If you think the prospect of a special Christmas episode from a show with characters who regularly invoke the name of Satan is a strange fit, then note the full title of this stand-alone instalment of the magical series.
While the residents of Greendale celebrate the (human) holidays, the Spellmans mark the Winter solstice with their own traditions, which include lighting a yule log to protect their house from unwanted evil spirits active at this time of year. Good luck with that!
But when Sabrina (Shipka), whose mortal inner circle now all know she’s a witch, wants to hold a seance on the down-low to contact her mother (Annette Reilly) to discover why she is stuck in limbo, it starts off a chain of events that endangers the whole family, including the baby that Zelda (Otto) is looking after/hiding.
Working on two levels – as a self-contained story, that also sees one of Sabrina’s friends in danger, and as a way of moving the show’s larger plot forward – A Midwinter’s Tale contains all the chills and giggles that have made Sabrina one of Netflix’s biggest new hits of 2018.
Shipka continues to shine as the now newly white-haired Sabrina, and although she doesn’t face the consequences of signing the Dark Lord’s book at the conclusion of Season 1 in this episode, there are hints about the dangers in store for her when Season 2 drops. (On Netflix on Fri., Dec. 14) 4 stars
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