CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA: (S1E11) “A Midwinter’s Tale”: Christmas Is The Perfect Time For Ghost Stories

Christmas has come early for fans of the hit Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. With a surprise announcement following the release of Season 1, yuletide cheer came to Greendale – though not without devilish entanglements.

What was at times a roller-coaster ride of a first season, this extra episode maintained the spirit and strength that the initial season had ended on, furthering hopes of a solid second installment. “A Midwinter’s Tale” was a solid episode, packed with holiday cheer, ill-willed entities, and potential demonic tragedies. To date, this is my favorite episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

“A Mother for Christmas”

Do you remember this old TV movie, A Mom For Christmas? The story of a girl who longs so much for a mother, her Christmas wish transforms a department store mannequin into a maternal figure? Well, there is something to be said for the longing of a parent during this stifling holiday season – many times influencing discussions we may have otherwise thought better of.

Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) falls victim to this eternal and overwhelming longing, deciding the night of the Winter Solstice is the best evening to conduct a Séance to try and contact her mother, as this is when the vale between the dead and the living is at its thinnest. And with her mother’s spirit lingering in purgatory, Sabrina fears she may have unfinished business. While it may seem an opportune time, her magical advantages never seem to work in Sabrina’s favor.

Asking for the Book of the Dead, Sabrina reveals her plans to Ms. Wardwell (Michelle Gomez) – whose loyalties to the Dark Lord are in question as she finds herself without a mission or purpose in Greendale. Hearing of Sabrina’s plans, she knows she must stop the séance, the success of which could allow Sabrina’s mother to reveal long lost secrets – who knows what she will tell Sabrina. If this does not build further intrigue for the coming of season two, nothing will. There are conspiracies afoot.

As Sabrina, aided by the weird sisters, dives deeper into her séance, she is momentarily reunited with her mother, though as Ms. Wardwell has put out the Yule log used to protect the house (which needs to stay lit until the solstice is over), her mother is not the only spirit to find its way into the Spellman household. In an instant, the joyous moment of family is ripped away and replaced with haunting apparitions that seem intent on bringing harm to each member of the household.

What I found to be most successful with this storyline was the ability of the writers to broaden the world of Greendale – and its dark natures – without convoluting past and potential future. It can be disputed that knowing where the show was going, this last minute add-on episode could have been an easy one to construct, yet knowing the future may have also presented unusual limitations within the writing. Yet, the flawless execution speaks a breadth of information and potential to come.

And if one is to commend the worldbuilding, one too must give a nod to the writers for the further depth that was brought to Sabrina, creatively creating a further complexity that feels right going into season two. Battling her decision to put her name in the Dark Lord’s book and revealing her true nature to her friends, we were given a glimpse into the Sabrina of season two and the current emotional state we can expect to find her in.

Demons and Christmas and evil… oh my!

In the first season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there was an episode involving a dream festering demon (Batty Bat), whose presence and episode structure screamed a vibrant call back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “A Midwinter’s Tale” continued with this trend, its holiday demon and its mission of encapsulating the perfect child in wax for a magical winter display radiating that Buffy vibe many of us know and love.

This nostalgic callback of sorts is what makes this episode so strong, and relateable. It pulls you in with the gingersnap and peppermint-laced feelings of old, wrapping you in nostalgic warmth. Its structure also gives the episode the perfect one segment encapsulation – bringing with it a satisfying conclusion that brilliantly appears to tie into the coming season two, yet staying within the restraints of a one episode installment.

While the Spellman’s are battling the nuisances that lurk unseen throughout their mortuary, Sabrina’s friends, specifically Susie (Lachlan Watson), find themselves in a bit of a holiday pickle. Having wanted to be Jingles the Elf since she was a child, Susie gets the chance to live her childish fantasy – though not without the realization of the true nature behind the town’s traditional Santa – aka Mr. Bartell.

Staying to help Mr. Bartell clean the store and prepare for the next day holiday visitations, she finds that his beautifully constructed Christmas village and its characters are not as simplistic as they seem. Putting together Rosalind’s (Jaz Sinclair) “cunning” feeling and terrifying winking from one holiday caricature in particular, Susie realizes a moment too late that Mr. Bartell is a demon who has been preserving children in wax for years – the children who have mysteriously gone missing for years.

This is where the feeling of Buffy the Vampire Slayer rang the loudest. The demon was very Buffy-esque and the tight-knit resolve that came at the episode’s conclusion screamed of old episode installments from the 1990s. There were some hokey moments that I have to admit to, yet it was a brilliant sidestep from Sabrina’s story, maintaining screentime for those that would typically surround her. It will be interesting to see if the conclusion at the end of this storyline will in fact have any resounding affects when season 2 begins.

A surprisingly compact and successful addition

The most depressing moment of the episode is sadly right at the end, when Harvey (Riss Lynch) rejects Sabrina’s humble attempts to at least reconcile a friendship between them. Sorry Harvey and Sabrina shippers, it looks as though these two destined lovers have many more obstacles ahead of them to conquer before they can hopefully be reunited.

All that aside, this episode was launched with execution and precision, setting the bar high for the series’ return. The writers and stars seem to be settling in nicely to their new world of magic and mayhem, and I cannot wait to see what they have brewing for season 2.

What are your thoughts on the Sabrina holiday special?