Theo Putnam/Part 1

Editor's Note: During Part 1, Theo was known (and credited) as Susie, and was still figuring out their gender identity before starting their transition in Part 2. This article reflects that.

High School is a Living Hell

Susie panics as she sees the football players

After seeing Night of the Living Dead at the Paramount, Susie and her friends Roz, Harvey and Sabrina are heading to the exit where Susie panics at the sight of Billy Marlin, Carl Tapper, Ed Dursley, and Seth Grinwis in the crowd. Sabrina notes that something is wrong but get immeately distracted as they bump into Ms. Wardwell, one of their teachers at Baxter High. Sabrina invites her to join them to talk about the film at their favorite bookstore, but Ms. Wardwell politely refuses.

At Cerberus Books, Susie, Sabrina, Harvey, and Roz continue their discussion of Night of the Living Dead. Harvey thinks it was just an old horror movie, but Roz and Susie argue that the film was about both zombies and the Cold War, expanding on the collapse of the nuclear family represented by the zombie girl eating her family. However, Sabrina points out that maybe Harvey missed all the details for the film analysis because he was too scared to watch the gory scenes.

Susie's crying in the locker room

The following day, Susie is crying in the locker room with a busted lip when she reveals to Sabrina that some of the guys from the football team beat her up and lifted up her shirt to see if she had breasts. Susie, however, refuses to tell Sabrina the names of the players.

In the school's cafeteria, Sabrina and Roz inform Susie about their plans to form a club and the three of them being preparations. Susie hopes that they aren’t going through all this trouble just for her. Sabrina and Roz explain that the club is long overdue as 53% of Baxter High is female. So now, they all have a legitimate sisterhood backing them up. The name of the group is WICCA — Woman’s Intersectional Cultural and Creative Association. Sabrina is then called into Ms. Wardwell’s office.

Susie is beaten up

Billy, Carl, Ed, and Seth continue to harass Susie after she catches them tearing down WICCA posters. When one of them refers to her as a dyke, she attacks but is quickly punched to the ground. Sabrina arrives with Harvey to find Roz and Susie just outside the school. Susie had been suspended and Roz is supposed to be taking her home. Sabrina wants to report the four boys to the police and press charges, however, it was Susie who started the fight. With that, Sabrina is forced to take matters into her own hands, but she needs Susie to give her the names of the football players.

Susie at the Halloween party

That evening, Susie goes to Roz's Halloween party. Susie is dressed up as Eddie Munster and is in the kitchen when Sabrina and Harvey arrive. Sabrina is worried about her friend, but Susie replies that she is much better and is ready for a rematch. Afterward, they sing Happy Birthday to Sabrina and then head outside to watch the eclipse.

The next day at school, Susie, Roz, Sabrina, and the other girls attend the first proper meeting of WICCA. Ms. Wardwell also attends because she's the school advisor for the group. The meeting is abruptly stopped before even starting due to Sabrina being summoned in Principal Hawthorne's office.

Banned Books at Baxter High

Susie agrees to help Roz

In the school corridor, Roz informs Sabrina, Harvey, and Susie of the latest problem at Baxter High; she went to get The Bluest Eye by African-American Nobel and Pulitzer prizes winner author Toni Morrison approved for class only for Mr. Garland to reject it as her book had been deemed problematic. Susie wants to take the fight to Principal Hawthorne with WICCAʼs help. And so, the three young ladies confront Principal Hawthorne, who claims that they don’t ban books at Baxter High. However, the book Roz proposed has graphic passages. Certain topics and titles have no place at the school.

Investigating the banned books

Having been shut down by Hawthorne, Susie, Sabrina, and Roz head to the library to investigate. They believe that Principal Hawthorne is lying about not banning books. They confront the librarian, Ms. Curtis, with their suspicion as they can’t seem to find any of the supposedly controversial books that should be in the library. Ms. Curtis reveals that a few years ago, there was a "soft purge of bad books."

Susie and Roz are handing out lists of all the books that have been removed from Baxter High to the students. Meanwhile, Ms. Wardwell informs Sabrina and Harvey that WICCA is making their voices heard. Principal Hawthorne arrives on the scene to inform them that he called the PTA and the school board about The Bluest Eye. They are reviewing the matter and will come back to him with their thoughts.

