*Warning – Season One and Two Spoilers!*
The wait for April 5th was long and torturous, in excitement for the return of the Spellman witches – and warlock – to hit the screen. Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” returned for its second season early April, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Fans of this wicked show, including myself, were eager to watch the season that would further explore Sabrina’s dark side after she signed her name in the book of the beast. This essentially gave her soul to the Dark Lord, but wouldn’t keep her powerless. Her strength only grew as she slowly started to come to let the dark side in. And through her antics of self-discovery, she fought to change the norms that were both in human and witch worlds – starting by smashing the patriarchy.
(Photo by Netflix on IMDB)
The new Sabrina, with bleached white hair and dark color attire, only upped her status as a bigger badass than the one she already was. Time and time again she proves that she is a force to be reckoned with, and will not fall to her knees at the feet of any man – not even the Dark Lord. There are many changes to Sabrina’s life that are beyond appearances. She is now a full time student at the Academy of Unseen Arts but this also created a rift in her previous friendship group. No longer attending her mortal school and broken up with Harvey, it’s no surprise things seem tense – and let’s face it, awkward. This allows her to get deeper in touch with the witch side of herself, and spark her interest with the ever-so-hunky Nicholas Scratch.
P.s. Nick is definitely a hottie, and he’s a warlock, AND he genuinely loves Sabrina. What more can we ask for? We all need a Nick Scratch.
(Photo by Diyah Pera / Netflix on IMDB)
One of Sabrina’s biggest battles against the patriarchy is the one that has ruled over the Church of Night for far too long. Every chance she gets, Sabrina challenges the existing inequalities amongst the witches and warlocks. This gets a rise out of Father Blackwood, who is the head of the church. When she is told that a woman will never run the church, Sabrina fights back. She goes for the position of “Top Boy” that holds decades of tradition with males only. Being a “Top Boy” is known to get the position of High Priest of the church, and Sabrina is gunning to be the first High Priestess. Nick also encourages and helps her in breaking down the injustices against witches within the walls of the church. Sabrina is far too powerful for even someone like the High Priest to hold her back, and she is the one fit to change it all. Enough with men trying to control the witches for their own personal gain and power. Enough with the witches having to sacrifice their learning, magic, and happiness for men – especially men like Father Blackwood. To go even further on how deeply engraved sexism and the patriarchy are in him, he also cast a spell on his wife (Sabrina’s aunt Zelda) to make her a housewife that can’t think for herself. He turned her into the complete opposite of who she is, a strong, well outspoken, woman.
(Photo by Diyah Pera / Netflix on IMDB)
No matter how big of a fight or how awkward it may get, Sabrina never gives up on her friends. This is true for all three of her friends. So when it becomes clear that Theo needs help, she is there. In the first season, Theo is still discovering who he is and who he identifies as in terms of gender. Ultimately in the second season, he uncovers his true identity pronouns as “he/him” and name to be “Theo” instead of “Susie”. Not Sabrina, nor Roz or Harvey make Theo feel anything less than supported and loved. This struggle with gender identity does not come without trouble at school because of some bullies. Knowing this, Sabrina protects Theo through both seasons and helps him to get what he wants – like proving he belongs on the boys basketball team. Sabrina is not one to succumb to any man, let alone a couple of high school boys. Without a doubt, one of the best part about Theo’s role in the show is his push against patriarchy and gender norms in real life. Lachlan Watson, the actor who plays Theo, identifies as non-binary, and for many years identified as a trans-man. Representation matters!
Whether she is going against Father Blackwood, defending Theo, or defying the leader of patriarchy, the Dark Lord, Sabrina is one hell of a strong witch. Her powers are beyond what anyone else has but even further down is the goodness of what she believes in. She is empowering and inspirational to all women, witches or not. Here’s to smashing the patriarchy!