Return To Halloweentown (2006)

Return To Halloweentown (2006) Full Recap

A girl named Marnie uses her magical powers to move her clothes around her room. Almost immediately, her mom, Gwen Cromwell, enters the room and asks what Marnie is doing. Marnie says she's just clearing her high school clothes from her wardrobe, and Gwen decides to leave her alone. Shortly after, Marnie leaves her room with a box of old clothes and sees her mom talking to a pot of soup.

Marnie asks if her mom is talking to the soup, but Gwen denies this. She also mentions that Marnie can take her box to the garage. Marnie decides to use her powers to do it, but Gwen stops her and says that she doesn't want her daughter to keep doing simple things with magic. Marnie doesn’t seem to get this, and her brother, Dylan, also supports her.

However, Gwen just complains about her other daughter, Sophie, who is staying with her mom, Agatha Cromwell. Almost immediately, the pot of soup starts ringing, and Dylan tells his mom to answer it. Gwen doesn't seem interested in doing it, but when Marnie opens the pot, she sees Agatha's face inside. Agatha then greets Marnie and says that she thought Gwen dropped the call earlier.

Marnie looks happy to see Agatha, and Gwen also greets her. Agatha then talks about Sophie’s training and congratulates Marnie, but Gwen looks confused. Almost immediately, Marnie closes the pot and pretends like nothing happened. However, Gwen still asks what the congratulations were for, and Marnie mentions that she has just been accepted into Witch University.

As she says she's going to go to a place called Halloweentown, Gwen mentions that she can't. She adds that they've discussed it a few times already, and the plan is for Marnie to attend a normal college. Marnie doesn't like this, and she mentions that she doesn't want to go to a college where she'll have to hide her powers. Gwen still seems concerned about her daughter's choice, and she mentions that not all magic is good.

She adds that there are many evil witches in Halloweentown, but Marnie insists that she’s still going there. Gwen then says she won't pay for it, but Marnie mentions that she won't have to. She also shows Gwen a recorded message from Witch University's Chancellor, Dr Goodwyn, who announces that Marnie has been accepted on a full scholarship. Gwen cannot believe this, but Marnie doesn’t seem ready to change her mind.

The next morning, Marnie packs her things and leaves the house with Dylan, who has been told to help her settle at Witch University. Just as they’re about to leave through a portal, Gwen comes outside and gives her daughter a bracelet, which they can use to stay in touch. After this, she hugs her kids and says goodbye to them. After the kids go through the portal and arrive in Halloweentown, they see a skeleton taxi driver named Benny, who welcomes them.

As they're about to enter his taxi, Dylan sees a banner celebrating 1000 years of Halloweentown, and he asks Benny about it. Benny says it's the millennium anniversary of Halloweentown, and that there'll be a big celebration at Witch University on Halloween night. Dylan and Marnie look amazed by this, and they tell Benny to take them to Witch University. When they get there, Marnie looks quite excited, and Goodwyn shows up to welcome her.

The chancellor also looks surprised to see Dylan, but Marnie introduces him as her brother. After Goodwyn takes them to her office, a warlock named Silas Sinister looks pleased to see that Marnie is around. He then tells someone to inform the other members of his secret group, called the Dominion, that Marnie is around, and a prophecy will soon be fulfilled. Shortly after, Marnie and Dylan leave Goodwyn's office and continue walking around the school.

On the way, they see a boy named Ethan, who Marnie has a crush on. As Dylan calls Ethan to wave at him, Marnie looks disappointed because she feels shy around him. Almost immediately, Dylan gets tired of carrying Marnie's bags, and as he complains about this, Marnie decides to use her powers to move them. However, as they walk past a professor named Grogg, he says a Latin word that causes Marnie's bags to fall.

Marnie and Dylan also get tripped over by them, and as they wonder what Grogg said, they're approached by the Sinister sisters, Scarlett, Sage, and Saphire. Scarlett then repeats the Latin word and says that it means there's no magic allowed in the University. Marnie looks shocked by this, but the sisters look confused because it's clearly stated in the school's handbook. Interestingly, it turns out that Marnie didn't read the book, and she tells the girls to refresh her memory.

Before Scarlett says anything, Grogg stands up and mentions that magic on University grounds is prohibited and could lead to immediate dismissal. Marnie says it's good to know that, and Grogg calls her an insolent child before walking away. Marnie doesn't get why he's so pissed, but Dylan just approaches Scarlett to introduce himself because he likes her. However, Scarlett says he's not her type, and she makes her handbook disappear before walking away with her sisters.

