Jeannie vs Samantha


Who was the most powerful?

The was an episode of IDOJ (I don't remember which one)in which Tony sent Jeannie on a wild goose chase to different parts of the world to make changes in the landscapes

All I remember it took her a couple of months to do it and it almost wore her out.

I sat thinking could Samantha had done that.

I was also wondering was the any limits on their powers or were there any extra physical or mental effort involved with using their powers.

One more thing, does anyone think that there should had been a crossover episode of IDOJ and Bewitched?

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I think Jeannie was more powerful because she could literally just do anything and didn't need help, whereas Samantha would combine with Endora and sometimes other family members if she needed to do something big. I can't really come up with any examples right now and I haven't watched every episode of Bewitched but I always get the feeling when I do watch it that Samantha is less powerful than Endora and probably less powerful than Jeannie. But there's also the acceptance of magic that comes into the story, where Darrin really hated when Samantha did anything remotely magical but Tony was more accepting. Tony didn't like having to explain the consequences of Jeannie's magic to outside people, but having her do magic in the house or to make life easier didn't really bother him. Darrin wanted Sam to be completely mortal in her life and didn't even like when she made him breakfast or cleaned the house using magic. So I think Jeannie as a character had more freedom to do more complex or interesting magic and that meant that the writers were able to make her more powerful. Of course there was Haji who would come in once and a while to put a stop to Jeannie's magic that was too powerful (e.g. love spell)but for the most part she did what she wanted and there weren't many rules. Also, Samantha seemed to have to say spells sometimes, and witches can't undo another witch's spell (Aunt Clara could never remember what the reverse spell was and they always had to find a book, they couldn't just zap and reverse it). Jeannie was able to counter magic done by Harold and some of Jeannie II's magic, so there were less rules about magic in IDOJ.

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I think Jeannie was more powerful, just because she could undo another genie's magic most of the time, and for some reason, Samantha and the other witches couldn't. Of course, Jeannie did not have to deal with other genies on a regular basis, so it's not a really fair comparison.

Jeannie did say that her sister's magic was more powerful than hers, but she was still able to counteract and fight back (I'm thinking of the fight scene with "house rules" at the end of "Jeannie Go-Round").

When her magic didn't work on other magic was when she could not reverse the effects of her mother's pipchicks, or the invisibility of the sultan's wine.

Her magic didn't work for other reasons when she blinked Tony out of the simulator and could not wake him up, in "Jeannie, the Recording Secretary".

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Samantha would literally own Jeannie. She wouldn't even need to use any magic. Sam would simply outwit Jeannie into a sealable vessel. Problem solved.

Jeannie seemingly didn't have limitations on her powers. Yet, as a genie, she's normally tethered to the whims of a master. Even though, Tony emancipated her, she seemed to suffer from servitude mentality by clinging to him and wanting/needing to serve him as her master. Essentially, Tony was still her master--with benefits. (Your idea of benefits may vary.) Jeannie tended to use her powers:
1. Out of jealousy (over another woman vying for Tony)
2. Something Tony requested (or any master who's currently in possession of her)
3. Menial tasks

Roger was supposedly Jeannie's friend. He would occasionally ask/pester her for a favor. From what I remember, she always obtained sanction from Tony before granting Roger a wish. That doesn't seem emancipated to me. Jeannie should've made those decisions on her own discretion. She was utilizing her powers after all. Well, I suppose if she didn't ask for permission, Tony probably would lock her up in her bottle for disobedience. (Which he basically did to her in Biggest Star in Hollywood.)

Samantha was a free woman of a mystical heritage. The relationships she chose were of her own free will. Sam willingly chose to live the mortal life with Darrin Stephens. (Endora will forever wonder why.) Nonetheless, Sam's choice of a partner and subsequent lifestyle was comparable to that of the average woman in a liberated society of that time. Samantha's greatest limitation on her magic was of her own choosing.

If Samantha needed to battle magically, it would have to be a situation where she would have to put her mind to it. Since, Sam is intelligent. She would arrive wearing an apron, with a can opener in one hand and a can of Whoopass™ in the other. Jeannie only had one thing on her mind--pleasing Tony. She would forfeit the match so she could be with her master.

To clarify, I don't see Jeannie as being unintelligent. However, it seemed that her genie-hood limited her mental focus to servitude. Maybe, if Tony and Jeannie did it Pokémon style with Jeannie as the monster; Jeannie could be formidable opponent. Although, I still would bet that Sam would eventually trap Jeannie in a vessel.

Any which way, Samantha would win.


As for a crossover of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched: No, not really.
I Dream of Jeannie was a fantasy absurdist comedy riding hard on the backside of sexual innuendo. Bewitched was a fantasy situation comedy dealing with family, friends, career, love and tolerance. Both shows might've shared some of the same actors. (BTW, seeing Bill Daily on Bewitched sparked my interest in rediscovering I Dream of Jeannie.) However, the comedic styles of the two series seem to be too different to mesh well. Nonetheless, I love them both on their own terms.


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You can observe a lot just by watching. -- Yogi Berra

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Samantha would literally own Jeannie. She wouldn't even need to use any magic. Sam would simply outwit Jeannie into a sealable vessel. Problem solved


Maybe. But sometimes Jeannie could not be outwitted and Samantha could be outwitted. So if Jeannie outwitted Samantha, problem solved. It could go either way.

