'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' Part 4: Why 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' is still the better witch's tale
Spoilers for 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch'
If you grew up watching the 1996 series 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch', Netflix's 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' (CAOS) Part 4 may have not sat quite well with you. Yes, the star of the witch's tale Sabrina Spellman (and Sabrina Morningstar) dies and ends up in the Sweet Hereafter forever.
While that is heartbreaking, we couldn't be more sure that 1996 still remains the best Sabrina story of all time — may be the need for dark forces wasn't necessary if it was to end in the demise of one of the comic's favorite characters.
Part 4 of 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' does see Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea reprise their roles as Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda, which of course was a wonderful Easter egg for fans of the original series, but nevertheless, the Netflix series fell short of delivering a finale that we thought Sabrina as a character deserved.
It's safe to say that 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' is part of the '90s and will always be held dear to many hearts, but we have to give it credit for the fact that if it hadn't been for the original series, there would be no road paved for 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'.
While Part 1 and Part 2 of 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' showed promise that the addition of dark forces would help the storyline, Part 3 and Part 4 simply made us miss the hilarity that and fun-loving episodes that 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' offered.
Also, let's not forget that while Salem Saberhagen the black cat was a huge part of both series, the fact that he wasn't a talking cat in CAOS was disappointing. Salem was and still will be one of the most memorable characters in Sabrina's story and definitely wasn't given the spotlight he deserved in CAOS.
CAOS followed the gothic trend till the very end of it's run, but 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' was a lot more relatable to many watching. Of course, in the 1996 series, Sabrina was a half-witch, half-mortal just like in CAOS, but she had the same growing pains as any other teenage mortal would. The Sabrina in CAOS on the other hand had a higher purpose, especially in Part 4 where she had to defeat the Eldritch terrors and sacrifice her life so the masses can live — was it worth it?
We really don't think so. 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' didn't take itself so seriously and definitely didn't kill off its main character, it will always bring nostalgia to the witch's tale most of us grew up watching. While CAOS is a good watch, it kind of deviates too much away from the fun-loving witch many were accustomed to, and with Part 4 killing her off altogether, the Netflix series lost our respect.
As cliche as it may sound the original series survived on the idea that it managed to leave behind a sprinkle of magic. It wasn't dark, it wasn't gothic, there weren't murders or the devil's wrath, it was absolutely what magic was seemingly looked to be back in the '90s. CAOS although absolutely excellent in its representation and inclusivity, made the idea of magic fearful, which we don't think is Sabrina's story as a witch at all.
Either way, if we had to choose to watch a tale about Sabrina, 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' is hands down still the better witch's tale told. 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' Part 4 is now available to stream on Netflix.