I feel like “Sabrina” hasn’t known what to do with Richard Coyle forever—if not longer—but when his latest Eldritch Terror shows up and tells him he’s not a worthy vessel and they want Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka), it doesn’t really make up for him being spare parts, but it is a fairly awesome moment. Really fun.

The latest Eldritch Terror is the Weird, which is the squid-like one, straight out of Lovecraft.

It arrives at the same time a new boy (Ben Ahlers) shows up at Baxter High and teams with Shipka for science class. They’re going to be dissecting… a squid, which doesn’t go as planned, and leads to Shipka finding out the Weird’s already among them.

While Shipka and Chance Perdomo are trying to get that threat sorted out, Michelle Gomez (playing her Hell character) has to hide in Miranda Otto’s witch academy because prince of Hell Sam Corlett wants to have her killed so she can’t have her baby. It’s pretty intense sequence when he’s instructing her minions; real danger, real sympathy for Gomez. Much like Coyle at this point, Gomez is just around, even when she gets more to do, but unlike Coyle, she’s had a great character arc and her appearances now are welcome even if they’re a little too slight.

The Gomez storyline also brings Jaz Sinclair to the witch academy—she’s seen the Hellish collaborators thanks to her mind powers—where Sinclair gets her own subplot (been a while) with Tati Gabrielle and Skye P. Marshall. It’s fun to see Sinclair with cast members other than Ross Lynch, particularly Gabrielle. There’s a lot of wry humor to them. And the subplot’s got a good finish.

The A plot—Shipka and Perdomo trying to deal with the Weird—brings in some other characters, mostly Gavin Leatherwood, but also some uniquely talented witches. It even involves singing, which works out. It’s a very good A plot.

Actually, overall, this episode’s probably the best of the season so far. Even if the subplot about Shipka growing a new boyfriend in the bathtub—more questionable advice from Lucy Davis—is filler. Plus, given how much better potential beau Ahlers plays with Shipka than any of the other ones this season… it’s too bad he doesn’t get more to do.