The lines between past, present and future blur as Sabrina stages an act of heroic restoration. But will her powers prove to be enough?
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
"Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sabrina Is Legend" was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Daniel King and directed by Rob Seidenglanz
Sabrina Spellman has fundamentally always been experiencing an identity crisis. That has long been the basis for her character in this world. She is half-mortal and half-witch. That made her feel like she couldn't be fully accepted in either world. She found a way to bring her two worlds together that made them all feel empowered and capable of doing anything. This season introduced a whole new aspect to her identity. She was trying to balance the life she lived on Earth with her coven and her place in Hell as the heir apparent to the throne. Both of those worlds were facing their own distinct threats that could absolutely destroy the entire world. As such, Sabrina felt the importance of being in both places because she couldn't bear any more destruction happening. She embraces the power knowing that it's up to her to make the world a better place. She feels inspired in that way. However, she also believes it's a good idea to essentially split herself into two in order to have the best of both worlds. That's how this episode concludes. The previous episode ended on an extremely dire note as the pagans succeeded in bringing about their apocalypse. They killed the majority of the ensemble. If they didn't do it, then the other threats did. It seemed like the world was doomed. And then, Sabrina was rescued by herself. She didn't need someone else to come save her. That just came with the certainty that she would be stuck in a time loop. She may have found a way to save her world. She just may have been doomed in the process because of the mistakes she made in her pursuit of the throne in Hell. In the end, she chose to have everything she wanted. She feels empowered to make that choice. She is coming off a major victory of leading the coven to victory against the pagans. She goes back in time with the wisdom to understand the threats that are coming and how to best defeat them. It's all absolutely ridiculous. It's a conclusion built around fake reveals and the teases that nothing is as it appears. Those with access to magical abilities can make themselves appear as someone else entirely. That is no longer a skill confined to Lilith. She is the most effective and manipulative in using it. That has created a huge identity crisis within Ms. Wardwell to the point where she felt the need to kill Zelda. However, the witches survive. They have the skills and powers to succeed in this war. Zelda awakens with the precise answers. Moreover, the detection of virgins appears to be lost on the pagans during these crucial moments before the resurrection of their old god. That was a perilous threat previously because they could hunt down Harvey no matter how fast Robin could run him to safety. And now, the pagans are tricked because Robin presents them with Wardwell even though it's eventually revealed to be Pesti in disguise, who can efficiently kill the plant where their god has taken root. The Green Man was never as prominent a threat as the pagans themselves. As such, it's rewarding to see the coven have their own personal moments of victory. Hilda tortures the one who turned her into a spider. She doesn't have to loss Dr. C after all of this either. Meanwhile, Harvey and Roz defeat the one whose powers of transformation nearly cost them everything. That brings them closer than ever before with her no longer worrying about a potential love triangle with Sabrina. And finally, Prudence gets to deliver the final blow against Pan mostly because she needs to be victorious in some battle. She never gets her revenge against her father. She is right to be angry with Ambrose about that. In fact, it seems like everyone is quick to forget about Blackwood even though he is the one summoning this looming threat that will bring about the next version of the apocalypse. The Spellman family understands that things never stay safe in Greendale for long. A new evil will rise. They still have each other though. That's only because one version of Sabrina stays on Earth while the other is crowned in Hell. That allows her to have everything she wants. Ambrose rightfully freaks out over the potential time paradox that his cousin has created. She doesn't care about the consequences whatsoever. So, she continues to present as incredibly reckless even though the world has to rely on her again and again in order to save it. That means her interests and needs are valued much higher than anyone else's even though their feelings are just as important and perhaps even more vital for the storytelling. It's a perilous ending but one that should excite the audience moving forward too.
