The birth of Tabitha is a great episode. I loved it when I first saw it. It's warm and touching. I like the way Darrin and Endora hug each other and have a bonding moment.
But seeing it many years later, I wonder about some of the details. The show was still new, some of Serena's behavior was out of character for witches.
They are leaving for the hospital and Sam stops to answer the phone. It's her cousin Serena. Why did Serena used a PHONE to get in touch with her cousin? Later on it was established that the witches never used phones to communicate. They just pop in. Why did Serena call Sam?
It could be because at the end of the call, Serena turns around and the audience sees that she looks just like her cousin. Surprise!
Why did Sam ask Serena when did she get back in town? Why did she assume her cousin was nearby? There are phones everywhere in the world!
When Serena visits Sam in the hospital, Samantha informs her that she married a mortal. Wouldn't Serena know that? From the dialogue, we find out that the cousins haven't seen each other for a long time. Obviously Serena heard through the family grapevine that her cousin got married and was expecting a baby. Surely a family member would have shared the "bad news" that Sam married a mortal!
Two other questions about the baby. Samantha tells Serena that she is having the baby in "about an hour". Interesting. Did witches know the exact moment they would give birth? Getting back to the mortal question, why didn't Serena wonder why Sam was giving birth in a mortal hospital?
A favorite episode of mine, but the details of how the witches lived changed in later episodes.
I enjoy this episode, too, but never thought about anything you've asked. Sometimes, witches, use phones just
for the convenience of it. After all, Sam and Serena haven't seen each other in years, and it's a nicer way to
pop in and touch base. The back in town question doesn't make much sense, but I've never paid any attention
to it.
I, too, figured Sam "knew" that Tabatha was due "in an hour." Something a witch would know!
As for Sam informing Serena that she was married to a mortal, it makes perfect sense. Serena, "a true creature
of the wind" came and went - often through different centuries - whenever she wished. She just probably didn't
know Sam got married.
Interesting side note: I've learned recently that "Tababtha" (later spelled "Tabitha") was one of the daughters
of character Edward Andrews. Apparently, he and Liz were friends, as they adopted "Tabatha" for the show.
Andrews must've been very proud.
Andrews guested in the fifth season episode, "Battle of Burning Oak." A favorite ep from a very troubled and sad
time period for the series.
Well thanks for the feedback. I never really thought about some of the questions I posed until a few years ago. The real charm of the episode made me forget the other issues.
But Serena's first question to Samantha was, "When is the baby due?"
So she had heard about what was going on in her cousin's life. If someone, family or friend, had mentioned that Sam was having a baby, I think Serena would have asked, "When did she get married?"
Sam's mortal marriage seemed to be big news in their world. I can't understand why Serena hadn't heard about it.
Regarding Tabatha/Tabitha, I remember reading that Elizabeth Montgomery liked the name and that it was the name of a fellow actor's daughter. I just didn't remember who it was.
The part of the episode when Darrin meets Serena and thinks she is his baby daughter all grown up is funny. I wonder if Darrin ever told Sam about that? And did Samantha tell him that it was her cousin and he was just mistaken?
The episode ends without Darrin ever finding out that his wife had a lookalike cousin. I wonder when he found out?
Apparently, in some off-camera conversation, as Darrin seemed to know about in the fourth season.
As I've written before, I think it took Liz a few years to get Serena down. She really comes into her own in season
five's "Mrs. Stephens, Where Are You?" A real treat.
Montgomery may have gotten bored playing Samantha in those later years, but she never seemed to tired of Serena.
Yes, Sam probably filled Darrin in on her cousin Serena in some off camera moment. We never got to see everything that they discussed.
"She never seemed to tire of Serena"? Who would? That character is the woman every nice normal woman would like to BE, at least once in awhile! I wish I could be Serena sometimes. She was a free spirit, said and did whatever she wanted and the heck with the consequences.
Don't we all have an "inner Serena"? lol
Another small note about the baby episode. Sam was not in a single room. There was another bed in her room. Lucky that she didn't have a roommate!
In the closeups when Sam is holding Tabitha, you can see a big ring on Elizabeth Montgomery's finger. So what hospital was she in? The few times I was in the hospital they gave instructions not to wear any jewelry. And if you wore any, they took it and put it in a safe for safekeeping. Cuts down on lawsuits for the hospital if any jewelry goes missing.
I never knew that rule about the jewelry, although I have my own horror story about a piece of jewelry and
a hospital.
About ten years ago, I was at work and for reasons still unknown to me, I suddenly became allergic to something.
My lips swelled up, my hands started to get puffy. Really scary! I drove myself (foolish) to the ER, where they
saw my face and took me immediately. They noted I was wearing a jade ring on the third finger of my
right hand, and I couldn't remove it! They freaked out, and the nurse used a ring cutter on my ring. I told her
a dear friend gave me the ring as gift when I was in college, and she said, "would rather lose the finger??" That
shut me up quick. They cut the ring off, then gave me tons of Benadryl, and I began to "depuff." I never knew
what made me allergic, but I'm bummed that I chose that day to wear the ring, one I really, really, liked.
