Future Harper

“Future Harper”
Season 2, Episode 16
Air date	March 15, 2009
Writer	Matt Goldman & Peter Murrieta
Director	Bob Koherr
Episode Chronology
← Previous	“Art Teacher”
→ Next	“Alex Does Good”

"Future Harper" is the 16th episode of season two of Wizards of Waverly Place, and the 37th of the overall series. It first aired on March 15, 2009.

Summary

For Max's birthday, he wants to go boating in a volcano. After Alex uses the spell, 'Before we see this volcano blow, turn this lava into snow' the trio goes to the substation. While in the middle of telling Harper the story, Harper finishes the story, making Alex believe that she's already told her the story, and 'is turning into Grandma'. Harper then reveals that she read the same exact story in the new book by H. J. Darling, Charmed and Dangerous, The Story of the Lost Wand. Alex then reveals that she hasn't heard of the books and that she doesn't read. Harper then believes that Alex is illiterate, and it is revealed that she doesn't even read menus. Justin then says that he will read the book to see if she stole their stories. While in the Lair, Justin confirms that she did steal the story. He says that he thought he would be the one to write successful stories about their wizard adventures, but his main character would be named Surge, he would carry around a bejeweled cane and have a British accent and an eye-patch.

They then use the IPP to go to an abandoned Paint Your Dish Warehouse that she lives in, but Justin twists his ankle on re-entry. There they meet a grown woman, who knows all of their names, how to cook Boy Salad, and who wears a fishbowl as a hat. Max continues to try to use his secret code to find out if the lair was bugged. It is then revealed that the grown woman is Harper from the future. The adult Harper has come from the future, with the help of a very powerful wizard. She writes about the secrets that Alex has told her, because in her adult time, Max, it is assumed, has revealed wizards, so she writes in their time because it is much more interesting for her readers. Max and Justin yank out a piece of paper from Harper's typewriter they believe to be a new story (it was actually a list of ingredients for snickerdoodles), and Justin scratches his cornea. Future Harper and Alex talk, as where she asks "You seem sad. Did you break up with mason?" And Alex asks, "who's Mason?". Alex becomes angry because she didn't give Harper permission to use her stories. She leaves, and Harper gives Justin the mission to convince Alex to let Harper use her story, making him a future-naut.

Alex is then mad at Harper because of what future Harper has done. Harper becomes mad at Alex for being mad at her and not telling her why, and they stop talking. Justin (now looking like Surge, with an eye-patch and a bejeweled cane) then tries to convince Alex to read one of Harper's books, telling her that they are mostly about the many adventures she and Harper will have together in the future. Alex chooses to give reading a chance and reads one of the books, which then makes want to forgive Harper. Meanwhile, Harper is reading an angry note she wrote to Alex to Max while he was fixing a plate. She hears Alex coming and uses the IPP to escape to the Great Pyramids in Egypt. They follow her and meet a tour guide who tells them that she went to pee-pee' in the Grand Canyon (IPP to the Grand Canyon). Alex yells to her to meet her back at the house. While there, Alex tells her that if Harper wants to, she can write stories about their wizard adventures together. Harper accepts, and while hugging, Alex sees future Harper mouthing thank you. Alex tells Harper to practice mouthing words to people. Harper then turns to see a great hat which is being worn by her future self. Future Harper gives it to young Harper and says to consider it a loan, and Alex says that she'll return it to her. The episode ends on a warm note, with Alex saying that she is an old friend of hers.

Magic

Spells

• Before we see this volcano blow, turn this lava into snow — Turns lava into snow.

Production Notes

Continuity

• Mason is introduced in this episode when Future Harper says "Did Mason break up with you yet?" to which Alex replies "Who's Mason?" When she met Mason she's forgotten what Future Harper said. Mason is not formally introduced until "Alex Charms a Boy" and "Wizard vs Werewolves", respectively.
• It is revealed that wizardkind was exposed to the world. In the season three finale, the Russos decide that exposing magic is the only way to save the Wizard World. However, it was only a Wizard Test to see if the Russo children had the qualities to be Full Wizards (by keeping the wizard existence secret). As neither Justin (who revealed about the existence of the wizard world in the first place) or Alex (who make a press conference to expose magic) exposed wizardry, it's left unknown if Max is the one who will reveal the secret.
  • Max has actually already revealed the secret to his girlfriend in "Max's Secret Girlfriend", but the family was able to convince her that they were not wizards.
• At first they doubt that it's Harper from the future, but Justin picks up a plate with his face and says, "This is definitely Harper from the future". However, by the end of the series, she has gotten over her crush on Justin and is dating Zeke.
• Harper's future name is H.J Darling, so it is possible Harper is married to a man with the second name Darling or she changed her name. Also, this could reveal Harper's middle name begins with a J.

Goofs

• Alex's locker changes position from other episodes. Usually, it is far left, but in this episode, it is on the far right.
• At the 2nd and 3rd time the IPP was in use, it teleported Alex, Justin, Max, and Harper to the Great Pyramids in Egypt, although Harper was found in the Grand Canyon. Also, the local photographer navigated the group to the Grand Canyon, which means it is close to their location, beside the fact that none of them (especially Harper) used magic to teleport themselves to there.

Trivia

• The series of books Future Harper writes, "Charmed and Dangerous", is also the title of an episode of the fantasy series Charmed, a series with several similarities to Wizards of Waverly Place, such as the implied "Power of Three" between the Russo siblings.

• Mason is mentioned.
• The stories in Harper's books mention events from previous episodes. Such events include:
  • The crazy ten-minute sale, from Crazy 10-Minute Sale
  • The kids getting stuck in a movie, from Movies
  • The brother turning invisible, from Justin's Little Sister
  • The characters pouring orange soda into a genie's lamp, from Justin's Little Sister
• A quote from Avatar The Last Airbender is said which could be because Rachel Dratch has done some voice acting in Avatar The Last Airbender.^{[citation needed]}

• Harper's pen name, H.J. Darling, is a parody of the writer J.K. Rowling.
• When Future Harper gives Present Harper the hat she is wearing, this causes a time paradox because the Harper who received the hat will get older and then go back in time to give the hat to her past self. This would mean the hat has no exact origin because Present Harper received the hat from Future Harper, but she received the hat from her older self when she was younger. Although Alex said to Harper that she will give that hat to future Harper.
  • This kind of paradox is called a 'Bootstrap Paradox'.

Cast

Main Cast Selena Gomez as Alex Russo/ Herself David Henrie as Justin Russo Jake T. Austin as Max Russo Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle

Guest Starring Rachel Dratch as H.J. Darling and Future Harper Finkle Rob Reiner as Himself Sanjay as a Photographer Shawn-Caulin Young as a Teenage Worker Gregg Sulkin as Mason Greyback (mentioned only)

Gallery

Behind the scenes