'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' Part 3 Is 'Less About the Romance' Versus Teen 'Finding Herself,' Kiernan Shipka Says

There are few risks Sabrina Spellman isn't willing to take in the name of love. On the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the teen witch literally died and rose again to save her coven, used magic to ease her mortal friends' hardships and signed her name in the Dark Lord's book to protect the people of Greendale from the Red Angel of Death.

So no one was really surprised when the series' protagonist made a vow to save her boyfriend Nicholas Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood), even though it meant she'd have to actually go to hell and rescue him from Madame Satan (Michelle Gomez).

CAOS returns to Netflix with part 3 of Season 2 on Friday, and just as the white-haired witch was last seen knocking on the doors of hell in the previous installment of the series, she'll be making her grand entrance in the underworld when the show returns. However, there's more on her agenda than just saving her beloved.

"The theme of this season is much less about the romance than a lot of people might think or expect," Kiernan Shipka, CAOS' leading lady, told Newsweek in an interview. "It's really about Sabrina finding herself. This season is so much more about Sabrina coming into her own as a person."

Although saving Nick marks the beginning of Sabrina's Part 3 journey, there's an even bigger—more powerful—challenge looming ahead, and that will require her to direct her energy more internally. "We've really only met her and known her in relationships," Shipka said.

"Pretty soon after Harvey, she bounced over to Nick—can't blame her—but [we'll] see Sabrina just try to figure out who she is on her own just as her own person," she continued. "I think that's the theme of the season in a lot of ways."

The reduced emphasis on Sabrina's romantic relationships makes her navigation through the underworld all the more enjoyable to watch, especially when she finds herself competing for the title of Queen of Hell.

Madame Satan took to the throne after the witches conspired against Lucifer (Luke Combs) earlier in Season 2 in an effort stop him from making Sabrina his child-bride. When their plan to imprison him in a demon-trapping device failed, Nick sacrificed himself and offered his own body to indefinitely contain Lucifer, which meant he'd have to go with Madame Satan to hell to prevent the former King of Hell from ever returning to the mortal realm.

If Sabrina's going to free Nick from the inferno, then she'll have to face Madame Satan, among other new contenders vying for the throne. "She probably is way over her head, and that's why I love her so much," Shipka said.

Fans shouldn't worry too much over the impact Sabrina's change in direction will have on Nick. He'll be too busy battling his own new demons as Madame Satan's captive, all while Lucifer himself sinks deeper into his soul. "As you might expect, having the devil inside you and being dragged to hell with Madame Satan—it's definitely going to take its toll on him," Leatherwood told Newsweek.

He added: "He gets quite lost in the darkness."

Between Sabrina's efforts to become Queen of Hell and Nick's internal struggles, there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for love on CAOS anyway. Although Leatherwood insisted the pair's feelings for each other hadn't quite faltered, despite the circumstances.

"There's love there. Deep down it's the first love Nick has ever known, and there's something special about that."

New episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will release on Netflix on Friday at 12 a.m. PT.