The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Plays on Centuries Old Tropes

Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the new Netflix show that serves as a reboot of the popular 90's show about a teenage witch and her family, has a lot of redeeming qualities. It has a fair amount of racial diversity, doesn't play on stereotypes about women and men, and shows a host of queer characters, including one main character who is transgender.

The show, according to some critics, plays on some racist tropes, undermining the strong feminist, quirky yet dark, campy feel of the show. First off, the show often seems to compare the 'oppression' of witches (who, for the most part, are all white, wealthy, and heterosexual) to racism that actually occurred in American history. Part of the show's lore is a story about thirteen witches being hung from a large tree in the woods, eerily similar to lynchings that occurred all throughout the 1900's. These witches were hunted and killed simply for being witches, again very similar to the struggles people of color have faced throughout history.

It might have been one thing if racism were addressed in the show, but it's not. Its as though race isn't an issue in the small, rural North American town (Greendale) where the show takes place. The show has fairly good representation and diversity but all-in-all lacks a critical lens that could have made it a far better show.