Bewitched : The Trial and Error of Aunt Clara

This ranks among one of my favorite Bewitched episodes. I never get tired of it. And I love the genuine warmth EM has towards Clara/Lorne in their scenes together. However, one thing in this episode has always left me puzzled. I thought, lets see what the message board folks have to say about it.

Aunt Clara is on trial to determine if she should be earthbound for flubbing it up one time too many. The trial is held at, of course, the Stephens house. When Darrin comes home unexpectedly to retrieve a file, Samantha naturally tries to hide their living room transformed into a witchy courtroom. However, as the episode progresses, it seems that she is practically terrified of Darrin coming in and seeing the spectacle. When he does ultimately come into the living room, Aunt Clara whisks the whole scene away with the sweep of her arms. (This act reverses the decision for her to be earthbound.)

What puzzled me is that Darrin acts so perplexed, almost frightened, at having witnessed this and everything vanishing before his eyes. He stutters and mumbles and then says he needs to go lie down, like he cant believe what just happened. Wouldnt he be used to such spectacles by now? Hes certainly witnessed other bizarre things up to that point. Why did this freak him out so much?

The next morning, Aunt Clara comes back and Sam says that they both know it was one of Claras flubs. AC explains that she did this out of love, because Darrin seeing the scene would have been disastrous for Samantha. But before Clara arrives, Samantha was explaining to Darrin about the trial.

Why would this particular scene been any more disastrous for her than any other bewitching scene Darrin has experienced?

I actually have a difficult time watching that one. I hate to see sweet Aunt Clara ganged up upon by all those cruel witches. I was especially disappointed when Endora joined the pack.

I know - Endora was particularly heartless towards Clara. However, I love the interaction and the love between Samantha and Clara, and how fiercely Samantha defends her.

This is a truly great episode, from arguably the best season of the series.

However, I don't have an issue with Darrin's reaction, as it's broad daylight, he
has no idea whatsoever of what's going on (he thinks its a mortal bazaar), and
when he walks out, he sees blinding thunder and light, dogs, sleds, palm trees,
a troll of a judge, all his furniture missing, and those three angry crones!
It IS scary looking. To me, it would've reminded him of when Endora, Enchantra
and Hagatha were going to kidnap Tabitha a few months before in a similar setup.
It's so very "coven-sih"almost like something out of "Rosemary's Baby."

For me, the scene works, and I get Darrin's being creeped out. Again, this is
York in season three, not Sargent looking sarcastic and dismissive in season seven.

Yes, as much as Darrin was used to seeing all types of strange goings on, he did walk into a bizarre scene!

Since the trial was for Aunt Clara, I think she felt personally responsible, even guilty for causing a big problem for Samantha.

I never understood one thing though. How did Endora and the others have authority over Clara? What gave them the right to take away her powers? Do the witches vote on who is in charge? They did have a judge presiding at Clara's trial.

You could compare it to an elderly parent who is too ill to drive anymore and the family takes away the car keys. But you aren't born with a driver's license the way witches were born with their powers. I remember at least one time when Endora scolded Samantha for giving up her "birthright". How did other witches have the right to strip away another witch's power?

At the beginning of the episode Aunt Clara had another major disaster with her witchcraft so I could see the witches wanting to put some restrictions on the powers she used, sort of like a restricted driver's license, e.g., no driving at night. (No witchcraft in public Clara!) LOL But to make her "earth bound" and strip her powers away seemed harsh.

Facts are not liberals strong suit. Rhetoric is. Thomas Sowell

gbennett: Good perspective, especially when you used the word "coven." I guess it would be creepy. (That's why I like bringing these things up on the message board.) One thing I really like is the director's use of the fish-eye lens distortion when Enchantra and Hagatha are literally cackling. It presented them in their true form. I've never seen that unique shot used before or after this on Bewitched.

pjpurple: I thought about that too, especially when this was something with which you're born. However, there is an episode where the unseen Witch's Council strips Samantha, Serena, Arthur, and Tabitha of their powers. In addition, there were several incidents where some witches had a much higher level of authority (Hecuba being one of the most obvious), and had greater power over other witches.

This episode also has one of the most stunning effects (IMO) on BW: when Clara zaps away the desk, all of the items on top of it stay perfectly in place. I also love the sound byte (harps) when Samantha moves the clock ahead, and then back, one hour to get Darrin to leave.

