r/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace

I ask because the show does have a continuity and also wasn't aired in the production order.

I do wonder though if it makes much of a difference watching in production order instead of broadcast?

Obviously, Saving Wiz-Tech (production codes 208-209) takes place before Harper Knows (production code 206) due to Harper still not knowing about the Russos being wizards at this point, but that's been the only time the broadcast order would be the valid intended order.

Notably, going in production order would explain season 3 where Alex goes back and forth for a while between short hair from the start of the season and longer hair again since they were aired out of filming order. Positive Alex and Detention Election were production code 308 and 309 and Alex has her shorter hair from the first seven episodes of the season. Whereas Alex Charms a Boy and Wizards vs. Werewolves (aka the Mason introduction story arc) were production codes 313-315 and have Alex with her longer hair from the middle of the season, yet they were aired before Positive Alex and Detention Election (the Stevie story arc was also produced earlier with codes 310-312, but Alex has her longer hair again so it isn't as obvious when that aired after the Mason introduction arc). Then the rest of the season with production codes 316-330 have Alex with shorter hair again but slightly longer and curlier than in 301-307, though Dude Looks Like Shakira (production code 317) was aired before the Stevie story arc where Alex had longer hair.

Granted by season 4, the broadcast vs airing order isn't nearly as out of synch as before with the only major one being Rock Around the Clock being produced as episode 414 but aired after episodes with production codes 415-426.

Makes me ask, does watching in the production order (aside from Saving Wiz-Tech where the broadcast order of being before Harper Knows made more sense) feel like the right intended chronological order or is the broadcast order the right one?

I know Justin's the one that get brought up the most for flanderization (though as someone who's been watching the show recently, his doesn't really set in until season 4), but Jerry and Theresa also feel even more noticeable earlier.

Around halfway through season 3, they do start to lean into how Jerry and Theresa aren't good parents and episodes like Delinquent Justin, Alex's Logo, Alex Russo Matchmaker, and Captain Jim Bob Sherwood where they either openly admit they aren't good parents or going out of their way to avoid trying to help out Alex and Justin when they need help and ignoring Max (at one point openly having no faith that Alex and Max would ever graduate high school). There's also more moments where they do lean more into how much Jerry loves eating (compared to the first two seasons where it wasn't nearly as prominent).

Feels odd considering how in the first two seasons, we saw Jerry and Theresa genuinely try to be decent parents (they weren't perfect but they were putting in more of an effort) with Jerry trying to be more responsible as a parent and even in the first half of season 3, they genuinely tried to comfort Alex when she was sad about Mason seemingly cheating on her, compared to later where they're openly trying to avoid helping their kids and admitting they aren't good parents. At one point in late season 3, Alex even openly says "I'm raising myself" when Theresa proves to be unhelpful which makes one wonder if Jerry and Theresa's flanderization explains so much regarding Alex's reckless behavior and Justin being more of a jerk in season 4.