Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Chapter Twenty-Four: “The Hare Moon”
Directed by Viet Nguyen
Written by Donna Thorland

* For a recap & review of Chapter Twenty-Three: “Heavy is the Crown” – click here
* For a recap & review of Chapter Twenty-Five: “The Devil Within” – click here
Things between Harvey and Roz have heated up. They soon have a week to spend nights together alone with her dad out of the house. They’re preparing to take the next step in their relationship physically. An exciting time in a young person’s life. That is, if they didn’t live in Greendale where there appears to be strange tentacled things lurking. More weirdness: the snake lady from the carnival is sleeping with Harvey’s dad, creating a strange situation at home.

What’s Nick about to drop in his mouth when Sabrina astral projects into his room? She’s rocking her cheerleader outfit, telling him about a flash mob at Baxter High. She invites him to her mortal school to show off his “dark, dashing” good looks. Whatever’s in that bottle of stuff he’s chugging it instead of fucking around with a drop.
Another celebration for the witches has come: the Hare Moon. Sabrina is the “symbolic hare” of the coven and has to go through with a ceremony.
Always more strangeness— Ms. Wardwell gets a visit from little Lucy’s mom, the one Lilith freed from the freezer with Sabrina. Seems Madame Satan parading around in Mary’s skin is genuinely causing issues. Mary has no clue what the hell’s going on, though she tries to play the part. A little sketchier now that the police are coming round to speak with her.

The gang are hanging around at school talking about the snake charmer lady. Theo suggests they need to snoop at the carnival. Sabrina can’t go because she has Hare Moon duties at the Academy. She and the aunts meet Ambrose, who’s digging into the books in his duties as librarian as the school. He talks about the Pendle coven experiencing a similar issue as their coven back in 1612 after offending the Dark Lord. Zelda knows the “petulant brat” Satan is behind it all now. They confront Lucifer, locked away inside Faustus, about his spite. He’ll restore their powers if he’s set free, and obviously they’re not going to do that. This leads to the aunts discovering their niece is the new Queen of Hell. More family drama! Zelda thinks her niece has a “saviour complex” and did it all for herself. Regardless, right now they’ve got to suss it all out before the Hare Moon. Sabrina needs to find the Dark Lord’s “source of power,” claim it, and use that for their purposes. Another trip to the nether realms, along with Ambrose.
And who shows up to beat a chained up Satan? Mr. Scratch. Oh, my!

At the carnival, Roz, Theo, and Harvey look around quietly. Roz sneaks into the snake charmer’s tent to find an object belonging to the woman, to use the Cunning. The other two keep watch outside. Inside, the woman slithers out of a basket just like a reptile herself, happy to meet the “sex–obsessed seer.” Roz rushes off. This is the work of Robin, who alerted his carny friends. Afterwards, Roz is left in a state of shock. All she can say is Sabrina’s name. Harvey goes looking for her, but can only find Hilda, however, her powers aren’t working correctly anyway. No good.

Ambrose is quite pleased to take a trip to Hell, boasting that Crowley never made it himself. He and Sabrina chat with Lilith. She explains to them how Satan’s powers come from the fact he’s an angel— celestial power, which Sabrina doesn’t quite share because of her human blood. The Queen of Hell remembers Dorian and Nick trapped an angel in a Caravaggio painting last year during the attack on Greendale. If they could tap the angel’s blood it would give those who drink it celestial powers. Gray uses his bartender skills to “decant a celestial” for them. Then Sabrina catches Nick in a wild act of bisexual BDSM. (Hot.) Shittier still, Dorian drinks most of the angel blood, leaving only a vial for the coven. What a bunch of assholes!

“There’ll always be a piece of me inside you”

How will the vial help the coven?
Hilda suggests a moon bath— a ceremony witches used to perform during the Hare Moon, rubbing their bodies with oils to bathe in moonlight as a “symbolic rebirth.” If they use the angel’s blood with particular oils and rub it on themselves to bathe in the Hare Moon’s glow, the symbolic will become literal by way of occult science, allowing the coven to physically absorb the moon’s light.

The ceremony commences with the coven singing “The Song of Purple Summer (Spring Awakening)” together. Sabrina receives the rabbit, letting it free into the forest. She sees the carnies in strange masks. The carnies come to meet the witches, face to face. They’re celebrating Ostara. Hilda wants to diffuse the tension, asking them to join their festivities. Gets slightly awkward when Lilith’s mentioned. Zelda curious about the carnies now, asking questions. The snake charmer brings up uncomfortable topics with Sabrina and Nick re: his extracurricular activities lately. The carnies realise they’re dealing with Satanic witches, the witches see they’re dealing with pagan witches— and everybody’s sceptical.
Dorcas is bitten by a snake and the charmer sucks the poison out like it’s juice. The carnies are then offended when Nick chops the snake in half. Big trouble brewing. Plus, Sabrina’s trying to deal with Scratch’s PTSD. He explodes about not being in control of his body. He resents Sabrina + the mortal world. “You weren‘t worth it,” he says. He gets QUITE TOXIC, accusing her of not giving him comfort so he seeks that of “sex demons.”

Brave Harvey’s not waiting around for his witchy ex to help Roz out. He takes a rifle and heads to the carnival. He slips inside the charmer’s tent. He stumbles onto a covered statue and a bunch more standing around it. Is this what’s happening to Roz? Is it a Medusa effect? Oh, no. Is the snake charmer actually Medusa? We’ve seen the carny leader in Roz’s vision appear Pan-like. That’s exactly how Agatha sees him in the forest.
When Nick goes for another round with Satan, he’s offered the high of a lifetime.
But at what price?

The coven lies around a fire beneath the Hare Moon as Hilda starts the ritual. They all take in the moonlight and absorb its power. Simultaneously, the pagan witches conduct a ritual of their own to take away the moon. Quite the creepy moment as they all chow down on the cake sent to them, in turn literally eating the moon from the sky. Zelda knows it’s an attack. Nobody’s safe, not even back at the Academy. Outside the pagans have gathered to announce the Satanic witches have “three days” to decide whether they’ll go quietly or have their blood used to water the earth.

Sadly, Roz has already become one of Medusa’s statues. Same with Dorcas, while Agatha’s lost in a daze brought on by Pan. Zelda believes they’ll have to free Lucifer to have a chance at survival. There’ll be “Hell to pay” but the Dark Lord will destroy the pagans. This means Sabrina’s going to go have a chat with dad. She discovers Nick there in a state of overdose instead.
Maybe the best episode of Part 3 yet! Wow. Father Gore loves when the series really leans into the darkness. Sometimes it can be very campy, which is great. But when things get disturbing, they truly are dark, and that’s when the show is at its horror best.

Chapter Twenty-Five: “The Devil Within” is next.