"Chapter Fourteen: Lupercalia" is the third episode of the second part of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and the fourteenth episode of the series overall.[1]
Synopsis[]
Love and lust sweep through Greendale as Harvey surprises Roz with a sweet gift, and Sabrina explores a romantic ritual ... and her feelings for Nick.
Plot[]
In celebration of the upcoming Lupercalia, witches' version of Valentine's Day, Sabrina, Nicholas, Ambrose, Prudence, Dorcas, and Agatha attend a party at Dorian's Gray Room. Sabrina watches as Ambrose kisses Prudence and asks if Luke would approve. Ambrose explains that Luke's out of town on a mission for Father Blackwood.
Sabrina returns home, where he aunt Zelda explains that it is a lusty, pastoral festival started by Roman witches under the reign of Caligula. It was named after the Lupercal, the cave where the twin founders of Rome Romulus and Remulus were suckled by a she-wolf. While it was once associated with fertility and health, Hilda explains that it is now associated with sex. Zelda explains that it will be a hunt organized by Father Blackwood. The festival consists of three events: the Matching, during which one is paired with a random warlock. The Courting, where the two spend the night in abstinence. And the Hunt, a run through the woods which culminates in a frenzy of orgiastic carnality. Sabrina asks if it is voluntary. Zelda says it is voluntary but encourages Sabrina to do it. Zelda claims that Lupercalia is a symphony of sensuality and pleasure, and not of shame and regret. Hilda is a bit concerned and thinks Sabrina is not ready. Sabrina understands Hilda's concerns but is keen to give it a try due to her new relationship with Nicholas Scratch. Zelda gives Sabrina a book about the festival.
Nick astral projects into Sabrina's room and tells her that there is under no pressure to participate. Regardless of her decision, he would like to join her in whatever she chooses to do. While she's willing to participate in Lupercalia, she wants it to be with someone special. A psychopomp appears in Sabrina's window, signalling that it's time for Nick to leave. Sabrina prefers to wait until the Matching, to which Nick replies to leave that to him.
At Baxter High, Lilith, who is posing as Ms. Wardwell, tears down a Valentine’s decoration. She despises Valentine’s Day. Lilith complains to Stolas about the indignity of remaining in the mortal world as a result of losing the wager with the Dark Lord. Stolas suggests poisoning the punch at the Sweetheart's Dance. Lilith agrees, seeing poisoning Sabrina’s friends as a loophole through the Dark Lord’s command not to harm Sabrina.
Rosalind thanks Harvey for making her a card. He asks her to be his date to the Sweetheart's Dance, but Roz had already made plans to go with Theo, and she invites Harvey to join them.
At the Academy, Zelda chats with Father Blackwood, who comments about her youthful appearance despite her advanced age. Father Blackwood opens the Matching ceremony. Dorcas warns Sabrina that she intends to be paired up with Nick. Two years ago, it was Prudence and the year after that it was Agatha. Dorcas believes it to be her turn. As Top Boy, Ambrose organizes the participants. Ambrose tells the witches to pair up with the closest warlock when the music stops. The witches dance with long fabric around a pole. Sabrina tries to pair up with Nick, but Dorcas pushes her out of the way. However, Nick had bribed his friend Melvin into wearing a glamour, trapping Dorcas with Melvin. Sabrina and Nick are jubilant.
Hilda stops by the book shop to speak to Dr. Cerberus. She expresses feelings for him after the moment they had, but he regrets it, wanting to keep their relationship professional.
Rosalind meets with Sabrina and tells her that she and Harvey have been hanging out and that Harvey has invited her to the Sweetheart's Dance. She wanted to check with Sabrina before agreeing to be his date. Sabrina gives Rosalind her blessings as she's seeing someone else, a warlock named Nicholas Scratch.
At the Putnam house, Theo tells his dad that he is planning to attend the Sweetheart's Dance with Harvey and Roz. His dad asks if he wants to wear a dress, but he decides to wear a suit because he feels more comfortable with himself in boy's clothes. He does not think that he is a girl at all. Joe refers to him as Susie, but Theo replies that he is not a girl even though he looks like a girl, have a girl's name, and his dad thought of him as a girl. Joe misses his daughter, but Theo replies that he feels good when people address him as a male. He adds that he can’t continue being a girl. Theo pleads with his father to call him Theo, after Dorothea. His dad reluctantly accepts his son’s request and agrees to take him to get a new haircut.
Later that night, Ambrose briefs the couples, that being himself and Prudence, Nick and Sabrina, Dorcas and Melvin, and Agatha and her date, about the Courting ceremony. He explains that they will go into the woods and disrobe and anoint themselves under the moonlight, absorbing the potency of Goddess Selene. Ambrose says abstinence is encouraged in anticipation for the powerful release that concludes Lupercalia, but he is not opposed to couples having sex. As Prudence passes out anointment baskets with items inside such oysters and figs, Father Blackwood warns the couples to stay on the path due to the dangerous creatures in the woods. The couples head into the wood. Zelda notices an extra anointment basket and Blackwood replies that it is a shame to let it go to waste; hinting at their romantic relationship.
