Netflix closed out 2020 with the premiere of the fourth and final batch of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina episodes, but the streamer has now issued an apology regarding the show that has nothing to do with fans who were disappointed that it ended. The official Twitter account for the show posted a tweet that went viral for some unfortunate reasons: a seeming reference to "Bloody Sunday."
The official Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Twitter account caused a stir on Sunday, January 10 with a tweet showing behind-the-scenes images of stars Kiernan Shipka, Gavin Leatherwood, Lucy Davis, and Miranda Otto covered in fake blood with the caption "sunday bloody sunday." While it seems that the tweet was intended to work as a play on words for the fake blood photos posted on a Sunday, some on social media took issue with the implications of "bloody sunday."
"Bloody Sunday" is known as the date of a massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland back in 1972 when British soldiers fired on civilians during a protest, killing 14 and injuring many more. Fans responded negatively to Netflix's tweet on social media, resulting in the tweet being taken down and Netflix issuing an apology, saying via Deadline:
Our tweet was unacceptable and has since been removed. We are very sorry for the hurt and distress it caused.
A big question is what led to the tweet with that phrasing being posted in the first place and whether whoever posted had any idea of the connotation of using "Bloody Sunday" in the behind-the-scenes Chilling Adventures of Sabrina context. Since the tweet wasn't just "Bloody Sunday," it's possible that the post was meant more as an uninformed nod to the U2 song called "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The song is reasonably well-known, especially the chorus that is just "Sunday Bloody Sunday" repeating, but the actual meaning of the song might not be common knowledge to the casual listener, so the tweet might have been a play on a known song title without taking the song's message into account.
Some on social media reportedly also raised the point that a character on the British sitcom I'm Alan Partridge also used "Bloody Sunday Sunday" incorrectly, but that show (which ran from 1997-2002 on BBC) had other characters clear the air that the phrase is actually about the Derry massacre. Netflix also offers a show set during later years of "The Troubles" of Northen Ireland that included the Bloody Sunday massacre.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina account didn't repost the images with a different caption, although it has remained surprisingly active considering the final batch of episodes released weeks ago. Considering the pace at which Netflix releases its original series, a lot happens on the streamer in just a few weeks. The show also ended on a seemingly definitive note for at least some characters, but there are still some spinoff possibilities worth considering for fun. The tragic but romantic end of the story definitely brought the show to a memorable end.
You can find the full run of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina streaming on Netflix now, and our 2021 Netflix premiere guide can reveal the other shows and movies that are on the way this year.