Side question: The "disastrous" weekend Clara, Hagatha, and Enchantra spent with royalty where Clara shot one of their dogs while bird hunting led to Clara's trial. I've always assumed the royalty (Lady.? I would think I'd remember after seeing the episode so many times) were mortal. Anyone else?

Videoguy, oh I forgot about the episode where the Witch's Council strips Sam of her powers! I think it had to do with her marriage to a mortal. Kinda late in the game for them to get angry. LOL She was married for about four years and had a child. Serena and Arthur stood by her side and lost their powers. But Tabitha? That seemed like too much.

It appears that the Witch's Council was unfair and arbitrary in its rulings. Why take Tabitha's powers? A lot of Witch society seemed to be just as bigoted and judgemental as Endora accused mortal society to be. Taking Tabitha's powers would be like a person losing his license for drunk driving and the authorities take his teen-ager's license too!

It's one of my favorite episodes. Very funny! But it was an excuse to do a remake of the I Love Lucy's candy factory episode. Arthur and Serena were funny on the assembly line dipping bananas in chocolate.

I don't think the writers thought about the show as hard as we do. LOL In season four Samantha was made "Queen of the Witches". Maybe the witches did things differently. In the mortal world you become a queen by birth or if you marry into royalty. I think that story line was just an excuse to allow Elizabeth Montgomery to wear beautiful gowns and a crown. And of course it caused problems with her marriage. But the next year, she was in trouble with the Witch's Council? Obviously her brief stint as "Queen" didn't carry too much weight with the Council.

Sure it was a sitcom and they didn't get into all the background of how the witches governed themselves, who was in charge, who made the rules,etc. But they often seemed as closeminded as the humans they criticized.

I agree, but maybe the Witches thought they were doing it for her own good, maybe they though she could get injured or hurt out in the ether with her powers as whimsical as they are.

I like this episode a lot too, because of the warm relationship between Samantha and Clara and the imaginative special effects already mentioned.

But there are a few aspects of it that bother me. One is why (other than for the sake of the plot) that the trial has to be held at the Stephens' house, and if it does, why Samantha can't openly discuss it with Darrin? Darrin knows how much Samantha loves Clara (he even likes her), and how necessary it would be for Sam to defend her, but Samantha clearly feels he wouldn't allow it if he knew about it, so she has to hide it from him

It's yet another reason why I don't buy that Sam and Darrin's marriage is based on a love of "mutual trust and respect." Darrin doesn't respect Samantha as a witch, even when it comes to essential activities in which she must participate as part of that heritage. It's not only this episode but the ones where they test Tabitha's and Adam's powers and the one where Samantha is ordered to report to the Witches' Council (she compels Serena to fill in for her at home so she can sneak off to the meeting) among others.

I do believe that Sam and Darrin love each other (he puts up with a lot from the witch world, but stays married to her, to me his most admirable trait, and she does too from the majority of mortals who are selfish, petty silly, greedy, etc.), but they never make any effort to address the fundamental issue that could divide them: how witchcraft and Samantha's obligations to that part of her life, can fit into their general "mortals only" lifestyle.

Also, considering how powerful the witches and warlocks are always claiming to be, I don't find Clara's magical clearing of the room all that spectacular. I understand that it was a spectacular feat of magic for CLARA, whose powers are generally dwindling, but the impression I get from the episode is that the "hanging judge" and the blue ribbon panel of witches considered it a spectacular feat of witchcraft in general. Seriously? Clearing out a room (even one with polar bears and palm trees!) seems like pretty small potatoes compared to the magical feats witches and warlocks generally claim to be capable of.

Oh, for heaven's sake, he DOES respect the fact that she's a witch. That was
shown in countless episodes. But since it was supposed to be a "speedy" trial,
if you will, and Darrin would be at work, it's understandable that Sam didn't
want to stress Darrin out with all this beforehand. And, anyway, when they're
discussing it in the tag, Darrin doesn't seem angry - just perplexed at what
he saw.

As far as where it's held, Endora only says that Clara has chosen Sam to be
her defense. It makes sense that it would be held in a place where Sam had
more control of the environment and also a place where Clara felt safe.

I have to agree with two of the earlier postsEndora was overly nasty in this episode, in a way that made her look downright cruel and heartless towards Clara. She's usually merely mischievous and/or haughty. Not my favorite Endora moment.

