Summary
“Chapter Thirty-Two: The Imp of the Perverse” is a fun, imaginative chapter, providing the audience with a different reality that challenges the characters.
This recap of Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 4, episode 4, “Chapter Thirty-Two: The Imp of the Perverse” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 4, episode 4 opens up with Sabrina Spellman campaigning for co-presidents at Baxton High with Roz. Hilda is happy for her, but Zelda believes there’s a lack of authenticity in Sabrina’s rehearsal speech. She tells her that protecting the world from Eldritch Terrors is more important. Sabrina going for co-president seems to be political for the family. But we all know why Sabrina is doing it; she wants to be normal. She’s very similar to Buffy — always striving for a life that isn’t possible due to her circumstances.
Harvey needs to adjust
The scene then flits to Roz telling Harvey that she’s a witch. Harvey is in shock because he didn’t think she was a witch. She explains what a sentinel is — it means she’s a seer and can see things other people can’t. Harvey apologizes for his frustrations as Roz starts to get more upset. At school, Harvey asks Theo why every woman he gets involved with turns out to be a witch. Roz tells her friends that she has unconditional support, but Harvey does not look best pleased. Episode 4 confronts the Harvey/Roz problem head-on. It had no choice really with it being the final season.
Items for sale
As for Faustus, the warlock is once again plotting. A man with a top hat and suit walks into his building, calling himself the trinket man. The man opens up a suitcase of dangerous items. One of the items is the Imp of the Perverse — “The power to warp and alter reality itself”. Prudence senses what Faustus is doing and tells her witch sisters Roz and Marie what is happening. Prudence tries to stop Faustus as he asks the Imp to make him Emperor. But as she’s about to stab him, he disappears in thin air. She failed, and what happens next brings a rather thematic chapter that metaphorically represents Nazi Germany.
Faustus is now the Emperor
Suddenly, Greendale is rebranded; Faustus is the Emperor. Prudence works for him, and she has a uniform to match the brand. She’s a lieutenant. In school, Sabrina and Roz notice the changes — they see a poster of Faustus Blackwood. And then they see a wanted poster — Sabrina is enemy number 1; she has to change her disguise quickly. “Chapter Thirty-Two: The Imp of the Perverse” is a game-changer.
Propaganda and Blackwood’s birthday
Harvey is part of the Faustus regime, and Sabrina pretends to be a girl named Samantha and rebrands her look — she and Roz do not seem to be impacted by the changes, but everyone else is. The school is now called “Blackwood High”. Ms. Wardwell teaches a class that’s propaganda against witches. The class material suggests that all witches are evil. Emperor Blackwood visits the class, and they all wish him a happy birthday. He declares that there is a witch amongst them and points at Robin Goodfellow. When Robin runs off, Faustus accuses Theo of being a witch, and she’s arrested.
Ambrose is marked
Sabrina Spellman tells Roz that she believes this is an Eldritch Terror and that this must be a perverted reality. They talk about why it hasn’t impacted them, and they believe it’s because they have touched an Eldritch Terror which makes them immune. When they visit the Spellman home, it’s run down, and Ambrose doesn’t know who she is. He’s anxious and on edge — he points at the house and tells them he has been marked; Ambrose denies that he is a witch. Sabrina tells Ambrose that they are fighting the Eldritch Terrors. Ambrose refuses to accept that and wants to flee. This presents a problem — Sabrina and Roz need to find a way to revert to the original reality.
Visiting the academy
Sabrina visits the academy, but it’s also overrun by Faustus Blackwood. She runs into Nick, and he asks if she’s new at the place. He tells her that this school used to be the best art school in the state. Sabrina visits Zelda, but she doesn’t recognize her. She uses her powers to revert to her initial image. Zelda calls her public enemy number one. Sabrina tells Zelda that they are powerful witches, but her aunt slaps her and asks her to leave. Sabrina restores Zelda’s memory momentarily, but then Faustus enters the academy.
Faustus is looking for babies and degenerate art
Blackwood asks if there have been any degenerative arts that violate the rules, or any babies. Zelda asks the choir to sing a song about “the Fatherland” to Faustus, but he is displeased by it. He notices Nick wasn’t singing — he asks him to sing on his own. This is an oppressed society and displays how Faustus would want to govern if he had all the power.
Trying to get Harvey to remember
Meanwhile, Roz wants to make Harvey remember, but he doesn’t understand what she means. It turns into an argument about witches and the emperor. She tells Harvey that she’s a witch and that Blackwood is a warlock. Harvey gets frustrated and covers her mouth. Before Roz left, she tells him that he was a good man. She’s trying to conflict his mind emotionally.
