Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Season 1/ Episode 3 “Chapter 3: The Trial of Sabrina Spellman” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Sabrina and The Dark Lord have their first face-off and someone surprises all in the defense of Sabrina.

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Myopic Atrophy: Roz, Ms. Wardwell, Sabrina, Principal Hawthorne

We’ve come to learn some unfortunate news – Roz, seemingly not due to witch’s intervention, is going blind. Not just legally blind, we’re talking losing her sight completely. So, with her being a voracious reader, she is trying to read classics like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye before braille would be her only option. Problem is, it seems that book, amongst others, are banned by the school.

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Leading to, naturally, a protest that even Ms. Wardwell, in a way, participates in. For, ultimately, her goal is helping Sabrina disconnect from these mortals. So, if she can do it the kind way, and make Sabrina feel secure enough to leave them be, she’ll do that. However, if that takes too long she’ll do what she must. Either way, between the protest, and maybe Ms. Wardwell, Roz gets a hearing about the banned book. Issue is, it’ll be three months away when she assumingly will be blind. Luckily, being a rebel, Ms. Wardwell, with the help of WICCA plan a secret book club so Roz can have a group environment to read and discuss The Bluest Eye amongst many others.

Commentary

Hold up, what year is it? I haven’t seen a cell phone, laptop, tablet, none of that. I only realized that when Roz was upset about not getting a book in the library. For, at first, I was like, I get your family are in ministry but they can afford to get books off Amazon right? But now I feel the need to question if we’re in an alternate world where maybe all that stuff doesn’t exist. Principal Hawthorne doesn’t have a computer at his desk, we don’t see him even with a digital phone.

Now, one excuse could be, due to the town not being affluent, companies like Comcast and Verizon may have never invested in that area. Making cell phones not worth the cost and no infrastructure to speak of. Yet, I think the truth might just be, technology creates such a disruption in storytelling that to include it would make things too complicated.

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But, it could also be the comics take place in the 1960s. Which, come to think of it, would explain Sabrina’s fashion. Yet, could you imagine a town like Greendale being integrated in the 1960s with a big, curly-haired, Black girl being allowed to protest and be so vocal? Much less a Black boy like Ambrose living with two elderly white women and it not be something people torment Sabrina about? Though it would help explain why her friends aren’t invited over.

Escaping My Father’s Shadow: Harvey, Tommy, Mr. Kinkle

While by no means poor, Mr. Kinkle and Tommy work hard to keep the house up. So, with Harvey talking about working at the comic book store, Mr. Kinkle thinks if Harvey wants to work, he’ll work in the mines. Something neither Harvey nor Tommy want. Especially since it seems Harvey saw The Dark Lord in the mines and is terrified. That is, alongside Harvey having a real talent for drawing and Tommy rather have that fostered than set aside to be toiling his life away in the mines. A thought he lets slip out and Mr. Kinkle hears.

Commentary

I wonder why, between Sabrina and Harvey dating for as long as they have done, they never hang at each other’s house? Said thought, I know, has little to do with the topic, but it does seem rather strange. For even if this does take place decades ago, with Sabrina and Harvey going steady, you’d think there would be more of a push for the families to know each other.

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The Trial of Sabrina, Zelda, and Hilda Spellman: Zelda, Hilda, Father Blackwood, Daniel Webster, Sabrina, Ms. Wardwell

To say Sabrina’s trial is a hot mess would be an understatement. From learning her father promised her to the Dark Lord to marry her mother to Zelda acting as a witness, that is but one of the many reveals that will make you shake your head. But, luckily, Sabrina had Daniel Webster has her lawyer. A man who knew Sabrina’s father and, as far as we know, is probably one of the few mortals who knows and practices Witch’s law. A rather dangerous legal system since they practice guilty until proven innocent and Father Blackwood uses that to his advantage.