Sabrina spends time with Nick, who admits that he is terrified about the upcoming hunt, specifically because of Sabrina's involvement. Nick says he has never dated a mortal before and doesn't want to mess things up. He and Sabrina then kiss.
Zelda and Father Blackwood spend the night together as a couple despite the terms she set that they keep their relationship professional.
Sabrina and Nick disrobe and anoint themselves, which involves running a blood dipped blade across their head and smear the blood off with the milk. They proceed to lay side-by-side; soaking up the moon. They are to remain this way until dawn. While lying together, they hear the howl of a wolf. Ambrose and Prudence hear it too, as well as Zelda and Father Blackwood. Zelda says that it is strange for there to be wolves this close to town. Sabrina and Nick grow concerned and leave.
Nick takes Sabrina home and tells her that he is interested in trying out normal Valentine's Day. He is curious about how mortals celebrate Valentine's Day. They decide to attend the Sweethearts Dance together.
Zelda finds Hilda weeping at home because Dr. Cerberus declined her advances. Zelda encourages her sister to try again. She tells Hilda to seduce him by placing a glamour on herself in order to win over Dr. Cerberus.
Lilith is visited by Mary Wardwell's fiancé, Adam Masters, who has been away for several months working for Physicians Without Frontiers. He promised her he would be back by Valentines Day. After he leaves, Lilith asks the secretary Mrs. Meeks about the identity of the man and learns that he is her fiancé.
Sabrina visits Harvey at Baxter High and tells him that she does not object to him dating Roz. Harvey says she is welcome to attend with Nick.
Lilith returns home to find that Adam has prepared dinner, repaired her sink, and repositioned her cross. She offers him a neck rub. While chatting about how they've been together for three years and how Adam's often out of town, Lilith reaches for a knitting needle, however, she halts as Adam tells her he has brought a gift, which turns out to be a fetish doll from the Shona people. The two embrace and Adam offers to help her chaperone the Sweetheart’s Dance.
As Harvey shows Theo how to tie a tie, Rosalind arrives and compliments Theo on his new haircut. Harvey is speechless at the sight of Rosalind in her dress.
Nick arrives at the Spellman Mortuary to take Sabrina to the dance. Much like them, Ambrose is also taking a break from Lupercalia; saving his juices for the hunt. Sabrina appears in a stunning red dress. Hilda interrupts after being glamoured in preparation to win over Dr. Cerberus' affection. Zelda reminds her that she is a huntress.
Hilda visits Dr. Cerberus at the bookshop and tries to seduce him. Dr. Cerberus rejects her advances, though not out of disinterest. As Hilda approaches, he transforms; his eyes turn yellow, and he grows fangs and claw, forcing Hilda to flee.
At the Sweetheart's Dance, Adam stops Lilith from spiking the punch and invites her to dance. Meanwhile, Rosalind dances with Harvey, who asks about the surprising turn of events. It's both weird and nice. Sabrina soon arrives with Nick, who remarks that the high school dance is more magical than anything they have at the Academy. The couples dance and spend time together.
Unlike his friends, Theo doesn't have a date. He is greeted at the punch table Billy Marlin, who genuinely compliments Theo for is haircut. Theo apologizes to Billy, who in turn apologizes to Theo for being so mean to him. When Theo asks why Billy is apologizing, he explains that the doctor told him that he was lucky that he did not break his neck on those stairs. He says he is tired of bad things happening to me. Theo accepts his apology.
Sabrina offers to show Nick around the school. Rosalind pulls away as Harvey tries to kiss her, explaining that she had a vision of them kissing. She tells him that she has premonitions of both the past and future.
Sabrina and Nick sneak off to make out in the library, which Nick finds to be more cozy that the Academy's library. Nick and Sabrina hear the roar of a werewolf. They run out the library and Nick casts a spell to banish the werewolf, whom he refers to as Amalia. They are joined by Lilith, who summons them to her office. Nick confides that the werewolf is his familiar. She was given to him at birth. Amalia was all he had left after his family died. Amalia kept following Nick during his early Academy days, following him everywhere he went, watching him from the shadows. And when he started dating, she got jealous to the point of obsession. So, Nick banished Amalia to the dark forests of the Mountains of Madness years ago, which is on another continent. Sabrina asks why she is back. Nick explains that he has a connection to Amalia, and that he might be able to feel his connection to Sabrina. Lilith claims that her former High Priest at the Church of Shadows once had a cougar familiar who mauled the High Priest's wife and baby to death. She claims that the familiar was rabid with jealousy. Lilith advises Nick to "put that bitch down."
