Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Episode 2.06 "Chapter Twenty-Six: All of Them Witches"
Zelda attempts to forge a supernatural alliance, Sabrina and the gang work with Caliban, and Hilda's transformation takes a terrifying turn.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
"Chapter Twenty-Six: All of Them Witches" was written by Joshua Conkel and directed by Michael Goi
People certainly perceive Sabrina as jumping from relationship to relationship. Whenever an attractive guy enters her orbit, everyone views that as possible tension for whatever she currently has. That was the case when Nick first arrived when she was dating Harvey. And now, it became the perception when Caliban arrived as she's been dating Nick. Sabrina doesn't see any kind of romantic future with Caliban. However, he proposes marriage here in order for them to rule over Hell together. That may be a diplomatic way to calm tensions that have been brewing in that realm. Sabrina is even willing to consider it with some certain conditions. But again, she is in a vulnerable state because she and Nick have just broken up. They are continually flung together as well. Zelda sees them as a strong union she can rely on to protect the coven no matter what. Meanwhile, Prudence offers Sabrina a spell that will take all of these painful emotions away from her. Sabrina may view that in the moment as a blessing. It will allow her to get over this heartbreak and ensure that no one else gets hurt because of her unresolved feelings. However, she is not the only person in these relationships. This episode makes it perfectly clear that Harvey still has feelings for Sabrina as well. That's awkward because the show has been so committed to Harvey and Roz as a couple for awhile now. But this revelation comes while Roz has been turned to stone and can no longer be an active participant in the story. And yet, Sabrina still thinks it's a good idea to write down all the boys whom she could have unresolved feelings about when she casts that final spell. She doesn't want to hurt people. Trying to eliminate this pain through this deception though probably won't be healthy in the long run. She is a teenager. As such, she should be able to make mistakes. However, the fate of the world also depends on her actions. Her family is under attack. It's more than just the coven as well. It's personal now. Hilda is transforming into a terrifying spider because of a pagan curse. That absolutely destroys her life. She wants to embrace simplicity and love with Dr. C for as long as she can knowing that this curse can't be reversed. And yet, it also awakens a blood lust that makes it seem like the only reasonable option is for Zelda to kill her after she does the most heinous action of killing her fiancé. It's actually devastating in the moment as well. Sure, Zelda has killed her sister plenty of times. But she has long had the confidence to do so because she could always be revived. She has that same certainty here with the belief that action will cure her of this curse. Zelda just may not be around to see it herself. When she opens the door expecting to see her lovely and loyal sister once more, instead it is Ms. Wardwell who believes that witches are responsible for every misfortune that has happened to her. She shoots Zelda in the chest. It's a cool and evocative moment to see Zelda turn around still smoking a cigarette before collapsing to the ground. It's a somewhat rushed plot development because the show has been uncertain about how to include Wardwell in the story this season. But it also shows that humans can be just as dangerous as the various supernatural threats in this world. She lives in a world she doesn't understand. That confusion makes it easy for the Dark Lord to come in and manipulate her. He wants vengeance and to rule once more. As such, he will bring harm to whomever stands in his way of achieving that goal. These characters may have their doubts and fears about each other. However, they have to rally together against these common enemies even though that means they barely have the time to actually acknowledge their feelings or how distant some of these relationships have gotten as of late. Sabrina and Harvey don't spend much alone time together. It's only then that they realize some feelings may still linger even though they must work together to save Roz. They succeed in the end too. It just comes from a position of strength that showcases the unity of these witches coming together in this time of need. That is a powerful message. But again, the story is overwhelmingly stating that this situation grows more dire with each passing day even when Sabrina and her allies pull off some minor victories.
