Whenever I watch a television show I am always on the lookout for the devil. There is always one character who is obviously the devil, it’s just a matter of whether or not the show is willing to admit that character is the devil. Ross Geller? The devil. Jim Halpert? The devil (before you argue re-watch the last couple seasons of The Office). JR Ewing? The devil. Johnny on The OC? The devil. Bill Skarsgard on Castle Rock? OBVIOUSLY THE DEVIL. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a show steeped in Satanism, so the devil is definitely about, and even better, this is a show that will actually admit one of their characters is the devil. We see a goat guy hanging out in the mines and looming around Sabrina in the woods, but the question is where is the devil the rest of the time? Answer: It’s Nick Scratch, Sabrina’s cute classmate at the Academy of Unseen Arts. Nicholas Scratch is absolutely the devil, and here are five reasons why.
His name is Nicholas Scratch
As in, “Old Scratch”, as in “the devil”. He is named after the devil’s jazziest nickname, because of course the devil is going to pick a cool name for his time on earth.
He is inordinately interested in Sabrina
As a half-witch and the daughter of the school’s previous headmaster, Sabrina is something of a curiosity. It tracks that her new classmates would at least be interested to meet her. But Nick Scratch gloms onto Sabrina right away, partly to fuel an inevitable love triangle representing the very fight for Sabrina’s soul, but also in part because the devil has plans for Sabrina, and there is no way the Dark Lord left all those plans up to Mrs. Wardwell alone.
Nick has a lot of leeway
The Weird Sisters only leave the Academy of the Unseen Arts when summoned by Sabrina, or are given leave to prepare to be devoured in the annual cannibal feast. Otherwise, it seems like a pretty locked-down place. Except Nick just kind of goes wherever he wants. No one needs to summon him and he doesn’t need to be the main course at dinner in order to wander off and visit Sabrina or stop the Weird Sisters from interfering in her plans. He just kind of pops up whenever it’s convenient for him. You know, like the devil.
He stops the Weird Sisters
When Sabrina’s attempted resurrection fails, Prudence and the Weird Sisters go to kill Tom Kinkle and save Agatha. Except Nick appears—CONVENIENTLY—and stops them (by nailing their feet to the ground, gross). He says it’s because he knows Sabrina is handling it and he doesn’t want them to interrupt her, which of course he doesn’t. The whole botched resurrection drives Harvey and Sabrina apart, pushing her toward witch society. Her path to signing the devil’s book starts with this mistake, and Nick is there to make sure no one stops the end result: Harvey killing his brother and breaking up with Sabrina. That ensures Sabrina is left alone and heartbroken, just right for the devil to sidle up and get her signature.
HIS NAME IS NICK SCRATCH
SCRATCH. LIKE “OLD SCRATCH”. LIKE THE DEVIL.
Lainey PS: is this guy cosplaying Keanu Reeves?
