The second part of the "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" builds on the first part but is still dragged down by the same issues.
When Netflix announced that they would be rebooting everyone’s favourite teenage witch and basing it off a darker version of the character from the comic books, many wondered if it would actually be good or just a waste of time.
All these fears swiftly disappeared following part one’s release last year, with Netflix even dropping a Christmas special thanks to the high demand of more "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina".
However, having filmed both seasons back to back, there is very little room for fixing some of the problems in the first season. One of the biggest problems still is with regards to world-building in "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina".
There's still no explanation as to why Sabrina(Kiernan Shipka) is special or why she’s able to do magic above her skill level. They still haven't made it clear If white magic exists within their universe. And when it comes to most supernatural based shows their usually a balance. Along with that, there's also no clear indication of who can and can't use magic. This has been nagging me since the first season and I’m still waiting for the showrunners to provide more clarity on the magical rules in this world.
The one thing part two does really well, or at least the first five episodes I've watched, is the integration of the Sabrina's "muggle" friends.
Their stories are more interwoven into the main plot and they don’t feel like unnecessary side-quests anymore. What is really admirable is how the screenwriters have handled Susie Putnam (Lachlan Watson), now Theo, in his transition.
The way they are choosing to showcases his journey is done it a way that is both educational and entertaining. They also explore Ambrose Spellman's(Chance Perdomo) pansexuality more, but I still prefer him with his boyfriend Luke (Darren Mann).
Sabrina is also surprisingly less annoying and her actions feel more validated compared to part one. Aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto) is still such a mood when it comes to her reads and one-liners. The writers also gave Prudence Night (Tati Gabrielle) more depth and seeing her relationship with Sabrina go from 'frenemies' to friends is a nice tonal shift.
Overall, part two builds on the positives of part one. Unfortunately, the negative aspects of the series still need to be fixed and hopefully when they head back into production they will fix most of these problems.