Warning! This article contains spoilers for Hocus Pocus 2.The spellbinding return of a millennial-favorite witch coven just exploded onto Disney+ in Hocus Pocus 2, offering another delightful, campy romp that attempts to tie up some loose ends from the iconic original. The Hocus Pocus sequel has proposed a solution to a mystery that has surrounded the original since its 1993 release: namely, how did no one outside the main cast witness the havoc wrought by the witches? A new character for Hocus Pocus 2, Gilbert, has seemingly presented the answer.
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Hocus Pocus 2 depicts the return of the Sanderson Sisters, original Salem witches who return from the dead for one night. The witches must consume the souls of children to restore their vitality before sunrise. The first time the witches returned, in 1993's Hocus Pocus, the trio terrorized the young protagonists, Max, Dani, and Allison, aided by some characters returning in Hocus Pocus 2. Despite interacting with several ancillary characters throughout the original, seemingly none of them noticed the chaos that unfolded, or at least paid it little attention.
In 2022, a magic shop has been built within the Sanderson Sisters' ancestral home, run by Gilbert (Sam Richardson). Gilbert asserts that "some swear they saw three figures fly across the moon" back on Halloween night in 1993. The Salem residents present seemingly scoff at the proposition, implying the threat is not one feared by the wider population. The most iconic scene from the original Hocus Pocus is undoubtedly when the Sandersons perform "I Put A Spell On You," with lyrics interspersed with a magical chant – the same so masterfully weaved into "One Way Or Another" in the sequel. Max – who, like Dani and Allison, does not appear in Hocus Pocus 2 – notes that every Salem adult is in attendance, and falls under the surreptitious spell which holds them hostage at the party, forced to dance until they die. A post-credits sequence reveals when these adults are freed from the spell, they depart with no memory of these events. While this covers the adults, the children of Salem, however, were left unaffected and even lured later by the enchanting song of the witches.
Why Gilbert Wanted To Bring Back The Sanderson Sisters In Hocus Pocus 2?
It is later revealed that it was Gilbert who saw the sisters flying across the night sky on their assorted broomstick substitutes. Returning from an evening of trick or treating, Gilbert explains that his candy was stolen by "a couple of bullies." These are undoubtedly Jay and Ice, the bullies from the original Hocus Pocus who are seen stealing children's candy. The duo make an attempt to steal Dani's candy before Max intervenes and gives them his. Despondent over a disappointing end to Halloween, Gilbert is gifted this spooky thrill particularly apt for a young resident of Salem, the American home of witchcraft. This ostensibly triggers an obsession with the Sanderson Sisters and the occult, instilling a fixation on securing the witches' return. Gilbert considers the Sanderson Sisters "ahead of their time" and "misunderstood," suggesting an affinity between the witches and the misunderstood, bullied young man who gazed upon the flying silhouettes 29 years previous. One can only assume that any attempt by Gilbert to inform an adult would have been met by the same guffaws he experiences in 2022, not to mention the ineffectual and seemingly oblivious parenting style of Salem's 1993 adult population, only compounding the feeling of being misunderstood and ensuring allegiance to the infernal trio.
Evidently, some residents of Salem did observe the Sanderson Sisters during the events of Hocus Pocus. Despite the adult population being bewitched, the children were not. Gilbert further explains how he observed the witches' demise in the graveyard in 1993, suggesting others may have also, fueling the speculation for a third installment to the Halloween classic. Hocus Pocus 2 is available to stream now on Disney+.