by Madeleine Chan, Staff Writer
She’s back, witches, and she’s not holding back. Part 3 of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has dropped on Netflix and things are amping up.
The new season comes off of the high of last season’s cliffhanger where Sabrina declares that she wants to save her boyfriend from hell. Big steps to follow, but the show carries through with its ambitious claims. Completely new storylines with all of the characters and the introduction of a few new ones injects the show with added energy.
The overarching season follows Sabrina as she navigates being the new ruler of hell and life as a teenage half-witch half-mortal. It kicks off with some interesting new dynamics, as the previously house-bound cousin Ambrose Spellman and former bully Prudence Blackwood travel abroad to hunt down their asshole of a former headmaster. I liked that they ventured beyond Greendale this season, as the constant backdrop of Vancouver forests and dimly-lit sets was getting visually tiring.
There are also three new characters that have been added to the roster. Sam Corlett plays Caliban, a hellish adversary and challenger of Sabrina’s crown — though I feel like he does nothing for the show besides add conflict and shirtless fervour. Another new character that I am more excited about is Mambo Marie, played by Skye P. Marshall. She’s a voodoo priestess that Ambrose and Prudence meet along their journey. Mambo Marie shows a different, more colourful side of magic that reminds the audience that heaven and hell aren’t the only two ethereal entities out there.
Despite these positives, the show does continue the not-so-great trend of sexualizing teenagers, like their sister-show Riverdale. Also, sometimes I feel like they prioritize dramatics and raunchy romance over congruent character development and cohesive plotlines. In addition, there are some remaining problems with how they treat their characters of colour, with examples from previous two parts like brutal torture and unnecessary sidelining.
I feel like overall, however, this show is doing a lot better in terms of representation than plenty of other shows on television nowadays. The show’s strong emphasis on varied representation and feminist voices — though sometimes so overt it’s cringey — gives it a unique and refreshing quality. I find that this is especially true of the non-binary character Theo Putnam, played by non-binary actor Lachlan Watson. This is because the third new character, Robin, is Theo’s love interest. Played by BC local Jonathan Whitesell, he brings a new romantic dynamic in relation to Theo’s character that is quite lovely to see, considering that there is little to no non-binary representation at all in screen media today. Watson described this great representation in a Q&A panel that I had the privilege to attend.
“It’s an honour to be able to play a role that is able to empower a lot of people. And, it’s something that I think I would need as a kid . . . To be able to be a human person, regardless of gender, and be able to have a love story and be able to tell that story, make it something really beautiful and powerful. I think that’s been an incredible experience.”
Other charming aspects like musical numbers (including a cute cover of Wheatus’s “Teenage Dirtbag”), the endearing innocence and heart of Ross Lynch as Harvey Kinkle, and the ever-present captivation of Hollywood-alums Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis, always impress.
If you haven’t already watched this satanic show, give it a shot, as this new third part of it brings a renewed originality, a stellar growing cast, and plenty of devilish delight.