Marnie finds it weird that she's using magic even though it's not allowed, but Dylan doesn't seem to care about this. As Marnie feels embarrassed to have him around, she says it's time for him to go home. Dylan then says he's staying because their mom made him enroll at the university so he could follow his sister. Marnie looks disappointed by this, but Dylan says he's going to his dorm.

Marnie still seems upset, and as she gets to her room, she laments about the school's no-magic rule. As she adds that she can't believe her mom sent her little brother to babysit her, Gwen calls her through the bracelet. Marnie angrily throws the bracelet away, but Agatha suddenly appears in the room through a magical projection and picks it up. Marnie then asks what Agatha came to do, and she says she's just visiting her granddaughter.

She also mentions that she hoped Marnie would get her old room. Marnie says she's glad her grandmother came because she has a lot of questions, but Agatha mentions that they don't have enough time to talk. She also tells Marnie to cut Gwen some slack because she's only trying to protect her. As Agatha's projection begins to fade, she tells Marnie to be very careful because there are secrets and other things she should've told Marnie a while ago.

Marnie looks confused by this, but before she can ask any questions, Agatha's projection suddenly disappears. Shortly after, a small envelope enters Marnie's room, and as she opens it, she sees a note telling her to meet her resident advisor in room 13. Marnie looks surprised by this, but she eventually heads out to find the room. As she then knocks on the door, someone tells her to come in.

Marnie does as she's told, but surprisingly, she doesn't see anyone inside the room. Before she figures out what's happening, she gets sucked into a genie lamp on the floor, and inside it, she meets a girl named Aneesa, who introduces herself as Marnie's resident advisor. Marnie realizes that her resident advisor is a genie, and Aneesa says she's the first one to be accepted into Witch University. Aneesa then asks if Marnie has any questions about the school.

Marnie says she wants to know about the three sisters she met earlier, and Aneesa says they're the daughters of a rich and powerful warlock named Silas. As Aneesa takes Marnie to the cafeteria, she talks about how the Sinister sisters rule the school. Almost immediately, Ethan approaches Aneesa and Marnie and says hello to them. Aneesa notices that they like each other, and Ethan says he just wanted to apologize to Marnie for the things that happened last year.

Marnie says it's not a problem, and that she knows it must be hard for him to deal with his father's exile. Ethan says it is, but that Agatha was quite helpful. After he talks about spending the holiday with Agatha, he invites Aneesa and Marnie to sit with him. As they sit together, Ethan asks if Marnie has seen her class list, and she says she has.

However, she complains about the University's no-magic rule and how all the classes seem normal. Ethan then mentions that the University previously allowed students to use magic, and Aneesa adds that the rule has changed because it's no longer a witches’ only school. Marnie asks when the rule changed, and Aneesa says it was last year. As Marnie asks who changed it, Aneesa and Ethan mention that it was her.

Marnie doesn't get this, but Ethan explains that after she opened the portal between the two worlds permanently, many kids from Halloweentown left and went to college in the mortal world. Aneesa adds that Witch University needed more students, so they opened enrollment to non-witches. Marnie still doesn't get why witches can’t use their magic, and Ethan says it's to level the academic playing field. Marnie then complains that the Sinister sisters have been breaking the rule, and Ethan mentions that most people do, but they just avoid getting caught.

Shortly after, they head to a class where a professor named Periwinkle mentions that she has misplaced her copy of Shakespeare's work. Just then, Scarlett sees Marnie with one, and she uses her powers to steal it before giving it to Periwinkle, who gives her extra credit. Marnie looks shocked by this, and after the class, she complains to Aneesa about how Scarlett used her powers and still got extra credit. Shortly after, they head to their next class, where Grogg tells everyone to write an essay for a class test.

As they do this, Scarlett discreetly uses her powers again and finishes up first. Before she leaves the class, though, she secretly casts a spell on Marnie's paper. As everyone submits their essays, Grogg sees that Marnie's paper is blank, and she looks shocked by this. She then realizes that Scarlett hexed her paper, and she tells Grogg about this.

Interestingly, Grogg figures it out quickly, but he says he'll still have to conduct an investigation to figure out if Marnie used her powers to write the essay. Marnie looks disappointed, and as she heads out, she sees Ethan and laments about what Scarlett did. Ethan then tries to cheer her up, but they suddenly hear an announcement calling for her attention in the Chancellor's office. When Marnie gets there, she complains about what happened in class, but Goodwyn says it's nothing to worry about because Grogg knows she didn’t do anything bad.

