Wizards Beyond Waverly Placecarries on the story of the Russo family years after the classic Disney Channel series — and in certain ways, repeats it. Years have passed since siblings Alex (Selena Gomez), Justin (David Henrie), and Max (Jake T. Austin) competed in the Wizard Competition, with Justin now living a quiet life with his non-magical family. That is until Alex shows up with a young wizard who is as chaotic as she once was and asks her brother to take the girl in and train her.
Wizard Beyond Waverly Placereviewssuggest that it is a fun burst of nostalgia, with hilarious Disney Channel antics.Wizard Beyond Waverly Place’s castis tasked with living up to the original characters, who likewise play their own role in the new Russo generation’s story.It will hardly escape the notice of 2000s Disney fans who often rewatchedWizards of Waverly Placethat there are several delightful Easter Eggs and callbacks to the original,some of which are baked into the very story and cast structure.
The Wizards Of Waverly Place Episode With Aunt Megan Sets Up A Parallel Russo Generation
Interestingly,Wizards Beyond Waverly Placehas duplicated a key storyline fromWizards of Waverly Placeconcerning the Russos' father Jerry (David DeLuise), and his siblings.In season 2, episode 3, “Retest,” Alex, Justin, and Max are told that they have an aunt they have never met,whose presence is suddenly required because of a Wizard Competition technicality. Jerry won his generation’s competition but chose to give up his powers to marry his mortal wife Theresa (Maria Canals-Barrera). Jerry then chose to give his powers to his brother Kelbo (Jeff Garlin), alienating them both from their sister Megan (Carrie Genzel).
The older generation of Jerry, Megan, and Kelbo perfectly mirrors the younger one of Justin, Alex, and Max.
When the kids go to meet Megan, they find that she is sarcastic, carefree, and bitter. They all make a point of saying that their aunt is a lot of Alex, while there is an extended joke of Megan saying that Max reminds her of Kelbo. The ironic parallels are not lost on anyone: The older generation of Jerry, Megan, and Kelbo perfectly mirrors the younger one of Justin, Alex, and Max. In both cases, there is a studious brother, a rebellious sister, and a goofy brother.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Introduces Billie, Roman, & Milo As The New Alex, Justin, & Max
The Wizards Of Waverly Place Revival Is Doing The Same Storyline With Justin’s Kids
Fast-forward some years toWizards Beyond Waverly Place, and Justin has two sons, middle-school-aged Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and elementary-school-aged Milo (Max Matenko). Roman bonds with his father over a love of learning, is skeptical about each new magical discovery, and is generally the more uptight older sibling. Milo is imaginative and funny, believing in monsters even before he is told wizards exist and planning to prank his substitute teacher.All they need is for Alex to deliver them Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), a sassy personality who naturally clashes with Roman,as a homage toAlex and Justin’s dynamic.
Justin is quick to point out the correlation between Billie and Alex, as Alex begins to describe Billie’s trouble with authority that has gotten her kicked out of multiple schools and homes. In this case, their similar personalities are a driving force behind the story when it is likely why Alex is drawn to her and part of why Justin is willing to take a chance on her. Yet Roman and Milo’s personalities are also familiar — though they are variations on their father and uncle — making for a poetic reprisal of old family dynamics.
Three Generations Of Russos In Wizards Of Waverly Place Explained
Wizards Of/Beyond Waverly Place Showcases Different Family Dynamics & Storylines By Comparing The Generations
The purpose of the one-off incident with Aunt Megan is evident enough, serving as a lesson to the younger Russos about how they could let magic tear their family apart.Why there can only be one family wizardwas an enduring mystery forWizards of Wavery Place, the point being more that these are the rules of the world which can have a negative effect on families.Alex, Justin, and Max stand together in both this episode and the series finale and are still on good terms witheach other in the revival.
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Billie, Roman, and Milo offer an even more interesting take when the lessons are not so clear. The boys aren’t threatened with losing magical powers to her; she is also essentially their foster sister who only recently came into their lives. How Billie disrupts the existence they have lived so far, their different arguments, and how they will inevitably stick together as a found family is an entirely new story for the new generation. YetWizards Beyond Waverly Placemay be challenged with calling back to the previous iteration of this subplot, showing how all the Russos are still learning from it.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Cast
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows adult Justin Russo, who leads a normal life until his sister Alex asks for help with a young wizard-in-training. Justin must revive his magical skills to mentor the trainee while balancing his family life and safeguarding the Wizard World’s future.
Wizards of Waverly Place
Released in 2007, Wizards of Waverly Place is a comedy fantasy series created by Todd J. Greenwald for the Disney Channel. The series follows a trio of teenage siblings living in a magical portion of New York City as they train to harness their family’s magical legacy while trying to blend in with everyday people.
