The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina gave fans the rare opportunity to enjoy a beloved character that fans of the witchy and wicked grew up with in a new and exciting way. It gave us the chance to go on a grand adventure with the one and only Sabrina Spellman, played by Kiernan Shipka, leaving being the witch in Westbridge and embracing a darker story twisting around the town of Greendale.
Sabrina’s half-witch/half-human identity meant that life for her would always be somewhat of a challenge, not unlike teenagers in the mortal realm in which we all exist; she fought a battle within herself many times over. There was an ongoing tussle between who she was and who she wanted to be, what excited her, and what rules she would be willing to break for it, all the while discovering how to embrace the magical side of her being that she wasn’t expecting.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was a favorite among fans, but the series was canceled after just four seasons, leaving fans longing for more time with their favorite hybrid and dreaming of a future when the series might make a magical return. So why was Sabrina’s story in Greendale turned to dust, and can fans ever expect to see our beloved character return for the next installment we all deserve? Let’s take a look.
Will Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 5 ever happen?
In July 2020, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa announced that the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina would be canceled, with the fourth part of her story airing at the end of the year. Fans were heartbroken that her journey wouldn’t continue, and with the pandemic raging and people already dealing with quite a bit of upset, dedicated Sabrina followers were heartbroken to learn that they’d seen the last of this journey with the Spellmans.
Aguirre-Sacasa spoke with Deadline regarding the end of the series, and in his statements, appeared to dash any remaining hopes fans might have regarding a future with Sabrina in it. However, he did allow fans to imagine something pretty special in the meantime:
“One thing Netflix asked me to do, which I happily did, was to cut a scene from the last episode after we knew the show was ending because they didn’t want to give fans false hope that the story would continue. The scene was one of my favorites. I cut it because I knew what they were saying but it was a little bit like a dagger to my heart.
What plays out is that Sabrina’s aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto), who had had dealings with the voodoo god of death, Baron Samedi, shakes a bag of bones and he appears to her. He says, “I didn’t think you’d be contacting me so soon.” And Zelda says, “There’s been a terrible mistake. It seems that my niece Sabrina is dead and we need to bring her back to life.” So the cliffhanger was going to be Sabrina’s family trying to pull her back from the afterlife.”
That’s right, we would have seen more of Aunt Zelda as she discovered that her niece, Sabrina, had died, and it was not just important but necessary to bring her back to life with haste. As fans know, the scene didn’t air, and the storyline was cut short, but for some, it was better. Netflix didn’t want an audience to hold onto false hope that Sabrina would be coming back because the series was canceled, and we’ve all been fans of shows that were cut short in the past, left with open-ended conclusions that didn’t feel all that concluded at all.
The next thing we tell you might sound a bit ironic, but it’s the other side of that coin, and we have to tell you how thrilled we are that he shared it. Aguirre-Sacasa knows that Sabrina will be coming back, in some way and on some network, but for fans who couldn’t wait until the powers that be find a way to make that happen, we did get the next best thing:
“About two months ago, I reached out to [Archie Comics CEO/publisher] Jon Goldwater and told him that Sabrina is going to eventually come back. We’re going to find a way to continue with Kiernan, but in the meantime, what if we bring back the comic book?”
He went on to share that the scene he described earlier is where the comic book is set to pick up, and while it’s so exciting to learn that we’ll discover the next chapter for Sabrina in addition to seeing what happened to her loved ones in the time since she sacrificed herself to ensure their longevity.
The Occult World of Sabrina was slated to be released in 2022 but has been delayed for some time, and We Got This Covered will update you as soon as we learn more.
Why was Chilling Adventures of Sabrina canceled on Netflix?
The unfortunate cancelation of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina came alongside COVID-19, and many sources have reported that the pandemic played a large part in the series being canned. With many avenues of storytelling left for Sabrina and the residents of Greendale, there existed a space for more of a story with the characters we love so much, and fans have long since been dismayed not to have been able to continue this journey with Sabrina.
Is it entirely possible that a spell will be conjured up that allows Sabrina to return to Greendale with a reincarnation spell from her aunts and those they seek to help bring her back? Of course, you should never say never where magic is concerned, but Netflix wanted a hard separation from fans dreaming of a future, so it’s safe to say it wouldn’t happen there.
It’s also worth noting that Aguirre-Sacasa dreamt of a future where the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina crossed paths with Riverdale for an epic arc in season 5, and while both series have since drawn to a close, we are crossing our fingers that they might see the beauty in reuniting for an idea as magical as his. Of course, fans know there was an episode in Riverdale’s sixth season where Sabrina came to town, meeting Cheryl face to face… er… sort of.
You see, Sabrina was tasked with helping undo some type of magic, or curse, that befell the town of Riverdale; only wait — wasn’t Sabrina dead? The final episode of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina certainly seemed to cement the half-witch/half-mortal’s death, and while it was lovely to see her for a spell in Riverdale, fans were a bit distraught by the whole thing. Is she alive now, and are we just being robbed of her character and an incredible storyline, or is this yet another time jump that will never make sense?
Twitter had a field day with Sabrina’s addition to Riverdale, but it did bring comfort to fans who knew that Aguirre-Sacasa truly hoped for a fifth season of Sabrina with Riverdale that would have resulted in some serious magic:
“I finished editing the finale at the beginning of the pandemic and pitched a possible part five to Netflix, which would’ve produced Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and all the Riverdale characters as witches, and there would’ve been a witch war between the witches in Greendale versus all of these witches and warlocks in Riverdale. Netflix was excited about that idea, but due to the pandemic, it didn’t feel possible.”
Ross Lynch, who played Sabrina’s beau turned close confidant, Harvey, shared that before the pandemic, there would have likely been at least ten additional episodes set to air, and while it appears that Netflix didn’t see the value in continuing the series, it doesn’t cement its future forever.
As we all know, witches have a way of finding their way to right where they need to be.
