Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hocus Pocus 2.
The big appeal of Hocus Pocus 2 for Disney lovers is naturally the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as those 1990s witchy icons, the Sanderson sisters. But the brand-new streaming sequel also introduces a lot of fresh characters into the town of Salem, Massachusetts in order to give the story some new avenues to explore. And one of the most important new characters is Gilbert.
As played by Veep and Ted Lasso star Sam Richardson, Gilbert is the latest owner of the old Sanderson home, which he’s transformed into a tourist trap and magic shop. The quirky store-clerk is introduced as a friend to protagonists Becka (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and an amateur in the occult himself, gifting Becka a Black Flame Candle for her 16th birthday.
However, as the plot draws on, it becomes clear that the misguided Gilbert has ulterior motives for giving Becka the candle, with his surprising backstory linking directly into the events of the 1993 movie.
How do Gilbert’s origins connect to ’93’s Hocus Pocus?
When Becka and Izzy light the Candle in the woods, they discover it’s actually the real deal and they’re inadvertently responsible for bringing the Sandersons back from the dead once more. This was in fact Gilbert’s plan all along, as he reveals he has been obsessed with the witches since glimpsing them as a child, back when they were last revived, on the night of Halloween 1993.
Gilbert explains that ’93 was “not a great year” for him, with that night in particular being a bad time as all his candy was stolen by “a bunch of boys,” which is no doubt a reference to the “candy tax” enforced by OG bullies Jay and Ice in the film. In flashbacks, though, we see the young Gilbert (Jaylin Pryor) transfixed when he spots the Sandersons flying through the sky.
“I saw you,” he recalls. “I chased you all the way to the cemetery. But I was too late.” The flashbacks reveal that Gilbert was actually watching Hocus Pocus‘ big finale from the sidelines, witnessing how Max, Dani, and Allison successfully defeated the trio, much to the town of Salem’s benefit, but to Gilbert’s disappointment.
From then on, Gilbert became obsessed with the Sandersons and determined to find a way to bring them back, aided in his efforts by Winifred’s Book, which he recovered from their old home that same night. Eventually, Book showed him how to make a new Black Flame Candle (which, considering it’s made from the fate of a hanged man… ew).
Ultimately, however, Gilbert regrets unleashing the unpredictable, child-eating witches on the town and makes amends for his actions by aiding the girls in stopping them. Gilbert wasn’t actually in the original Hocus Pocus, but thanks to the retcons of this second film, he earns a place as a semi-legacy character.
Hocus Pocus 2 is streaming now on Disney Plus.
