S02.E04: Chapter Fifteen: Doctor Cerberus's House of Horror

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

Sabrina, Theo, Roz and others attempt to navigate the lines between fact, fiction and fate when a mysterious stranger sets up shop in Cerberus Books.

 

[IndyMischa]

I can't say that I liked the episode itself - "everyone has a mostly separate story, one after the other" is not my jam - but I was delighted with the casting. Witches of Eastwick Puritanical jerkface - - > tarot reading troublemaker, was awesome. 

[pootlus]

Yeah I thought the episode was pretty dull, but the casting of Veronica Cartwright was inspired.

[AnimeMania]

Is there a plot for this season or is it just boys versus girls.

Why did you kick Salem the cat to the curb?

[HollyG]

9 hours ago, pootlus said:

Yeah I thought the episode was pretty dull, but the casting of Veronica Cartwright was inspired.

I love it when VC turns up in this type of genre show. 

[GaT]

This episode reminded me of the episode they did with the demon that gave everyone nightmares. I thought that episode was boring too.

[AnimeMania]

6 hours ago, GaT said:

This episode reminded me of the episode they did with the demon that gave everyone nightmares. I thought that episode was boring too.

I am not sure if the episode had any relevance, freezing in space, stealing eyes, trying to do magic when you don't know a thing about magic. Seems like a waste of an episode.

[Blue Plastic]

I guess this episode was meant to show Lilith/Ms. Wardwell manipulating everything Sabrina and her friends do (for the billionth time), but I'm not sure why it had to be a whole episode devoted to Lilith in disguise giving tarot readings to the entire populace of Greendale.  I was confused by Theo's reading in particular, since it seemed to be admonishing him not to do something he wasn't even thinking of doing anyway.  I mean, since when was Theo thinking of stealing a magic spell or potion from the Spellmans?  After the thing with Billy (or whatever his name was) falling down the stairs, Theo seemed to feel pretty bad about having used a magic item.

[Affogato]

I was especially delighted with Harvey’s Pickman’s Model story but I liked all of them. I enjoy the references, the easter eggs  so many  

Theo’s was moving but I wasn’t sure what the moral was. 

[Mabinogia]

Is it bad that I'm 100% rooting for Lilith to get everything her dark little heart desires? I figured/hoped about a quarter of the way through that it was her doing the fortunes so that did not disappoint, but I"m a bit confused about what she was up to. Unless this was her way of figuring out their darkest fears/dreams/secrets. 

The only really interesting thing is that she didn't do Hilda's cards. I wonder why that is.

[SourK]

On 4/7/2019 at 12:15 PM, Blue Plastic said:

I I was confused by Theo's reading in particular, since it seemed to be admonishing him not to do something he wasn't even thinking of doing anyway.  I mean, since when was Theo thinking of stealing a magic spell or potion from the Spellmans?  After the thing with Billy (or whatever his name was) falling down the stairs, Theo seemed to feel pretty bad about having used a magic item.

Also, it's dicey to create a body horror story about a trans person. I understand why it seems like the opportunity is there -- it's a situation where somebody already doesn't necessarily feel comfortable in their body and may want to change things -- but, "Something awful will happen if you try to do gender confirmation surgery (or the magical equivalent of that)" isn't a super uplifting message.

The episode in general reminded me of Night Gallery, which I never cared for, but that story in particular felt weird and uncomfortable.

On 4/7/2019 at 2:24 PM, Mabinogia said:

Is it bad that I'm 100% rooting for Lilith to get everything her dark little heart desires?

No, that's only normal. She's the best one. :)

[paulvdb]

18 hours ago, SourK said:

"Something awful will happen if you try to do gender confirmation surgery (or the magical equivalent of that)" isn't a super uplifting message.

I didn't get that message. I thought the message was: "Something awful will happen if you mess with magic and don't know what you're doing." And that Theo should ask the Spellmans for help if he wanted to use magic. Just like you wouldn't perform surgery on yourself but would go to a doctor.

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I didn't get that message. I thought the message was: "Something awful will happen if you mess with magic and don't know what you're doing." And that Theo should ask the Spellmans for help if he wanted to use magic. Just like you wouldn't perform surgery on yourself but would go to a doctor.

I had thought about it before and came up with analogy, although I am not sure if it is right. It is like going on WebMD and looking up all of your symptoms (don't bother, it's always cancer) then going to a hospital to demand they perform whatever treatment was recommended. I felt Theo's problems was more from a lack of knowledge about witchcraft and spells, than about performing the spell wrong.

[tennisgurl]

I might have giggled with glee when Nick mentioned sending Prudence to the "Other Realm", the magical land from the 90s Sabrina show. I also found Nicks enthusiasm for books about stage magic to be weirdly endearing. 

So if you go to an art camp...your roommate will commute with elder gods, hang himself, and then you'll open the door to the netherworld? 

Veronica Cartwright was inspired casting for this role, so much so that I actually wished she was a new character, and not Lilith in disguise, causing trouble again.

[Zuleikha]

I thought I would love this episode because I loved the dream one, but I just didn't understand it. The only reading that had clear plot relevance was Ambrose's. Roz's was ridiculous because it introduced a conflict that had never been hinted at before and developed it in an unbelievable way.

