The Little Binger

The magic began when Netflix granted us access to the first half of the upcoming series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. As much as this excited me, I was also a bit hesitant with the fact that it might share the same universe as Riverdale. My worry stems from me giving up on the series after its first season. It was based off of the Archie comics which I read growing up, the TV series, however, was an entirely different thing. Still, partly due to my curiosity about the new show which I first learned of during APCC, I accepted the offer and half-wittingly started watching Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. My hesitations faded away few minutes into the pilot. It is wicked! So with that, let me share with you the five things that I loved about Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

1. The Tone

   

   The new Netflix series is based on the comics of the same title written by showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. I grew up with the bubbly and fun Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) but this adaptation has a refreshing take. It was as if the Sabrina left the MCU realm and entered the DCEU. It was dark, grim, and yes, there is blood. In the first few episodes of the season, Sabrina is about to celebrate her 16th birthday but there is more to it. She has to succumb to the darkness. And yes, if you are a hardcore Christian, you might feel a little discomfort because the series does not hold back on referencing demons and Satan. It’s that edgy!

2. Female Power!

   

   In the earlier reincarnations of the character, Sabrina was a high school student experiencing the things that a typical high school girl would. Sabrina lives with her aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis). These women are no longer the women that we knew in the sitcoms. In Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,  they had some spunk. Hilda is still the motherly figure that she is while Zelda is the definition of a power woman. Not only that, Sabrina’s friend at school are different now too. Which leads us to…

3. Woke!

   

   At this rate, I would be more surprised if a TV series or a movie will not have woke characters. It’s a thing and it should have been a long time ago! This series is a perfect platform to bring the characters in a more contemporary setting and introduce some woke sensibility to its characters. Rosalind Walker (Jaz Sinclair), Sabrina’s bestfriend, is more outspoken and a figure of feminism in the series. High school dramas are not complete without bullying and the series took progressiveness to another level by introducing WICCA- an all-female organization that aims to empower one another. Take that, feminism!

4. The Spectrum

   

   Aside from wokeness, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also throws its arms wide open to welcome LGBT. It might be a minor thing for some but to me, it is amazing seeing a teenage series being open to it. Without spoiling much, there are two characters that are proud about their sexuality. Without being preachy about it, they were presented normally without overarching arcs that highlights their sexuality. That is a plus points on my book!

5. The Darkness

   

   This may have been what I love the most about Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, well based on what I saw so far. The dark coming-of-age story explores Sabrina’s two lives as a witch and a mortal. Monsters, witchcraft, and all the dark entities make an appearance from time to time. Sacasa-Aguirre created the series to have its tone play along the lines of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist.
   

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina put an end to my fears of it becoming the next Riverdale. There is no exaggerated romance plot and no overdrawn arcs. Yes, it might be too early to say at this point but judging from what I witnessed so far, things are looking promising. It has found the right blend of humor and darkness (with a little more extra touch of darkness). If you loved Sabrina from the sitcoms and the comics, part of her is still here. Just think of her undergoing an edgy, rebellious phase.

The 10-episode Netflix original series premieres October 26, 2018.

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