The first part of Netflix ’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ended with Sabrina Spellman ( Kiernan Shipka)signing her namein the Book of the Beast , signifyingmajor modification for the teenage witch . But she ’s not the only type who ’s date change in their life . In an consultation with io9 , Lachlan Watson talks about Theo ’s journeying in Part 2 of Sabrina , and the character they dally in form his “ beautiful ” coming - out chronicle .
io9 had the chance to visit the set of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina last year before Jehovah Roberto Aguirre - Sacasa ’s horror serial debut its first 11 - installment season ( also known as Part 1 ) . But the cast and gang were already busy working on the second stretch of episode , which debut last Friday on Netflix . On the day we natter , the role player were filming theValentine ’s Dancescene at a local high schoolhouse . One classroom was adorn out like an embarrassingly stark sex activity teaching course of instruction , while the gym was filled with reddened - ting lights , pink balloon , and a gaggle of teenaged extras in tea - length wearing apparel and somewhat baggy suit of clothes .
One theatrical role digest out from the crew . It was Theo , decked out in a black suit and tie , his head newly shave . He was let out his new face and hair , and even divvy up a moment with schoolhouse bully Billy Marlin , who apologized for how he ’s treated Theo . You see , this was the episode when Theo come out to his father as a trans man ( he had already shared his name with Harvey and Rosalind , in the episode where he made the boy hoops team ) . This was an important episode for Theo — and Watson too .
Lachlan Watson as Theo in the Valentine’s Dance episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.Photo: Diyah Pera (Netflix)
“ It ’s been one of my favored episodes so far , ” they say . “ I lecture to Roberto at length [ about Theo ’s coming - out ] and we built it together — which was really amazing , because I have a passel of thought process and those thoughts are a small too much for a mountain of people . It was so amazing that he opened his ears and just let it arrive in , and allow me talk to him and allow it be a conversation . That ’s why I hold the theatrical role : conversation . To bulge a conversation and to have a conversation , because that ’s what the public is missing right now . ”
For Watson , the journey to come out as Theo — named after the character ’s ancestor , Dorothea — started well before the coming - out episode . In fact , it ’s been in the body of work since before they filmed the first episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina . Watson , who name as non - binary , told io9 how they had originally been spew as a trans Isle of Man . Aguirre - Sacasa later changed things up , alternatively wanting to have Theo ’s coming - out be part of the character ’s spark . But , he asked first :
I got cast as a quality that no longer live . I got cast as a character advert Orlando , and then Orlando just shoot down on the cutting room level and switched into this totally different person … Roberto call me and was like , “ Actually , do you mind being a woman for a hour ? ”
Theo makes the boys basketball team on the first episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 2.Photo: Diyah Pera (Netflix)
Which I appreciated , because for awhile — when I personally identified as a trans man — acting was tough , because I would get tiptop dysphoric and weird and uncomfortable if someone would be like , “ Hey , do you desire to play this distaff theatrical role ? ” I ’d be like , “ Female ? Me ? No ! ” Which was kind of ludicrous , but it was the reception I think I should have . It was really nice for him to be like , “ Hey , I was actually thinking of taking the character in this commission . Is that okay with you ? ”
From that moment on , Watson said they focused on “ building subtlety ” into their performance , as Theo explore his gender identity over the course of the first time of year , into his come - out narrative in the second : “ I was building subtlety . I was build hints and winks , and [ suggest that ] , ‘ Hey , this character may not be all you see , or all you cerebrate they are . ’ ” These admit consequence as big as Theo attacking Billy in the hallway during the first sequence of the serial publication , or as small as how he lingered over the copy of Virginia Woolf ’s Orlando , after he had been enamor test to steal it .
This was supported in other constituent on the show ; particularlythe set design , as production designer Lisa Soper deal how she filled Theo ’s bedroom with bugs , butterfly , and other creatures that undergo metamorphosis , to lay out Theo ’s mentality . Watson also continued to work with Aguirre - Sacasa and Sabrina ’s writers through Theo ’s coming out , sharing melodic theme on how to map Theo ’s thoughts and feelings during his changeover . They said they really take account how open and collaborative the process was . peculiarly give howmore shows — like Supergirl , which castNicole Mainesas TV ’s first trans superhero , and the ever - amazingSteven Universe — are working to portray issues of gender identity , to varying levels of success orfailure .
Theo makes the boys basketball team on the first episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 2.Photo: Diyah Pera (Netflix)
“ A lot of shows that I ’ve been on have tackled these really tricky matter , but have take on them with writers that do n’t always see , ” Watson say . “ You ’ve got a room full of true white human being who are trying to pen a trans character , and that does n’t always bring out — peculiarly when they do n’t open their eyes , or open their ears to the people that they ’ve worked so heavily to cast . That ’s what ’s been really beautiful about this show . ”
Now that Theo is out , it ’s unclear what ’s in store for him in the future . By the end of the season , he ’s joined Sabrina , Harvey , and Rosalind on an important missionary station . And it ’s a practiced affair , as he ’s really unspoiled with a scattergun . As for Watson , they just bed getting to explore Theo ’s journeying . For them , as someone who ’s spent time exploring their own grammatical gender personal identity , Theo was n’t just a fictitious character :
I spent a whole season like that , just look and building and think and hinting and just act things out . And so now , for it all to come into light in season two has been really , really beautiful … It ’s been all our hard employment , realized .
For Susie to start this journey as a new person — and to take that journey again with them , in the headspace I am in now — has been really interesting . Just constantly mean about identity , and thinking about how we present ourselves . How we live our living . How so much of it is costume . And to realize that again — with another person , with a case — has been captivating .
part 1 and 2 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are currently usable on Netflix .
For more , check that you ’re survey us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom .
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