Goodwyn then asks how she's adjusting, and Marnie says she can't believe they're just doing normal school work at the University. Goodwyn asks if Marnie read the handbook, and she says she only skimmed through it. Goodwyn then mentions that when the school was first established, an enchantment was placed on the campus that made all spells cast there to become permanent at midnight on Halloween. Marnie looks surprised by this, but Goodwyn mentions that things changed after they had a small mishap a few years ago.

Marnie says she's just really disappointed because she came to the University to learn how to become a great witch. Goodwyn then says that she's sure Marnie will learn more about herself at the school. She adds that they need to leave because Marnie is late for her next class. Following this, Goodwyn takes Marnie to meet her classmates at a dig site.

Goodwyn says it's usually off limits, but that the students have been selected for a very special educational opportunity. She adds that they'll spend the current semester unearthing the treasures that are buried down there. As she says they’ll be graded by Grogg, he tells the students that the school was built on the ruins of Marnie's ancestral home, called Cromwell Estate. As he talks about other things, Marnie looks into the hole at the dig site and sees a bright light at the bottom.

Almost immediately, Scarlett tries to scare Marnie, but she remains calm. Scarlett then says she's sure Marnie can't wait to find some of her family's old treasures. Marnie says she just wants to learn like everyone, but Scarlett seems more interested in finding an important antique. Almost immediately, she uses her magic to pull up a skull, which she shows to Grogg.

As Marnie then looks into the hole, the ground starts shaking, and a strange box with the name S Cromwell inscribed on it slowly flies up and lands in her hands. Grogg looks shocked by this, and he immediately collects it from her. As he tries to figure out how to open the box, Marnie says he needs a key to do that. Later that night, Silas reads a prophecy, saying that at the close of the first millennium, a Cromwell of great power will embrace the gift, and the world will find peace under her dominion.

After this, Silas announces to his fellow cult members that Marnie is the Cromwell from the prophecy. Almost immediately, Goodwyn comes in and says that Marnie has already found an ancient box containing a special power called the gift. This makes Silas happy, and he says that they'll soon rule over Halloweentown. Just then, the Sinister sisters enter the room, and Silas commends them for luring Marnie into using her magic to find the box.

He adds that they now have to get her to open it. Scarlett says it won't be easy because Marnie doesn't want to break the no-magic rule. Sage also tells her dad to open the box with his powers, but Grogg, who happens to be at the meeting, sounds pissed and mentions that only a Cromwell can open it. Silas then tells Grogg to calm down, and Goodwyn says that the Sinister sisters must tempt Marnie to use her powers again.

The next day, while Marnie is in the laundry room, Gwen’s face magically appears inside the washing machine. Marnie looks shocked by this, but Gwen says she just wanted to talk to her daughter. Marnie doesn't seem interested in this, and as she sees Ethan heading toward her, she quickly closes the washing machine. Before Ethan and Marnie can talk much, they hear an announcement calling Marnie to meet Goodwyn at the dig site.

When she gets there, Goodwyn tells Marnie to open the box, but she says she doesn't have a key. Goodwyn says that Marnie can use her powers, but she assumes that the chancellor is trying to set her up. Goodwyn says she's not, and Marnie uses her powers on the box, but it doesn't work. Goodwyn looks disappointed by this, and she allows Marnie to leave.

Later that night, Marnie tells Aneesa about what happened, and her friend looks shocked to hear that Goodwyn convinced her to use her powers. Marnie then talks about the name on the box and says that she wonders what the S stands for. She adds that her grandmother would know things like that because she's very knowledgeable about Halloweentown. The next day, after Periwinkle's class, Marnie asks if she can speak to the professor.

Periwinkle doesn't have a problem with this, and she takes Marnie to her office. When they get there, Marnie notices that Periwinkle likes using magic freely, and the professor says she doesn't like the school's no-magic rule. After this, she asks what the problem is, and Marnie says that the professor reminds her of someone. Periwinkle then asks about Agatha, and Marnie realizes that the professor knows her grandmother.

Periwinkle says they're good friends from way back, and Marnie asks if she knows anyone named S Cromwell. Periwinkle says the S stands for Splendora, and that she hasn't heard the name in years. Marnie then asks who the person is, but Periwinkle says she can't reveal it because she promised to keep it a secret many years ago. Marnie says she can also keep a secret, but Periwinkle mentions that she's not ready to know.

Marnie doesn't understand this, but Periwinkle says she has said enough already. A while later, Marnie meets up with Dylan and gets him to use his powers to quickly read all the books in the library about their family. After this, Dylan figures out that the silver box contains a special power called the gift, and Splendora locked it inside there and buried it a long time ago. Almost immediately, he sees Scarlett walking by and runs to meet her.

