The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Season 2 (Part 3)

It’s like Back to the Future, but with magic. Just go with it – Sabrina

We've already reached part three - or the first half of the second season, depends on who you ask - of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and it's become quite clear what kind of style this series has. Where the first part still suffered from 'style over substance', the second part was a lot better, but the acting wasn't that great, we've now reached the long-awaited third part. And?

This part continues where the last part ended. Lillith (Michelle Gomez) is the queen of Hell and has Nicholas (Gavin Leatherwood) chained at her feet. Next to that, the actual Devil is still locked inside that very same Nicholas. It's up to Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) to break her boyfriend out of Hell.

As I'm typing all of this, I realize how absurd all of the above sounds. It sounds so melodramatic and over the top. And it is. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is an over-the-top horror/drama/mystery. Are we in Hell? Then all we see are ugly horned creatures who continuously call for blood. It is so over the top, that it, to my surprise, actually works. Consistency is the main factor here!



Despite the absurd style of the series, it manages to bring a decent story with significant risks. Next to the exciting, but well thought-out storylines, there are quite a few social themes. They are treated in such a natural way, that I can imagine that someone who's transgender feels more comfortable after watching this. The absurdity of the witches, demons and magic is a complete opposite of the way social themes are treated. It often feels forced, not here. And this is something the creators have done incredibly well.

If I'm looking at the way the actors perform, they all seem to do it better than the last couple of seasons. Even Ross Lynch's Harvey Kinkle is watchable. The real star of it all is Michelle Gomez. She makes it appear so easy all the time, and then all of a sudden, she can deliver genuine fear. This makes her, in my opinion, the best actor from this series. Lucy Davis deserves a special mention. Her Hilda Spellman is always the character that manages to break the tension in such a way that only she is capable of.

Is there nothing but praise? Oh, definitely not. Up until the seventh episode, the writers are willing to take huge risks with the characters. They're not afraid of anything. But then, the eight episode turns, without spoiling any of it, all of that around. As soon as the main character starts to say things such as the quote at the top, it becomes clear that the writers didn't know what to do anymore. And that is a big flaw. If you've already reached the third part, you will enjoy this on a Sunday afternoon. The series is easy to watch, has quite a few scares, will result in a snicker now and then, and you could learn something from it.

It isn't of fantastic quality. But that doesn't always have to be the case, does it?

An 8!