Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Season 3 Episode 3 “Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is The Crown” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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While a familiar name may cause a short burst of excitement, what happens to Hilda and Theo may get you far giddier. That and Sabrina’s smacking someone.

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Directed By	Rob Seidenglanz
Written By	Oanh Ly
Aired (Netflix)	1/24/2020

Episode Recap

The Residue: Ms. Wardwell, Nick, Sabrina

Being possessed, in some way or another, by a demonic being leaves a certain residue, as Nick would call it. Sabrina, on the other hand, calls it PTSD. However, there is something about the memories that haunt those who survived and lived them in a shroud of darkness. The kind that, for Ms. Wardwell, makes it hard to find normalcy. Especially when those who knew what normal was for you are now gone.

A Crush Realized: Theo, Robin

With Theo being different, so came the question of how Robin would feel about that? Would they friendzone Theo, embrace them, or ask to be given time? Well, the answer is embrace them, kiss them even – but almost as soon as the joy settles, and the warmth is pleasant, it is revealed Robin is with a traveling carnival looking for the blood of the innocent.

The Struggle Continues: Hilda, Zelda, Dr. Cerberus

Zelda has long taken advantage of Hilda and kept her on a short leash to make sure she could never go off and be her own person. However, with Dr. Cerberus in her life, she has had an alternative. Someone she could latch onto that wouldn’t take advantage of her, physically abuse her, and generally make her feel low. And with Dr. C proposing to Hilda, so comes the question of how much longer can Zelda rely on her sister who clearly wants to break free of how taxing Zelda can be?

The Unholy Regalia: Caliban, Sabrina, Beelzebub, Ambrose

With 666 signatures, Caliban challenges Sabrina as she speaks about reforming hell, mostly in terms of treatment and acquisition of souls. Thus leading to a challenge to retrieve lost items of hell, such as King Herod’s crown. Something that, within a day or two, Ambrose finds with ease, leading you to wonder if the people in hell just are against research, or if Ambrose deserves more credit for his intelligence than given.

Either way, Ambrose finds its, loses it while researching the crown, and as Sabrina faces the guardian of the crown, Caliban takes the item to hell to get his win. Which, with abandoning her, it leads to Sabrina smacking the mess out of Caliban, multiple times. Said acts, to some surprise, lead to Beelzebub, and many others, cheering Sabrina’s acts of violence on.

Insecurities: Nick, Sabrina, Harvey, Roz

With the exception of Hilda’s relationship, it seems all others are doomed in some capacity. Harvey and Roz’s, for example, are starting to buckle as Harvey feels insecure thanks to Roz’s friends dating jocks who are stronger than him. Then with Nick, after meeting Caliban, it seems now he feels Sabrina has a new love interest that he can’t compete with. This is despite her spending a whole day with him, wanting him to spend the night, just to talk and cuddle, and her breaking him out of hell.

But, you know how it goes, a woman can do it all for a man, and he’ll still find some silly reason, due to his emotional immaturity or dysfunction, to cheat. As Nick does by going to Dorian Gray’s bar and asking for some, implied, sexual entertainment.

Review/ Commentary

Highlights

Hilda Prepping To Step Out On Her Own

Aunt Hilda is the type of person who is always there for others, but rarely is anyone there for her. At best, Zelda may give her permission to have some semblance of a life, but she doesn’t support it. Heck, I don’t think she has even met, or made an effort to really know Dr. C.

So, as she continues to push her sister away, it should be interesting to watch her realize how much she truly depends on her and how, with all these grand plans, either she will have to learn to scale down or adjust if she wants Hilda’s assistance.

Low Point

Nick Cheating

Being that Sabrina follows mortal rules when it comes to sex and intimacy, you know if/when Nick reveals his cheating it is going to cause a negative reaction. But perhaps the bigger issue is Nick’s inability to deal with his PTSD outside of the distraction of sex?

Granted, with no parents, and most of the family he knew dead due to Faustus, who is Nick really going to turn to? As seen with Harvey, guys on this show aren’t really open to showing themselves as weak or vulnerable. “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is very much about being traditional, conservative, and patriarchal in all manners, and as much as it has progressive themes, like feminism and being non-binary, it carefully presents that as something which is normal yet not the social norm.

Getting back to the point, here is hoping the show finds a different way to handle Sabrina finding out Nick cheated than her breaking up with him and somehow ending up with Caliban. Which, when you think about it, her marrying him and trying to unify hell wouldn’t be the worst idea. It isn’t likely demons believe in monogamy.

On The Fence

Theo Falling For A Trickster

Did we want it to be easy for Theo to find someone? Yes and no. However, we more so wanted the journey’s challenges being their recognition outside their friend circle and establishing the difficulties which come with dating. All of which can still be had, for Robin could genuinely fall for Theo. But now there is the need to question what is real and what is for the sake of the end goal?

So Many Villains, So Little Time

One thing that can consistently be said about “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is that it has never had its shortage of villains and has made it so most characters have some sort of force they are up against. But, one problem that has arisen from episodic villains, whoever Sabrina is facing off against, the mortals, then Zelda, and then some villain who is built up for the latter half of the season, or finale, is that it becomes a bit much.

I mean, take Lucifer, the Dark Lord had been built up for nearly two seasons and then got steamrolled by Sabrina and her coven. This being, who has been alive for millennia, got defeated by a 16-year-old and a handful of witches who might be in their hundreds, if that. It just really pushes the idea that we get quantity over quality but not in terms of the build, but in the battles. For if there is one thing you have to give the show props for is it can create a great built to a reveal or confrontation. It is just that confrontation is far too consistently in the heroes favor and even with the fallout causing some inconveniences, they barely are significant enough to ever slow down the headstrong actions of the characters.

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