Disney Channel Wizards of Waverly Place is widely considered a Gen Z classic, featuring memorable characters and plenty of quotable lines. The show ran from 2007 to 2012 and centered on the eccentric Russo family of diner owners by day and wizards by night. Wizards of Waverly Place starred Selena Gomez as Alex Russo, with Jake T. Austin and David Henrie as her brothers Max and Justin Russo. The show got offer a humorous look at the growing pains of childhood with an element of fantasy who manages to make his story continue to resonate with a new audience – largely thanks to the script.
Now-Emmy-nominated Gomez teamed up with Henrie to launch the show long-awaited sequel on Disney+, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Now, Alex and Justin are navigating the magic with adult jobs, marriage, and kids. A trademark of the show is its rapid-fire dialogue, particularly Alex’s sarcasm and dry sense of humor. The beloved quotable quality of the source material is present throughout Wizards Beyond Waverly Placereminding many fans of the original show’s best lines.
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“A hat! A crazy, funky hat! Overslept! Hair is bad! Trying to look like Keira Knightley! We’ve been there! We’ve done this! We see through your funky hat!”
Sung by Alex Russo and Harper Finkle
Alex and her best friend Harper Finkle (Jennifer Stone) sing the song “Crazy Funky Junky Hat” and dance several times throughout Season 1, Episode 4 of Wizards of Waverly Place. The routine is performed whenever the pair sees someone wearing a hat or uses the word “ugly.” In this episode, Harper gets a job as a waitress at Alex’s family business, the Waverly Sub Shop. The New York City diner is modeled after a subway car and is a cozy spot for regular customers throughout the show.
The song illustrates Harper and Alex’s strong bond as friendsand their ability to bond while Alex hides his wizarding abilities. This episode begins to illustrate one of the central conflicts of Season 1 – the Russo children’s connection between their human lives as New York teenagers and their magical powers. In this episode, Alex casts a spell on Harper that turns her into a “serving girl“to become a better waitress. When she becomes very good at her job, Alex learns to discern when to use his magic and avoid interfering in human lives.
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“I’m practicing for later.”
Said by Alex Russo
In season 3, episode 19 of Wizards of Waverly PlaceAlex discovers at school that his younger brother, Max, is dating his first girlfriend. However, he lies to her about his real name and family. for fear of being embarrassed or considered a witch. When Max is reprimanded for bringing Nancy home and expecting her family to play the lie, Alex realizes she doesn’t want her parents’ responsibilities anytime soon.
As she sits on the couch next to Justin, Alex says: “Wow, being old is hard. Let me tell you, when I get old, I’m just going to sit and read magazines.” Justin responds: “That’s what you do anyway”, to which Alex replies: “I’m practicing for later.“
Alex’s maturity and understanding of the rebellious but powerful young wizard is born from experience.
The scene is the perfect example of Alex’s quick thinking and sarcastic nature. These traits remain in her character as she grows up in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Alex’s new teenage protégé, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) carries her sarcastic and rebellious nature, providing a strong thread of continuity as to why Alex would want to mentor her. and shape your power forever. Alex’s maturity and understanding of the rebellious but powerful young wizard is born from experience.
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“You let her keep your dead lizard, but you got all worked up when I wanted to turn it into a barrette.”
Said by Harper Finkle
When Max is seen giving his prized possession, his dead pet lizard, to his new girlfriend in season 3, episode 19, Alex and Harper watch in the school hallway. The gesture was a funny little brother moment for Alex, who is happy to see that his eccentric little brother has found someone. Harper and Alex barge in to investigate the situation, when Harper reveals that Max didn’t even want to give her the dead lizard. Harper says: “You let her keep your dead lizard, but you got all worked up when I wanted to turn it into a barrette.“
The scene is a big moment for one of Harper’s main features – her elaborate and creative fashion design. All over Wizards of Waverly PlaceThe theatrical influence of Harper’s parents on her own costume is illustrated through her clothing choices, particularly her iconic dress. This touching and humorous moment illustrates that Max is growing up and that Harper is so close to the Russo family that she has witnessed his evolution, growth and maturity.
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“Look, I’m going to deal with this like I deal with all problems in life. Ignore it until it goes away.
Said by Alex Russo
In season 4, episode 17 of Wizards of Waverly Placethe family and Harper take a trip to the beach. Jerry Russo (David DeLuise) warns the Russo children not to visit the fortune teller, as wizards’ fortunes are sometimes shockingly detailed and realistic. Just like teenagers do, the group goes anyway, and Justin and Max are given a positive future as Alex advises her to “say goodbye to her life.” The sinister fortune leads young Alex to take drastic measures.
In exchange for undoing his fortune, Alex releases the fortune teller and she wreaks havoc. When Harper tells Alex that nothing in this situation will end well, Alex responds, “To look. I will deal with this like I deal with all problems in life. Ignore it until it disappears.” This scene is yet another illustration of the element of realism that Alex’s character adds to the Wizards of Waverly Place universe. Although young and good-natured, she deals with the same trials and tribulations as any other teenager, plus the weight of the wizarding world on her shoulders.
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“I don’t like moths. They fly like they’re broken”
Said by Alex Russo
In Season 3, Episode 11 of Wizards of Waverly PlaceAlex tries to change to get his crush’s attention. Her crush, George, is in the pep band, and when the sarcastic and pessimistic Alex unwittingly becomes a cheerleader, she tries to increase his positivity using magic. In this scene, George tells Alex’s parents that he found her applause annoying, and Alex chooses to ignore his comment, still wanting to win him over.
