be a good friend, lures the monster to the Russo household. Here’s what I don’t get. Winter is eaten by the big a** pumpkin first after we’re told that the monster eats wizards. Why was Winter eaten?
Winter remains to be one of the best characters on the show. She’s sweet and innocent and shows us all what a good friend can be. Now, don’t get me wrong, she’s a little careless sometimes, but that’s not the worst thing. Why? She’s a kid and making mistakes is a right of passage.
What I do think though is that, again, we’re looking at a monster that is poorly done. And the opportunity that they have for Billie to learn is underdone. I do get that she learns that magic can’t get her out of everything and that sometimes it’s the mortal way that can get you out of things. HOWEVER, it’s just one of those things that I don’t get. I don’t get why they get out and go right back into the monster’s stomach.
MORE: ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ Trailer & Two Pieces Of Key Art
Do I get that they needed Winter’s phone? 100%.
The whole pumpkin monster’s stomach was laughable, and just meh. Not impressive. I think that while this show is doing everything that it can to show its individuality, I will reiterate that for some (me included) there will always be that thought of comparison to the original. And in the original ideas like this were just done better.
And I just felt let down.
The other side of the story? Justin and Giada are trying to protect the house from potentially being egged. And honestly, this half of the story is the good part of the episode.
Justin is the acting principal and he’s definitely excited about it. As usual, he wants to be respected and it’s absolutely a good thing to want that. Just his want is a little extreme.
It’s a tradition on Staten Island that the middle school principal’s house gets egged. Justin is both excited and hesitant about the possibility of this. You see, he feels that if his house does get egged, the kids respect him and see him as a leader.
Giada on the other hand – she’s not down. She’s set up traps around the house to protect her family. She’s even dressed in military gear and has enlisted Justin and Milo to help protect the home. It’s fun to watch them and see the things that come out.
Justin has kept secrets from his family and we find out that Giada kept a small one. She was a bad kid and egged the principal’s home as a child. Justin tries to compare it a bit but is shut down when Giada reminds him that he doesn’t want to go there.
I want to know more about the Russo family. I think that it is important to learn about them, because they are the central characters, as is Billie. We don’t know enough about the family – how Justin kept his secret, who Giada is, and the kids. I would love to know more about Billie and how she came to Wiztech and who her parents were. I just feel like we have all of these opportunities to make the show great and it’s falling a little short.
I am hoping that the show continues to get better and better. It’s got such great possibilities and I am excited to see where it goes.
MORE: Wizards of Waverly Place Episode 3 Review Right Here
OTHER THOUGHTS
- I never would have thought about or gotten Winter’s Halloween costume
- The whole stomach of the pumpkin could have been done better
- Milo as a sandwich was cute
