Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1, Episode 12 Review: ‘Battle Of The Wands’

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a little hard to figure out. The show finds itself being skewed quite young and then skewed towards a tween audience. The show is balancing both sides of a road to having people watch. Now, I do enjoy the show, but I am wondering at what point that it finds its footing as a show that is standing on its own.

It’s weird to type that, as I want to say that I love the nostalgia in each show. That nostalgia isn’t what confuses or takes me out of the episode. It’s me trying to figure out just what Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is.

This isn’t the worst thing. It normally takes a season for a show to find its footing. For the kids that I know, that watch this, the show is great. And they are its audience so I do get the reality that I think in a different way.

Now, that all being said, episode 12, Battle of The Wands, was a good balance of fun, laughter, and magic.

JUSTIN SAYS NO

Winter and Billie are really the best of friends and it is cute how the two interact. Winter is the type of friend that will let you talk your way through anything, but she’s aware of what the ultimate outcome will be. She knows that Billie is going to do what she is going to do – regardless.

And what is Billie going to do? Well, that would be participating in the battle of the wands. It’s wizards doing spells at a club trying to outdo the person that they are up against. The wizard has to take the last word of the spell that their opponent cast and do a new spell from that.

Justin thinks it’s a bunch of “hooligans,” but for Billie, it’s her way of proving herself. She feels like everyone thinks that she’s a bad wizard that couldn’t hack it at WizTech. So yes, Justin may have said no, that she can’t go, but like Winter – we knew that Billie was going regardless.

There’s a strong draw at any age to prove ones self. No one likes all of the things that are said about them. The perception of ourselves through others eyes is a hard pill to swallow.

For Billie, she wants to be a great wizard, but in the want, she doesn’t realize that she is. She is a great wizard, even though she’s a different wizard than her peers. She is innovative and fun. She’s fearless.

Sometimes fearlessness does get one in trouble, but it can also be one of those things that propels you forward. Taking chances is a good thing in life, but for Billie, she is young. It may be too much too soon.

I do believe that Justin has the best of intentions when it comes to Billie. Not even so much because of Alex putting him in charge of Billie, but because he genuinely cares about her. She’s family to him.

It does seem that Billie loves being part of the family and I love that for her. I also love that for the Russo’s.

SOMEONE CAN’T COVER

Winter and Billie need someone to cover for them so they can sneak out to the battle of the wands. Roman seems like the perfect person to cover for them, but he wants to go – because of the Pixie from the house party.

Watching this show, I realize how important rights of passage are. I am not even talking about just sneaking out. I am talking about seeing Roman go after the girl he wants to, Winter experiencing life, and Billie realizing that doing magic isn’t the only thing about her. Then there is Milo, who agrees to cover for all of them.

Little brothers are sometimes a blessing. Usually you have to wait til a person gets older to really see the blessing.

But Milo, he has fun with everything. He’s willing to be there to cover for this brother. He’s wanting to help Billie. When his Dad wants to take them out, he’s willing to go the distance. He really dives into it and I love to see it. It’s his determination that makes me laugh, but also miss what it was like to be young.

Those were the days.

Covering for your sibling is a right of passage.

Of course Milo is going to get caught. Of course Giada and Justin are going to be disappointed. But, no matter what they are going to be parents and that’s sometimes tricky.

THE BATTLE

Justin showing up at the Battle of the Wands – didn’t know I needed it, but I did. Seeing him arrive at the club to take everyone home – I laughed. I laughed because him as a Dad and ruining a good time was the same as him as a teenager.

The thing that was different? Well that would be that he’s actually loosened up a lot and when it comes down to it, he makes sure that the kids in his life feel the support that he wants them to have. He makes sure that they are responsible, that they are supported, and they know that no matter what they do, they are going to be loved.

For Justin to hear that this is important to Billie and also for him to keep getting called Alex Russo’s brother is a lot. But, that being said the battle was a little boring. It was good that Billie and Justin won.

The Russos coming together is always a good time. The way that the family is always down to battle whatever comes their way, is a good time. The family shows that you don’t need to be blood relatives to be family. Billie and Winter are a part of their family. The way that family should be – chosen and loved.