Summary
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 (Part 3) continues its impressive momentum towards becoming one of the best fantasy series of all time.
This review of Netflix Series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 (part 3) contains no spoilers. Add it to your Netflix list – the third season will launch on January 24, 2020.
- Read the recap of the first episode (will go live on air date)
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
As we approach Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 (Part 3) I was fondly reminded of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That’s a series that in many ways did not age well for the earlier seasons, but at the same time, is remembered as being a fantasy classic for teens and adults. It goes down in folklore as “fantasy done right” like its counterpart Angel and the thematically similar Charmed (the original). We are debating two different fantasy characters but as we embark upon the third season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the question must be asked — will it be remembered?
And the answer is quite simply, yes. The writers understand that keeping the values of the story intact is valuable. There was a real danger of Netflix suffering from the “third season syndrome” that has bestowed many other of their series. The quality and direction of the story feel as important as its predecessors. The stakes are considerably higher. The characters still feel important and well-developed.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is fast becoming one of the best fantasy series of all time.
Some may scoff at that claim. It’s likely I will be disputed due to mythologies not being followed correctly. But Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was never designed to be an accurate depiction of myths or emphasis on what a witch should be. The Netflix series has always been a modern remake — one that combines contemporary elements with old stories while at the same time sending a high-five to our progressive culture. It’s meant to be fresh and redesigned in a way where the original plotlines feel raw. It has a way of making complex storylines that involve rituals and specific rules make sense and more importantly, fun.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 is an immediate continuation of its predecessor. Sabrina is emotionally shackled to Nick, desperate to enter Hell to save him, while Lilith attempts to take the throne she believes she deserves. Meanwhile, Blackwood has disappeared, the Church needs reforming and the Academy needs to reinject its energy. There are many problems in Season 3 that the characters must overcome.
But after Season 2, it was easy to wonder how Season 3 was going to match the danger and the stakes the Spellmans and their acquaintances are tasked with. Surprisingly, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 manages to apply a real threat to their existence. It’s marked with overbearing darkness encroaching on their comfortable personas.
And of course, Sabrina is still the figurehead of the Netflix series played by the captivating Kiernan Shipka. It is abundantly clear that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina had an idea for this character over many seasons. With each season passing, the development map of Sabrina is evident. From an innocent teenage girl to a witch to teasing with Lucifer and Hell itself. It’s evident that the Sabrina we see in Season 3 will be completely different in further seasons to come. The character’s good-natured approach will always be tested by the darkness that is a part of her, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 offers more dilemmas and a grander task for Sabrina. Like Buffy, what will her future be?
And Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3 continues to answer that question and the journey continues to impress. The third installment of the Netflix series is impressive.
