Wizards of Waverly Place: How a Sitcom Ends

[@KeyanCarlile]

KZbin's copyright system auto-flagged the theme a month later. He's the original opening of this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2Kkp3ajqtFlqNE I made a slightly goofier-than-usual error at then end of the movie. Alex is NOT a full wizard at the end. There's two lines of dialogue in the last minute where Justin realizes Alex surrendered her full powers and Alex says she wanted everything to go back to normal. I completely missed that. I'd edit it out, but then I think the video would re-check for copyright and get claimed again. However, I don't think I properly explained the thing about Alex looking out the window. I'm correct. Geographically, the Window Alex should be looking out is the "4th" wall; a window that doesn't exist. Then, it cuts to her looking out the window of the exact opposite wall. They filmed her looking out the left window (our left), because the right most likely doesn't have an outside part built. (It's never shown in any episode). They absolutely filmed her on one of the left two windows, then showed her looking out the opposite window that the exterior shot showed her looking through. But I've never ever made any other error of any sort at any point in my life, ever.

[@jeffreycarty]

It’s ok! (I don’t forgive you)

[@martinvelebil6029]

Ahhh I thought I remembered the movie ending differently!

[@FireBreatherMP1]

In this very video you claimed Alex vs Alex aired in 2022

[@Ender-Logan]

Casually forgetting the 'LGTB' moment in your mighty med video

[@ambs4076]

@@Ender-Logan I think that was a call back to his ‘The Prom’ video, pretty sure one of the movie’s characters says it and he clowned on them a bit

[@curiouskelpie2822]

It’s really messed up that Justin, a guy who’s dating a VAMPIRE wants to be a monster hunter. Also how come Juliet isn’t…upset that Justin wants to hunt monsters? That feels like a missed opportunity honestly. Could have been this whole character arc for Justin where he has to confront his own prejudice, and realizes how terrible wizard society is to monsters/ magical creatures and try to change it for the better. Just imagine a rewrite of the scene where Juliet learns about Justin’s a monster hunter and accidentally reported her family.

[@icecreamhero2375]

Maybe Vampires are racist against other monsters too. LOL

[@Periwinkie22]

Wait you’re so right

[@The-Doctor6969]

@@icecreamhero2375 makes sense, especially since monsters range from immortal to living for a few years. Would imagine the older ones (including 2k year old Juliette) to be racist af

[@mikemorro140]

I assume it was because he only hunted evil monsters and would leave regular ones alone like he is dating one and there's also Mason who he's fine with

[@staceynainlab888]

@@mikemorro140 but he just accepts that Monster Hunters as a group imprison innocent people

[@moosenman]

It’s really weird that the show made a whole point about how Wizard tournaments tear families apart, but then says the person trying to get rid of them is evil

[@eatatjoes6751]

It's insane that the wizard society is actually worse than Hogwarts and yet NO ONE gives a shit.

[@hola542]

It's a very Harry Potter approach to questioning authority lol. Acknowledge that the system is cruel and flawed, but don't actually try to change it, nooo.. that would be bad and evil

[@Mr1991bbk]

The definitely drank the kool-aid lol

[@staceynainlab888]

@@hola542 both these magical franchises are effectively dystopias where the writers don't appear to think they're dystopian. some of the fans here in this comments section seem to think it's a realistic possibility that a revival will be about the heroes actually changing the system. I think it is made very clear in the episode where Stevie tries that the writers don't see it the way we do. I see no reason to think the writers would allow it to happen. I think we have a better chance of it happening in a full on reboot (brand new continuity) than in a continuation.

[@emblemblade9245]

I feel like the DC execs just reeeeeeally wanted to keep the (forced) drama of…basically every consequence of any plot line derived from the dumb wizard rules, but especially the romantic consequences and the “wizard competition” consequences. Y’know, to keep people engaged or whatever. That and it’s a sitcom so they don’t want to upset the meta status quo and all that. I’d say those are the mechanical explanations. But yeah it do be fucked lol. I’ll just go with a headcanon that there would be some (unstated) unescapable cosmic imbalance if multiple wizards per family could keep their powers, so they literally can’t change it

[@Jellybeansatdusk]

Max calling Alex mija because he doesn’t speak Spanish but knows Theresa calls her mija is genuinely kinda cute

[@staceynainlab888]

I have a friend whose son used to call her mother (his grandmother) "mudder" cause she called her that. we're Newofundlanders "mudder" is mother with an accent

[@andrewdavis7408]

This deserves to be the top comment.

[@aviibees]

Fr it made me feel good inside when he said it

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Im surprised he feels cheated by the 'All of them kinda won' (plus he misspells that Max remained magical). That was the One thing about the Finaly that i did like. Its just a Shame the Writing was so herrendous, resulting in 1 Billion Plot Holes per Second - even in the Finaly.

[@Pablo360able]

@Raylon Rodrigues “Mija” is a contraction of “mi hija”, like how “del“ is a contraction of “de el”

[@fireflightthestar]

Wait so Uncle kelbo used his powers to become shakira. In the movie Jerry never gives up his powers, in that weird timeline does shakira not exist?

[@KeyanCarlile]

THE greatest comment on this video.

[@fireflightthestar]

@@KeyanCarlile oh

[@senpaisally69]

LOOOOOL this comment madd me CACKLE

[@williamdaviddiazcuchimaque7511]

Pique y clara chia:también quiere vivir ese hermoso sueño don pool

[@natachadealvez]

In the movie, they went back in time to where Jerry had powers , didn’t the uncle kelbo epsiode not come after ? 😭

[@lorenzosorbelli1271]

I need a movie where Alex, Justin and Max finally realize that the “one wizard per family” rule is wrong and start a mission to overthrow the corrupt wizarding government

[@mangoeswithfudge5012]

Bring haley kiyoko back and you got yourself a deal (unless she was traumatized by disney like so many of the actors of the time??)

[@MrsUzumaki]

Honestly thought that was where the show was going. Then again that would be giving disney too much credit. They tried to make a "revolution" episode but made the character who's leading it a "villain" lol (I put it in quotes cause we all supported Stevie). The show would've worked better in a more adultish channel, like the ABC.

[@dontdriveat88]

So...Stevie? I always foudn it infuriating how they didn't let her revolution go through. Girl had a point.

[@alejandrocervantes3624]

Well Disney already went that route with a little animated show called "Star vs The Forces of Evil" I wont spoil the whole show, but I will tell you the whole fandom agrees the excecution was... A miss, I havent seen a fandom this united on an opinion since game of thrones ended (& fizzeling out just the same) :v

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

@@alejandrocervantes3624 Star VS' ending retroactively ruined the whole Show for me lmao The point wasn't even bad but they did not build up to it, making it seem like a super far reach, nor did they actually do it well

[@skylinesandturnstiles9595]

max's "mom!" while bring physically carried away by his siblings when he realizes his mom doesn't recognize him in the wizards movie breaks my heart every time i hear it

[@toruko4442]

I teared up when he got sucked up by that hurricane, I’m literally 18 years old I don’t know why it made me so emotional

[@bitwawesome7]

Romance girl

[@gunkyvi_]

im 20 and cry every single time i watch this movie... multiple times.@@toruko4442

[@henryapplebottom7231]

Yeah, It DOES break your heart.

[@KingOfGaymes]

As someone who’s really close to their mom, that scene hurts 💔

[@Gloomdrake]

In an early episode, Jerry said that the reason he was so strict about magic was because he didn't want the kids to become overly reliant on it, since 2/3 of them would lose it, and there was no sure way to know who it would be. So it makes sense that a Jerry who didn't lose his magic, and has no kids to worry about, wouldn't be so concerned, since it's not his problem

[@asoret]

But later in alex vs alex for example he is talking again about "only use magic when is needed", I mean I still like it and its realistic showing a parent teaching a lesson that they wouldn't apply to themselves

[@samcarmen]

so basically his brother

[@kaycrec4615]

@@asoret I think he said that because he was once a full wizard too but had to give it up to marry his mortal wife. He probably doesn’t want Alex to be too irresponsible with magic in case something happens in the future (and to be fair she almost got jailed or something because of magic)

[@gracekim1998]

@@kaycrec4615 gosh I can’t remember that 😅 I need to rewatch this show

[@kaycrec4615]

@@gracekim1998 Yeah! I’m referring to Alex vs Alex when she’s a full wizard but she got imprisoned by a wizard council because she created an evil split of herself. It’s a prime example of how she relied on her magic to fix herself the easy way but it ended up terribly.

[@Disney15ish]

Jennifer & David's podcast revealed why S4 was different: Just had an interview with Peter Murrietta, who was the major voice of the show and would constantly push back against Disney executives, was the showrunner for S1-3, and was fired after S3 and has to this day not seen anything of S4 at all. He reveals what his ending would have been: Alex wins the wizard competition, but gives the power to Justin to be with Mason and then pan out to reveal Harper's reading it as a story to some kids. They've mentioned this also a couple times that the movie had a horrible first script with characters not being consistent at all and Peter is the one that helped revise the script so the right characters said the right things.

[@colette5413]

but i thought humans couldn’t be with werewolves which is why they had to break up when she dropped out of the race in the first place.

[@Disney15ish]

@@colette5413 That rule was made during S4 after Murrietta was let go from the show, so if he had stayed that rule wouldn't have been a thing.

[@error8119]

That ending legit would b the greatest ending for this show possible.