You used to have a dog, Zelda
Faustus arrests Nick for being a witch at the academy, but Nick isn’t afraid and accepts it. When Faustus walks away, Sabrina tells them all that they can fix this and that they are a coven of witches. Zelda shuts her up, but Sabrina reminds her aunt that she had a dog which she loved. Zelda tears up and asks her to request a book from the main street.
Ambrose remembers
When Ambrose leaves Greendale, he remembers everything. He comes across the trinket man. He tells Ambrose that Faustus Blackwood stole the Imp of the Perverse. Ambrose now knows that Faustus has reshaped the universe. The trinket man offers Ambrose the sacred Stone of Omphalos; it’s the stone of reality. Ambrose wonders if it could restore reality. The trinket man gives it to him for free but highlights that the moment that Ambrose crosses the border to Greendale, his mind will pervert again. Robin finds Ambrose and offers to help.
The bookstore
Sabrina heads to the bookstore and bumps into Roz. Hilda offers them both a cup of tea. Sabrina asks for a book named Häxan and states that Zelda Spellman recommended it to her. Hilda gives Dr. Cerberus a sly look before asking Sabrina to follow her.
Stone soup
Hilda introduces her to the resistance. Agatha recognizes her and tells Sabrina that Father Blackwood used the Imp of the Perverse. When the spell was used, it healed Agatha’s deranged mind for the new reality. She reveals that Blackwood has the Mark of Cain, so he is immortal. Ambrose turns up — he has 25 seconds to tell Sabrina about the stone of reality before his mind goes. Ambrose forgets his previous reality before fully explaining. Hilda makes a stone soup; she tests it on Ambrose, and it works. “Stone soup for everyone!”. The witches then plan to take Faustus Blackwood down. This spurs on a third act that is equally exciting as the first two — this is a highly imaginative chapter.
Pre-celebrations
Harvey turns up at the bookstore, and he looks in the back. Roz begs him not to do anything. Harvey takes Roz and claims she was the only one back there to ensure everyone else is protected. Meanwhile, Faustus senses that Agatha is lying about something and believes she is conspiring against him. Prudence calls her a traitor.
Birthday celebrations
After Sabrina feeds everyone at the academy stone soup, Zelda declares that they are awake and want to end Blackwood’s reign — her renewed energy brings a smile to Sabrina’s face. As part of his birthday celebrations, Faustus Blackwood starts an execution party for witches for a crowd. He starts with Nick and places massive stones on him, so he confesses under the weight’s pressure. Nick cockily asks for more weight. Sabrina Spellman reveals herself to be a witch. Ambrose casts a spell on the Imp of the Perverse, but it doesn’t work because he’s still in control of reality — it was a fake Imp.
Finding the Imp
Sabrina throws the reality stone straight at Faustus Blackwood’s head, and reality temporarily shifts; the witches all stand up to help. Harvey decides to fight for the witches. Agatha and Sabrina persuade Prudence that she’s in a warped reality; Marie and Roz manage to get through to her. Prudence reveals where the actual Imp of the Perverse is. Robin finds the Imp and Sabrina tries to use it to bring back reality, but unfortunately, this is a fake one as well. Faustus genuinely thought this through it seems.
The dog
But of course, there was an answer to all their problems to end “Chapter Thirty-Two: The Imp of the Perverse”.
Zelda believes the Imp is inside the dog, so Sabrina uses the same spell and brings back reality. Faustus Blackwood is back to where he started; using the Imp as Prudence runs towards him. She stabs him through the chest before he can complete his spell. Sabrina and Roz return to Baxter High, and everything is back to normal.
The ending
Harvey speaks to Roz and apologizes to her for being an ass and declares his love for her regardless if she’s a sentinel. He wants to be on the right side of history. Sabrina and Roz stand in the corridor and announces them as witches; females who fight against the oppressors and campaign for co-presidents. Meanwhile, Prudence couldn’t kill Faustus, so she’s cut off his head and put it on a plate with his mouth gagged. It is a horrible situation, but the characters feel they have finally got Faustus where they want him.
As “Chapter Thirty-Two: The Imp of the Perverse” nears a close, Nick wants a private conversation with Sabrina. He tells her that he still has feelings for her. Sabrina asks about Prudence, but Nick says it’s not what they had. Nick tells Sabrina that “we’re end-game”.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 4, episode 4 is a fun, imaginative chapter, providing the audience with a different reality that challenges the characters.