Finding out Roz's illness

The next day, Susie and Roz inform Sabrina of the upcoming town hall meeting where they could present their case to the PTA. Unfortunately, it is scheduled for three months later. Roz breaks down and reveals that there is something deeper at the root of her mission. She has myopic atrophy. In about three months, maybe less, she will be completely and totally blind. She counted how many books she could read in that time and that’s why every single one is important.

Later, Sabrina brings Roz to the library, where Ms. Wardwell, Susie, and the other girls of WICCA wait to read The Bluest Eye. Sponsored by WICCA, the ladies have arranged a secret book club, which they hoped Roz would lead.

Girls Night with Uncle Jesse

Horror movie night

Susie, Sabrina, Roz, and Harvey are at Cerberus Books discussing movies. Susie tells them that her dad is going out of town for the weekend at the farm expo. Roz suggests that they have a girls' night as she has no desire to lead her parents' church group. Susie is hesitant. Roz tries to get Sabrina to back her up. However, Sabrina lies to her friends and tells them that she too is going to the expo with her Aunt Hilda. So that evening at Putnam house, she and Roz are watching Carnival of Souls. Suddenly, a bell rings from somewhere upstairs and Susie explains that it's her sick uncle calling because he needs something. They both go upstairs to check on him. Horrified, Roz asks what happened to him. Susie tells her that her Uncle Jesse saw something in the mines and that's why he's sick. Susie asks if Roz will stay with her for the rest of the weekend and Roz says she will.

Horrified by Uncle Jesse

The next day, Harvey goes over to Susie's with Roz. Harvey asks Susie why she didn't talk about her uncle, to which Susie replies that her father forbade her from mentioning it and because Harvey's father owns the mines that made him sick. Harvey goes up to talk to Jesse as he wants to know what he saw. Harvey’s been in the mines too and wonders if they encountered the same creature. Jesse, who is in a catatonic-like condition, suddenly jumps up and says to Harvey: "He’s going to eat your soul." He tackles Harvey onto the ground and proceeds to choke him until Susie hits him over the head with a tin can. Some time later, the three of them decide to go back upstairs to check on Uncle Jesse. They find him unconscious and restrained to the bed. He awakens and stares at them but doesn't utter a word.

Susie and Roz in Sabrina's dream

Susie appears with Roz in Sabrina’s nightmares caused by Batibat, a sleep demon. In a first nightmare, Susie and Roz are close to the lockers when Sabrina is bullied by the Weird Sisters, who are dressed as Baxter High cheerleaders instead of the old-fashioned dresses usually worn by students of the Academy of Unseen Arts.

Later, Susie is once again near Roz in another nightmare. This time Sabrina dreams of marrying Harvey, but due to her dual nature as a mortal and witch, the dream soon becomes a horrible nightmare. Susie, Roz, and other students accuse Sabrina of being a witch while Harvey tries to strangle her before imprisoning her in an iron maiden torture device.

Who Am I?

Susie is haunted by a demon

Susie is brushing her teeth when she sees Uncle Jesse. He calls her an abomination and “boy-girl.” Frightened, Susie goes to check on her uncle, who is still bound to his bed.

In the school cafeteria, Susie, Harvey, and Roz tell Sabrina about Uncle Jesse. They think he might be possessed by a demon. Sabrina tries to play it off but Roz tells them how she saw Uncle Jesse at her house in a kind of freakish, disturbing vision. Both Harvey and Susie say they experienced similar encounters, alerting Sabrina that her friends might be right to be worried.

Susie argues with her dad

Back at home, Susie overhears her dad planning to send Uncle Jesse to a mental institute where he can get the proper help that he needs. Susie objects and tells her dad that she wants to see the facility before they send him there. Susie is shaken by the possibility that Uncle Jesse is severely suffering due to his non-conforming personality and believes she's going to suffer the same treatment, locked in a mental asylum.