[@j1430]

i prefer the show’s ending ngl minus the harper part 💀💀 i want alex to keep her powers

[@dannyphantom3090]

Honestly I prefer the show ending Alex deserved her powers as Justin character kinda got aggravating through s3

[@neptuniamarina4924]

Genuinely, as bad as the special is, Alex asking Justin “Tell me we’ll find normal people” and Justin responding with “We’re not normal people” is so unironically raw and the performances from both of them are so incredible it kinda makes up the whole rest of the special.

[@MistressDove]

The way Justin says "we're not normal people" feels so real and human, it's so good.

[@arson3630]

I felt the same thing

[@acr9562]

I thought the special is really nice. And the performances/dialogue just makes it even better

[@majesticmo5048]

Honestly the first part of the special is fine and the bits with alex being upset over the drama was good too. But the final fight was kind of hard to watch, especially when juliet starts fighting mason

[@bria8481]

This comment being 4 hours ago means you haven’t finished the video yet. 😭just something I realized this video is so long omg

[@grfgtbhh34]

I know the creator hated it, but Shakira being Kelbo is a legitimately hilarious idea and a great way to use your guest star. For one, if you only have them for a limited time, it means you can write an in story reason why they aren't currently around (Kelbo tunred back, etc.), but it's also a fun way to make them feel like part of the universe and not just a contrived cameo.

[@staceynainlab888]

it surprises me that a real celebrity went along with the plot line that she doesn't exist and is a wizard in disguise. I would expect a show to use a fake celebrity for that sort of storyline instead of making up something like that about a real person. but the real celebrity was in the show so I guess she was okay with the story.

[@rexibhazoboa7097]

@@staceynainlab888 it was fun for Shakira I bet.

[@ollie2111]

@@staceynainlab888 i totally agree. I actually like that and find it way more engaging than "oh look, a famous person randomly is here for one day!"

[@Iwantmymtvyo]

The creator loved the Shakira episode.

[@batsnghostz]

It’s amazing tbh

[@Bluedoe542]

Looking back makes me realised that David was one of the main reasons I loved this series - the fact he wasn't praised more for his acting and hasn't become more of a name is crazy to me. I doubt anyone else playing across from Selena could have made the series what it became.

[@Gloomdrake]

It's because, at the end of the day, WOWP only existed because the executives wanted to market Selena Gomez

[@Bluedoe542]

@@Gloomdrake im aware of that, I just doubt it would have done as well with anyone else as Justin. But I guess we'll never know

[@slothschewgum]

He definitely brought the role to life his character could’ve very easily been as flanderized as max’s was but he was always able to hit it back and keep up with Alex as a main character

[@tanyaghosh2277]

​@@Gloomdrake Not exactly true. Did you know that originally David Henrie was supposed to be the lead of a Disney show? They loved him and came up with the entire magic concept too - The Amazing O'Malley's or something like that. When Disney found Selena, they loved her and decided to get her into the project. Because of that, they rebranded the whole concept into Wizards of Waverly Place - making her technically the lead of the show. But if you think about it, Justin is almost as much of a main character as Alex and that is because he was supposed to be the lead originally!

[@Gloomdrake]

@@tanyaghosh2277 I think that came up in the first video, actually, but I forgot

[@JoeFredrick]

56:14 As a kid I actually got to see this episode taped live (my mom is friends with David Deluise) and there was a cut take of them banging their heads on the pipe walking down stairs and the prop actually broke and fell in Justin's hands leading to the AMAZING improv interaction of: Justin: Shouldn't there be water flowing through these? Jerry: We really need to get that checked out.

[@dawidoleksy317]

that's actually so cool you got to witness that!

[@shellyvision9693]

I wish they used that in the show

[@bleepiestofbloops]

I'm shocked they actually had an audience.

[@antoniodiavolo]

@@bleepiestofbloopsOP just said they were present for the taping. Not that they were part of the live studio audience

[@bleepiestofbloops]

@antoniodiavolo hmm That's fair

[@thewarnerchannel7285]

It's really messed up how Max is left out of the family dynamic. He rarely goes on the same adventures as Justin and Alex, all the sibling bonding scenes are between Justin and Alex, and then the everyone wins happy ending is Justin and Alex keeping their powers but not Max

[@curiouskelpie2822]

It honestly would have been super interesting if they addressed Max’s feelings on getting left out. Like, if my siblings constantly treated me like a joke and ditched me to go on magic adventures, I know i’d be hurt. Then being the only one out of my siblings to not get magic and get stuck working at a crummy sandwich shop? Villain origin story. That’s all I’m saying.

[@thewarnerchannel7285]

@@curiouskelpie2822 I actually like the idea that he takes his loss in stride because he can be just as fulfilled in the sandwich shop like their father, but when I saw that as a kid the first thing I thought was "Dude, you're going to live centuries less than your siblings now, your lifespan just got cut down to 1/10."

[@snakexpert552]

I think they dug the hole too deep with him being the comic relief character where it's hard to take him seriously when he needs to be. Like in that scene in Wizards vs Everything when Max had to be the "last one" it still felt kind of off

[@Crescentmoon120]

Honestly I sympathize a lot with max my siblings are 4 and 5 years older than me so it made me feel left out when they would go off and do things together, the fact that max is almost never a prominent character sucks

[@cathedral1375]

I mean, that should have been a plot point for season 3 when he was older but that just wasn’t in the cards ig. Ironic how he still left more of an impact on viewers than david tho. But as we knew from turn one it wouldn’t have made sense for him to really want or try hard for the wizard comp- he even had a episode in season one where he made the states best sandwich. Him taking over the shop was kinda proper.

[@ariyuril]

Honestly I think the reason Disney pushed Mason/Alex so hard on its audience was because they noticed the shipping fandom had been looking at the only two characters in the show that had chemistry and plenty of interactions, which were… uh… Justin and Alex.

[@chrisbrownie1511]

To be honest if they weren't siblings. You couldn't tell me they wouldn't be dating .

[@ariyuril]

@@chrisbrownie1511 I remembered a lot of speculation back then on if Selena and David were dating because of how much they clicked together on the show.

[@appalachiabrauchfrau]

It's the Life with Derek problem, the canon relationships had zero chemistry and the actors had (what appeared to be) onscreen tension that bled into their roles. I think they pushed the relationship because they thought it'd get more butts on the couch, not necessarily because of anything the fans were doing on like, livejournal or wherever WoWP fans hung out.

[@axolotlking1072]

This is alex/harper erasure (you’re right though)

[@raspberris]

Before I watched these vids and hadn't spent any time in the past ten years thinking about wizards, my friend mentioned that Alex and Justin were (are?) a really popular ship in the fandom. I took a moment to think and said "Yeah that makes sense"

[@raspberris]

It's such a relief to hear that the cast of Wizards really like each other. It would've been so easy for Selena Gomez to shrug off her Disney Channel past and co-stars, but the fact that they hang out, are actual friends, and love talking about the show is so sweet!

[@angietoonz6605]

It reminds me a lot of Victorious and Ariana Grande. Ariana and Selena are two of the biggest celebrities and remain close to their costars and talk highly of the KID shows they were on. And it seems very sincere. Like, no one would bat an eye if they didn't like the shows or felt ill will to the industry (similar to miley, demi and the sprouse twins).

[@kristophesiem5336]

@@angietoonz6605 I thought Arianna didn't like working at Nickelodeon

[@Kill3rrockstar]

Isn't David like a radical Christian conservative now?

[@raspberris]

@@Kill3rrockstar I don't know about that and it's not related to what I'm talking about either. If you have an actual and valid source, show us, if not then keep it to yourself.

[@Nothing_to_see807]

@@Kill3rrockstar so what..?

[@ghidxrah2102]

Laritate being the principal while teaching like 4 classes in New York is honestly more impressive than any magic they do in the show

[@bichen-up-ur]

and the only other teacher we see turned out to be a teenage girl in disguise

[@marchbros-bk9hp]

Also the fact that he doesn’t have a college degree either. He mentioned this lol.

[@SilentMeteorite]

The fact that Frankengirl was all adorably like "hi daddy" to Justin, because she was literally his innocent daughter and barely a few days old, before they condemned her to monster jail forever is so evil

[@urmothermia]

I know, I was sad when he just tossed her to the side

[@elenaporras3145]

Justice for frankengirl

[@thesolidestsnake]

To be honest this is similar to the story of Frankenstein. Like if she came back she would be pissed the fuck off and want to ruin Justin's life.

[@elenaporras3145]

@@thesolidestsnake if they ever did like a spinoff series that would be a really cool like plot or just cool episode in general

[@agreatmannamedlieu]

How in the hell do you guys empathize with an abomination? You guys seriously need to start going to the doctor and getting your hormones checked.

[@BluWoolify]

I like the idea that any magic tools, like the magic marker, are invetions that wizards made to keep their magic when they were worried about losing their family wizard duels.

[@wonderlucky1912]

That’s such a good explanation! Thank you for sharing.

[@tonoornottono]

that’s so tragic and it fits really well into this strangely capitalist wizard world

[@DParkerNunya]

What's funny is this makes more sense than any reasoning the show would have actually given us

[@jbcatz5]

Wizard capitalism needs to function somehow.

