Riverdale
Riverdale 100th Episode Review – The Jughead Paradox (6×05)
Riverdale went all out as it celebrated its milestone 100th episode titled “The Jughead Paradox,” which also wrapped up a pretty wild 5-episode event.
I find myself saying this a lot, but the episode was bonkers, even by Riverdale standards.
Anything goes in Riverdale, and once you learn to accept that fact, it becomes a lot easier to digest the ridiculousness that pans out on the screen.
Paradoxes, parallel universes, and comic books — oh my. They all had a hand in crafting the narrative for the finale, which found Riverdale’s fate up in the air.
The same goes for Jughead Jones, the only character to pick up on the fact that Riverdale and Rivervale were twin-versus that were headed for implosion.
Honestly, that storyline wasn’t totally insane considering we’ve seen something similar pan out on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. In the final season of the Netflix series, Sabrina and her friends navigated the parallel cosmos and saved the prime one while letting the other one fade into oblivion. CAOS also dealt with paradoxes, so again, it’s been done before.
The events of Riverdale and its pocket universe, Rivervale, seemed to mirror those plots. Turns out Riverdale isn’t much different than Greendale at the end of the day.
A mysterious corpse was found by the town’s limits that was later identified as Jughead Jones. Except that was impossible because Jughead was very much alive. However, his memory of events was skewed by flashbacks of simpler high school memories. He also had no recollection of Betty and Archie’s (he’s alive) upcoming nuptials and couldn’t shake this feeling of utter doom.
His gut turned out to be right. When he fetched Jughead’s personal effects, he found the Archie comics in which his life — and the lives of his friends — were documented on the pages.
He began to investigate these two parallel universes that were seemingly bleeding into each other, and realized that he probably needed to stop it immediately.
His quest for answers brought him to Dilton Doiley (also alive) and his teaching assistant Ethel Muggs. Dilton told Jughead to chill out and stop looking for the answers of the universe, but honestly, does he know who he’s talking to? Eventually, it was revealed that Dilton knew all about the two universes imploding and let it happen because, you know, science. Ethel wasn’t about that, however, so she poisoned Dilton and suggested that they recreate the events that ended Riverdale and created Rivervale: the bomb at Archie’s house.
That was the moment when the the normalcy (a strange way to describe Riverdale, I know) ended.
Of course, since Betty and Archie were otherwise occupied with their wedding, Jughead sought out Veronica to help him recreate the moments prior to the explosion. Surprisingly, Veronica was more than happy to assist, exclaiming: “Let’s make out to save the universe… Here’s to ‘Vughead’ becoming canon.” The saying “in another universe” comes to mind.
Fans hoping for a #Vughead moment sadly never got it. Before Ronnie could come and assist Jughead, she was killed by Rivervale’s big bad — not Hiram Lodge but Archie Andrews.
Although, I’ll be quite honest that Archie, even in his murderous shape, doesn’t hold a candle to Hiram. Archie may have been strangling people left and right, but he knew the rules of the universe, so he knew that their death wasn’t permanent. It’s grim, but it’s not exactly villain-material when you’ve dealt with the the likes of the Black Hood, the Gargoyle King, murderous nuns — all of which Jughead was too eager to remind his friends in Rivervale about.
Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox” — Image Number: RVD605b_0087r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty, Charles Melton as Reggie Mantle, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Erinn Westbrook as Tabitha Tate and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones — Photo: Kailey Schwerman/The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Speaking of the Black Hood, he was alive and well in Rivervale, but it wasn’t Hal under the mask, it was Clifford Blossom. It’s not entirely clear why the change, but maybe it’s because Hal was busy being a husband and father and giving some heartwarming toast at Betty and Archie’s wedding rehearsal?
Also, Jason Blossom was very much alive in Rivervale despite the yearbook dedication mourning his death. And honestly, good for Trevor Stines for finally get some screentime! Though, since Cheryl’s life has been defined by her brother’s death, it would’ve been nice to see them include Jason’s existence a bit more so that we could see if her character would’ve been different had her brother never suffered a grim fate.
