Summary
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3, Episode 1 is an excellent base for the third instalment, with Sabrina trying to find a way to save Nick.
This recap of Netflix Series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 3, episode 1, “Chapter Twenty-One: The Hellbound Heart” contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 3 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 2.
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Well, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3, Episode 1 did not open up calmly and that’s only a good thing. The opening episode is action-packed and full of story progression. The writers just know what they are doing. “Chapter Twenty-One: The Hellbound Heart” is a teaser and a formidable base for Season 3 and a natural continuation to Season 2.
“Chapter Twenty-One: The HellBound Heart”, opens up with Sabrina looking for Nicholas — she finds him engraved in rocks. Nicholas warns her to go before it comes back — “Your father”. They both run away and escape and finally embrace. It turns out the man she escaped with was Lucifer — it was a bad dream and she wakes up.
Sabrina raises to Zelda and Hilda that Nick is still in Hell, suffering. Hilda is worried about her. Sabrina heads out again and tries to open the gates to Hell. Harvey interrupts her. Harvey asks what happens if they do get to Nick and Sabrina insists that they will find a better prison for her father. Harvey finds it admirable that she’s willing to save Nick despite betraying her.
When Sabrina returns to school, Roz is also worried about Sabrina — she tells her she cannot continue outside of Hell’s gates every night. Ms Wardwell returns to class as Ms Wardwell. Sabrina checks up on her and learns she cannot account for the last few months. She’s been having nightmares about demons and hellscapes. Ms Wardwell manages to give Sabrina an idea by accident regarding Hell.
Sabrina heads straight to Dorian and asks if he has a painting of Hell and if any of them is a portal. Dorian does have a portal but at a price; in return, he wants the original flower of evil that will give Sabrina safe passage back from hell. It’s a deal.
Sabrina tells Harvey, Theo and Roz about her new operation to go to Hell and they agree to join her. They use water that is put on corpses so they can venture through Hell undetected. Meanwhile, Hilda tells Zelda about a Council meeting and Father Blackwood is meant to host it — they need a plan as the Council is not aware of what’s happening.
Dorian introduces Sabrina and her friends to the portal. He explains that they won’t be able to come back unless they hold a flower. They enter the portal and end up on the Shores of Sorrow. They find a man who tells them about an eternal tide and gives them directions to Lilith.
“The Hellbound Heart” then flits to New Orleans — Father Blackwood is trapped by Ambrose and Prudence. They want to know where their brother and sister are. Blackwood is still arrogant but they believe they can kill him and retrieve the information using necromancy. Ambrose stabs Blackwood but they have also been fooled — it wasn’t Blackwood, it was one of the Judas brothers pretending to be him.
Back in hell, Theo is troubled as she sees her Uncle Jesse nailed to a cross — he claims Lilith put him there. Sabrina uses a spell so no-one else can hurt him until they return. Lilith is made aware that Sabrina and her friends are venturing through Hell. Sabrina, Roz and Theo venture through some woods. Sabrina and Roz find the potential flower of evil and it is singing. Meanwhile, Harvey and Theo are chased by a crazy tin man and Theo alerts the others. Harvey realises the tin man is his brother Tommy. Sabrina stops the tin man and tells Harvey that it was not his brother.
Prudence suggests using another type of witchcraft to capture Blackwood — one that he will not expect. They head to a voodoo store in New Orleans. The store clerk realises they are witches and makes a suggestion.
Back in hell, Sabrina and co are trapped in a classroom by Principal Hawthorn. He ties them all to their desks and states that Sabrina’s spells will not work. Roz’s grandmother enters — she mocks her granddaughter. Meanwhile, trouble is on the horizon for Lilith — she is told that the Infernal Kings of Hell are back and will challenge her throne.
Zelda and Hilda have found a solution; Hilda has formed into Father Blackwood so they can go to the Council. Hilda has made a cake to influence the Council members. The Council session starts; Blackwood (Hilda) enters and the members question his previous absence. The Council members lie about making contact with the Dark Lord. Zelda believes they should tell the Council members a version of the truth regarding Blackwood before praying to Lilith in front of the children.
As Roz is about to be tortured by Principal Hawthorne and her grandma, Lilith’s servant arrives and asks for their presence. Sabrina and the others arrive at Lilith’s throne. Lilith reveals that Nick and the Dark Lord are still locked in battle in Nick’s mind. Lilith serves them dinner but Roz is wise, realising that none of the food is edible. Sabrina asks for Nick and Jesse Putnam to be freed. Lilith says she can free both on one condition — crown her Queen of Hell publically to make her legitimate in front of the Kings. Sabrina agrees.
Lilith tells the Infernal Kings that Sabrina is going to announce her as the Queen of Hell. The Kings suggest that Prince of Caliban should be next to the throne — the man from the Shores of Sorrow. Nick’s eyes turn red and Sabrina is tranced by then. Sabrina is now speaking to her father Lucifer. He suggests that only a true Queen can free Nick.
Nick tells Sabrina not to listen to her father and insists she forgets about him. Sabrina and Nick tell each other of their love for each other and Lucifer tells Sabrina to claim the throne again.
Sabrina is now back in the room where the coup is taking place. Sabrina claims the throne and makes Lilith her advisor (her regent). Caliban disputes the claim and says Sabrina must be challenged. Lilith says he will need signatures first and Sabrina dismisses the court.
We have a new Queen of Hell folks. Sabrina is making movements.
Queen Sabrina asks Lilith to free Nick plus Jesse’s soul and Lilith obeys immediately. Lilith claims Sabrina does not really want the crown. Sabrina uses the flower and speaks the magic words and the group return to Dorian. Sabrina lays Nick down so he can rest, but she still needs to figure out how to remove Lucifer from his mind. At a diner, Sabrina and her friends celebrate, but Roz asks what Sabrina is going to do now she is Queen of Hell. Sabrina suggests she may have to play the part for a while.
As Harvey says, “Cheerleader by day, Queen of Hell by night,” the diner door splits open and the wind rushes through.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 3, episode 1, “Chapter Twenty-One: The Hellbound Heart” has changed the game somewhat. I like it.
Potions Book
- Zelda plans to reopen the academy and the Church for worship. Hilda asks if she will be the High Priestess.
- Roz and Harvey are doing band practice together.
- Sabrina asks Lilith why she still looks like Ms Wardwell. Lilith explains that she’s gotten used to her skin.
- Ambrose and Prudence use blood magic on a map to try and find Blackwood. The blood trickles to Scotland.
