It's off to the academy for Sabrina, and back home Ambrose tries to circumvent his house arrest while Susie's ill uncle gives the others a scare.
While arguing about the meaning of the story Metamorphosis, Roz begs Susie to have a girl's night with her that weekend, otherwise she has to help her parents at church.
Sabrina reveals she'll be gone for the weekend helping her aunts sell honey, but that she'll cope with the lack of Harvey with his necklace. That night, we learn she's really going to the Academy of Unseen Arts, and shares her stress with Ambrose. Assuring her it'll be an adventure, he reminds of attractive warlocks, but her goal is to summon, bind, and banish the Dark Lord. The next day, Zelda rolls her eyes as Hilda gives Sabrina protection charms, and mocks her sister for suggesting Sabrina take Salem, reminding her of the bullying she received for taking her spider familiars with her. Though Zelda assures Sabrina the school is a great place for debate and philosophy, Sabrina snidely brings up how she and Edward agreed easily on signing her name. Hilda breaks the tension by offering to drive Sabrina, but Zelda reminds her of her excommunication. She angrily resolves to at least give Sabrina a hug before she goes. While following train tracks, Sabrina comes across a polite boy, Quentin, holding a sign with her name at Gehenna Station. Inside, he reveals the intricate geometry used for the school: every room is a perfect pentagon, and they're supposedly infinite. After observing a Satanic statue, she goes to Blackwood's office, where he welcomes her and assures the reason for their rocky past was how badly they wanted her there. Sabrina is quickly displeased with her schedule, asking about conjuring, binding, and demonology; he says she must fulfill general requirements first, like choir. Blackwood leads her there and introduces her to his wife, who obviously dislikes her, but everyone is shocked when she perfectly sight-reads their music for placement. At lunch she meets fellow student Nicholas Scratch, who reveals her knows her father by reputation, as he's reading the warlock's journals from the Sanctum. This advanced library is heavily guarded, and librarian Cassius brings books out one-by-one, not allowing them to even take notes, as the texts are considered dangerous. She reminds him of her father's controversies, pointing out it was more than just marrying Diana; he had radical thoughts that Nick finds genius. After mentioning Edward's conjuring skills, Nick reveals he studies this and other ritual magic, and even necromancy. He is irritated when the Weird Sisters arrive to sit. Prudence asks how Sabrina is liking the school and taunts her about Harvey, warning Nick that she might tease him as well, and they fling insults at one another. Sabrina and Nick then leave, with Prudence assuring her they'll see her later.
In Greendale, a bell interrupts the girls' movie; Susie says her sick Uncle Jesse rings it when in need, so they go upstairs. We hear ragged breathing, and the girls run in fear.
Susie explains he got sick working in the mines, going crazy after claiming he saw a monster. Normally sedated, he's been more active since the eclipse, and no longer sure she can handle him, Susie asks Roz to stay with her. At the school, Sabrina wakes to see Quentin; he warns her she'll be killed on the spot if she shows "them" fear, then finds herself in strange room. The Weird Sisters enter and Prudence reveals it's the Witch's Cell. She says Sabrina must undergo the "Harrowing" tradition, experiencing what the Greendale 13 did. when they were starved in the cells. They taunt that a Spellman should be able to handle the haunting visions, and lock her in. Hearing noises, Sabrina screams when she is grabbed, alerting Salem. The sisters are pleased the next day when Sabrina appears crazy, but despite bags under her eyes, she shrugs it off and reveals Salem easily got in to comfort her. She calls Harvey, who doesn't understand why she hates the "expo" so much, but is happy to know just hearing his voice is able to help her. Sabrina returns to her room but notices Salem and her pajamas are gone; they aren't in the Weird Sisters' things, and their prodding causes her to shove Prudence. Blackwood ends the fight, holding Salem in a kennel and demanding Sabrina come to his office, where he explains to her and Zelda that familiars aren't allowed at the school, so Salem must go home, and asks if Sabrina is happy. Zelda intervenes, but is curious about her schedule complaints; she takes her niece's side when she learns of her simple classes. He claims it wouldn't be safe for anyone if she took conjuring before they knew she was ready, so Zelda suggests they test her. Relenting, Blackwood retrieves and "Acheron Configuration" arcane puzzle; he says it's a variation and tests mental and actual dexterity. If Sabrina solves it, she can take conjuring; he says she won't go mad trying like some, as she's not weak-willed. Sabrina steps out so they can talk on a personal matter, and he reveals his wife Constance has miscarried twice, so he wants Zelda to be her midwife. Though she hasn't delivered a baby in years, he points out she's never lost one, and she agrees.
