When Does Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Take Place?

When you first tune in to Netflix’s new series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, you might be briefly confused by the timeline. Although the characters act and talk like they’re in the same noir-esque present day as the show’s sister series, Riverdale, the aesthetic is decidedly retro. So what exactly is the deal with Sabrina‘s setting? Here’s what we know so far.

Sabrina is set in approximately the modern day. The characters make contemporary references, and in the real world at least, it reads like a creepy, neo-noir, stylized version of our own world, much like Riverdale does. In fact, although there are no plans to cross over the two shows right now, Sabrina’s hometown of Greendale has been mentioned on Riverdale already, and the creators have not ruled out the possibility of Archie and friends meeting Sabrina, just like in the comics. It’s worth noting, though, that the comic-book series that served as the show’s source material is set in the 1960s. Like many shows with a magical component, there’s “our” world and there’s the “magical” world, and that’s where the show’s era (or its style, at least) gets a little murkier.

A big part of Sabrina’s story is her attendance at the Academy of Unseen Arts. Think Hogwarts, but seriously dark and twisted. In this world, like in Harry Potter’s magical world, ancient rituals and formalities are more the order of the day than smartphones and Instagram. Although they’re still in the modern world, they aren’t in an environment that has fully embraced modern “mortal” technology. Because of this, Sabrina inhabits a world half-modern, half-ancient — seems fitting for a girl torn between the mortal and magical worlds.