Alex tells Harper that George is “like an elf to your flame“, to which a confused Harper responds with “Don’t you mean moth to your flame?“ Alex then reveals that he knows the common saying, but replaced it with elf, as he is not a fan of moths, as they “fly like they’re broken.” Whimsical jokes like these are hallmarks of strong writing on Wizards of Waverly Place. This scene is another pivotal moment where Alex is encouraged to grow as a person and accept herself as she is.
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“Thank you so much for this duck, I can’t wait to raise it and sell its milk.”
Said by Max Russo
In season 4, episode 11 of Wizards of Waverly Place, Justin’s best friend Zeke Beakerman (Dan Lee Benson) discovers the family’s magical secret. Things come undone when he tries a magic trick and Alex secretly puts a spell on the situation, turning some feathers into ducklings. In Typical Max Russo style, the younger brother comes in for comic relief. Max’s lack of knowledge of the wizarding world prepares him well for his mortal destiny, and in the aftermath Wizards Beyond Waverly Placeit is revealed that he is a billionaire restaurateur.
Thinking that his magic actually worked and not knowing that it was actually Alex’s work, a perplexed Zeke presents Max with the duckling, to which Max responds “Thank you so much for this duck, I can’t wait to raise it and sell its milk.” Of course, ducks lay eggs and don’t produce milk, and Max’s calm delivery of these absurd concepts is what makes his younger brother’s humor so charming. Although Max continues to grow and evolve throughout the show, he often remains in his quirky ways.
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“I’m sure she’s just cleaning his filthy dandruff. It doesn’t look clean.
Said by Mason Greyback
In Season 4, Episode 4, Alex’s ex-boyfriend, Dean Moriarty (Daniel Samonas), arrives in town, and she more Recent ex-boyfriend, werewolf Mason Greyback (Gregg Sulkin) becomes increasingly jealous. He talks to Max while watching the pair interact in the substore, analyzing the situation and evaluating their competition. He then says “I’m sure she’s just cleaning his filthy dandruff. It doesn’t look clean”, to which Max responds: “Bro, you rolled into a dead squirrel the other day.”
Mason and Alex meet in art class at school.
The scene is a shining example of Mason’s dry British humor. and Max’s brotherly teasing. Additionally, it foreshadows Mason’s future commitment to Alex, as at this point in the series their story is far from over. Mason and Alex meet in school art class and soon learn each other’s supernatural secrets. As the couple sobs, It’s clear how much Mason cares about Alex when he goes into werewolf mode and literally eats Dean. Fortunately, the Russo gang manages to save Dean after he is swallowed whole.
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“I have some Spanish for you. No way, José!”
Said by Jerry Russo
When Alex fails his Spanish test, Theresa promises to teach him Spanish. With just a few days left until your new test, Alex tries to learn the entire language by Friday so she is no longer grounded and can go on a date. In response, Jerry tells her: “Two days to learn a language? I have some Spanish for you: no way José!“The scene perfectly sums up Jerry’s insignificant dad jokes throughout the show. Jerry is a devoted husband and father to his family, and while he is often the voice of reason, he also has a lot of comedy. to go around.
This episode was also a rare moment of representation on one of Disney Channel’s first shows. The Russo family was the first mixed Latin-Italian family on the channel that presented a comprehensive view of Mexican-American culture that was not based on stereotypes. Alex learning Spanish later in life is representative of many Latin Americans in the diaspora, and this episode offered a glimpse into the experience of countless American teenagers balancing their all-American environment with maintaining their cultural roots.
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“I once used magic to impress a girl. It turned into a complete disaster. I married her.”
By Jerry Russo
When Justin tries out for the school baseball team to impress his crush, he only succeeds after using magic secretly. This goes directly against Jerry’s advice about not interfering in the lives of mortals with magic and not using your abilities to make your life easier than other people’s. The episode is the first of many that incorporate life lessons into the series’ fantasy setting. discussing the importance of honesty in relationships.
When Jerry asks Justin why he wanted to be on the team despite not liking baseball, Justin admits it was to impress a girl. Jerry then says, “I once used magic to impress a girl. It turned into this whole disaster. I married her.” Justin laughs at the joke, but Jerry then reinforces: “Don’t say I said that, even if it’s a joke!“According to wizarding law, there can only be one wizard in a family, and a wizard can only keep his powers if he marries another wizard. Jerry renounced his powers to marry Theresa and is evidently pleased with his decision to pass on his powers to his children.
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“Oh, I know how much it hurts when your heart gets broken. But time will heal it. On the bright side, we’re all so happy to see you have feelings.”
Said by Theresa Russo
In the episode “Wizards vs. Werewolves”, it is revealed in a shocking twist that Alex’s werewolf boyfriend Mason was once in love with Justin’s vampire girlfriend Juliet (Bridgit Mendler). The Russo brothers are heartbroken when they discover their strange connection and while Mason claims he is no longer in love with Juliet and only blurted out that he was in wolf form because of the moon Alex feels like a second option.
The breakup marks Alex’s first real heartbreak in the series, and Theresa comforts her as she mourns the relationship. This is Alex’s first moment of vulnerability and a crack in his sarcastic armor. As a result of seeing Alex so sad about the breakup, Theresa humorously tries to find a silver lining in this scenesaying, “Oh, I know how much it hurts when your heart gets broken. But time will heal it. On the bright side, we’re all very happy to see that you have feelings.“
This scene is a pivotal moment in the show that carries the torch to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. The notion that not even magic can save a person from life’s ups and downsincluding heartbreak, is what gives the Wizards of Waverly Place universe a timeless feel and a much-needed reminder to keep an eye on the magic of ordinary days.