Sabrina is surprised to see Nick outside; he brings up the fight and he reveals he once dated all three sister. Their mind control left him wondering what was real.
He notices the Acheron, so she explains the deal, and is surprised when he laughs and explains it is her father's design and Blackwood hasn't solved in in 20 years of trying. Nick compares its colors and designs to a kaleidoscope; they're addictive but it's harder to solve the longer you look. He claims she can't do it, and though she thinks it must be in Edward's journals, Nick says he's never seen anything explicit about it. Reminding him she's a Spellman, she asks to get into the Sanctum; he's sure they'd be expelled, but she says she'd be forced to stay longer. Asked if that'd be bad, she leaves. Back in Greendale, Roz visits Harvey to ask about Jesse. He thought the man had moved, and learning Jesse claims to have seen a monster in the mines unnerves him. Meanwhile, Luke asks Ambrose out, so Ambrose asks Hilda to help him astral project to a coffee shop. Though he'd be happy even without touch, she deems it too risky, so he points out she could protect him and Zelda does it all the time. She warns only the dead travel the astral plane and vicious "psychopomps" would find and think he's dead, then drag him to the hereafter or tell the Dweller in the Abyss. Ambrose swears to leave if he sees a psychopomp, but she still refuses, and they laugh when she brings up the threat of Zelda, who arrives just then. Hilda is confused why she's going to Blackwood's for supper with a medical bag, and Zelda turns things into another snarky comment about Hilda's excommunication, which causes Hilda to agree to the astral projection. Prudence reveals to Blackwood she caught Wardwell's familiar in the shower; he says he'll handle it and Wardwell steps out as she goes. She says watching Sabrina is her job, but he notes the academy is his, suggesting she go after Sabrina's loved ones. She does so, pulling away Hilda's attention as Ambrose's soul makes it to the shop, and she snoops after Hilda tells her to look at their catalog and returns to Ambrose. Luke arrives and Ambrose dances around his house arrest, but both he and Hilda notice the birdlike psychopomps watching him. He brings up Connor, but Luke returns the focus to them, and gets him to reveal he tried to blow up the Vatican. Wardwell sneaks to Sabrina's room and steals hair and fabrics like clothes, then draws a circle on the girl's mirror with saliva. Zelda arrives, and while suspicious, allows Wardwell to leave, then is enraged to learn of the astral projection, chewing out Hilda and the weakened Ambrose. Sabrina's aunts become concerned when she reveals her harrowing's magnitude and a dark secret she's uncovered, and Harvey has a terrifying encounter with Uncle Jesse.
I found this episode a lot more intriguing than the previous one, I believe partially because it focused more on magic and less on Sabrina's friends.
The school itself is interesting, and I like how it is fully designed to be dark and follow Satan, with pentagon-shaped rooms, a Satanic statue, and even the station's name, Gehenna, apparently being a reference to a supposedly cursed valley. I've seen the school be called the anti-Hogwarts, and I can definitely agree, especially because she gets there through a train station. Quentin got my attention from the start, as I felt there was more to him than he initially seemed, and later parts of the episode confirmed this suspicion. The Acheron puzzle is cool as well, especially because I'm a fan of puzzles, and Blackwood's obvious interest in it suggested to me he wants something from it. The fact it's Edward's was a nice twist for Sabrina and further made me think it holds something Blackwood desires, and it's lucky for Sabrina she met Nick. She does of course get access to a journal later, and at this point I honestly rolled my eyes, because she finds a rather obvious clue. Her harrowing was an obvious, but well-done metaphor for hazing in college, and while Sabrina's strength was good to see, I felt horrible as the trials continued. Thanks to the harrowing and Sabrina's discovery, however, we see different sides to the aunts than we've gotten before, including surprising warmth from Zelda. Ambrose diving more into magic this episode was great and added some tension, as the threat of the "psychopomps" lingers the whole time he astral projects. You see him struggling from the start of the date, and it gets worse with time as the psychopomps gather, and you have to wonder if getting back will be difficult. Despite me often disliking parts with Sabrina's friends, this time they had me hooked, thanks to the mystery of Uncle Jesse, though the name brought John Stamos to mind. Not showing him at first is a good way to make things tense as you wonder what he could possibly look like to scare Roz and Susie so badly. The reveal that he saw something in the mines is a perfect way to bring in Harvey since his dad owns them and he had his own experience, and is leading the trio more toward the world Sabrina is keeping secret from them. With Sabrina now at the school and dealing with more magic, she's getting closer to unlocking her past's secrets, especially now that she has the Acheron.
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