Marnie looks disgusted by this, but she still follows her brother. As Dylan then asks Scarlett out on a date, she insults him, and Marnie looks pissed. Dylan tells Marnie not to interfere, and he also mentions that he doesn't mind doing Scarlett's class reports for her. However, she just walks away with someone else, and Marnie looks disappointed.

Almost immediately, Gwen calls Dylan and asks to speak to Marnie. Marnie just ends the call abruptly, and Dylan scolds her for doing that to their mom. Marnie then says she doesn't want to tell Gwen what's happening. Interestingly, the members of the Dominion happen to be spying on them through a magic bowl, and Silas mentions that Dylan is becoming a problem.

Grogg suggests using Dylan as part of the solution, and Scarlett says she'll handle it. Later that day, Ethan and Marnie meet up for a while, and he shows her his flying broom. Marnie seems interested in flying around with it, and Ethan tells her to lead the way. Following this, she controls the broom to take them to an ice cream shop.

When they get there, Marnie suddenly sees Dylan arriving with the Sinister sisters. She then notices that they're being nice to him so he can finish their class reports for them. Marnie looks pissed and heads over to confront them, but Dylan says he's helping them voluntarily. Marnie believes Scarlett cast a spell on her brother, but she denies this.

Scarlett also tries to get Marnie to fight with her, but she just leaves with Ethan. On the way, the broom suddenly malfunctions, and they fall to the ground. The broom also turns into a snake, and they realize that Scarlett did something to it. Ethan then mentions that Scarlett has probably been spying on them because there's no way she would've known where they were or where the broom was.

Marnie looks confused, but Ethan says there's a possibility that someone is helping Scarlett. The next day, Silas, Goodwyn, and Grogg scold the Sinister sisters for still not being able to tempt Marnie to use her powers. Shortly after, at the dig site, the sisters show everyone some things they just dug up. Grogg eventually tells everyone to leave, but he and Goodwyn call Marnie back.

They then show her a scroll, which talks about a prophecy that a powerful Cromwell will bring peace to Halloweentown forever. Marnie asks if they think it's her, and Goodwyn confirms this. Grogg also mentions that on Halloween night, dark forces will try to shatter the peace in Halloweentown during the millennium anniversary celebration. After Goodwyn says that only Marnie can save the world, she gives Marnie the box and tells her to fulfill her destiny by finding the key and embracing the gift.

Interestingly, Ethan still happens to be at the dig site, and he hears everything they told Marnie. He then goes to check out the gargoyle statues at the entrance of the school, and he realizes that someone has been paying them to spy on Marnie. Shortly after, he finds Marnie and tells her that Grogg and Goodwyn are using her. He adds that they're part of a dangerous group called the Dominion, and that they want to use Marnie and her powers to take over Halloweentown and turn the other creatures into slaves.

Marnie doesn't believe this, and she says that Grogg and Goodwyn have good plans for Halloweentown, unlike Ethan. As she walks away angrily, she meets with Periwinkle and tells the professor to send her back in time so she can meet Splendora and get answers to all her questions. Periwinkle looks happy to do this, and she creates a portal to take Marnie back in time. When Marnie gets to Splendora's time, she sees Periwinkle's younger self and asks about Splendora.

Periwinkle then mentions that Splendora is getting ready for her coronation as queen of Halloweentown. Interestingly, Marnie notices that Splendora looks just like her, and she walks toward the future queen. However, Splendora's guards stop her from getting too close. They also assume that Marnie cast a spell to make herself look like Splendora.

As Marnie insists that she needs to speak to Splendora, she gets thrown into a cell for disturbing the future queen. Shortly after, Periwinkle comes over to save Marnie and teleport her to Splendora's room, which looks just like Marnie’s room at Witch University. When Marnie gets there, she sees the silver box on the table as well as its key. After Marnie opens the box, she realizes that it's empty, and she wonders why Splendora hasn't locked the gift inside.

Suddenly, Splendora appears behind her and asks who she is. Marnie says she's from the future, and that she came for the gift. Splendora then shows her the gift and explains that it was passed down to her from her mom and the other women in their family. She adds that the Cromwell who wears the gift around her neck will receive a special power that she doesn’t wish upon anyone.

Marnie says she doesn't really mind having it, and Splendora seems pissed by this. She also mentions that the gift has the power of absolute control, and that the Dominion is trying to make her use it to control everyone in Halloweentown. Splendora adds that she has made a decision to lock it away, but Marnie asks why she can't just destroy it. Splendora says that three Cromwells created it, and only three can destroy it.