[@rina7715]

I love this idea. Now I've would've loved to see a B-plot of Max trying and struggling to make a really stupid, unnecessary magic tool haha

[@icemanlj2k7]

You really did Bridgit Mendler dirty in that "where are they now" segment by failing to mention she's been taking a break from acting and music because she's been studying for *multiple!!* PHDs at both MIT *and* Harvard

[@marlonclark1896]

and she's also married now

[@abrielle13]

An intelligent queen. Love that for her 💕

[@haileejacob1995]

@@abrielle13and a married woman! Love that for her too!! 🥰🥰

[@skunkskiestink6620]

lol i’m here a year later shortly after she announced she’s founding a space satellite company! AND she adopted a toddler!

[@Yobydobie]

I’d be so incredibly mad if I were Max. It seems like the “only one wizard per family” rule is just 100% flexible and can be changed at any time and yet here he is… the *only* child stripped of his magic and having to run a sandwich shop as a teen.

[@dannyphantom3090]

I swear even as a kid back in 5th grade I thought that was bullshit. Like rewatching the show the wizard competition is very stupid a better ending would just be justin giving up his powers for akex and that's it.

[@gokairedwillcipher]

And this is why Stevie was right

[@TheLastSpider-Man]

When I watched the finale when I was a kid I also felt bad for Max. But thinking about it more, he's such a simple and easily satisfied person that I can believe he'd be satisfied with just inheriting the sandwich shop. And between the 3 of them, Max is probably the most likely to turn out alright living a life without magic. Justin wouldn't be able to cope because being a wizard is too hardwired into his sense of self, and Alex would become jaded in the future because she's too used to having magic to help her get by in life

[@zoevillegas8331]

I hate it too, but Max would probably be the most okay without magic since he used it the least (thanks to him always having the b plot). Plus, the episode where Max helped the sandwich shop with their financial ruins proves that’s the perfect place for him to be. He’s not dumb just dumb with magic.

[@danmakes2497]

To be fair, he seemed to be the most excited about inheriting the actual shop versus losing his powers and not caring or even mourning his powers.

[@SailorYue]

Larry Tate is a really good principal. He took it on himself to make the biggest trouble maker in the school and his positive influence helped make her one of the best students, but didn't force her to change.

[@fantasticbeck3938]

We Stan Larrytate

[@lvlHive]

I love Larry Tate he goes "Alex you are a troubled child but truly gifted and deep down i know you are a good person" to "Class enjoy your graduation... EXCEPT YOU ALEX!! I have evidence to stop you from graduating for the rest of your life!!" in a matter of days.

[@jubilee7019]

dawg his last name is Laritate these mfers arent calling him Larry Tate the entire show 😭

[@KaijuofSteel]

@@lvlHive My headcanon is that the contents in that safe were actually a collection of all the good deeds Alex did, and Larrytate was going to show everybody how much of a good person she was as a graduation gift. But Alex ended up inadvertently destroying it, forcing Larry to improvise a graduation ceremony on the spot.

[@rodanandme]

@@KaijuofSteel that wouldve been so in character, their dynamic is so genuinely sweet.

[@captainchaos5705]

You know Mason's family being racist make a ton of sense when you consider that he mentioned he was a purebred and not a mutt, his family probably takes pride in that

[@BlueSparxLPs]

The other interesting thing about that is that it suggests any children Alex and Mason had together would be unable to have their own non-werewolf relationships because they wouldn't be able to kiss without turning others.

[@infinemyself5604]

@@BlueSparxLPs they can be ace

[@MrLego3160]

@@infinemyself5604 they could also join a comvent.

[@lenamorris3117]

Malfoy family vibes lol

[@annaleepena2790]

@@BlueSparxLPs I was thinking about this the other day

[@growingupwithdisney]

Max having a secret girlfriend was a perfect but underwhelming idea. He said he didn’t want someone to compare him to Alex and Justin. Because he feels he can’t live up to being as rebellious as Alex and as responsible as Justin. It’s more proof why the wizard competition shouldn’t exist, Max always deserved better

[@BratzRockAngels]

Agreed. I actually wish the series talked about how messed up the wizard competition actually is, and maybe Alex and eventually her brothers would rebel against it. Stevie was right to try and destroy it honestly.

[@growingupwithdisney]

@@BratzRockAngels I agree, but I guess the wizard competition has a lot of built up to be the final episode. The show definitely needs a spin-off to change the whole wizard system

[@akrzton1]

@@growingupwithdisney Just so you know, we are excited about the whole New Year’s event in downtown Pittsburgh. It will be this show, iCarly, and Liberty’s Kids going to downtown Pittsburgh to ring in 2023. I hope somebody makes a multi-hour-long video on Liberty’s Kids because I really love that show.

[@maddiemcnugget1076]

I remember this line and I wish it was explored more. It reminds me of this movie I like 4 Sisters Before the Wedding where one of the sisters remarks how her other siblings excel in other fields, but she is nothing. It's the same case for Max, but even worse because he's the youngest so he's constantly compared to them. I wish they made his personality more prominent but didn't... oh well.

[@akrzton1]

@@maddiemcnugget1076 Don’t you want to know what we are doing for New Year’s?

[@Jmorris3265]

See all these promos with things like “disney summer” and “night of premiers” really takes me back to hot living rooms and no responsibilities but flipping between the same three channels.

[@marchbros-bk9hp]

Disney around this time was a vibe for sure. Take me back!!!!😅

[@MrLollersnakes]

I never gathered that Alex was the full wizard after the movie. I thought when she wished everything was back to normal, it also made her a part-time wizard, which is why her orb was smaller compared to the orb her and Justin fought over and Jerry's orb that he shows in the beginning of the movie.

[@JordG0tBored]

You're right, he definitely misunderstood that

[@lauren5952]

Yes! I’m pretty sure there’s even a line where Justin mentions that she gave her powers up or something like that

[@Gabriela-bd1tn]

Yeah that was the whole point she did not want to keep her powers if it meant her family wasn’t together

[@twodays8041]

100%, I rewatched it with some roommates recently and was very confused by that part of the video. Not to say that plot holes aren’t everywhere in this show, but that one they seemed to cover up pretty well

[@kateyepawtch]

I never watched the movie but that's what I guessed would happen if she wished things back to normal, was confused that apparently didn't happen

[@jessien5463]

I always loved the bizarre and comforting scenes between Alex and her school principal. He was charming and goofy.

[@notjohnbruno1522]

It was incredibly refreshing to see a principal have a not actively antagonistic role towards the main character. Larritate was a hardass but he genuinely cared about Alex, plus his own idiosyncrasies made the two a lot of fun to watch riff off of each other

[@jessien5463]

@@notjohnbruno1522 Nailed it! His quirky idiosyncrasies brought so much to every conversation. I think characters like his really thrived in the age of “random humour” when things that were wacky and out of place became hilarious. His empathy for Alex was a heartwarming cherry on top.

[@agreatmannamedlieu]

​@@jessien5463He's the type of grown man y'all hate nowadays. He was written in a masculine way. More like lovable to gawk at on TV.

[@davidpowell1789]

Honestly this show’s concept should be redone as a serious drama. The idea of wizard siblings hurting each other to increase their odds of winning the family competition, seeing rebel wizards taking the wizard council down, wizards masking their powers in public, interacting with monsters, etc would all make great stories with higher stakes involved. Great video!

[@lemonace6695]

Omg yes.

[@-Desire]

Maybe not a fully serious drama? I believe the comedy is an integral part of the show like in the movie and earlier seasons, a bit more serious though yes. But according to the current pop culture, if it ever got rebooted it'd just be dark and moody with blood, dark lighting, bad family and friend relationships and over-the-top cursing because it's *edgy*

[@lemonace6695]

@@-Desire unfortunally yea. I think it could still be a sitcom just with an older target demographic, something like This is Us or the Fresh Prince of Bel Air where is still light and fun but afresses serius issues. Maybe if the genre was keept but for older people/less Disney Chanel it wouldn't become a new Winx or Riverdsle

[@davidpowell1789]

@@-Desire If they did a reboot with this specific cast, I think it’d be better if they moved from the NYC set and had the grownups living nearby handling their own wizard children’s mistakes. Alex having a daughter that’s just like justin, Justin dealing with a daughter that’s just like Alex, have Stevie return successful in taking down the competition so Max gets his powers back, maybe have a makeup with Megan, etc. Ngl though the moody show with the cursing and the darker aspect also sounds like a bingeable experience lol

[@saadikgoldsmith5290]

@@davidpowell1789 if the reboot ever happens which I hope I want justin to have a daughter who is naturally smart like him but has a little bit of alex in her at the same time I like to see how that would play out cause we have been wanting a reboot to the show for years now and nothing has been officially confirmed

[@kds2662]

the amount of times hes said "im sure alex will never use magic irresponsibly again" is hilarious especially after the first 2 seasons and after the movie

[@bitwawesome7]

Romance girl,

[@millied5800]

@@bitwawesome7ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppplpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

[@bitwawesome7]

@@millied5800 Romance girl

[@Tw0Dots]

@@bitwawesome7tf is wrong with you

[@bitwawesome7]

@@Tw0Dots Romance girl

[@Nairda442]

Theory; Alex almost always has her wand somewhere on her (in her boot), so maybe you can cast "wandless spells" as long as your wand is on your person. Physical separation from the wand (like in the Dollhouse episode) means you can't cast your magic.

[@mjm3091]

well the issue with that is that on the ship, where she once again is using wandless - she is wearing high heels

[@melmarie6083]

Well what about the episode where they were in their new apartment (I think she was running after mason after he left after they argued) and she said that she left her wand somewhere (I think like either at the sub station or something) so she used her hand to teleport her into the elevator. I think wizards just dropped the ball on continuity there lol.