Ms. Wardwell as well by pushing out there the need for Sabrina to question who is this man defending her? After all, it seems weird for a mortal man to find himself so deeply entrenched in the ways of witches. So how did that come to be, beyond Edward’s involvement? Well, Daniel made a deal with the devil. One which made him one of the best lawyers around but, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Especially when it comes to the dark lord for there is always a catch.

For Daniel, the catch was he did become the best but somehow all his clients were terrible people. Including one who, what he did to the innocent, was done to David’s daughter. Someone we see with what looks like strangulation marks on her neck. If not someone slitting her throat. Which, upon learning, nearly leads to Sabrina dropping Daniel but with him trying to seek redemption, she allows him to stay.

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However, what ultimately allows Sabrina to win her case is Hilda. For she too was a witness to a baptism but it was a Catholic baptism which happened a day before Edward baptized baby Sabrina. Making it so the Dark Lord technically can’t have Sabrina’s soul. But, Sabrina doesn’t get off Scott-free. She still must enroll in the Academy of the Unseen Arts. A place where, now, she is surely infamous.

Commentary

There is so much to question here. The first being, how can a mortal be allowed to live and know witch’s law? Which I ask because it seems witches are private people and don’t show off much, if at all, to mortals. So for that man to, more than once, walk amongst them, interfere in coven affairs, seems weirdly convenient, does it not? Granted, him doing so once probably led to his daughter being murdered and with her being the only thing he had, what is there left to lose? However, there remains the need to ask why Edward chose this lawyer to know what feels like secrets and how did this man get to live to old age with them? That is, on top of, considering all the documents in that house, him possibly having papers and written word which explains witch’s law.

Daniel aside, I think David and Diana knew what they were doing with having Sabrina baptized in the Catholic faith before Edward’s church. For while the holy God, assumingly in this world, knows and sees all, the Dark Lord probably relies more so on snitches. Hence why Father Blackwood got tripped up by that baptism certificate and the Dark Lord was forced into a compromise. Which was quite hilarious.

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But, let’s be real, the show’s whole take on Satanism, while there is a certain seriousness to it, at times it feels like a spoof. Making it so it feels like it is walking a fine line and as much as it pokes fun at the actual religion, it does so in a way which allows it to make sense. Sort of like how the premiere of God Friended Me handled Christianity in a way. The lead may have poked fun at the religion, and its validity, yet it was balanced out by people who took it very seriously. Thus giving you the sense of why people felt that religion made them whole yet also why some found its ways difficult to fathom.

Leaving the only thing to talk about being Sabrina’s transition into the academy in Connecticut. Between leaving her high school and what awaits her at her new school, that is going to be so interesting. Particularly after this trial for on top of being half-witch, she’ll also be someone who isn’t baptized and who went up against the Dark Lord – and won. Which could mean one of two things. Prudence and her crew may protect her for Sabrina has fought and won against the patriarchy. Yet, there is always the chance Sabrina is such a social pariah that between students, teachers, and the administration, even Prudence and her crew of two couldn’t do a thing for Sabrina.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

• Ambrose is apparently queer. Per him making out, likely having sex, with Connor’s ex – Luke. Someone who, possibly, might be the witch hunter.
• Hilda got excommunicated from the church because of her being a witness to Sabrina’s baptism. Yet, despite being excommunicated, she still seems to have her powers and youth which were restored after Sabrina won her case.

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Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. How does the witch’s world and mortal world sit side by side? Especially in terms of government? Clearly, the witch system is theocratic, but how does it handle witches doing stuff which is illegal to mortal law? Like, say, killing a human? Since I’m still not over how nonchalant Ambrose was about killing Principal Hawthorne.

Highlights

1. The victories of Sabrina and Roz either in legal court or court of public opinion!
2. How two-faced Ms. Wardwell is, yet you can’t help but like her anyway.
3. Ambrose, even if his man is a villain, having a man.
4. Harvey’s background being

On The Fence

1. Witch’s law remains very confusing.

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Netflix Official Site

Magic and mischief collide as half-human, half-witch Sabrina navigates between two worlds: mortal teen life and her family’s legacy, the Church of Night.

www.netflix.com