Summary
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3, Episode 3 is slightly muddled but it keeps the story down a dark path that will be welcomed by the fans.
This recap of Netflix Series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 3, episode 3, “Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown” contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 3 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 4.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (2).
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3, Episode 3, “Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown”, is the most varied chapter in Season 3 so far, but it still has legs.
The opening scene of “Heavy Is the Crown” shows Roz and Harvey watching a black and white film with Harvey’s father. His father pops up to bed but before he does, he asks if Harvey has protection, which is met with an embarrassed response. Sabrina is in bed with Nick and they look into each other’s eyes like the hormonal teenagers they are. In the middle of the night, Nick wakes up scared of the Dark Lord — his feet have deformed due to Lucifer being inside him. Nick is struggling with the memories.
Nick has a case of witch’s PTSD and it is important throughout the episode. Lilith then reveals to Nick that Sabrina has taken the throne of Hell and she asks her to attend the Hell court. He insists that she must go.
Episode 3 shows us Sabrina’s leadership and willingness to not be overrun by the Infernal Kings. She demands a review of the souls’ contracts. Caliban turns up and he challenges her (he has 666 signatures). The challenge is the Unholy Regalia, and the first round is finding Herod’s crown. Sabrina accepts and asks Ambrose for advice on how to find the crown. Ambrose finds the crown — it’s at Riverdale. He’s also got a useful immoral compass that can find relics of this power.
Ambrose always appears to have an answer.
Ambrose and Sabrina head to Riverdale and Ambrose finds the crown hidden in an old tree — he digs it out. Sabrina wants to break it but Ambrose wants to study it first and understand its power. As Sabrina and Ambrose walk off, Herod fights himself out of the tree. When Sabrina returns to the academy, she sees a book open on self-amputation and she finds Nick trying to cut his foot off — “He’s still inside of me, Sabrina”.
Nick is not handling the perception and PTSD of having the Dark Lord inside of him well at all.
Episode 3 keeps pushing the weakest story of the third season so far — Zelda trying to restore the Academy to full strength. Firstly, she asks Ambrose to rejoin but as a teacher, but he refuses, explaining that he wants to explore further arts after his recent journey. Secondly, Zelda discusses with Prudence a leadership opportunity as the prefect of students, but as she tries to convince her, Warlock Gerald has fallen and Elspeth has caught a cold. Zelda states they are under crisis and threat from the Coven; Zelda also has a fever.
Episode 3 demonstrates Sabrina trying her best to reform Hell while Zelda is failing terribly at re-energizing the Academy.
It takes a while for the carnival to arrive in “Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown”; it’s obvious the carnival is not what it seems after the eery music fixed upon it at the end of Episode 2. As soon as she enters, Roz starts seeing demons at the carnival but she soon forgets as she reunites with her friends, including Sabrina.
A lot of events happen at the carnival; Hilda’s partner Dr. Cee asks her to marry him, Harvey gets jealous of Roz’s friends and tries to impress (and fails), Roz looks enchanted by a fellow student named Billy and Ms. Wardwell attends a palm reading — she asks about her partner Adam.
Episode 3 also gives us a relevant side story that adds another dynamic later; Theo was desperate to ask Robin to go to the carnival with her and he accepts. The pair go on a ride and as they are about to kiss, Theo tells Robin that she used to be different, she’s only recently become Theo. Robin tells Theo he really likes her and they kiss.
Before the insightful ending, Ambrose makes notes on Herod’s crown — he’s delighted by its power and he believes Greendale could be saved. All of a sudden, he is attacked by Herod from behind and he is put to sleep. The crown tells Herod that Sabrina woke him up.
Herod heads to the carnival.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3, Episode 3 closes with a lot for the audience to think about. Sabrina and Nick head into the tunnel of love, and they are suddenly attacked by Herod. Nick fights him and Caliban turns up; Sabrina begs him for help but he ignores her and takes the crown and disappears. Ambrose destroys Herod with a spell from behind.
I do wonder if Sabrina and Ambrose will argue about his misstep with the crown in later episodes as so far her grip on Hell is slipping.
Nick asks Sabrina about Caliban and she explains how he is the Prince of Hell. Rather than return home with Sabrina, Nick wants to head back to the Academy to his own bed. He instead goes to Dorian’s bar and tells him he believes Sabrina has a new suitor — he asks for the new playmates.
I found this moment extremely immature for character Nick — she sacrificed everything to save him and he’s irrationally jumping to conclusions which will inevitably push her away.
When Sabrina enters Hell, the Infernal Kings chant Caliban. Sabrina slaps him for not helping her and concedes the first round. She coldly threatens him, stating that she’s going to beat him. The Infernal Kings love the competition and start chanting her name.
“Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown” ends revealing the old ones — they are the carnival organizers. The group discusses Sabrina and her friends. In a twist and a big blow to Theo, it is revealed Robin is part of the group. The leader states that “the earth is ready” and they use a blood sacrifice on a plant and chant a ritual.
I’m enjoying this idea that there is evil lurking beneath now that Hell is a less mysterious place — it adds an extra dimension to the story. Chapter Twenty-Three will be appreciated.
Potions Book
- Zelda is still annoyed at Sabrina going to Hell.
- Ms. Wardwell is invited to the opening night at the carnival. After, Ms. Wardwell heads home and asks herself what happened to Adam. She’s getting more and more curious.
- Harvey is nervous about having sex with Roz. He gets jealous of Roz’s friends and wonders why Roz said they were just friends.
- A new book is becoming an addiction for the students by author Helga Stillwell. Hilda created it as a romantic novel. Zelda and Hilda argue and Zelda removes all the words from the book.
- There is tension between Harvey and Nick at the carnival.
