Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was able to end with dignity

NBC News

The Riverdale spinoff that ended last week was "yet another Netflix experiment that never quite took off," says Ani Bundel. "Though Sabrina's arrived in 2018 to a lot of fanfare, Netflix has never boasted about its ratings. And, as the second half of Season 2 rolls in this New Year’s Eve, it’s clear the show is running out of gas. The good news is its final episodes also include some of the series’ best moments, with an ending that frankly should leave fans relieved that the show was able to conclude with dignity. Netflix’s acquisition of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (henceforth CAOS) was trumpeted as a triumph for streaming in 2017. It was originally developed for The CW, where parent show Riverdale, a dark and gritty Archie Comics reboot, remains a massive hit. But Netflix lured CAOS away from the network by promising executive producer Greg Berlanti and showrunner/writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa two seasons sight unseen. In the end, CAOS actually lost episodes, as The CW’s seasons run 22 episodes, while Netflix’s season orders have slow reduced in number, giving the show 36 episodes in all. But considering that Riverdale’s other spinoff, Katy Keene, stayed with The CW and was canceled after 13 installments, Netflix was still likely the safer bet. Still, the biggest boon in moving to Netflix was the budget, which not only gives the show a chance to do far more theatrical-level horror (and serious costume work) but also stage full musical numbers. Part 4 features multiple weddings, both on Earth and in Hell, a full-on battle of the bands, and lots of CGI, including some well-edited scenes where Sabrina and her double team up to solve crises." ALSO: CAOS finally became the show it should always have been, only to throw away even that promise on a truly baffling finale.