[@therealevilmudbug]

​@@mjm3091 I mean maybe it's hidden in the high heel

[@anjieeee]

but she also keeps it in her back pocket so I just believe whenever she doesn’t wear boots she’s just wearing it somewhere else

[@LampDoesVideogame]

Alternate theory, wands just help amplify magical abilities and magical beings have a bit less magic without it. Actually, I wanna revise that. Magical beings can tap into powers, but it's tampered. Probably to hinder abilities of a child, that isn't going to have control of abilities. So they're limited to say 20% of their power so they don't turn someone inside out by crying. Then some more is given back with a wand at an age..

[@nyusvlog2889]

Zeke's actor explained (I can't remember if it was a tik-tok or twitter post) that his character was not supposed to be permanent. When he came back on the show it seemed everyone forgot that the characters original name was Zack and accidentally wrote him as Zeke and that's how it stayed from there on.

[@sethmp333]

So he didn’t mention that he was already on the show as a different character? He didn’t say “hey guys i was Zack last time”.

[@nyusvlog2889]

@@sethmp333 it's the same character, the writers just forgot that the original name was Zack instead of Zeke

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

every time I see him in this vide I just think of all the porn he’s made since and i can’t take it seriously

[@StrawberryMoonlights]

I mean Zeke fits his character a lot better in my opinion so I’m glad it happened

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Im surprised he feels cheated by the 'All of them kinda won' . That was the One thing about the Finaly that i did like. Its just a Shame the Writing was so bad, resulting in 1 Billion Plot Holes per Second - even in the Finaly.

[@ermerlie]

OH MY GOD the “oh oh oh it’s magic” in the end credits of the movie unlocked something deep within me

[@-Desire]

never believe its not soooooooo

[@cathynguyen4198]

It still shocks me that song was a cover by Selena and not an original

[@supersniffer9632]

One of the funniest scenes in the whole show is when max says "is it family picture day" while everyone is dressed like Shakira then turns into a trash can and gerry says "ok I have no idea what's going on here."

[@RoseLikesFootball]

1:35:58 timestamp

[@nyct0phile]

fucking loved that moment

[@connorbeith3232]

I'm honestly surprised that clip hasn't become a meme yet considering how often people call each other trash.

[@is.a.bell.a8700]

gotta love how his son turning into a trash can was the turning point for jerry in that moment

[@charlottekirkwood5267]

I have to say “keep it down out here I can’t even hear myself MOVIN ON” is probably one of the best line deliveries from Mason in the whole show. It cracks me up

[@cami_cosmos]

4:24:50 for anyone wondering!

[@DParkerNunya]

Mason has more comedic lines that actually made me laugh than I remember tbh

[@squashedbychoice]

4:23:04

[@bloodypadeater]

wizards of waverly and good luck charlie are the only disney shows that genuinely felt like a PASSION PROJECT. both casts feel like they wanted to be there and the writers just GET IT. also everyone’s performance in this show (even max i really do love his character) is so genuine, ever since the first episode they understand not just how to portray their respective character but how to BECOME their character.

[@cyberboy5red]

I think you did The Suite Life of Zack & Cody a huge disservice by saying this.

[@beastunleashed657]

@@cyberboy5red Well both Sprouse brothers were hard done by the producer at the end, when they pitched an idea for a new season

[@cyberboy5red]

@@beastunleashed657 I didn’t mean On Deck too.

[@Hamantha]

Honestly GLC was really good. Needs more people talking about it

[@beastunleashed657]

@@cyberboy5red i mean, same franchise 🤣

[@johnmoloney1996]

Looking back on this series for the first time since I was 9. I can’t believe how done dirty Stevie was in this show. She wanted to stop a eugenics programme that has a history of breaking apart families and somehow she’s the villain.

[@lolatulip3609]

I really hated how they kept calling her "evil" like, what part of what she's doing is particularly evil? "Oh no! She wants to dismantle our corrupt society! Get her!"

[@johnmoloney1996]

@@lolatulip3609 it’s even more fucked when you realised she was taking part in the family wizard completion when she was like 12-14 while here brother would have been 16-18. Like no shit she would run away she never could have stood a chance.

[@lolatulip3609]

@@johnmoloney1996 Sweet jesus... Yeah that is fucked up. Do you think anyone's written fanfiction where Stevie wins? Like, the girl deserves it, literally none of that crap was fair. That also makes me wonder, what if someone went through with becoming a full wizard and their parents have a kid after that somehow? If wizards can live for hundreds of years and two wizards have a child after the other is made a full wizard, what happens then? Do they have to take the competition despite not having needed to at all prior?

[@illiciumverum6149]

@@lolatulip3609 It's so funny, they can't even counter her arguments. Stevie: Hey, it's really fucked up how the Wizarding government sets siblings against each other, takes our powers, and ruins family's relationships, we should abolish that competition. Other wizards: Um... EVIIILLLLLL!!! Kinda reminds me of Harry Potter when everyone acted like Hermione was insane for wanting to stop wizards from enslaving elves.

[@staceynainlab888]

that episode always pissed me off so much. the show doesn't attempt to justify why the one wizard per family rule is so important. they just treat it as though it is self-evident that trying to change it is evil.

[@codyxvasco592]

Justin calling Stevie evil is the same vibe as paparazzi calling celebrities crazy for raging out on them.

[@SquipperPines]

I remember I actually had a headcanon for the wands vs hands thing as a kid. I decided that spells cast with wands were stronger than without, and some spells just needed the stronger magic to use. Which means I put more thought into this show's lore as a ten year old than the writers did. I love it

[@joeljames2683]

Solid reasoning. Genuinely would have made a lot of sense and resolved a lot of plot holes if they explained that. Most of the hand casts are when they teleport, so they could just say it’s easier to teleport.

[@allurementbeats243]

Same bro I was also playing Wizard101 at the time & not having a wand would make you less powerful. It’s pretty much magic lore in every game/movie now that I’ve thought more about it.

[@painvillegaming4119]

It is something we heard in Harry Potter

[@painvillegaming4119]

@@allurementbeats243not in Harry Potter the wands are there to make it easier to conduct magic

[@ThatOneDumbGuyy]

Essentially like throwing a ball vs. firing a gun. One is gonna pack a way bigger punch.

[@noraunhappy]

I love that when Mason is in that half-transformed state, you can hear how much difficulty he’s having speaking with the teeth prosthetics in. He’s got a very audible mumbling effect to his voice like a kid wearing those fake vampire teeth.

[@punkyv6560]

You can hear it with Bridget Mendler's teeth too lol

[@griefingg0lem685]

I'll say this, Justin forgetting Vampires are monsters isn't dumb. He's been around her so much that he's just like "Oh, that's just Juliette" and doesn't consider her a monster, even though that's her species.

[@postrachsmietnikow]

Although it is weird that once he realizes his girlfriend is a monster, he doesn't stop to reconsider his monster hunting career...

[@flaviac6556]

but it is kinda fucked up cause every species including wizards are not normal, right? All of them are monsters for regular humans

[@lindenm.9149]

@Postal Mann Wizards are pretty much humans with some special skills. It’s quite weird they don’t like humans since they share more with them than any other species.

[@RuinedStillWetMascara]

Pretty privilege

[@BonnieBoestar]

@@lindenm.9149 To be honest it seems like Wizards share MORE with other magical species like Vampires and Goblins, at least in terms of power, so its quite strange that they treat humans as harmless nuisances and monsters as second class citizens.

[@syra1541]

the movie's wizarding competition was like 400x more entertaining than the finale

[@dannyphantom3090]

Yeah i understand they couldn't replicate that on a TV budget but wizards was Disney most popular show at the time they should've had a finale movie.

[@ahumphrey5449]

that "i don't like moths they fly like they're broken" line has been eternally etched into my mind ever since i saw it years ago

[@-Desire]

I think Jake T. Austin did a pretty good job personifying Alex and Justin in the Three Maxs episode. I also remember Maxine being in the show for like 2 seasons??? For some reason?

[@rodanandme]

pulled a D'arcy Carden

[@Mugoflighterfluid]

Same I always thought Maxine was around for like half a season at least

[@wonderlucky1912]

@@rodanandme oh yes when she played Janet, Janet as Chidi, as Eleanor, as Tahani, as Jason.

[@coolpersonawilliams2841]

Maxine did feel way longer

[@Nathi98]

For me the reason it felt like Maxine was around for so long was because I didn't like it. I really wanted Jake back immediately No slight to Bailee Madison, she was an employee. I find the decision for this storyline to still be unbelievably confusing

[@hey-zel]

I thought that when Alex used the stone to wish for everything to go back to normal it also meant she gave up being a full wizard since everything reverted back. Thus why the show continues. That’s how I always saw it and explains why they have another wizard competition.

[@dawidoleksy317]

it's because that's exactly what happened. Justin literally asked her why she gave up her powers and she said she wanted everything to be the way it was and then they started joking about the next wizard competition.

[@bitwawesome7]

Romance girl

[@bitwawesome7]

@@dawidoleksy317Romance girl

[@iciecube]

yeah i was confused when he said that. i didn’t remember it because that’s not what happened. she did give up her powers.

