Some of you are no doubt curious why a thirtysomething year old male is writing a piece on the series finale of a Disney Channel show. Well, simply put, Wizards of Waverly Place is one of the most enjoyable TV shows I've watched in the last decade.
I'm not saying its the smartest or the most original, rather I enjoyed it immensely. It has all the elements that have drawn me to Disney shows since the Even Stevens days, mainly a lack of pretense. These are family shows, harkening back to a bygone era of sitcom and their simplicity and production value remind of a different time before the angry, loud reality programs that shout at me every night. It might not be the coolest thing about me, but I'm past the point of caring. For me, WOWP represents 100 plus episodes of quality TV and if we're going wizard for wizard, I liked it more than the Harry Potter series.
After 4 seasons, the show came to a close last Friday night with a spot on finale that wrapped everything with a nice bow and gave fans what they wanted. I applaud the efforts of cast and crew for all their hard work.
The show was brilliantly constructed from the beginning. There was a clear departure point (not unlike How I Met Your Mother, but a little easier to get in and out of) of this "Family Wizard Competition. The premise being each wizard family can have only one actual wizard with powers. All others remain human and powerless. The three Russo children spent the series learning magic and growing up with wizard powers knowing that some day, they'd have to battle it out to see who gets to keep them. Interesting side note, David Henrie appears in both Wizards and in Mother as the son being told the story. Is Henrie the key to a good finale arc?
As a viewer, you knew it was coming, but there were no set rules for it, so the producers could dangle it always out of reach until the day they needed to execute. Fans knew it was to be the finale, so there is no room for disappointment. It was a finale based on satisfying the story from the start, unlike a lot of sitcoms that go through awkward finales. There was no suddenly two characters are getting married, or weak "someone's moving away" type ending. It was always about the competition, so we expected nothing more, nothing less. It was a clear arc that always promised resolution instead of hiding behind "what-ifs" and unnecessary blind sides.
And I know I'm not alone. Wizards became the longest running Disney Channel Original Program with 106 episodes and a made for TV movie. It was so popular, it clocked in nearly 10 million viewers for the finale! They averaged in the high 3's all season, so that is a huge bump of live viewers, making it the current #1 scripted cable show for the season. In fact, Wizards outpaced the Hannah Montana finale by well over 3 million viewers and we all know how big that girl got in the tween zeitgest. All of this goes to support my long standing theory: to succeed in TV, you need either a Carradine or a DeLuise! David DeLuise, wizard family father... boom. Ratings gold.
Now, addressing the actual finale, it was excellent, but if you factor in the 4 or 5 episodes running up to it, it was superb. They managed to return popular characters and tie up story lines that have been building for years in the "final 6" which only added to the satisfactory conclusion. The final hour long episode was all about the wizard competition, a contest both veiled and disclosed to its competitors. It portrayed the power of family without getting preachy and left us with a fan satisfying double wizard exception. Was it a cop out to have Alex and Justin receive wizard powers? Not in the context of Disney family sitcoms. It is what viewers would want as both characters have endeared themselves through the years. And it was logical. It's not like they said "well you both did so well so..." It made sense, for the characters and the world they inhabit.
If you don't like this type of programming, I don't expect you to run out and start watching Wizards and fall in love. You need to be predisposed to this type of sitcom, but the weird thing is, I think I'm more into them now than I would've been 15 or 20 years ago. I appreciate their charm and can enjoy them without the need to over analyze their every move. Wizards of Waverly Place is my favorite so far.
Thankfully the show is very rewatchable and I know I'll continue to enjoy favorite episodes for years to come. From the pilot "Crazy 10-Minute Sale" directed by Fred Savage, to their crossovers and multi episode stories about vampires, there are memorable moments abound. My favorite might be their ode to silent movies but I love the Mr. Laritate scenes and Harper's crazy outfits as well.
So, that's it. Me talking about a kids show for 900 words. I can't help it, I loved Wizards and I thank them for making me smile.
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