STARRING: KIERNAN SHIPKA, LUCY DAVIS, CHANCE PERDOMO, MIRANDA OTTO | EPISODE REVIEWED: 1.11 | WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX

Christmas is usually the time to be merry, spend time with family and loved ones, watching TV or playing board games. However, in Sabrina Spellman’s case, the fight against a horde of evil spirits and a revelation about her families past come to the forefront of this recent episode.

In the Christmas special of the popular Netflix revival of the classic property, we follow Sabrina, the half witch and half mortal teenage, cousin Ambrose, and aunts Hilda and Zelda, as they prepare for a long winter solstice. Danger is afoot, as outside meddlings cause the Spellman house to become vulnerable to evil and mischievous spirits. While happening parallel to the main plot, Sabrina’s friends are having to deal with a change in circumstances (caused by the end of the main 10-episode series that debuted earlier in the year) as well as a new threat that lurks in the shadows.

A Midwinter’s Tale retains a lot of the qualities of the main series, being dark and more mature than the 1996 Nickelodeon TV series, whilst also still being able to provide moments of comedy. This is chiefly conveyed through the brilliant and encapsulating performances from most of the cast, with standouts being Kiernan Shipka’s Sabrina, Lucy Davies’ Hilda and Miranda Otto’s Zelda. While this can be viewed entirely on its own, it’s highly recommended that you first watch the full series prior, as there are revelations here that will be huge spoilers. And this is the episode’s best quality – though marketed as a standalone alongside a slew of other Netflix specials, it’s very much a straight continuation of the series, in a natural way that doesn’t tack on the concept of a holiday special to take advantage of the additional number of people who spend the month of December re-visiting Christmas-themed content. This certainly feels like an essential chapter in Sabrina’s continuing adventures and can be enjoyed any time of the year, with most of the plot being focused on the winter solstice for the witches, rather than the mortal Christmas.

Excellently presented with an engaging and somewhat touching story at its centre, A Midwinter’s Tale is a beautifully dark and well-crafted episode of an already great series, slotting itself nicely between the end of the first season and the forthcoming second.