Uncle Jesse later dies from heart failure. Unbeknownst to her, he was killed by Ms. Wardwell. After the funeral, Susie receives a visit from Sabrina who is surprised to find Susie wearing a skirt. Sabrina tells Susie that she has never seen her wear a dress, but Susie is very distressed by the death of Uncle Jesse and what it means, questioning her own gender identity.

===Haunted by the Ghost of Dorothea

Discovering Dorothea's belongings

After Uncle Jesse's death, Susie and her father look through some old family items and find a portrait of one of their ancestors, Dorothea Putnam, along with her journal. The woman in the photo is dressed in masculine clothes and has a proud expression that greatly affects Susie. Joe knew that Susie might have been happy to learn about her, and these items they've uncovered could turn out to be useful in the history assignment Susie has been given about tracing her family roots.

Susie, Roz, and Harvey meet Sabrina's "Cousin" Prudence in the library. Susie tells them about Dorothea and how she helped a group of women escaping religious persecution in Scotland. Prudence says that they learned about Dorothea Putnam at the Academy of Unseen Arts and that she was a true ally to those women and a hero to the marrow.

Nana Ruth explains the "Cunning"

Susie goes with Roz to visit Nana Ruth. She greets Susie as a "handsome fella." Roz corrects her, but Susie doesn't mind. Ruth then informs Roz about the blindness that runs in the Walker family as well as the "Cunning." Roz asks her grandma how the Walker women get "the Cunning." Nana Ruth tells her that they were cursed by the witches in Greendale with blindness generations ago after one of their kin accused someone of being a witch. She doesn't know if the blindness brought on the Cunning or if it was something that was already there. Nana Ruth says that one thing is certain; she will go blind, but the Cunning will help her see things that will save her life.

That night, Susie dreams of Dorothea standing next to her bed before she is awakened by her father.

Susie with Tommy's helmet

Harvey and his brother, Tommy, are involved in a tragic mining accident at the Greendale Mines. The whole town rushes to help, including Susie and Roz. They set up a buffet and serve the workers. Harvey emerges from the mines and tells Sabrina that the hole to get to Tommy is too small and that he can't fit through it. Susie overhears their conversation. Guided by Dorothea, Susie slips into the mines to try to rescue Tommy. Susie emerges from within the mines. In her hand, she holds Tommy's helmet. Mr. Kinkle takes it from her. Harvey wants to keep searching, but Mr. Kinkle tells him that it's too dangerous and sends everyone home except the workers and rescue workers.

Following Tommy's funeral, Susie wakes up in the middle of the night to find Dorothea's ghost standing in her room. She tells Dorothea that she did what she asked and went into the mines. Dorothea calls Susie a "brave boy" and says that Putnams have always been brave since the township was founded. Dorothea asks how it felt. Susie says it felt scary but really good as well. Dorothea tells her that it's only the beginning.

Susie is in her room talking to Dorothea about the past of Greendale and how actual witches used to live there. When her dad knocks on the door, he asks who she's talking to, but Susie replies she's talking to no one.

Susie is harassed by Billy and Carl

At Cerberus Books, Susie tries to steal Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf, a novel about a character transitioning through genders across centuries. She is, however, confronted by Billy and Carl, who continue their routine harassments. Hilda intervenes and reveals that she knows everything about Billy, including the terrible incident that happened to him at summer camp and how none of the counselors believed him. Nor did his father or mother, who washed his mouth out with detergent until he stopped talking. She then turns her attention to Carl, who she reveals is in love with Billy. With their deepest secrets exposed, the two boys flee. She tries to talk to Susie afterward but she rushes out as well.

Back at home, Susie talks to Dorothea about her latest encounter with Billy and Carl at the bookstore. She mentions how Hilda Spellman saved her. Dorothea asks if the Spellmans are still witches, leading Susie to questing what her best friend Sabrina has been hiding from her.

Susie and Roz talk about witches

Susie and Roz meet up at Cerberus Books to discuss Nana Ruth and the Cunning. Roz recalls how her grandmother told her that witches cursed the Walker women and that's how they developed a sixth sense. Roz tells Susie that she thinks that the curse and the witches are all true. Furthermore, she thinks that Sabrina may be a witch. Susie replies that she thinks all the Spellmans are witches. They questions what being a witch means and if Sabrina could be dangerous.

