5/7/2019

Class of 2020 parent meeting, April 30Netflix’s

7-8 p.m. “Sabrina” scares up new kind of magic: Review – The Leaf

(http://www.youtube.com/user/SHSLeaf/videos) (https://www.instagram.com/shsleaf/) (https://twitter.com/SHSLeaf)

   Tuesday, May 07, 2019
Search 

(https://shsleaf.org)

News (https://shsleaf.org/category/news/) Feature (https://shsleaf.org/category/feature/)

A & E (https://shsleaf.org/category/ae/) Opinion (https://shsleaf.org/category/opinion/)

Sports (https://shsleaf.org/category/sports/) Waves (https://shsleaf.org/category/media/waves/)
Multimedia (https://shsleaf.org/category/media/) Leaf (https://shsleaf.org/category/leaf/)

More (/)

Filed under Opinion (https://shsleaf.org/category/opinion/)

Netflix’s “Sabrina” scares up

new kind of magic: Review
Alex Jowanovitz (https://shsleaf.org/staff/?writer=Alex%20Jowanovitz), Associate Video
Editor | November 15, 2018

(https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?

u=https%3A%2F%2Fshsleaf.org%2F38557%2Fopinion%2Fnetflixs-sabrina-scares-
up-new-kind-of-magic-review%2F) (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?


Alex Jowanovitz (https://shsleaf.org/staff/?

https://shsleaf.org/38557/opinion/netflixs-sabrina-scares-up-new-kind-of-magic-review/
writer=Alex%20Jowanovitz
COMIC BOOK ROOTS. The opening credits for Netflix’s
“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is stylized like the comic
book it is based on, but the new show could not be more
different. Comic book adaptations can be tricky, so not
everything crazy that happens in the source material are
bound to be to show up in the show. “With a comic book
sensibility, all the rules can go out of the window,” said
“Chilling Adventures” production designer Lisa Soper.1/4
 Chilling Adventures production designer Lisa Soper.
5/7/2019 Netflix’s “Sabrina” scares up new kind of magic: Review – The Leaf

Advertisement

Advertise Here

text=Netflix%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9CSabrina%E2%80%9D+scares+up+new+kind+of+magic%3A+Review&url=https%3A%2F%2Fshsleaf.org%2F%3Fp%3


Warning: This review contains spoilers for both the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”
television show, as well as the comic book of the same name.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch has returned to TV, but not in the way you may remember her.

From comic book character to sitcom star, Sabrina Spellman has undergone many changes
over the years in many forms of media, but not many people expected her to go through one
more transformation: horror icon.

Thanks to streaming service Netflix, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” takes the titular teenage
witch and places her into a world of dark secrets, mysteries, and demons.

While some may be turned off by this sudden tonal shift (the original show was a comedy,
after all), the transition from lighthearted to full-on horror is not as jarring as it sounds,
considering the history of the character.

The new show is mostly based on the recent “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” comic book,
written by “Riverdale” creator and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and illustrated by
Robert Hack.

The comic takes the original “Archie Comics” character and focuses on the darker side of
magic, and portrays the witches, including Sabrina’s aunts, Zelda and Hilda, as devout
worshipers of Satan.

The premise is that on her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina, seeing as she is half-witch, half-mortal,
must choose to live the rest of her life as a witch and follow in her father’s footsteps, or as a
mortal, and stay in Greendale with her friends and boyfriend.

The new show takes the main premise and elements from the comic, and while it does
embrace darker elements, like exorcisms, demons, and the aforementioned Satan thing, it
does not go to the extremes that the comic does
https://shsleaf.org/38557/opinion/netflixs-sabrina-scares-up-new-kind-of-magic-review/ 2/4
 (https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/counting-ways-in-which-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-
5/7/2019 Netflix’s “Sabrina” scares up new kind of magic: Review – The Leaf

is-different-from-sabrina-the-teenage-witch-1943139).

