Sabrina Spellman has never been one to suffer fools. The witchy tale of a magical teen — depicted as a wholesome, safe-for-broadcast spellcaster portrayed by Melissa Joan Hart in the late 90s and early aughts — has gotten a decidedly darker update in its Netflix iteration. Death and deviance dominate this playfully spooky new take on the witches of Greendale, giving us a reason to divinate a few hours to watching this glossy new tale. After finishing Season 1, we’re dying to dig into the show’s already-announced Season 2, and flit more fully down the Path of Night.
Sure, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has its roots in the ham-fisted world of children’s stories (the original Archie Comics iteration is more in-line with the ABC version of the show), and some of that cornballery permeates this adaptation, but this version is based on the 2014 comic run of the same name, created by the series showrunner (and Riverdale EP) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. As with Riverdale, the tone here is decidedly dark and full of spooky unknowns. But where Aguirre-Sacasa’s CW show may have to zig to skirt the limits of broadcast television, Sabrina is allowed to fully zag without worrying about the censors or concerned parental groups who may be verklempt over Aunts Hilda (Lucy Davis) and Zelda (Miranda Otto) frequently exclaiming “hail Satan!”
Source: IGN.com Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is Riverdale's Twisted Cousin