Elsewhere, Ronnie — prior to her death — found out that two Reggies were definitely not better than one. After Jughead informed her and Reggie of the parallel universe, Veronica opened the door to find the OG Reggie (played by Ross Butler very briefly in season one before Charles Melton took the reigns) at the door.
There wasn’t much of a point to this storyline, but it was a fun and silly nod to the recasting. Veronica embraced it fully by suggesting a threesome (Veronica!) before she dumped them both because they couldn’t learn how to share. They took her advice to “figure it out” to heart and off’ed each other in a duel. Bye, Reggies!
But back to the whole saving Riverdale from Rivervale situation. Archie, determined to preserve Rivervale so that his father, Fred, could possibly come back to life (how heartbreaking?!), was shot dead by Betty in a wedding dress who wasn’t all that thrilled to be stood up at the altar. In shooting Archie, she saved Jughead’s life and the two of them decided to detonate the bomb while recreating her makeout sesh with Archie.
And boy, Bughead fans — this was your moment. Jughead embracing Betty in a wedding dress while they save the world? This is what dreams are made of!
It’s proof that it’s always these two against the world.
Their romantic moment was interrupted by… Jughead Jones. Yep, Archie wasn’t lying when he said his victims come back to life.
It seems as though this was the Parallel Jughead, who informed the duo that there was definitely another way to save Riverdale aside from destruction.
Parallel Jughead explained that he was enlightened while visiting the Pops Chocklit Shoppe in the sky, which obviously had all you can eat burgers.
The heavenly Pops also embraced a 50s retro vibe that allowed the series to celebrate the origins of the Archie Comics including the iconic outfits!
Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox” — Image Number: RVD605fg_0058r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews and Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge — Photo: The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
That’s where PJ picked up a comic about Riverdale and Rivervale and found that the former could be fueled with a new power source: imagination.
Honestly, it all gets a bit hazy and complex here, but essentially, Jughead could save Riverdale by writing in an isolated room in a bunker.
Betty wasn’t convinced, but Jughead assured her that he needed to save the universe, and thus, took his place in the bunker writing away. I guess it makes sense why Riverdale always feels like it’s Jughead’s novel, and why he’s always serving as the narrator.
Meanwhile, Betty and Parallel Jughead (I think?) recreated the bomb scene… except that the bomb never went off once it hit zero.
Instead, Betty and Jughead walked downstairs to find their friends waiting for them. They couldn’t remember a thing, but it does seem like everything went back to how it was prior to Rivervale’s creation as Jughead embraced Tabitha and Betty kissed Archie.
We got another glimpse of Jughead’s time in the bunker, and it’s revealed he isn’t alone as Ethel is down there feeding him burgers, which admittedly, is very strange.
And then… we see Archie and Betty in bed together. He hears ticking as she picks up a call that warns her to get out of the house because there’s a bomb under the bed.
At that very moment, we see Jughead typing in the garage as a bomb goes off.
Jughead said that Riverdale would stay the prime universe as long as no one in Rivervale messed with the narrative, but it doesn’t seem like this bomb explosion was supposed to happen.
Plus, if the real Jughead is trapped in an isolated bunker, does that mean that Parallel Jughead is out there living it up with his friends?
Is that why Betty and Jughead aren’t getting back together? Because it isn’t her Jughead?
Or will these two worlds somehow merge in the future?
It was a bonkers episode, but the unknown of it all is even more confusing. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t anymore, so while it might be fun to play with these characters and put them into random situations, it’s becoming very difficult for the audience to keep up and keep track.
What did you think of Riverdale’s 100th episode? Did you enjoy seeing familiar faces like OG Reggie, Jason Blossom, Clifford Blossom, Ethel Muggs, and Hal Cooper? Who else would you have liked to see?
Did you like seeing Archie in the role of a villain rather than a hero?
How do you think the series will continue in 2022? Will Riverdale and Rivervale collide? Will everyone survive the explosion? Who warned Betty?
Share all your thoughts, concerns, and critiques in the comments below! Till next year, Cravers!
The wait for the seventh and final season of Riverdale is almost over, but not everyone has nice things to say about it.
