https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybKUX6thF8Q
When I heard Netflix was doing their version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch by the people who destroyed the Archies aka Riverdale (where I grew up), I was very against it. Then when I saw the first few trailers for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I hated it even more. Then they released one more trailer (the one above) and I was suddenly curious about the remake.
After watching all 10 episodes from the first season, I am in love. This is a much darker version of the show we grew up with, but it works, It really works. Largely because Kiernan Shipka is just so gosh darn lovable as Sabrina Spellman. She plays her character with the perfect amount of innocence in a not so innocent world. A world where witches and mortals don’t really interact.
Except for Sabrina’s parents. Her father was the high priest of witches and her mom was mortal. When she was a young girl, her parents were killed and she was raised by her aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilde (Lucy Davis). Zelda is an old school witch (that rhymes with bitch) and does everything by the book. Hilde is more modern.
Sabrina’s dad was unconventional and tried to change things for the better. Her mother was mortal. With all of that influence to shape her as a person, she is a mix of it all. Since she grew up in the mortal world and was raised by witches, she is torn between both worlds.
For her sixteenth birthday, she has to decide witch, I mean which, world she wants to live in. Which will she choose? There are consequences with both. A decision she will not take lightly and she will have to make compromises. Throwing her life into mayhem.
As she tries to live in both worlds, she will try to make changes to the old world order. That will be met with conflict from the leaders. Conflicts that will put her, her family and her friends into danger. She will also try to use her new powers to help her mortal friends. She does not know how to use it yet. When she does something very dark to save her boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch), she will put his life at risk. She will also cause him to do something that will change the way he looks at her forever.
Like I said, it is not the show we grew up with. It is so much better. My only complaint is that Salem doesn’t talk. That is it! Everything else from the stories to the casting to show itself is perfect as is!