Just then, someone bangs on the door and tells Splendora to come outside for her coronation. The person also refers to Splendora as Agatha, and Marnie looks shocked. Splendora then reveals that she plans to drop her first name very soon because she doesn't like it, and Marnie realizes that Splendora is her grandmother. After this, Splendora locks the gift inside the box and gives Marnie the key to hide it in the future.

Just then, Marnie gets teleported back to Witch University, as she opens the box and brings out the gift, Goodwyn shows up and snatches it from her. Marnie looks confused by this, but Goodwyn says they'll soon need her to use the gift in a few hours because it's almost Halloween. Marnie says she won't wait till then, but Goodwyn mentions that her brother is still around. Marnie then runs around to find her brother, but she meets Ethan on the way.

She then apologizes for how she reacted earlier, and she says she now believes what he said. As she mentions that she needs to find her brother, Ethan takes her to a party where Scarlett has made Dylan her servant. Marnie then confronts the Sinister sisters, and Scarlett angrily turns Dylan into a dog. As he runs out of the party, Marnie fails to catch him, and she says that she really needs her mom.

Almost immediately, Gwen appears in front of her and says that she thought Marnie would never call her. Marnie then mentions that she has messed up badly, but Gwen says it's fine because everyone makes mistakes and learns from them. Following this, they start planning what to do next with Aneesa, but the Dominion suddenly takes Marnie away from the room. Marnie then finds herself in front of the Dominion members, with Dylan also in a cage.

Marnie asks what they want from her, and Goodwyn says she has to do what her grandmother couldn't do by using the gift to take control of Halloweentown. Silas adds that things will be in order, and everything will be fine when the Dominion is in charge. Marnie doesn't seem interested in doing this, but Goodwyn says she just has to be queen for one night. She also mentions that at the millennium celebration, Marnie has to use the gift to cast a spell to establish the rule of the Dominion over Halloweentown.

Return To Halloweentown (2006) Ending Explained

As she mentions that the spell will be permanent by midnight, Silas says they won't need her after that. Marnie refuses to do this, but Silas says that her brother will remain a dog for the rest of his life. Marnie then agrees to do it, but she says she'll need some time to get ready to be queen. Ethan looks shocked by this, but Marnie tells him to make sure Dylan is in the courtyard before midnight.

Later that night, Ethan does as he's told, and Gwen and Aneesa look happy to see him and Dylan. Just before midnight, the Dominion crowns Marnie queen of Halloweentown, and Goodwyn gives her the gift so she can fulfill the prophecy. Marnie tells them to change her brother back before she uses the gift, and they do just this. After Marnie wears the gift around her neck, she uses her powers to cast a spell on Gwen, Dylan, and Aneesa to follow her command.

Almost immediately, she gets Aneesa to trap the gift inside her lamp before she orders her mom and brother to join her in destroying it with the power of three. As they do this, the members of the Dominion look scared and try to escape, but Periwinkle stops them. Goodwyn tells her to leave the way, but Periwinkle says she’s an agent of the Halloweentown anti-dominion league. She also arrests them and strips them of their powers.

After a while, Ethan commends Marnie for getting rid of the gift despite knowing that it could make her very powerful. Marnie says it was probably stupid, but Ethan mentions that powers mean nothing to him. Marnie then asks why a warlock like him would say that, and he mentions that he's now mortal. He adds that he lost his powers after his dad was exiled.

Marnie looks shocked by this, but Ethan says he's sorry for not telling her earlier. As he walks away, he sees the Sinister sisters and tells them to apologize to Dylan. The girls don't seem ready to do this, but they soon realize that they've also been stripped of their powers. This makes them sad, but Dylan and Ethan just laugh at them.

Meanwhile, Gwen agrees to let Marnie stay at Witch University as long as she calls more often. Marnie says she'll do that, and she also hugs her mom. As she then goes to meet Ethan again, Dylan tells Gwen that he didn't think his sister would really destroy the gift. Gwen also says she thought Marnie would do something more interesting, like giving it to someone she trusts or hiding it somewhere safe.

Much later, while Dylan is studying in the family library, he opens a book and sees the gift inside. He looks shocked by this, but he just closes the book and puts it back on the shelf. After getting accepted into her dream university, Marnie soon realizes that she was actually lured there to find a special power that would give the Dominion control over everyone in Halloweentown. However, she refuses to let this happen, and she chooses to destroy the gift, even though it could have made her the most powerful witch in the world.

Sometimes, the right choice means giving up something powerful for the greater good.