Rosalind tells Harvey that she is not a witch but that she was cursed by witches. She explains that her grandma called them "Cunning Women." Roz didn't want to move forward with Harvey before telling him the truth. Harvey says that honesty is what he values most these days and says that things will be good. The two kiss. Harvey asks if their kiss was like in her vision. Roz says her visions usually lead to bad things happening but not this time.
At the cottage, Adam gives Lilith a foot rub and tells her he is home for good and intends to treat her like a goddess. Stolas does not like Adam, but she tells him to ignore the raven. Meanwhile, the werewolf Dr Cerberus stalks the night.
The following day, Nick sets out to kill Amalia. Sabrina asks if Nick wants her to come for the hunt. Nick insists on doing it alone. Sabrina casts a charm over him as he walks into the forest, which is shrouded in mist.
Father Blackwood summons Zelda for a meeting, telling her that he wants to formalize their relationship. Unlike Constance, Zelda assures Faustus that she would see him realize his ambitions as High Priest, as she did for her brother Edward Spellman when he was High Priest. Father Blackwood reveals that it was her brother who rebuked him when he asked Zelda for her hand in marriage. Father Blackwood claims that the Dark Lord has ordained their relationship and presents her with two turtle-dove hearts; a proposal of marriage. Zelda says she will consider his proposal and respond.
An apologetic Dr. Cerberus visits Hilda to tell her that he stumbled upon an occult tome some years ago, which had a spell for conjuring a demon. He conjured the demon, never thinking it would work, but it did and the demon is still inside him. He is possessed by an incubus, which occurs when his passions are inflamed. This is why he can’t be near Hilda. She excites him too much. Cerberus tells Hilda that he loves her, but deems himself unworthy of her love since he is a monster. Hilda tells Cerberus that she has to tell him something about herself.
Nick emerges from the fog filled forest with Amalia's bleeding heart. A grieving Nicholas reveals that he has killed his familiar Amalia. She was insane with jealously and would've done anything to keep them apart. He says that he did not want Amalia to get in the way of their relationship. He invites Sabrina to spend time with him on the last night of Lupercalia. He instructs her to meet up with him at the mossy stump when the Hunt begins so that they can spend the night alone. Sabrina accepts.
Zelda tells Hilda that Father Blackwood has proposed to her. Zelda confides that she does not love Faustus but respects him. She tells him that she is going to accept his proposal for power, not power. Zelda intends to restore the family’s name and seek her own glory in the process. Hilda tells Zelda that Dr. Cerberus an incubus; a sex demon. Zelda proposes chaining him with Damascus steel in order to tame the sex demon.
Agatha tells Prudence about her plans to have sex with Melvin, whom she believes to be a virgin. Dorcas reveals that she already had sex with Melvin during the night of the Courting. Prudence tells the Weird Sisters to prepare for the hunt. Sabrina says she is coming, but has to gather her berries of phylaxis. However, in actuality, Sabrina stays behind to astral projects to Rosalind to tell her about her plans to have sex with Nick on the final night of Lupercalia. Roz confides that she lost her virginity to a boy named Jordan Bixby at Bible camp. Roz admits that she was really scared but that she liked him. Sabrina expresses her love for Nick. Roz asks if Sabrina trusts him and reassures her friend that she will know when she is ready. Sabrina promises to call her tomorrow before disappearing as a single psychopomp arrives.
Ambrose briefs the witches and warlocks about the Hunt. Nick, Melvin, and the other warlocks stand in a group to Ambrose's left, dressed as wolves, while Sabrina, Prudence, Agatha, Dorcas, and the remaining witches, dressed in red hoods, stand to his right. As part of the Hunt, the witches chase the warlocks through the woods. Nick is intercepted by Dorcas, who wants to have sex with him.
At the Kinkle house, Rosalind and Harvey spend the night kissing until Roz reminds him that the reason she came over was to see his artwork. Harvey sent some of his work to an Art school in Rhode Island. Tommy made him do it. They want him to meet some of the faculty members there for some kind of program or apprenticeship. Roz suddenly goes blind and tells Harvey that she can't see anything.
Sabrina is unable to find Nick and instead discovers a chained Amalia. Sabrina tries to reassure Amalia that she is no threat to her and that she understands what she feels for Nick. Amalia calms down. Nick arrives and begs Amalia not to hurt Sabrina, as he loves her, which seems to anger the beast. Nick tries to banish Amalia, but she attacks him. While distracted,. Sabrina stabs Amalia several times, killing her. Sabrina asks Nick why he did not kill Amalia. Nick explains that Amalia was the only member of his family left after his parents died. Amalia kept him alive, treated him like her own cub. So, he chained her in a cave and killed another wolf in her place. Sabrina reassures Nick that his love for Amalia is not a weakness but a virtue. The two embrace each other and mourn the death of Amalia.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- Lupercalia was an ancient Roman annual festival held in mid February against evil spirits and to bring fertility.
- This is the last episode where Rosalind wears her glasses.
- Nick mentions the Mountains of Madness, which take their name from H. P. Lovecraft's 1936 short story.