Roz and Susie confront Sabrina

At Baxter High, Susie and Roz confront Sabrina in the bathrooms. They want to know the truth; if Sabrina is truly a witch. Sabrina denies it at first but Roz tells her that the Cunning showed her a vision. Sabrina finally admits to being a witch and breaks down. She tells them everything about the Academy of Unseen Arts and Tommy's resurrection. They hug her and she apologizes for lying to them.

That night, Dorothea wakes Susie from her sleep. Susie goes to her window and sees the thirteen witches. Dorothea informs Susie that the Greendale Thirteen have returned to land of the living. They were hung to death many years ago by witch hunters, and Dorothea buried them on the farm after cutting them down from the trees as they had been abandoned by their own kind. The Greendale Thirteen are wrathful and have come for vengeance. Susie asks how they can stop them but Dorothea has disappeared.

Susie sends a ghost away

All the mortals of Greendale have gathered at Baxter High as a tornado approaches. When Roz fails to show up, Susie goes looking for her. Susie finds Roz with her Nana Ruth, who doesn't want to leave her home, forcing Roz to stay as well because she doesn't want to leave her grandmother behind. They reveal to Susie that what's coming isn't a storm, rather the Greendale Thirteen and their Crimson Avenger. Susie begs Roz to leave, but when she refuses, Susie decides to stay with her. Before long, the witching hour comes upon them and the Greendale Thirteen attack. Roz sees a figure walk past the window. One of the Thirteen forces Ruth's door open. Susie takes the lead and explains that she is Dorothea's descendant, who gave them passage across the ocean when no one else would and who cut them down after they were hanged. Susie states that the Walkers are her friends, and the witch leaves.

When all the horror is over, Greendale goes back to its daily life. At Baxter High, Susie, Harvey, and Roz sit in the library. They wonder if they're still Sabrina's friends and how they can cope with the supernatural world.

A Christmas' Terror

Young Susie and Sabrina with Santa

Years ago during the week of Christmas, a younger Sabrina Spellman and Susie Putnam are lining up at the local mall in Greendale to pose for photos with the mall Santa, Mr. Bartel. Susie's dad chats with Sabrina's aunt about the disappearance of local children. Mr. Bartel poses for photos with Susie and Sabrina. Susie wishes for a truck while Sabrina wishes that she could see her mother.

Susie as Jingles

Present day, Susie and Roz meet with Sabrina, who enlists in their help with a séance. However, both Susie and Roz feel uncomfortable and have other commitments. Roz is having her cousins over while Susie is working full-time until Christmas Eve as the mall elf Jingles. Susie describes Mr. Bartel, who is playing Santa, as the Grinch.

Susie is attacked by Mr. Bartel

Later, Roz meets Susie at the mall and tells her that she looks amazing as Jingles. Mr. Bartel then tells Susie that her break is over. So Susie gets back to introducing the children to Santa. Later that night, Mr. Bartel thanks Susie for her work. Susie takes an interest in Mr. Bartel's wax structures of children, which appears to be alive. Mr. Bartel tells Susie that usually he has to go out and find the children but is happy that this year the child came to him. He then covers her head with a sack.

Mr. Bartel is a demon!

Susie awakes in Mr. Bartel's lair and finds herself chained to a table. She screams in terror as she sees his true appearance. The demon tells Susie that the wax is almost ready. He goes on to say that she will make a splendid addition to his collection. Before he can gloat, the Yule Lads enters his workshop, startling him. Gryla soon joins them and confronts Bartel for his crimes. She pins Bartel by stabbing his hand with a knife while the Yule Lads laugh. Gryla frees Susie and asks her if she is alone in the world. Susie responds that she has a father. Gryla allows her to leave while she punishes Bartel.

Outside in the snow, Susie finds Sabrina and her aunts, Zelda and Hilda, outside. Sabrina embraces Susie. To avoid startling Susie's dad, Hilda has baked some enchanted shortbread cookies that will convince Mr. Putnam that the past twelve hours were a dream.