Everything is not what it seems. Sound familiar? I’m sure we all have vivid memories of loudly belting or excitedly running to our televisions in the late 2000s to early 2010s when we heard the theme song to this popular Disney show. Did you run out of guesses? It’s Wizards of Waverly Place!
Like most people, I was quite skeptical when I heard about the return of our favorite Wizard family. Mainly, it was out of fear that the reboot wouldn’t hold up to the original, like so many other reboots of our favorite shows
Luckily for me, I was proven wrong. I quite enjoyed the first nine episodes that aired. Sure, it’s for a different generation, but the themes and values that we grew up watching still hold up today. To say that this is the reboot that got it right is an understatement, and I’ll explain why.
We’re So Back!
When the reboot was announced a few years back, I was skeptical. The “ICarly” reboot was recently canceled last year, and as someone who grew up watching the original “Wizards of Waverly Place” series, I had some intuitive feeling that they would ruin it. Fortunately, my instincts were very off, and I’m glad.
The series brings back David Henrie, who stars in the series as Justin Russo, the eldest of the Russo kids, who’s now a mortal, has married, and now has two sons, eldest son Roman, and youngest son, Max. Guest starring is Selena Gomez as Alex Russo, David DeLuise as Jerry Russo, Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo, and Jake T. Austin as Max Russo.
I can only hope that Jennifer Stone makes her return as Harper Finkle, soon. I miss her outfits, and I’m sure we all wonder what her adult fashion taste is like. The best part of the reboot… twenty-one episode order!! I miss when shows had more than ten episodes, and hopefully, this will be the long-awaited return of twenty-plus episode orders that we former cable watchers reminisce about. Television is back!
I… Like It!
When I watched the first episode, there were a few moments that had me covering my eyes because I felt the second-hand embarrassment coming. However, I was able to relax. Once I saw Alex Russo on my screen, I screamed. Selena Gomez plays Alex Russo with the same charm that I watched as a kid. Alex and Justin’s sibling chemistry is still the same.
I’m grateful the writers didn’t try to make Billie a reboot of Alex. Sure, they have similar qualities, but Janice LeeAnn Brown holds her own as Billie. Justin, now a middle school principal, got fired from WizTech? Justin Russo? Fired? Fired is not a word in his vocabulary at all. He’s a stickler for the rules. I digress.
After the ill-fated “unicorn incident”, Justin never discussed magic with his family and lived a quiet life without magic. That is, until Alex, now a member of the Wizard Tribunal, comes back to convince him to become a teacher to a gifted wizard, Billie.
Can we also discuss the rebellious artist Alex is now a wizard cop? It’s a weird word to say, but I feel like she should be an artist. Point aside, I’m glad that she protected Billie. Speaking of Billie, I’m glad that the reboot presented a black female protagonist on the show. It’s refreshing to see a young black wizard; something that we didn’t see in the original series.
It’s fun to see a black girl and to exist in the world. Billie is fun, energizing, exciting, and innovative. Characteristics that clash with Justin’s eldest son, Roman, who’s Justin’s mini-me, and oppositely excite his younger son, Milo.
The pilot also explores Justin’s hesitancy to return to magic, his wife Giada, who looks similar to Harper, and floogies. I question why we never got to see floogies in the original series but to each their own. I like the further expansion of mythical creatures in the wizard world, so this one didn’t bother me as much. It was amusing to learn that Max now runs a billion-dollar sandwich empire and refreshing to find that the lair looks just the same.
Everything is Always as it Seems
Overall, the pilot episode was extremely solid, and fans of the original series agree. The fans did have some questions: why does Justin still have magic despite being a mortal? Why do his sons not have magical powers? They did mention that magic skips a generation, and I hope that it’s explored in the series, more. Will Harper return?
Fabulous questions, everyone! I’m very excited to see the abundance of guest stars, and the overall plot of the first season, which deals with the fate of the world; Billie is the one who will save them. I’m also excited to see them delve more into Billie’s home life and backstory.
We don’t too much about her besides the fact that she jumped from Wizard Academy to Wizard Academy. Does she have parents? Is she orphaned? Does the Wizard World have foster families? Hopefully, we’ll see these as the series progresses.
Conclusion
Reboots are tricky. They can either be executed very well or very cheesy. Wizards is heading on the right track. While we have to acknowledge that it’s simply not a show for the generation who grew up with the original, we can look at it with fondness – the same fondness that our parents look to with their childhood favorite shows.
This reboot is amazing because it doesn’t rely too heavily on nostalgia for the older generation. There’s some, but it’s something fresh and new for the kids. The show holds up on its own, and I know the younger generations will enjoy it with the same laughter and wonder that we did. As for now, hello, old friend! Welcome, back!