[@MeInTheFuture8]

@@iciecubethe clip he uses even shows the powers poof out of her hands and then shows justin saying "you gave up your powers" so, not sure what he was talking about 😂

[@OMGitsDSypl]

The fact that they tried to keep topping the tent scene from the movie, almost out of some obligation, is very funny to me. That most of the later episodes were "vs" episodes or multi episode arcs, also very funny. I forgot that the formula of Jerry teaching the kids magic was dropped so early and I got so upset, because as formulaic as it is, it was a draw for the show and gave Jerry his wisdom angle. I think the first two seasons were a bit more authentic to the appeal for kids wanting to learn about magic and see how it can go awry.

[@MADKapo]

If there's ever a revival/reboot, I think Max should actually have a successful business, just to go against the notion that he's an idiot. The random moments where he wasn't were the best part of his character, and I think showing him having a future where he takes Jerry's restaurant and turns it into a successful food chain could be a good outcome for him, instead of the typical "oh well he became a screw-up" like you would expect.

[@tanyaghosh2277]

they actually show how much business prowess Max has in Season 4 of the show, when the Subway shop is struggling! People think Max got shafted by not getting any powers and being stuck with the sandwhich shop but his best moments as a character was how inventive he was, especially when it came to business ideas. He was ALWAYS better than Alex and Justin. It's just that the show had to turn him into a bit of a Joey from friends, where he became dumber in moments where it didn't make sense for the sake of the joke. But the good Max epiosdes throughout the show actually do prove that he would be the best choice to run the family business - and he would totally make it massively successful for sure!

[@MADKapo]

@@tanyaghosh2277 I think the ending was the best outcome for all of the brothers. Alex and Justin kept their powers, Alex has the freedom to use them however she wants while Justin got a job in the council which fits his "stickler for the rules" mentality, Max didn't get any powers but he didn't seem sad about it, his life didn't revolve around magic anyways. I feel like this is the good ending of Jerry's family situation, he should've given his powers to his sister, who needed them more than his brother.

[@bepisthescienceman4202]

It'd be funny if they depicted him as this suave salesman with a silver tongue

[@tanyaghosh2277]

​@@MADKapo Yeah but Megan (Jerry's sister) never grew into as good of a person Alex did, so he trusted her with magic less than he did Kelbo. Also, Max's life didn't revolve around magic but Kelbo's did! Jerry thought Kelbo couldn't survive without magic and Megan could. Plus, he thought that Kelbo was more trustworthy with magic than Megan. That's why he gave it to him, not her.

[@KyrieFortune]

A bad writer would make him a cryptobro into NFTs and scamming people. A good writer would make him the rightful successor of the Subway Station and have him fight gentrification

[@kestrel5895]

I love how the movie says Alex is pure hearted only to show her torture her brother by leaving him in quicksand

[@nakedstatue8517]

Ig it's more abt intention? Idk..

[@SailorSetsuna7]

I call it the Philosopher's Stone effect (or Sorcerer's Stone, whatever). Anyone who tried to find it to either become rich or immortal wouldn't find it hidden in the mirror, only the one who wanted to find it but not use it. So it's the matter of selfishness vs selflessness (a.k.a. Justin wanted /to find/ the stone himself while Alex wanted the stone /to be found/, no matter who finds it)

[@tminusboom2140]

Pure of heart doesn't mean morally sacrosanct. There are different interpretations, but I do fully believe that someone so dumb as to not under the consequences of their own actions could be pure of intention while causing tons of problems.

[@appalachiabrauchfrau]

"pure" can mean transparent, I don't think this case meant pure as in good. It's just the opposite of ulterior.

[@yllwtoast]

Listen, I agree with Keyan for most of this retrospective *but* I absolutely *refuse* to take off my nostalgia glasses for the Wizards vs. Werewolves arc. That was peak television for 10-12 year old me and anything saying otherwise is sacrilege.

[@jlwiseman98]

I too, also forgot about zeke until i watched these videos, yet remembered minor characters like gigi more. Honestly i think the reason why is purely because zeke rarely forwarded many of the plots or had any significant development in most of the show. Like his character was purely comedic relief for the whole show, and most of the time basically only was in episodes for humor and gags. Which makes him stand out less then those who do foreward plots and get development throughout the show. Dan is such a good actor tho, he has such good energy and expressions i feel bad he got forgotten among the cast. Its not his fault, i think the writers just didn’t handle zeke in a way to make him really make a significant impact on the audience outside of a few good lines.

[@nekomancer47]

I think I had confused Zeke with the Longcape Jr. kid who was a villain during the magic school stuff, cuz when Keyan said in part one to “remember him cuz he’ll show up again more”, I was thinking “oh yeah, doesn’t he turn out to be like an evil wizard or wizard hunter or something and was just pretending to be dumb and goofy to get close to Justin and keep an eye on the Roussos or something?” Don’t know how well a “twist” like that would’ve actually worked, but at least it would’ve been doing more with Zeke than what he actually got. He’s basically just what Alfred was to Max, except he sticks around longer instead of inexplicably vanishing from the cast.

[@anthonyaviles1]

Now he’s a cornstar

[@a_ninja2376]

The way justin in the movie tells Alex “I just wanted to hear it again” really shows how well he knows his sister. He knew she wouldn’t want to be all sappy and played his genuine shock and care off as a joke to make her feel better. It’s little stuff like that I love about this series

[@tenshi7784]

I always just assumed that wizards needing or not needing wands was based on their experience or on how difficult the spell was.

[@BBXcompany]

same

[@NeroLeMorte]

Yep

[@unclekarl5219]

That’s inconsistent with the show and you know it. Stop defending this goofy ass kids show

[@iharpo9292]

I think of it like a power boost yeah

[@sneak0ut]

yeah, like she needed the family wand in the movie to do those powerful spells because it has amplified power to make your spell as if your a full wizard, and the show keeps the theme with the final movie stating alex can create her own spells and do more because of how powerful she is (ex the fucking door to italy)

[@ryanmurphy2246]

34:45 Actually at the end of the movie when Alex shows the ball of magic it is smaller because she used the wish to turn everything back to how it was before she cast the forbidden spell and Justin says "You gave up your powers? You won why would you do that?" Alex then says "because I wanted to make sure nothing was different. That nothing changed." So the boys still had their magic at the end due to Alex wishing everything back to normal. So the movie can technically be canon due to this factor.

[@audreyardrey]

Yeah

[@renegarza9]

The show did mention the events of the movie once in a scene where Alex brakes up with a love interest

[@katleogaming43]

​@@renegarza9 oh when I never noticed

[@WWSDD]

I just assumed she lost the powers and they all forgot after 48 hours after it was reversed.

[@namecomingsoon9517]

I love the ending scene of “Promise me we’ll find normal people” “We’re not normal people”

[@bitwawesome7]

Romance girl..

[@skitskit333]

yes finally someone gets it

[@fpgmatthew]

Jeez I didn’t realize how emotional the Wizards Movie was. Just rewatching these scenes included in this video, I genuinely cried during the scene where Justin forgets who Alex is. As we grow up, yea we notice how silly some of the plot points can be, but we also notice more intently just how much of a family the Russo’s were, just how much they cared for one another, and just how well written that part of the show was. Justin and Alex specifically had the strongest brother sister love in any show I’ve seen Incredibly well done by the creators

[@roseaeries]

I’m shocked I started sobbing when Alex begged Justin to remember his little sister 🥹

[@ashdweeb9063]

i cried at least twice watching it recently

[@haileejacob1995]

I was 7 when WOWP came out and 11 (I think) when it ended and I’m 22 now rewatching it and I’m surprised at how good it is! Like there are some episodes or scenes that are kind of silly or don’t hold up well, of course, but overall it’s a solid show! And the movie!!! I cried during that scene too!! It’s so good! 10/10!!

[@TywanJr]

After rewatching the movie it’s hard to not wonder why Archie didn’t just *dump a bucket of water* on Giselle to reverse the parrot spell

[@schemar17]

They forgor💀

[@asoret]

I guess sometimes it doesn't work, but anyways it shouldn't be that hard to the point of needing a rock that literally can do everything maybe if they explained it as a curse that normal magic can't fix

[@proclarushtaonasat]

or maybe since the mannequinn was plastic, the magic just covered it on the outside, instead of converting it completely, which is why it could be washed off?

[@herowither12354]

Maybe he tried, but it was like.. only human while she was wet, or it just caused her to molt her feathers, or something.

[@accidentalmadness1708]

@@proclarushtaonasat best answer

[@Rose-rx9yi]

The treatment of Stevie was sooooooooo weird. Literally the last season portrays how terrible the magic government is and you would THINK that the show would end with them going hey maybe it’s not fair we have to compete since they kinda set it up like that? They show how the competition has torn families apart (with Stevie AND Jerry) and how generally corrupt the government is but you’re still supposed to be convinced that Stevie was in the wrong despite building her up as a sympathetic character. EDIT: Not to mention that the show legit ends with them all keeping their powers anyway so what was the point really. EDIT 2: OOPS I completely forgot Max didn’t keep his my bad.

[@curiouskelpie2822]

Stevie deserved better. Honestly give me a sequel series about a group of rebel wizards talking down the corrupt government. Stevie could come back as the wise mentor character who helps out the new generation of wizard rebels!

[@lolatulip3609]

I've literally been upset with how they treated Stevie ever since I first watched that episode almost a decade ago, could you imagine if they'd actually gone through with shifting the whole focus of the show from that point on? Like it becomes about dismantling the corruption within the wizard world and how deep the rabbit hole of bullshit goes.

[@TheScarletSlayer]

I'm still hung up on how racist wizards apparently are, so much casual slavery.

