Ep 2. Alex Gives Up

In the fourth season's second episode of the American fantasy teen sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, titled "Alex Gives Up," the audience witnesses Alex Russo's desperation in her attempts to achieve academic success. She decides to use her magic to improve her grades, but her reckless behavior puts her friends, family, and eve her powers in danger.

The episode starts with Alex (Selena Gomez) struggling in Mrs. Harsaw's (Francine Simmons) literature class. She has tried everything, from studying and tutoring to even bribing her teacher with cupcakes. Still, she's unable to score higher than a C- on her assignments. Her brothers, Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin), try to help her out, but their methods only lead to her falling further behind.

In a desperate attempt to improve her grades, Alex resorts to using magic. She casts a spell on her literature book, "The Old Man and The Sea," so that it will write her essay for her. The magic works initially, and she earns an A+. However, things start to go awry when the book begins to develop a personality of its own and demands Alex do more for it.

Meanwhile, Justin and Max discover that Alex has cheated, and they confront her about it. Feeling ashamed of her actions, Alex decides to fix the situation by taking on extra credit work from Mrs. Harsaw. However, her plan fails to impress Mrs. Harsaw, and Alex is back to square one.

Alex's frustrations escalate, and she inadvertently destroys her literature book with her temper tantrum. Desperate and alone, she turns to her friend, Harper (Jennifer Stone), for support.

Together, they brainstorm ideas for the extra credit assignment and come up with the "Ladies Who Lunch" project. The girls interview different women in New York City to gain insight into their lives and experiences. The project is a huge success, and Mrs. Harsaw is impressed with Alex's hard work and grades her paper an A.

However, Alex soon discovers that there are unintended consequences to her magic. Her literature book comes back to haunt her and ends up wreaking havoc on her friends and family's lives. Alex has to learn to take responsibility for her actions and clean up the mess she created before it's too late.

In summary, "Alex Gives Up" is an episode that explores the consequences of cheating and the importance of taking responsibility for one's mistakes. The story is relatable to teenagers, as it highlights the pressure to impress parents and teachers while balancing social lives and extracurricular activities. It is a comedic and heartwarming episode with a valuable lesson that resonates with viewers of all ages.