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I have always loved witches.
But it has been far too long since a witch tapped into such terrain with aplomb on television.
But Prudence warns that the Dark Lord would be terrified of Sabrina or any other woman having both.
Hes a man, isnt he?
Prudence responds with her trademark drollery.
But its Sabrinas life as a witch that provides the series its most verdant terrain.
(And yes, Salem appears in the show, buthe doesnt talk.
Rather, hes a goblin taking the form of a watchful black cat.)
Against that backdrop, one of the great strengths ofChilling Adventuresis also the most surprising: its structure.
Even the best Netflix series is besieged by poor formatting.
Episode five is a particular standout, in which a sleep demon plagues the Spellmans in their own nightmares.
Everything from the great design of the demon (which looks CGI free!)
to the plotting reveals thatChilling Adventuresis indebted to the cult charms ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer.
Its also within the folds of this fifth episode that the shows relationship with magic gains new dimension.
InChilling Adventures, magic always has a price.
Visually,Chilling Adventuresis brimming with a richness that bests many fledgling series.
Of course, none of these darkly spun pleasures would work if it werent for the shows deft characterization.
Shipka plays Sabrina as a precocious young woman dedicated to maintaining her autonomy.
Shes plucky, forthright, and kind.
It also helps that Sabrina is a bit outshined by Ambrose, Zelda, Hilda, and Madame Satan.
Zelda and Hilda have one of the most tangled sister relationships Ive seen in pop culture in a while.
By far my favorite, though, is Gomezs Miss Wardwell.
To put it mildly, she is that bitch.
As I watched the early episodes, I was also worried about the shows black female characters.
(Lady Blackwood, played by Alvina August, is more a unit than anything else.)
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