Diksha Sundriyal
The previous seasons of ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ hinged on the threat of the Dark Lord. What does he want with Sabrina and what is that prophecy that Lilith has been tasked to fulfill through the young witch? The finale of Part 2 brought the witches face to face against their own god. When the characters have faced their greatest enemy and survived, what can possibly be dangerous enough for them now? What could be worse than Satan himself? Part 3 of the show begins with that.
The last time we were in Greendale, Sabrina had to fight against the Dark Lord, who, as it turns out, is also her father. She tries to imprison him in the Acheron configuration, but because he is too powerful for that, they have to find a human Acheron for him, which Nick agrees to be. With the Dark Lord out of the way, Lilith becomes the Queen of Hell and takes Nick with herself. Everyone is supposed to be fine with that, however, Sabrina believes otherwise.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 Episode 1 Review
When you have one good season of a show, you wish the next season doesn’t screw it up. When the next season lives up to the expectations, you pray that the next season doesn’t let you down. Because the better the show gets, the more its chances are to fall flat on its face the next time around. Luckily, ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ doesn’t do anything to lose its credibility and continues on a winning streak with its Part 3.
Not only does the show move on to bigger challenges and wickeder opponents, but it also changes the dynamics for Sabrina’s love life. The show gets even darker this time around and becomes more ruthless towards its characters. There is betrayal and heart-break on every turn and somehow you feel like not everyone is going to survive this. Sabrina’s own want for power surfaces and she seizes it the first chance she gets. There is no point in refusing that the teenage witch doesn’t enjoy power. She might hate the Dark Lord, but she surely appreciates the perks that come with being his heir.
One of the biggest challenges for this season was to introduce an enemy that surpasses the villainy of the Dark Lord. With this part, they lay the groundwork for the next big baddie, while putting the witches through a series of trials that has more to do with their own powers than that of the ones standing against them. Moving against your own god comes with severe consequences and before Greendale can prepare itself for the next celestial threat, it has to find its footing and cut its dependence on the things that are no more in line with it.
Like its predecessors, this part also has a tight plot that keeps the story focused, despite having several sub-plots branching out in different directions. But, as compared to the previous ones, this part has more action, more twists and turns, and more breath-taking moments. Sabrina has juggled two lives before. She has managed her mortal affairs and the responsibilities as a witch. But this time around, she has too much on her plate. How she manages to keep up with all the tasks is exciting to watch, but it also makes you feel exhausted for her.
Another check-point of ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ has been its love stories. Part 1 had Sabrina trying to work it out with Harvey. Part 2 had her romance blossoming with Nick. In this part, her courting of Nick continues, but their relationship goes through a difficult time, especially with Nick still reeling from the trauma of having the Dark Lord inside of him. Despite her good intentions, Sabrina’s efforts might not be enough to save their romance, which opens up a new set of possibilities for the protagonist.
All in all, the show returns with a bang. It is darker and bolder and better than before. It allows its characters more space to grow. The teenagers become more comfortable in their skin while the adults find their own place in the brave new world. The story goes through many ups and downs, and everyone comes out different on the other side, whoever survives, that is.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 Episode 1 Recap
Part 3 starts with Sabrina trying to find another prison for the Dark Lord so that she can bring back Nick. With the help of Harvey, Roz and Theo, she walks into Hell, where they meet Caliban, who seems to take a liking to Sabrina. They discover that Lilith has turned Nick into a plaything for herself and has been torturing him on the outside. She wouldn’t let Sabrina take him back, but an urgent matter makes her reconsider the terms.
The aristocracy of Hell is not happy with Lilith on the throne. They want someone else, someone worthier of the title and present Caliban as the candidate. But he can’t be allowed to rule Hell as he has some nefarious plans for Earth. So, Sabrina rises up to the occasion and claims the throne as a Morningstar. She appoints Lilith as her Regent; she will take care of the official business while Sabrina fulfils her duties as the cheerleader for Baxter High.
Meanwhile, Zelda and Hilda try to rebuild the Academy and wonder to whom their prayers should be directed now. Prudence and Ambrose are still after Father Blackwood, but with the help of another witch, they finally track him down.