As far as the two beds, that was obviously designed so that Darrin/Endora/Serena would have a place to
sit down beside Sam. Although a roommate would've been funny in all that chaos.
I think the episode with the birth of Adam is also funny, although it's not nearly as strong an offering.
Wow that's some story! It's scary how those allergic reactions happen so fast. Did the hospital at least return the pieces of your ring to you?
The birth of Adam was a funny episode. But in that episode the nurse, Pat Priest (only seen briefly), didn't think she was losing her mind like the last nurse did. She was just "in love" with the Stephens baby, like the rest of the hospital.
Actually I like the episode before that even more, "Samantha's Curious Cravings". Darrin is driving Sam to the hospital but she has a craving for hot dogs and ends up at Yankee Stadium.
I like Darrin's explanation for speeding when he is stopped by a traffic cop.
"Your wife SAM is having a baby?" And when the cop peers into the car, Darrin is alone. lol
Doctor Bombay shows up at the hospital as a consultant and makes a pest of himself. I like when he zaps Sam's obstetrician into the room of a man in traction. He tells him that he has some news about the baby.
I enjoy that episode when I see it, but I don't "crave it", so to speak. I'll have to watch that, and give the birth of
Adam another spin. Maybe toss in the ep where Darrin's parents come to visit to name the baby. Another
strong entry.
Last night, due to our discussion, I watched the ep where Sam learns she's pregnant for the first time,
followed by Endora's giving Darrin labor pains (hilarious episode). I wound this up with Tabatha's birth.
I was really laughing out loud, as Eve Arden was delicious.
One thing that was made clear. Sam and Serena have not seen each other in many, many years. They
both remark on how much they look alike, so it's clear Serena had been very detached from the family
for a long time, what with her wild, fly-by-night lifestyle.
That episode with Samantha's cravings gave me a few cravings of my own. When she wanted a corned beef on rye at the deli (with extra mustard), all I could think about was a sandwich like that. I don't think I ever had corned beef, so I substituted sliced roast beef from the deli counter at the grocery store. I was eating that on rye bread with a big pickle for two weeks!
Yes, Samantha and Serena had not seen each other for a long time. Serena mentions something about Sam growing up to be a nice looking woman. It appeared that they had not seen each other since childhood or maybe their teen-age years.
In later seasons we get an inkling about Sam's age. In "Sam's Spooky Chair", it's revealed that Sam had a date with Clyde Farnsworth at the turn of the century. So we can safely assume that Samantha had been an adult for a century at least.
So basically she hadn't seen her cousin for over a hundred years? What the heck was Serena doing all that time? Witches could easily pop in and out to see each other. Endora did it all the time. I wonder what Serena was doing which kept her so preoccupied?
I remember how funny I thought it was when they kept referring to it as a bedpan. The warlock was not happy!
Interesting how Serena spent no time with her cousin for a century or more, yet when Sam got married, she was often underfoot and causing trouble!
I think Serena's biggest problem was boredom, always looking for something fun to do. What could be more fun than messing with her cousin's mortal marriage?
But my argument has ALWAYS been that Endora, Uncle Arthur, Serena, etc. had way too
much time on their hands. If they all led less superfluous lives, they wouldn't be butting
into Sam's life. Always a hint of jealousy, I say. They all knew Sam had found a certain type
of happiness that eluded the rest.
At least Maurice had his theatrical life, which is why, I assume, he visited the least over
the years.
You won't get any argument from me. From the very first episode Endora seemed way too involved in her daughter's life!
She popped in on Sam's honeymoon. She said something like, "I leave you out of my sight for a minute and you get married."
Samantha was surely old enough to lead her own life, but mom had the apron strings tied pretty tight!
I wish we has seen more of Uncle Arthur though. Paul Lynde was so funny. The episodes he appeared in were some of my favorites. He never really seemed intent on causing trouble like Endora did. It was more like his nutty practical joking annoyed Darrin.
Aunt Clara made a number of appearances. But she was a sweet old lady and she just doted on her favorite niece.
But it did come across that none of them led very productive lives. They just drifted from one party to the next, to the Cosmos cotillion, the intergalactic ball on Venus or wherever, meditating with the guru, etc.
In a way they remind me of some modern day jetsetters who have all the money in the world, yet they are miserable. I am reminded of someone like Christina Onassis who was worth about half a billion when her father died. She was diagnosed with clinical depression and was given all sorts of barbituates and amphetamines.
I don't know what ails people like that. With a half a billion, I could be quite content being depressed. LOL
But she basically, ate, drank and drugged herself to death by the age of 37. Like Sam's relatives, she had all the freedom in the world but nothing to really live for.