[@nienke7713]

Actively addressing and criticising the wizard government probably comes to close to criticism of actual governments; they rather have children be primed to think government is always right and going against it is inherently evil. Also, Max didn't get to keep his powers, he got the family business instead.

[@staceynainlab888]

the only way the show could have a satisfactory ending after four seasons of loving this characters and rooting or them was to somehow make Alex and Justin both stay wizards. so why in all Hell did the writers set up this stupid rule that only one is supposed to keep their powers? are there ANY fans that think it is good or necessary to have the family competition at all? the show illustrates numerous times how bad the family competition is and ends with a loophole so our beloved characters can both keep their powers, so clearly even the writers knew they couldn't have a happy ending where only one of them keeps their powers. so why the hell treat the rule as this sacred thing that it is somehow EVIL to try to change?

[@inkmaster5480]

The episode with the country wizards actually does explain why they don't have a portal. They used to have one that was disguised as an outhouse, but it was destroyed by modernization.

[@silvermoon332]

the way the kids let people in on the secret fit them so well. alex takes harper to outer space and gives her a cupcake, max takes a girl on a magic carpet ride, and justin freezes time - which is the smartest way to do it, since it gives zeke space to freak out as long as he needs to, and also means that no one can prove justin broke the rule in the first place as long as zeke keeps his mouth shut, because the rest of the world is frozen. if justin decided to cause trouble full time like alex he'd be dangerous as hell

[@bluetiger2468]

I've always felt like it was so unfair for max. Not only would he have to compete in the wizard competition while being younger and less experienced, both Justin and Alex were allowed to expose magic to their friends but when Max does it, he gets scold and he's forced to undo it. The only reason Max thought it was okay, was because of Justin and Alex. But no, it was okay for them but not for him. Then at the end, Justin and Alex both gets powers while he gets no powers. Some might say that Max didn't really show interest in magic and he was overall okay with this outcome. But just imagine if you were in his position. All your life, no one expected you to win the wizard competition. You're the youngest and you're far behind everyone else. Why should you be interested in magic and why should you put effort into trying to be a better wizard when you are basically destined to fail?

[@realshipn5546]

looking back on it, they did max pretty dirty with his plot lines within the show. the made him really useless. everyone else had episodes with their crushes or boyfriends/girlfriends but max gets one episode about it and that’s it. and we all knew max wasn’t going to win but it would have been nice if they did more with him and magic and actually give him relevance. Max was always my favorite character because he was sort of the underdog in this situation which i tend to root for.

[@Zero0Zero0000]

I don't think being the youngest is any disadvantage. Kelbo was the youngest and he got the powers. But yeah, overall they did him dirty.

[@creed8712]

@@Zero0Zero0000but that’s only cause Jerry gave it up for Shiera

[@tjc8369]

Why does keyan say that max gets to keep his powers at 4:56:15

[@ollie2111]

@@tjc8369 i know right? They didn't all get to keep their powers. Only Justin an Alex did. Max gets the sub shop. He kept saying that and I was like, no I think he assumed and stuck with the assumption. Also, do we see him do magic at all in Alex vs Alex? I don't think he does.

[@melt3563]

All the respect and gratitude in the world to Jennifer Stone for her lifesaving work through the pandemic!

[@Composer_Piggy]

What did she do I think I missed that part and can’t find it

[@melt3563]

@@Composer_Piggy she has been an ER nurse throughout the last 2 years!

[@clearlynotchloe]

@@melt3563i’m literally so proud of her thank you for telling me

[@JeanRodo]

Pay her more

[@melt3563]

@@JeanRodo agreed!

[@godai6203]

It really warms my heart that, even after the end of the show, the cast is still friends. It just goes to show how strong of a bond they all had.

[@ollie2111]

Love that

[@SWTobito0702]

3 things I gotta address: 1. It's explained that the hillbilly wizards had a lair and portal, which were located in their outhouse. Said outhouse was however bulldozed down, destroying the portal. In that same scene it was also explained that every wizard family only ever gets one portal. 2. In the episode where Dean returns, Max and Mason explain that when Mason tried eating Dean, he got stuck around the shoulders, so Max shrunk him to be swallowed easier. 3. Justin and Alex cast two different spells on Max. Those two spells mutated into the spell that turned Max into Maxine. Several wizards casting the same spell just makes the spell stronger or work more effectively, as was established in the episode where Justin, Alex and Max all three had to cast the rope spell, to make it effective.

[@taekyunghill4880]

i remembered these parts too thx for pointing them out!

[@potatogaming7044]

Hello my fellow nerds

[@w1zd00m]

nerd

[@Medusa_The-Bard]

@@w1zd00m ikr such a good thing

[@Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1024]

Imagine Improv spellifying a stone of dreams, Improv spells entire family being full wizards This is so much funnier than I thought at first Improv spells human/sapient rights into the wizard council

[@growingupwithdisney]

Stevie questioning the family wizard competition and being seen as evil is perfect reason why Wizards needs a spin-off series to fix that unfair wizard system

[@asoret]

Yes it doesn't makes sense, they should explain more of why is that important to get only one mage for each family, for example if they have a common enemy to save the earth and need stronger mages, that only come out when becoming full wizard, then it would explain why its evil to avoid doing it

[@dandereninja4750]

The show never explains it but I believe that the wizard competition exists in order to motivate young wizards into mastering their powers. This also ensures that all full wizards and intelligent, cunning, and skilled with magic.

[@kestrel5895]

my personal theory is that the competition only exists as bread and circus. The Wizard goverment has the competition to keep everyone distracted from how dystopian their society is

[@Nakihari]

@@dandereninja4750 but then we have Jerry's brother who just got his powers out of pity, so there was no point on that, it's so weird

[@staceynainlab888]

@@dandereninja4750 so why can't they just have a licensing exam that is pass or fail instead of a competition between siblings? making a competition between siblings makes it so worthy wizards can lose out if their siblings are also worthy and unworthy wizards can win if their siblings are just as bad. and those without siblings get a free pass. not to mention the unfairness of siblings with big age differences having to compete at the same time.

[@TheLovelyLadybug]

The "one-wizard-per-family" rule always made me wonder why would wizard parents bother having more than one child? They know the competition tears families apart, why would they willingly inflict that onto their own children?

[@quakethedoombringer]

The Russo families are probably the exception. There are probably a thousand wizard families out there that only has a single child

[@morgue.dweller]

Idea for Larry Tate in the reboot: since Alex is now working as staff as the wizard school, she visits Larry Tate to ask for advice every so often about how to work with kids or teach a class. She never tells him which school she works at, 'cause she can't, so he spends the series trying to figure it out. Maybe he eventually learns of the wizard world too since he was an important figure in Alex's life growing up, so I think it'd be kinda cool.

[@staceynainlab888]

I love that idea

[@melmarie6083]

Genius idea.

[@jedfletcher3925]

I need Alex to be put in charge of a "trouble student" so she goes to Larrytate for advice cause he dealt with her all those years.

[@pedroxqui]

That's the best idea in that scenario

[@boutglo6853]

yessss

[@choccymilk8491]

Honestly I think wizards is one of the only Disney shows that would actually work with the “main character is now the parent of the main character of the sister show” sequel premise. Literally any of the kids would work as a parent and would probably open up more possibilities in fighting against the weird rules the wizard world has

[@oliviab4079]

I remember the whole Stevie arc made me mad as a kid because I didn’t see why it was a problem, I always thought the wizard tournament was stupid and Stevie was in the right for trying to fix it

[@-psilo-9071]

No, but kids should never question authority. The government is always right.

[@metadexter]

I know! Stevie is literally fighting for equality against an unfair system, but she’s painted as the bad guy with no justification .

[@enoumoh2039]

​@@-psilo-9071the Wizard ruling counsel is not a democratically run or voted.

[@syra1541]

​@@-psilo-9071LMFAOO

[@thylionheart]

12:42 Maria Canals-Barrera’s acting here is so grounded and makes me forget that I’m watching a Disney Channel show, especially the way Selena plays off her. So many performances in DCOMs or shows are so exaggerated that this feels like such a breath of fresh air and immediately hooks me into the scene.

[@growingupwithdisney]

I agree completely, Selena and Maria are both so good at acting. I hope the revival series carries on this natural dialogue

[@aurahoneydew9607]

Me as a kid: Harper's outfits are so silly Me as an adult: Harper's outfits are 🔥

[@mochii813]

I'd totally wear her marker dress thing

[@alexiskimberly]

I’ve always loved her outfits I vividly remember wanting her marker dress so bad 😂

[@natmejia4083]

can't relate, i always thought they were iconic

[@crimson_auror]

I actually vividly remember Zeke because of his relationship with Harper. There’s this one scene where Harper mentions brunch and Zeke freaks out because he likes to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a jog in between each meal. It’s a scene that I have never forgotten.

[@batsnghostz]

He should jog WHILE having brunch . For the chaos

[@kieranstark7213]

@@batsnghostz He should do it with Kelbo!

[@namecomingsoon9517]

Theresa saying “i do remember” and Alex telling Justin her feelings when he’s forgotten makes me cry everytime

[@bitwawesome7]

Romance girl..

[@pedroxqui]

In the reboot, Harper should be a teacher too, something like "survival 101" and it's basically home ecs, doing common stuff with no magic because some, if not most of the students will lose their magic at some point

[@jbcatz5]

You know she has a blog about the outfits she makes

[@ollie2111]

Awww this feels perfect for her. Definitely with some fashion design elements in there (heck, have her teach multiple classes, a lot of real teachers usually alternate between a few different subjects for different periods). I feel like there could be a lot of cute silly humor in her class if she had this role.

