Welcome one and all to Multiversity’s very own ‘Witching Hour,’ in which we take a look at Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This season, join me every Tuesday for your weekly recap. Just as things begin to escalate with the pagans, Sabrina must contend with the second challenge of the Unholy Regalia contest, among other shenanigans in this stuffed episode.
1. Filled to The Brink
Wow. So to take a peak behind the curtain here, I usually watch each episode twice for these recaps. I’m guilty of binge watching and then I circle back for these articles. And boy when I watched this a second time I was floored by how much happens in this episode.
So much happened! The episode starts with Nick getting a 30-day detox within one day thanks to the temporally charged egg (which I’m convinced is a little Cthulhu waiting to hatch). Then Sabrina must use these temporal powers to find the second Unholy Regalia item. All this happens while Harvey and boys (hot headed jocks) seek some retribution for Roz, thanks to Satan. And speaking of Satan he convinces Melvin and Elsbeth to join the pagans, only the pagans aren’t looking to fill out their ranks. They plan on using the Church of Night’s members as sacrifices to the Green Man. Then on top of all this, Nick and Sabrina break up. Throw in another desperate plan to save the coven by everybody’s favorite strategist, Ambrose, and we have a heaven of an episode.
I think the latter half of the season suffers from being overstuffed with plot. Maybe I’m wrong, but there’s so many moving pieces to this season and the show doesn’t really give you time to sit with anything that happens for too long. Sometimes, it just feels overwhelming and I have to wonder whether the decision to condense this season into eight episodes was the right call. I think the season could have benefited from another episode or two.
2. Caliban is the Worst
Perhaps the most annoying subplot this season has to do with Hell. As I’ve said in my previous recaps, the stuff going on with the pagans and the “Old Ones” interests me so much more than the Hell plot.
One thing I will point out is that Sabrina definitely outwitted Caliban during the second challenge. He graciously offered to take however many lashings because he says Sabrina’s “too cute for scars.” And then, she leaves him for 2,000 years in Golgotha, because of crazy time shit. The actor who plays Caliban just fine, a smug over confident asshole who thinks he’s just the best. Hopefully Sabrina can continue to wipe the floor with him as the season progresses, because this subplot is so tedious and needs something to jumpstart it.
And as much as I tire of this storyline, it is one of the main through lines of the series and I have to admit that it’s important to Sabrina’s character development this season. Like this episode she has so much going on. But as Nick points out, Sabrina wants this power, and she certainly doesn’t deny it. She thrives in her Unholy duties and can possibly bring real change to the political landscape of Hell. And while I appreciate that, I am still more invested in the pagan plot, if only because we’ve already had two seasons of satanic plot lines and this show can grow to be so much more than that, as we’ve seen.
3. The Pagan Effects
Speaking of growing, our heroes continue to feel the wrath of the pagans. Hilda, having offended Circe at the Hare Moon festival, is beginning to understand what life is like as a spider. It seems as if she’s slowly turning into one. Props to Lucy Davis and get make-up team, as Hilda is put through some grotesque situations in the episode. I’m mostly referring to the boil on her cheek popping with spiders and puss.
Even Zelda admits to being scared. And for good reason. They really are defenseless. Without the satanic powers bestowed upon the coven, the Spellmans and their flock are at the mercy of pretty much anyone. Ambrose, in one last ditch effort attempts to call upon the other outcast witchkind, some of whom we’ve encountered. But thanks to a maddened Agatha, under the influence of the god Pan, Ambrose fears the ritual was a failure.
Continued below4. Confessions
As all of the supernatural drama unfolds, Harvey and some goons, once again, thanks to some Satanic influence, decide it’s a good idea to trash the carnival. This leads to Circe turning all the boys except Harvey into little pigs. Theo and Robin arrive in time to save Harvey. Theo turns to Robin and as he’s about to explain the oddities of Greendale, he interupts her and has some explanations of his own. At this point in the game, I’m not sure about Robin. What’s his angle? Jonathan Whitesell does a pretty good job at delivering a really creppy, yet endearing character. For me personally, I think Robin’s up to no good, but I’ve wrong before.
5. The Devil Always gets his Dues
So Lucifer is running around free in a Faustus Blackwood skin suit. He appears to Melvin and Elspeth and drives them into the pagans ruthless arms. He appears to Harvey and convinces him to go wreak havock. The Devil will have his revenge. That’s all great. But Sabrina doesn’t really think anything of it. Wardwell’s face is of utter terror when Sabrina casually mentions that the Dark Lord escaped.
This is another piece of frustrating material. If Sabrina isn’t worried about her father, why should the audience? Wardwell is horrified, though and I think that’s a subtle hint at what’s to come. But I’m still leaning more towards that pagan storyline to really care about the royal successions in Hell.
Still, I’m confident even with a shortened season, things will wrap up in a satisfying way. Until next week friends, where we’ll no doubt have another meaty episode to dissect.
