The Netflix original horror series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina knows where its roots sprouted from. Before there was terrifying gore and smiling devils there was just Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Releasing a clip from its upcoming fourth and final season, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina features the Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda from the original series in full sitcom mode, via Entertainment Weekly.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch was an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1996-2003. Millions of viewers tuned in each week to see what problem sixteen-year-old Sabrina Spellman would have to solve with the help from her black cat, Salem. Raised by her Aunts who also happened to be witches, they provide life lessons in unusual and quirky ways. The series starred Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey) in the titular role, and Beth Broderick (Sharp Objects) and Caroline Rhea (Caroline & Friends) portrayed Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda respectively.
Now, almost twenty years after the final episode aired, Broderick and Rhea are back as the kooky aunts in an exclusive clip released on Friday from season four of the Netflix series. In it, they have inexplicably transported into the world of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and as they greet this Sabrina, now played by Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, The Blackcoats’ Daughter), she’s bewitched with confusion. All of a sudden there are strangers posing as her aunts, a laugh track somewhere far off plays, and Father Blackwood has become the director of her life coming out of the darkness yelling “cut!”
Dusting off their broomsticks, watch the beguiling clip below featuring the original Aunts taking Sabrina for a spin:
How did Sabrina’s life become a walking sitcom nightmare, and where did her real Aunts go? The series creator, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale) seems to have some ideas. In a cryptic tweet, he sprinkled in hints as to what caused this strange parallel universe. He winks at The Eldritch Terrors, an evil entity threatening to bring on the apocalypse. The Eldritch Terrors were teased at the end of season three, and will be responsible for most of the mayhem in season four, as revealed in its trailer. See Aguirre-Sacasa’s full tweet below:
The updated Chilling Adventures of Sabrina takes out the comedy of the original series and replaces it with fear. Everything is more dark and sinister, but the Aunts are still responsible for contributing sarcasm and laughter. Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings) portrays the cynically charismatic Aunt Zelda, and Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead) portrays the comic relief, Aunt Hilda. They have become fan favorites just as the Aunts did on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
In another tweet posted on Friday, Aguirre-Sacasa praised Broderick and Rhea as they revived their roles in his twisted adaptation. See his nostalgic tweet commemorating the Aunts appearance in the final season below:
The ode to the original Aunts bring shades of sentimentality to the final season about witches, misfits, and demons. Cast, crew, and fans were heartbroken to find out that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was cancelled, and that its fourth season would be its last. But it’s clear that the series hasn’t forgotten where it came from, and that where it’s going on this final season will be just as deliciously evil and wild.
See the trailer for the final season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina below: