By JASON GUYER
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Sabrina Spellman is back, but this she is not just a teenage witch. In this new iteration, Sabrina sheds the campy, light-hearted, humorous version cast by Melissa Joan Hart in the 1996 version “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” The Sabrina in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is not your parents Sabrina.
Played by Kiernan Shipka, this new Sabrina and the world that the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” creates is a much darker one. Especially if you are used to the Melissa Joan Hart version of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Unlike, the ‘90s “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”-version of Sabrina who lived in the fictional Westbridge, Massachusetts, Netflix’s and Shipka’s version of Sabrina is more true to the comics and lives in Greendale. Greendale is a town near Riverdale and Riverdale is the town that is home to Archie Andrews from the Archie comics.
Riverdale is also a show on the CW network about the adventures of Archie Andrews and his friends Betty, Veronica, and Jughead. The show creator on “Riverdale,” Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, is also the show creator for “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and the writer of the Sabrina comics of the same name.
The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” much like it’s predecessor, is about a 16 year old girl who is a witch. Well, half witch-half mortal. Mortal on her mother’s side and witch on her father’s side. These are seemingly opposing worlds, worlds that are constantly at odds with one another and that should never be mixed.
On her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina must choose the path of a witch and discontinue her mortal way of life. As her birthday grows nearer Sabrina starts to question the path of a witch. Sabrina starts to see the life of a witch for what it is, a life of servitude.
In the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” all witches must go through a “dark baptism” at the end of which one must sign the “Book of the Beast.” Once they have signed, the witch or warlock is at the beck and call of Satan and at his mercy to do with as he pleases, but is also given power.
Sabrina, as many teenagers do and in a very feminist enlightened way, tends to buck that trend. The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” does carry heavy underlying messages regarding race, sexism and bigotry. In this regard and only this regard is the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” anything like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” always had Melissa Joan Hart’s Sabrina dealing with real world issues and life issues. Often with the use of magic, Sabrina would find her way through common life issues, especially those common to a 16-year-old girl during the ‘90s.
The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” does openly deal with and confront today’s issues. None more heavily than the #MeToo movement. As the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” treats Satan as the head of a patriarchy and tone that often stifles the women in it. Sabrina even makes note of this in the lead up to her “dark baptism” in response to her family wanting her to sign the Book of the Beast. To which Sabrina asks, “ Why can’t I have both freedom and power?”
In those words is the entire modus operandi of the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” From story to the character of Sabrina Spellman, those words embody what is at the core of this show: a young woman finding her way, but finding it in her own way and questioning status quo’s that gets in her way.
Kiernan Shipka as the new Sabrina is a delight. She handles the darkness and verve of her character in a delightfully charming way. Often in a matter of fact and this-is-me-deal-with-it kind of way.
Shipka’s strongest moments come in the later episodes of the show. As Sabrina finds her way through darker and darker elements of the show, Shipka finds her way into becoming Sabrina.
“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” may not be for everyone. Those who were fans of the campy, light-hearted, and humorous “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” may find the darkness often gory world the new Sabrina lives in to be too much.
The politics of the show may also be too much. Add in the fact that the show starts off a little slow and many may not embark on journey that the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” sets forth for Sabrina.
One should though. The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is worth the effort and the 10 hours that encapsulates the 10-episode first season on Netflix. Get through the first episode and halfway through the second and you will be hooked.
In the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” it does not take long for Sabrina to cast her spell on you.
IRATE SCORE: 3.5/5
Jason Guyer is an avid moviegoer and works in the graphics department at the Eagle Times. For questions or comments he can be emailed at [email protected]
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