Also, on the literal level, were the characters really just believing that a random Tarot card reading gave them visions and that was just... normal? Not something to talk about? Sabrina wouldn't immediately go to Hilda and investigate why a Tarot reader had that kind of disturbing magical ability? Theo and Roz wouldn't go to Sabrina and be all freaked out and confused?

I also wish Nick had pointed out that they Wyrd Sisters have mind control when Sabrina asked him to stay away from them because I badly want exposition on their powers and limitations. 

[Mabinogia]

2 minutes ago, Zuleikha said:

I also wish Nick had pointed out that they Wyrd Sisters have mind control when Sabrina asked him to stay away from them because I badly want exposition on their powers and limitations. 

I'm pretty sure they have plot induced mind control. It only works when the plot calls for it. The Sisters themselves have no control over it...unless the plot requires it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm usually not a fan of dream sequences or alternate realities, but I didn't mind this episode.

Ambrose gets demerits for using a subject pronoun instead of an object pronoun after a preposition ("for Luke and I") TWICE in the span of a few minutes.

I wasn't a huge fan of Luke so I'm not that upset about him ALLEGEDLY being dead (this is not my first supernatural show so until I see a dead body and it's been dismembered, burned, and the ashes scattered, I don't really believe that someone is dead). I'm sad for Ambrose because he obviously liked Luke a lot, but other than that, losing Luke wasn't a big deal. I thought all of the recent exposition about Luke being gone because he was doing something for Blackwood was just a convenient way to explain why one of the cast members wasn't around. I didn't think it would result in his ALLEGED death (heh, still skeptical).

I have mixed feelings about Sabrina asking Nick to stay away from the Weird Sisters. On the one hand, I give her credit for being straightforward with Nick and asking for exactly what she wants. On the other hand, he knew them before he ever met her so it kind of sucks for her to ask that.

At the very least, I get why she doesn't want Nick around Dorcas since she made it very clear that she would not hesitate to take him for Lupercalia, and Prudence is still very possessive of Nick. They all go to school together so he can't completely cut them out.

Re: Theo's reading - her advice to him at the end was very specific: "Don't steal. And seek help early from others that can help you reach the prize you covet." I was fine with that and didn't read anything negative into it. That's good advice in most situations for anyone. Wardwell wasn't telling Theo not to do magic again or not to transition. She was telling him not to do it in a dishonest/sneaky way on his own.

Although Theo felt bad after Billy broke his leg, Theo also learned firsthand that magic works so I think Wardwell's tarot reading was partly to warn Theo from using magic recklessly (heh, which I realize is kind of hilarious coming from someone who was going to spike the punch at the Valentine's Day dance and kill a bunch of students just to take her mind off of things, but still). Wardwell does shady shit, but she also respects magic so I can imagine she isn't crazy about a human using magic all willy nilly without any supervision.

Interesting that the only things from her readings that definitely came true were about Ambrose. I can't wait to find out why!

[Mabinogia]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

(heh, which I realize is kind of hilarious coming from someone who was going to spike the punch at the Valentine's Day dance and kill a bunch of students just to take her mind off of things, but still).

In her defense, it really would have made that dance a lot more fun. High school dances are the worst. I do think she was telling Theo that it is better to be patient and make the transition the right way than to take a short cut that could lead to consequences he is not prepared for. 

[Macktor]

Forgive me for being horrible, but the first thing I thought when Theo asked "how will I know if it worked?" was "um... you'll have a penis?"

I'll back out slowly now. Sorry.

[mjc570]

Uwatchable.  Too dark, literally.  I didn't really see the point,it did nothing to advance the plot, such as it is.  I have nothing to base this on, but I assume this type of episode is really just to give the actors a break. 

I thought the writing was just lazy.  Theo for example - likes the new body (including penis, I assume), but doesn't mind chopping off an arm - so no more basketball, for example,  which the dream showed as a source of pride. 

[Samwise979]

I actually quite liked this episode. I guess I was the only one? I took it as a one off episode that wasn't part of the main plot. I'm going to compare it to the treehouse of terror episodes on the simpsons. It was fun in a twilight zone type way. 

[theatremouse]

I feel like this episode really wanted to be an episode of the Twilight Zone, but it failed miserably at it.

[methodwriter85]

On 4/20/2019 at 11:06 PM, Macktor said:

Forgive me for being horrible, but the first thing I thought when Theo asked "how will I know if it worked?" was "um... you'll have a penis?"

I'll back out slowly now. Sorry.

I feel like the show shied away from that aspect because it's a reaaaalllly touchy subject in the trans community, and I don't think they wanted to go there.

It's so weird, though. This is a show that had people literally getting eaten and involved in orgies, but we couldn't have Theo say "I want to have a penis", and I can't help but think it's because it's a really sensitive topic.

Lachlan has stated before that they felt transitioned medically once they had their breasts removed and as far as I know does not take testosterone, and I feel like that's probably influencing the story here.

[morakot]

On 4/14/2019 at 5:11 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

until I see a dead body and it's been dismembered, burned, and the ashes scattered, I don't really believe that someone is dead

And sometimes, not even then!