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Samantha was a free woman of a mystical heritage. The relationships she chose were of her own free will. Sam willingly chose to live the mortal life with Darrin Stephens. (Endora will forever wonder why.) Nonetheless, Sam's choice of a partner and subsequent lifestyle was comparable to that of the average woman in a liberated society of that time. Samantha's greatest limitation on her magic was of her own choosing


Jeannie was also a free woman. And the relationships she chose were of her own free will. Jeannie willingly chose to live with Major Nelson because she wanted to, not because she had to. Tony set her free.

And Samantha did not choose to limit her powers. She said that she would to Darrin (to keep him), but constantly used magic behind his back.

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Thank You for your responses

When I asked the question reguarding Samantha vs Jeannie

I was wondering which one preformed the greatest feats of magic on their shows

After seeing the responses I think that
Jeannie had greater powers

Fictional or not

Jeannie could easily have been the most powerful being in television history

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Jeannie had an advantage that Samantha and witches didn't have.

she could reverse spells and things that were placed by other people.

when it came to endora or someone else putting a spell on someone Samantha's hands were tied.





OH THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU SO BLOODY MUCH!!! Basil Fawlty

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Also Samantha's powers had limits.

Like if someone was sick they had to call Dr Bombay and often times go on long searches for exotic ingredients to make potions with.

Whereas on IDOJ if someone was sick I think Jeannie could have just blinked away the illness.

The only limitation Jeannie had was she couldn't escape from a closed place.

Create a society in which you would like to live, not knowing what you're going to come into it as.

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Wait-a-minute, then how come the supposedly supreme mistress of magic couldn't blink away the ill effects of tainted Pipchicks?

I think Jeannie on occasion had limitations placed upon her, if a particular situation called for it. Otherwise, some episodes would've ended too soon.

I still feel that the Achilles heel of being trapped would be Jeannie's undoing if she were the type to go around picking fights with other supernatural beings. Luckily, she's more likely to make love not war.


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You can observe a lot just by watching. -- Yogi Berra

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I know Samantha is powerful and I'm not putting down Bewitched but I just think over all Jeannie is a little more powerful b/c generally she is faster and has less limitations.

Someone wrote a great fanfic story once, where Jeannie meets Samantha, at first Samantha thinks Jeannie is a Witch. BUT the real conflict came between Jeannie and ENDORA. I forget exactly what happened but Endora started wanting to pick a fight with Major Nelson, and of course Jeannie jumped to his side and protected him against her, so there was a battle between Jeannie and Endora that went pretty well like I imagine it really would. Jeannie basically kicked Endora's ass. While Endora was busy waving her arms around and trying to do an incantation and conjuring lightening and all that, Jeannie would blink her atop of a cactus, or something like that, until Endora finally surrendered and admitted that Genies were more powerful than Witches, but that for years there was a rilvary between Genies and Witches and Witches SOMEHOW bestowed fear into Genies to make them think Witches were more powerful.

Create a society in which you would like to live, not knowing what you're going to come into it as.

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I think jeannie was more prettyer

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I think Jeannie was more powerful.

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Put them both in a bottle and see which one can get out. Answer: Samantha. Samantha was definitely more powerful.

American Horror Story Season 6: Donald Trump

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Put them both in a bottle and see which one can get out. Answer: Samantha. Samantha was definitely more powerful


Samantha has several vulnerabilities where she can lose her powers and become powerless:

There was an episode where Samantha lost her powers because she needed a 10,000 zap checkup.

If Samantha has too much contact with mortals, she can lose her powers.

If Samantha doesn't use her powers enough, they weaken or she loses them. She was stuck in her house due to a vapor lock and could not get out.

Samantha once contacted a red stripe disease after she consumed a beverage at a restaurant and lost her powers.

A black Peruvian rose makes Samantha lose her powers.

There were at least two episodes where Samantha was sent back in time and Darrin had to go back and rescue her. I don't remember if she actually lost her powers or if she just didn't remember that she was a witch due to amnesia, but nevertheless she was vulnerable and powerless.

And contact with a Macedonian Do Do bird can make her powerless.

Put them both in a bottle and see which one can get out. Answer: Samantha. Samantha was definitely more powerful


How about this:

Both Jeannie and Samantha are in the bottle. Jeannie blinks a black Peruvian rose which makes Samantha lose her powers (Episode 6/Season 2: Take Two Aspirins & A Half of Pint of Porpoise Milk). Hence Samantha would be stuck in the bottle with Jeannie and neither can get out.

Or Jeannie and Samantha are not in a bottle, but Jeannie blinks in a black Peruvian rose which makes Samantha lose her powers or Jeannie can also blink in a Macedonian Do Do bird, which makes Samantha (and other witches) powerless. Jeannie then blinks Samantha in the bottle and Samantha is helpless/powerless and cannot get out. She's stuck in a bottle. Jeannie is not. Who's more powerful? Answer: Jeannie wins and is definitely more powerful. 😀

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Nah...Samantha is just more powerful. And btw, if you knew about the Black Peruvian Rose...that means you knew that once exposed to it...it can't harm her any longer. So no...just no.

American Horror Story Season 6: Donald Trump

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Nah...Samantha is just more powerful. And btw, if you knew about the Black Peruvian Rose...that means you knew that once exposed to it...it can't harm her any longer. So no...just no


We'll have to agree to disagree. Samantha had a lot more vulnerabilities that would take away her powers and leaver her powerless (the black rose is only one example). Hence Jeannie is just more powerful.

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Come on, the real question is Jeannie s Samantha, who was the most sexy ?

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Well Jeannie, duh.

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