In the comic, Sabrina chooses to sign the Book of the Beasts, which leads to her boyfriend,
Harvey, being killed. Sabrina attempts to resurrect him, but he comes back with the spirit of
her deceased, psychotic father instead.

In the show, on the other hand, Sabrina chooses not to sign the book and instead chooses to
forge her own path living between both worlds, which creates further tension between her and
the rest of the witches in Greendale.

While the outcome of her choice is drastically different between the two versions, Sabrina’s
choice in the show allows for the viewers to become more invested the mortal side of her life,
and the interactions she has with her human friends.

This is a welcome departure from the comic, as we get to see more of Sabrina and Harvey
together as a couple. Actors Kiernan Shipka and Ross Lynch have wonderful chemistry
and provide one of the most realistic teen romances that I have ever seen on screen.

The supporting cast is phenomenal too, with standouts being Chance Perdomo as Sabrina’s
cousin Ambrose, and Michelle Gomez as the delightfully evil Madame Satan.

The ten-episode run of the first season allows for a lot more character moments and
interactions than its comic book counterpart, which only has eight issues as of this writing.

Of course, the show also allows for more time to develop the plot further along than the
comic, opening up the floodgates to more supernatural elements, mysteries, and more
demons for Sabrina to battle.

While the new “Sabrina” show is not as scary as the book it is based on, it makes up for it by
creating deeper and realistic relationships, as well as furthering the story beyond the comic in
ways that are still dark and unexpected.

Nevertheless, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is a welcome addition to the darker “Archie”

television universe that has spun out of the popularity of “Riverdale”, and I cannot wait to see
more from this iteration of the character.

Halloween may be behind us this year, but “Chilling Adventures” is a great, spooky time that
can be enjoyed all year long.

Sources:

https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/counting-ways-in-which-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-is-
different-from-sabrina-the-teenage-witch-1943139
(https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/counting-ways-in-which-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-is-
different-from-sabrina-the-teenage-witch-1943139)

https://shsleaf.org/38557/opinion/netflixs-sabrina-scares-up-new-kind-of-magic-review/ 3/4
 5/7/2019 Netflix’s “Sabrina” scares up new kind of magic: Review – The Leaf
Other stories filed under Opinion (https://shsleaf.org/category/opinion/)

(https://shsleaf.org/40161/opinion/life-
(https://shsleaf.org/40149/feature/sincerely-
(https://shsleaf.org/40145/opinion/what-
(https://shsleaf.org/40117/opinion/is-
is-too-short-to-not-have- your-seniors/) makes-a-best-friend/) prom-for-everyone/)
graeters/)
Sincerely, your What makes a best Is prom for
Life is too short to Seniors friend? everyone?
not have Graeters. (https://shsleaf.org/40149/feature/sincerely-
(https://shsleaf.org/40145/opinion/what-
(https://shsleaf.org/40117/opinion/is-
(https://shsleaf.org/40161/opinion/life-
your-seniors/) makes-a-best- prom-for-everyone/)
is-too-short-to-not- friend/)
have-graeters/)
(https://shsleaf.org/39992/opinion/
at-both-sides-of-the-
heartbeat-law/)

Looking at both
sides of the
Heartbeat Law
(https://shsleaf.org/39992
at-both-sides-of-the-
heartbeat-law/)

 
O PINIO N FEATURE O PINIO N
The Leaf (https://shsleaf.org)
Life is too short to not Sincerely, your Seniors What makes a best
have Graeters. friend?
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio
Search 

Leaf Leaflet Yearbook

(https://shsleaf.org/category/leaf/) (https://shsleaf.org/category/leaflet/)
(https://shsleaf.org/yearbook/)

Contact
(https://shsleaf.org/contact/)

© 2019 • Privacy Policy (https://snosites.com/client-site-privacy-policy/) • FLEX WordPress Theme (https://snosites.com/why-sno/) by SNO (http://snosites.com) • Log in
(https://shsleaf.org/wp-login.php)

https://shsleaf.org/38557/opinion/netflixs-sabrina-scares-up-new-kind-of-magic-review/ 4/4