Paris, Witches Style

 In the gloriously chaotic and jet-setting Season 8 episode of *Bewitched* titled “Paris, Witches Style,” which first enchanted audiences on October 20, 1971, the Stephens family’s European vacation takes a turn into high-flying farce when centuries-old witch politics and family obligations collide against the romantic backdrop of Paris. The trouble begins when Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Endora (Agnes Moorehead) arrive in the City of Light without having stopped to visit Maurice—a powerful, imperious warlock and old family friend played with theatrical grandeur by Maurice Evans—who had expected them to pay their respects during their recent layover in London. Deeply offended by what he perceives as a grievous slight, Maurice summons them with a crackle of thunder and a swirl of aristocratic indignation, demanding an explanation. Ever the diplomat (and desperate to avoid magical retribution), Samantha tries to smooth things over, but Endora—proud, unrepentant, and never one to grovel—refuses to apologize for mere etiquette. Sensing disaster, and knowing the real Darrin (Dick Sargent) is still en route from New York, Samantha panics. In a moment of inspired improvisation, she begs Endora to conjure a temporary, illusionary Darrin to placate the volatile warlock. With a sardonic smirk and a theatrical wave of her hand, Endora obliges, zapping into existence a charmingly convincing—but entirely fake—Darrin who delivers rehearsed pleasantries with robotic politeness. For a moment, it works: Maurice softens, flattered by the gesture… until the *real* Darrin, suitcase in hand and utterly bewildered, bursts through the door, fresh off the plane and wholly unaware of the doppelgänger now standing in his living room. Chaos erupts as two Darrins stare at each other in mutual horror, Maurice’s eyes narrow in fury, and Samantha’s carefully constructed ruse collapses like a house of enchanted cards. Enraged by what he sees as a deliberate mockery, Maurice unleashes his wrath—not with words, but with a dramatic incantation that sends the *real* Darrin soaring through the Parisian sky, landing him—dazed, disheveled, and clinging to the iron latticework—precariously atop the Eiffel Tower. What follows is a whirlwind of magical negotiation, mother-daughter bickering, and Darrin’s muffled shouts echoing down from 300 meters above the Seine. Elizabeth Montgomery navigates the madness with her trademark composure, her eyes flashing between panic and determination, while Agnes Moorehead delivers Endora at her most gloriously unapologetic—arch, amused, and utterly unfazed by the diplomatic catastrophe unfolding around her. Maurice Evans, meanwhile, relishes every moment as the scorned warlock, his Shakespearean cadence and sweeping gestures turning petty offense into high drama. Ultimately, of course, Samantha brokers peace—not through force, but through empathy—convincing Maurice that their omission was born of oversight, not disrespect. With a grudging sigh, he restores Darrin to solid ground, though not without a lingering glare and a muttered warning about “mortal audacity.” As the family retreats to their hotel, Darrin muttering about early flights and never trusting “French elevators” again, Samantha and Endora share a knowing look—a silent acknowledgment that no vacation, however glamorous, is safe from the whims of ancient magic and older grudges. “Paris, Witches Style” encapsulates *Bewitched* at its late-series best: visually lush, narratively bonkers, and anchored by Montgomery’s luminous humanity and Moorehead’s indomitable theatricality—a reminder that even among the world’s most beautiful cities, the real magic (and mayhem) always comes from family.