So Endora isn't "downright cruel" when she repeatedly belittles Darrin in
front of her grandchildren? How about putting a cobra in his brief case?

There were many different shades to Endora, and this episode hardly makes
her frequent cruelty unique. And, anyway, it's a great episode.

I think what I meant was - we're used to seeing her bed evil Darren. Thus time, she was being cruel towards sweet Aunt Clara. And yes, great episode.

Excuse me - I meant BEDEVIL Darren!!!

Another thought is perhaps Endora, Enchantra, and Hagatha were the appointed "Witch's Council" at the time, so they had no choice but to take part in Clara's trial. The same could be said when they tested Tabitha for her powers.

That might explain why Enchantra and Hagatha started blubbering and sobbing when Judge Bean handed down his verdict (to Samantha's disgust). They were required to try her, but maybe deep down felt bad about it.

I also thought more about Endora's meanness to Clara in this episode. Endora has little patience and tolerance for incompetence. Hence, she feels all mortals are incompetent and inferior and thus her distaste for Darrin. Clara certainly falls into the incompetent category.

Historically, Clara and Endora did a lot of bickering. Clara remarks in one episode: "Endora, don't you have a house to go haunt?" Another time, when Clara inadvertently acquires Endora's powers, she promptly turns Endora into a goose. After changing her back, Endora angrily threatens, "Clara, you will live to regret this moment!"

I always took the crying and carrying on as hypocritical and for show only. Didn't Samantha make a face? Not sure off hand without re watching.

I love this episode as well. As for Darrin's reaction, I understand what you're getting atyeah you'd think Darrin would be used to this stuff by nowmaybe. But still it would be kind of creepy to him no matter what. If you watch Darrin's reaction to many things over the course of the show you can see that he is almost always unsettled by the things he sees.

I do like that people are referring to the scene as "coven-ish". When they were all together like that, it was very much like a witches coven. In fact, don't they refer to it as such in a few episodes? Does anyone know?

American Horror Story Season 7: Donald Trump

Endora (I believe) mentions the word "coven" in "Witches and Warlocks are my
Favorite Things."

In the early '70's, there was the girl-group Coven, who recorded "One Tin
Soldier" from Billy Jack. When I mentioned this recently to my brother's
wife, she actually recoiled. "Coven???" Funny how people react to this word.

Funnyfor some reason I love that word. lol

American Horror Story Season 7: Donald Trump

With the talk of Darrin's reactions, I'm reminded of when Serena wanted Boyce and Hart to perform at the Cosmos Cotillion. Darrin asks, "What the Cosmos Cotillion?" to which Sam replies, "It's, uh.a dinner dance," like he wouldn't be able to handle it if she told him what it really was.

Interesting Samantha knew that Darrin knew she was quite "different" but sometimes she tried to shield him from the truth about her life.

In the first season I remember that she told Endora that Darrin wanted to know her actual age and she didn't want to tell him. A few years later Darrin wanted to know if she had ever been to the moon. Samantha hesitated about answering that question too.

Darrin was obviously able to handle a lot about Samantha's life. I don't know why she couldn't be totally honest with him.

And contrary to what's been suggested on this board, there is nothing wrong -
or unrealistic - about husbands and wives not sharing "everything." We all have
histories, we all have thoughts, opinions, faults, and even a dark side that
needn't intrude on a healthy relationship. BW was very honest in this aspect. In
the end, it's about trust.

SAM: "Darrin, you don't want to know everything about me, do you?"

Oh I agree with you, up to a point. For instance, a lot of people don't really want to know about their partner's romantic history. It isn't necessary to know everything.

But knowing how old your spouse is, that's not so unusual to want to know that. I have a feeling that Samantha did tell Darrin at some point, but the audience was never let in on it. It was always kept a bit vague.

But the Cosmos Cotillion? Why be coy about it? It's not like Darrin would've been shocked. He saw enough strange stuff in his own living room not to be fazed by that.

Facts are not liberals strong suit. Rhetoric is. Thomas Sowell

I don't remember this one. I thought I had seen all of them. I searched the Internet & found website with quite a few Bewitched episodes. At my age, I still love this series. I didn't care for second Darrin & never knew they had Adam. I'm watching Season 6 on Antenna TV at 3 pm EST in Boston area.

Great episode!