[@khaliaward1771]

@@ollie2111 That would be so funny as a gag that she teaches every single class like mr.larratate.

[@ollie2111]

@@khaliaward1771 oh I was thinking just two or three 😅

[@alvarovilla7309]

Yes! Like helping them find who they are outside of magic just how she found herself and who she is through her interests in making and fashion

[@Kthespacewhale]

The addition of the Disney Channel and show bumpers adds so much to the video in my opinion, helps combat some watcher fatigue and just adds immersion

[@alliecat4787]

i sooooo agree!

[@theYammy]

It also reminded me of how much I loved them as a kid :’)

[@roccoroad8465]

I was also gonna write a comment about this! It really just takes you back to that time period for a few moments

[@dobbyofbobby9715]

The hold Wizards vs. Werewolves had on me as a kid 😩 Mason declaring his love for Juliet was the wildest thing to me until Juliet appeared out of nowhere in Wizards vs. Everything

[@demiemily]

The fact that Mason turning into a werewolf was genuinely the most terrifying thing I've ever seen

[@mikemorro140]

I remember Juliet's return having more build up but I guess it really was out of nowhere

[@speed_queen]

Rewatching the show again has made me realize how much I honestly loved Zeke as a character and wished he became a part of the main cast and found out about magic earlier in the series like Harper. Dan Benson has such good comedic timing and made me laugh pretty much every time Zeke was on screen, and he was honestly just a really wholesome and fun character.

[@growingupwithdisney]

I agree, I didn’t realize how much I enjoy him, he is so over the top. Usually that would be annoying, but it works well in this show because he’s one of the only ones like that

[@incrediblekeenan1751]

@@speed_queen unlike a lot of people I actually did remember Zeke from when I was watching the show. He was so funny and he really felt like he belongs and rewatching it he was just as funny and goofy as he was when I watched it as a kid

[@hazelsloth]

I remember being touched as a kid that the emotional climax of the movie was Alex wishing everything would revert to normal knowing that that meant she would have to try at the Wizard competition again later and possibly lose next time. I’m specifically bringing this up because that point you missed is a big piece of her development in selflessness and probably what the “pure of heart” stuff was hinting at before, so it’s a pretty big piece of the movie. Great videos by the way, thank you.

[@blazeplayz9703]

I always assumed that when Alex used the stone of dreams “To make everything go back to the way it was”, it also undid the wizard competition and gave the other kids their magic back.

[@asoret]

Yes that's what happens

[@Gloomdrake]

Not even an assumption, just canon

[@blazeplayz9703]

@@Gloomdrake in the video it just seems like he was confused by the ending

[@Gloomdrake]

@@blazeplayz9703 happens to the best of us. He'll most likely issue a correction in a later video, as per usual

[@RealogOnlyBrodie]

I hate all the McGuffens in this franchise, that’s my only real pet peeve. Sometimes they cease to exist in another story where they’d definitely fix things.

[@Disney15ish]

It definitely feels like the Wizard competion is most unfair for Max, being much younger. Also I can't help but find it funny that in order: S2: Alex goes against the rule of exposing wizards to Harper...and it doesn't affect anything S3: Max does the same thing and is forced to lie and ends up losing a girlfriend S4: Justin does the same thing for Zeke...and it doesn't affect anything So in short, Max is the only sibling that 1)doesn't have a friend that knows, and 2) the only sibling to actually be powerless after the finale. Also notable that the S2 and S3 one were both written by Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein (who also wrote the dragon dog episode so that's likely a reason for the reference to it)

[@angietoonz6605]

the whole max thing bothers me a lot cause he's so much younger and it feels really unfair to have a contest when he's like, 15, which is the age Alex was in SEASON 1. Of course he can't win.

[@gingergamer3270]

I really feel bad for Max throughout the series, especially since he regressed in terms of intelligence

[@gracekim1998]

Wait when did Max have a girlfriend? I actually Can’t remember. And yeah I feel so sad for poor Max 😅

[@caitr21]

@@gracekim1998 the secret girlfriend epsiode

[@mjm3091]

@@gracekim1998 watch the video again, lol

[@BaawBee]

I love that Wizards of Waverly Place NEVER took themselves to seriously though. They just had fun with it and made a very fun show to watch. It was more of a parody then anything

[@incrediblekeenan1751]

They started taking themselves seriously around the last 2 seasons

[@RamenCupBMG]

4:20:40 this is true. when I was a kid I didn't fully grasp the concept of the suite life of zack and cody because I didn't get why living in a hotel was special. like one show a girl is secretly a pop star, one can see the future, one is a wizard and the other show is just twins? and then guests would show up in the hotel and be perplexed that they live there and I wouldn't really get why that was weird. despite me and apparently other kids not knowing the difference between a hotel and an apartment, I gotta say, that's a pretty genius premise for a kids show. hotels have revolving guests so there's always stories to be made and excuses for celebrity guests to show up. which is why the suite life is the center point for both 3 show crossovers. and of course, you have all of the employees that the kids can hang out with and/or annoy. it's pretty a clever premise that required more subtlety than supernatural powers or girl is most famous person in the world (not to knock at any of those shows)

[@SandwitchZebra]

On Deck also works really well because it’s the same thing except the characters get to travel around the world, so they meet even more unique people and get to go to a bunch of different locations and get into shenanigans specific to there (like stealing valuable paintings in France or having a Sherlock Holmes mystery in Britain)

[@Hamantha]

I think the amnesia-ed Jerry acts as a perfect encapsulation of Justin, Alex, and Max based purely on the scene when bro first encounter him (when they try to take the book)

[@aldogrof6700]

Lowkey ur right all three are certain aspect 😂 of Jerry’s personality Justin-stickler for rules.. Alex-lazy and conniving Max-dumb and lack self awareness

[@Ddddddddddd381]

I think leaving out the fact that Bridget Mendler is literally getting her PhD from MIT and is getting a JD from Harvard is such a snub. Maria Canals-Barrera also voices Hawk Girl in DC animation and does a fantastic job at it

[@dolfuny]

"Seriously Justin just stand up" is a quote that could've been used so many times lol

[@camerongrow6426]

Alex being a teacher at Wiz Tech feels very in character. We know she has a passion for teaching art and she is reluctantly great at finding trouble makers. Having her be the fun teacher but also being a voice of authority would be an interesting character journey.

[@thenerdlog1602]

As someone who has DMed several campaigns, I completely believe that the wizards would forget about spells they know, especially if they are situational.

[@notjohnbruno1522]

As someone who’s played several wizards, I can 100% attest that wizards constantly forget their spells

[@DeitySkullKid]

As someone who has DMed several games and has played several games, they usually only remember the damage spells, but only a few at a time, unless they're plotting something

[@zackroemer9028]

it's genuinely really nice seeing all the actors and actresses being happy and friends with each other

[@gokairedwillcipher]

I will forever be mad that they tried to convince us that Stevie was wrong when this girl was 100% right and I would have so joined her rebellion

[@duskianfae]

I'm still at the movie recap, but I feel the need to comment on this. One thing I always loved about Wizards of Waverly Place is how it *gets it* what it's like to be siblings, specially when you are raised in competition against each other. And the movie turned it up to a hundred. The highlighted dialogues always stuck to me way more than the special effects because of how real it all felt. It's so easy to mess up siblings in fiction, and Wizards really got it right.

[@Rini_H]

Two notes, in the movie, Jerry says that she can wish for them back in the moment so she can still be a full wizard. She ends up intentionally wishing for everything to go back to what it was. Justin asks her about her powers and she said she didn't want anything to change. The wish reverted time. Second, with the whole Mason saying he never stopped loving Juliet, it's kind of implied he did it out of dog loyalty impulse. He doesn't actually love her but it was his instinct to stay loyal to his previous love. Not saying it's a good reason.

[@libertymartin5167]

That's interesting, I never thought about it as his dog loyalty! But you're probably right!

[@incrediblekeenan1751]

I feel like it has more something to do with the wording he uses. He said “I’ll never stop loving you!” This implies that he would never stop loving her.

[@brickreeks]

Literally! Idk how people miss these. I thought they were so obvious

[@WWEdiva246]

@@incrediblekeenan1751 did he say "I"LL never stop loving you"? bc I heard "I'VE never stopped loving you" so I can see the confusion

[@henryapplebottom7231]

Hehe Dogs.

[@erikblue688]

Uncle Kelbo being Shakira implies he married twice and had kids. And this is awesome and wild to think. But this also implies his kids would have the right to participate the family wizard contest.

[@heloisagrassi4781]

AND HE GOT CHEATED ON

[@elsie8757]

Maybe we're meant to assume _everything_ about Shakira (personal life included) was made up by Kelbo, thus those spouses and kids don't really exist either?

[@katjau_]

This is so funny. By that logic uncle Kelbo also engaged in tax evasion in Spain 😭

[@forrestib]

I assume only the children of the person who formally won the family wizard competition inherit magical powers, even if after the competition ends the family wizard powers get transferred to a different sibling, so Kelbo has to hide his true identity from the children he has as Shakira because they're mortals.

[@piggylover8882]

I actually met Zeke's actor when I was little at this acting scouting thing and he entered by introducing himself as the actor who played Zeke and I was like the only one who really reacted because I did remember the character... But I also only knew the character as "harpers boyfriend" and not "Justin's friend" Its sad how forgettable he is for some reason.

