Welcome one and all to Multiversity’s very own ‘Witching Hour,’ in which we take a look at Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. While the Part 1 is technically over, Netflix pulled a fast one and gave viewers a surprise for the holidays. This one-shot episode serves as a holiday special and makes for a fun entry into the continuing story of Sabrina Spellman, Spoilers ahead
1. Bright Solstice
Sabrina, being a witch does not celebrate Christmas. Instead the Spellmans and the rest of the their coven celebrate the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The show has no shortage of holiday spirit, though as Sabrina and her family decorate a Chirstmas Yule Tree.
The fist part of the episode sets things up about just what the Solstice means for the Spellmans and introduces some folklore that was weaved together to make a really good episode. Zelda explains that the Yule Log should be lit from Solstice Eve until the morning after the longest night. This will ward off any unwanted spirits.
And speaking of spirits, Sabrina’s spirit is down ever since she revealed her true nature to her friends. She is reminded of her parents during this time of the year and especially her mother. Diana was last seen in Limbo, warning Sabrina of danger. Kiernan Shipka once again shows how great she can act. The mystery involving her parents really weighs on her this episode and it does feel earned because of the scene from “Chapter Nine.” And Sabrina, impulsive as ever decides on a whim that she wants to do a seance. Once again, Sabrina toys with things that may be beyond her. And the holiday special kicks into full gear.
2. Who Wants To Do A Seance?
Sabrina has a knack for doing powerful magic in secret, or without the knowledge of others. And every time she attempts such a thing, she gets caught. Whether it’s by Harvey or her aunts, she never fails to get caught doing whatever it is. Like every time guys. So for her, the seance she wants to perform is just another magical feat she knows little about and decides to do. Ms. Wardwell, who (unfortunately) doesn’t have too prominent a role in this episode has some banter back and forth with Sabrina implying that she cannot dissuade her from performing the ritual. Sabrina is, after all a stubborn witch, so Wardwell gives her the Book of the Dead.
Sabrina’s first impulse is to ask her friends to perform the seance with her. Okay, I get it, this whole new witch thing is new for them and she wants to include them in on some very important parts of her life, but summoning Sabrina’s mother might be too big of a step for Roz and Susie. Besides, Susie has this new after school job, playing the elf to Greendale’s Santa–more on that later.
After Sabrina’s mortal friends pass up the seance, Sabrina goes to her other besties, the Weird Sisters, who agree to help because “tis the season” and they all have no mother, which is kind of a nice sentiment, for these mostly wicked trio. It seems the coven has become more accepting of Sabrina now that she has signed her name in the Dark Lord’s book. The seance itself is nothing special. Agatha, who has been brushing up on her spiritual studies, leads the group in connecting Sabrina to her mother, but little do the witches know that Wardwell, intimating that Diana could divulge secrets, has to interfere. Instead of her usual voodoo tricks, she uses a model gingerbread house of the Spellman residence, along with the four Spellmans as gingerbread people. She pours water down the chimney and at the Yule Log that Zelda makes such a fuss about, is put out. So while she’s not featured in this episode too heavily, our main antagonist is still pulling strings from afar. At the end of the episode, she is seen biting the head off of Sabrina’s gingerbread person.
So, back to the seance. Agatha tells the other witches that if Diana is successfully summoned she may speak through her or try to speak herself. She finally reveals herself to Sabrina and, overwhelmed, Sabrina asks her so many questions and When Zelda discovers the Yule Log has been put out she freaks and bursts in to the seance disrupting the connection. Like I said, Sabrina’s terrible at keeping these big rituals a secret.
Continued below3. The Folklore
This episode does a fantastic job at incorporating some folklore and blending it with the mythology of the show. After Sabrina’s seance and Wardwell’s interference invisible creatures known as “Yule Lads” cause all kinds of mischief for our family of witches. Baby Latisha, Father Blackwood’s secret daughter, goes missing, Hilda thinks she’s losing her mind when her rolling pin keeps being displaced, and Ambrose is bombarded by the corpses in the mortuary downstairs. These Yule Lads belong to Gryla, who in Icelandic folklore shows up with a horned tail and a bag into which she would toss naughty children. Sabrina’s version of Gryla is a poor soul who wants to be a mother. Sabrina, Zelda and Hilda must strike a deal or make an offering to her so she rids the Spellmans of their infestation. When Gryla discovers baby Latisha she seeks to claim the child. Sabrina’s mom comes back invoking spirits of Yule time and announces she will judge a contest. Between Zelda and Gryla, a tug of war ensues and ultimately Zelda can’t bring herself to harm Latisha.
But Sabrina and her mother trick Gryla (clever Spellmans) with a glamoured teddy bear. This brings us to our second “monster” Bartel or Krampus basically. See Mr. Bartel plays Santa and he kidnaps Susie and plans to immortalize her in wax. What do the SPellmans decide to do about it? They summon Gryla who basically kicks the shit out of Bartel/Krampus. In the end, the Spellman’s come out on top.
4. Good ol Harvey Kinkle
I wish I found Sabrina’s mortal plights interesting, I really do. But they were never that engaging, until Roz was able to use the Cunning. But this episode shows a distrustful Harvey. He asks Sabrina never to use magic around him or for him again. This obviously breaks Sabrina’s heart but she nonetheless respects his wishes. I hope, given his family’s history as witch hunters that we’ll see Harvey look into that. Look. The first episode had a hanging plot thread about a witch hunter and I want some resolution. But we’ll have to wait for Part 2 for that.
5. Three (Demon) Kings
At the end of the episode Sabrina cheers “Satan bless us, everyone,” a nod to A Christmas Carol. Hilda tells them all they have to do now is “survive Witch Epiphany” and all will be well. After that the show cuts to the Kinkle Mine, hued in bright red light, when three demons, perhaps a nod to the “Three Wisemen,” or “Three Kings” in Christianity, step out and begin to descend upon Greendale. It’s quite a cliffhanger for a winter special and hopefully we’ll get some answers when Part 2 begins.
And that’s all folks. I’ll definitely be watching Part 2 when it arrives on Netflix in April, but for now may Satan bless you all.