While it’s true that The CW series has gone off the rails the last few seasons, it’s undoubtedly one of the reasons why fans continue to tune in. In fact, I’m personally looking forward to seeing how unhinged things actually get in their final hurrah.
On March 2, the network gave fans a look at all the madness, revealing that 1955 might be the craziest time period yet, as all of Riverdale’s finest revert to high schoolers after Cheryl Blossom destroyed a comet and somehow, accidentally caused everyone to travel back in time.
Anyway, the point is, things are all over the place in the trailer as Archie and Cheryl are dating and planning on getting married, Jughead—reportedly the only one who actually remembers the present-day and knows what’s really going on—making out with Veronica for some reason, Betty trying to have sex with Kevin (who is in the closet because it’s the ’50s), zombies… maybe?, the return of Ethel Muggs covered in blood, a possible orgy, and honestly, so much more that I can’t even wrap my head around.
The year is 1955. The final season of #Riverdale premieres Wednesday, March 29th on The CW! pic.twitter.com/3skiIutOEW
— Riverdale (@CW_Riverdale) March 2, 2023
Riverdale is going out with a bang, pushing the boundaries to where they haven’t gone before—and they’ve gone far.
Most fans, like myself, are thrilled, but one comment didn’t sit well with Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper.
“oh my god….. those poor actors are finally gonna be free,” one user on Twitter wrote, likely prompting the scathing response from Reinhart on Instagram Story.
@lilireinhart I love you for this, Riverdale is living in their heads rent free pic.twitter.com/YVoNrvbCRF
— no context riverdale (@nocontextrvd) March 3, 2023
And honestly, that’s the Betty Cooper energy we need. The cast may have spoken out about their willingness to pursue other projects after seven seasons, but there’s no denying that this is the show that put them on the map and catapulted them into stardom.
There’s also the fact that we’ve all, fans included, invested an enormous amount of time into the series, so no matter what, we’re going to be sad when it ends.
As one comment pointed out, the show prides itself on being “weird” and that isn’t news.
We—and the cast— know what we’re getting into with Riverdale…. and we’re doing so willingly.
Riverdale’s final season kicks off on Wednesday, March 29 on The CW! You can catch up on all of our previous content and reviews right here!
‘Riverdale’ Season 7 – Everything We Know About the Final Season
Coffee Table News
‘Riverdale’ and ‘Nancy Drew’ Announce Final Season Premiere Dates—And Series Finale Dates
Riverdale and Nancy Drew are gearing up for their final hurrah.
We’ve known that the end for these CW dramas was near—and now we know exactly when we’ll have to say goodbye and part ways with our favorite TV redheads.
Riverdale will premiere for its seventh and final season on Wednesday, March 29 at 9/8c.
The wait for Nancy Drew will be a bit longer as the series will return on Wednesday, May 31 at 8pm taking over The Flash’s time slot.
Riverdale will have a significantly higher episode count with 20 total episodes to wrap things up, while our time at Horseshoe Bay will be limited to 13 episodes.
Both teen dramas will come to an epic conclusion when the series finales air on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
The CW also gave fans official synopses for both shows so fans know exactly what to expect.
Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: Don’t Worry Darling” — Image Number: RVD701a_0716r — Pictured (L – R): Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller and Nicholas Barasch as Juilian Blossom — Photo: Michael Courtney/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Riverdale
“Picking up where last season ended, Jughead Jones finds himself trapped in the 1950s. He has no idea how he got there, nor how to get back to the present. His friends are no help, as they are living seemingly authentic lives, similar to their classic Archie Comics counterparts, unaware that they’ve ever been anywhere but the 1950’s.”