[@ladyandkidragmen]

Their dad turning into a cockroach is the thing I remember most vividly from the show. I remember being really disturbed by the fact that it's never resolved by the end of the episode. Also the line "I think this is just how I eat now." really freaked me out as a kid.

[@wonderlucky1912]

I think that episode is one of the reasons I have a fear of cockroaches. That episode scarred me as a child.

[@derpoltergeist8265]

Really kafkaesque.

[@bethanyzamora1146]

@@derpoltergeist8265 Mrs. Russo having a "my roach wife Ogtha" moment

[@dianaavila3950]

@@bethanyzamora1146 AHDASJAJAHAHAH i thought about that too

[@jordanrivera467]

A lot of people always wonder why the family wizard tournament has 3 different versions (movie, stevie, and the finale) and i’ve created a headcanon trying to explain it: the wizard competition in the movie was the original way the competition was done. however, when jerry won and then wanted to transfer his powers to kelbo, it was really hard to do with the original system and after they finally figured out how, the wizard council changed the family competition to the ball thing so it would be easier for someone to do what jerry did if they wanted to. then after the whole stevie situation (which im sure the wizard council had to learn about at some point) they changed the competition AGAIN to prevent another stevie situation and made the power transfer happen immediately after the competition so that any losing siblings wouldn’t have a chance to escape before the power transfer happened. it doesn’t make the most sense but neither does the show canon lol so it’s the best/silliest i got

[@growingupwithdisney]

That’s a great point, I thought of the Stevie one too, but not the Jerry movie one.

[@VJT5370]

my head canon is that for simplicity's sake; Jerry decided to make it into a race to the orb; Which is actually true- The last leg of the finale is a race through the maze. For simplicity's sake as well; Based on what happened with Stevie; It could be assumed that now an official member has to preside over the race as the judge so that a family member wouldn't run out again. This would mean that a family member had to make a walk of shame to the power transfer machine pre-stevie though.

[@varshamohann]

oh...did not know this side story even though i had watched the entire show

[@danielsurvivor1372]

It's a shame Stevie lost, she could've liberated wizard kind from this archaic oppressive system 😢

[@Phantanatomy]

The whole Stevie being evil idea maybe could have been justified if her plan was instead for one sibling to forcibly become the family wizard and take their siblings’ powers without any competition at all. That would still make Stevie’s intentions somewhat understandable (she had no chance of winning the competition against her brother) but would be wrong enough to justify the other characters calling her “evil.” In the show literally the worst thing she does is trap Justin and Harper in the portal, where they’re in no danger whatsoever. Also it kind of seems out of character for Alex to be so immediately opposed to Stevie’s plan. It makes sense for Justin, since he’s such a stickler for the rules, but all wizards keeping their powers seems like something Alex genuinely would have been interested in. I feel like the writers couldn’t think of any actual reason Stevie was in the wrong, so they just labeled her as evil and called it a day.

[@noraunhappy]

Or just make a real reason for the wizard contest to need to exist. Maybe if all the kids in the family keep their powers as adults, the powers start to become corrupted because they’re split up, and either cause the wizards to get seriously sick or maybe even become evil. Alex originally sides with Stevie because she doesn’t know the consequences of getting rid of the contest. Stevie however is fully aware of how dangerous it could be (maybe since she never gave up her powers it’s actually causing her to become evil?) and wants to do it anyways to benefit her. Then we can still call Stevie evil, because she’s purposefully misleading and endangering people for her own gains, we can keep Alex more in character by letting her actually agree with Stevie before she knows how severe it is, and we get a real explanation as to why the contest needs to exist at all. The show wasn’t above added contrived consequences to things, like Mason and Juliet’s whole thing. Add some contrived excuse for why Justin can still keep his powers at the end, like because Crum gives Justin powers it isn’t from the family powers and this doesn’t have the same risk or something.

[@pickyphysicsstudent201]

Both great ideas. I'd like to add that the Wizard Contest is BS because each family is different. An only child who is a stupid & undeserving slacker gets to keep their powers with no competition but a family of 10 prodigy genius wizard children have to fight tooth 'n' nail for a 10% chance of becoming a full wizard. Make it so that Stevie's brother is an amazing prodigy but Stevie still feels that she is deserving because she tries with all her might. This will make Stevie seem sympathetic rather than a sore loser. Making the case that Stevie still deserves to keep her magic because she is a B+ kid while there are others who are passing with Ds.

[@vesi7993]

Alot of the problem stems from the writers only considering the Wizard Competition via Justin and Alex.

[@TekTheNinja]

I'd argue actually the most evil thing she does is tossing that random student through a portal to who-knows-where but the show doesn't actually treat that as something evil, haha.

[@-psilo-9071]

wizards are legit facist in this universe they should rebel

[@Samzillah]

It's actually mildly concerning how horrible Mason is as a character and how they just keep making Alex forgive him. Like he constantly causes scenes and attacks people because he can't control his anger, ate her ex-boyfriend out of jelousy, and despite supposedly being 1000 years old has the emotional maturity of a 12 year old. Like Alex has an excuse as a 16/17 year old girl for the dumb choices she makes, the only excuse he has is 'oh werewolves are angry and dangerous'. Like Alex's constantly told that werewolves are dangerous and uncontrollable and Mason pretty much proves the wizard world right at every turn. Like if he wasn't a werewolf no one would be accepting this crap from him.

[@MONKEYDZETS]

Really she a bad friend a bad sister and constantly interferes with people life's and everyone forgive her even when she casually ruins people lifes

[@orangegradient4309]

Being young does not give you an excuse to be an asshole

[@CrashNSplash]

And Alex sucks even more. They're toxicly perfect for each other

[@incrediblekeenan1751]

@@MONKEYDZETSI think she is a good sister but not always a good friend. Despite her problems with her brothers she never has done anything to hurt them or make their lives miserable. She has done some bad things to Harper though because she constantly took advantage of her and manipulated her multiple times. That’s kinda why I’m glad she acknowledged that in Alex vs Alex saying that Harper has always stood by her side no matter how many times she’s messed up

[@dukecaliblap]

I honestly wish that Max's conscience would have been a permanent addition to the show. The biggest problem with Max as a character was that he was often just kind of doing his own thing while everyone else had stuff going on in most episodes. So giving him a foil to play off of would have made his "storylines" a lot better

[@jbcatz5]

Or a recurring friend for him, someone he’d hang out with and maybe develop because of.

[@vesi7993]

I guess they didn’t want to bring and pay another actor to be Max’s friend like they did for Justin with Zeke. It kinda speaks to how little they cared about Max after season one. Him being in the running for family wizard is treated more as a joke than something he seriously wants.

[@Error0101]

@@vesi7993 To be fair, he didn't really seem to care that much aside from the fact he was expected to.

[@typhonyx_was_taken]

Okay but the “fake bottles for bar fights only” joke in the time travel episode is genuinely hilarious, it’s like a Naked Gun joke

[@lemonade8660]

I know that it's not technically a disney sitcom, but this guy covering My Babysitter's a Vampire would be amazing

[@kevingreene3334]

Have you seen the one made my Bhultra??

[@realestsienna]

we were robbed of season 3 💔💔

[@lemonade8660]

@@kevingreene3334 Yeah, I literally got recommended it right after making this comment

[@kiaramcdonald194]

The fact that a reboot was just announced and only Selena and David are the official characters. I just wish they would give Max a job giving him an excuse to have powers again and still be somewhat a present character.

[@akrzton1]

I couldn’t be more happy that this show is coming back for a reboot! About a year before the pandemic began, they have started to pull out their musical instruments and make music again, much to the delight of iCarly and Liberty’s Kids, but mainly the latter because the hiatus from the animated show was a little less than a decade. I remembered the cartoon for what it gave me as a preteen and we needed to catch up on what went on during our hiatus. Liberty’s Kids was introduced to 2 really great shows and now our bond is unbreakable. Anyway, I am so lucky to have this show and the others as special friends to live the Pittsburgh life with.

[@paintingdreams290]

Max's actor has confirmed he'll appear in the show at some point and I'm assuming Selenas a recurring character due to the credit she is said to receive in the pilot.

[@incrediblekeenan1751]

Selena is only gonna be there for an episode

[@jemappellemerci]

Honestly there’s a very simple reason why Jake T. Austin was in less scenes in the Wizards movie; he was younger than Selena and David, so he wasn’t allowed to work as many hours a day (it was shot when Selena was 16)

[@BBXcompany]

that makes sense, i thought it was because of other dcoms he was in at the time were taking priority cause i think there was one where he was one of the leads?

[@tori5315]

@@incrediblekeenan1751 he was on pair of kings but i’m not sure when that aired

[@kristaskorner5353]

​@@tori5315 he wasn't on pair of Kings

[@kristaskorner5353]

​@@incrediblekeenan1751 he was in johnny kapahala 2 but that was in 2007 so

[@randoperson5190]

@@incrediblekeenan1751 In entertainment there’s different age brackets for time allowed on set. It has changed a couple of times so I don’t for sure but from what I remember it was 0-1, 2-5, 5-10, 10-15, 16-17. Each bracket up is allowed to work longer hours. Think Olsen twins playing the same kid on Full House due to hour restrictions or the convoluted shooting schedule for Mean Girls due to Lindsey Lohan being a minor. It depends on medium, union, studio, and legal rules so it applies differently for a lot of the industry