Archie Andrews is the classic all-American teen, coming of age, getting into trouble, and learning life-lessons; Betty Cooper is the girl next door, starting to question everything about her perfect life — including her controlling mother Alice; Veronica Lodge is a Hollywood starlet who moved to Riverdale under mysterious circumstances; Cheryl Blossom is the Queen Bee with a withering wit and a secret longing; Toni Topaz is an activist fighting for the Black students of recently integrated Riverdale High; Kevin Keller is a ‘square’ crooner wrestling with his sexual identity; Reggie Mantle is a basketball star from farm country; and Fangs Fogarty is a greaser who’s destined to be an Elvis-type star. It isn’t until Jughead is visited by Tabitha Tate — Riverdale’s Guardian Angel — that he learns the cosmic truth about their predicament. Will Jughead and the gang be able to return to the present? Or will our characters be trapped in the 1950’s forever? And, if so…is that such a bad thing?”
Nancy Drew — Image Number: NCD405b_0554r — Pictured (L – R): Alex Saxon as Ace, Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew, Tunji Kasim as Nick, Maddison Jaizani as Bess and Leah Lewis as George Fan — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Nancy Drew
“George’s desire for justice has brought her fighting spirit to the courtroom as an aspiring law school student; Nick, whose broken engagement with George has left him single, is back on the dating scene, and focused on becoming a rising star as a local businessman; Bess is eager to become the town’s guardian of dangerous supernatural secrets, only to encounter a threatening new foe who’s hellbent on leading a witch-hunt to undermine her mission; and Nancy’s star-crossed love Ace must confront the deathly curse keeping him and Nancy from acting on their feelings for each other.”
Nancy Drew‘s final season “begins as Nancy launches a new investigation to find a group of missing bodies from Horseshoe Bay’s cemetery that have been dug up and stolen—or have possibly risen. As Nancy is drawn into this ghostly case, a string of unexplained paranormal crimes leads the Drew Crew to believe that the literal sins of the town’s past have returned to haunt the living. Meanwhile, Nancy struggles with yearning for Ace, the man she loves. But when a slow-burning attraction begins between Nancy and the son of Ryan Hudson’s newest enemy, Nancy must decide whether this love interest is worth the ire of both her father and Ace —whose own heart may also be tempted by a new relationship. Nancy’s exploits this season will bring the Drew Crew numerous standalone cases, stunning twists, humor, and unexpected romances as they are drawn into a season-long mystery unlike any they have had to solve before. When Nancy’s efforts to protect her seaside hometown from the sins of its past backfire, she must do the unthinkable to save her friends from both the supernatural and earthbound threats coming for them—and it could cost her everything, and everyone, she’s ever loved.”
Find out more about Riverdale Season 7 right here!
It’s time to say goodbye to Riverdale. The series that brought to life the Archie Comics—and made Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and Jughead Jones household names—is embarking on its seventh and final season in 2023.
Below, we’re breaking down some details along with your most-asked questions about season 7!
What Will Riverdale Season 7 Be About?
On Riverdale Season 6, Cheryl managed to successfully save everyone from Bailey’s Comet, but the strange events were far from over as everyone woke up in the ’50s. Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica are all teenagers again living in 1955, though Jughead is the only one who remembers what happened.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s Instagram also gave us this gem of ’50s Jughead, so do with that what you will.
View this post on Instagram
“Jughead remembers everything that happened. And I think our characters, whether they’re conscious or not, have an emotional memory of what they’ve been through… It is still in continuity,” Aguirre-Sacasa told Decider. He also acknowledged that many of the storylines from season 6 would be addressed, which hopefully means we won’t be spending all of our time in 1955.
He’s been revealing quite a bit about the final season on Instagram, including that there will be a ’50s-themed dance, the sock hop, in the second episode of the season.
Is There a Teaser for Riverdale Season 7?
Kind of. Aguirre-Sacasa’s Instagram is a vault of Riverdale-goodness, so the unofficial teaser was shared on his page and gives fans a look at the first minute or so of the premiere episode. Pop’s customers are dancing in the year 1955 as we’re introduced to the ’50s versions of our favorite characters.
Check it out:
View this post on Instagram
Are There Any Riverdale Season 7 Photos?
Yes! Entertainment Weekly previously revealed the first-look photos at the upcoming season, which included the core cast back in the classroom and in their best ’50s looks. Fangs also took the stage, with the show runner telling the outlet, “Fangs is sort of our greaser rocker. He’s a little bit like a Ritchie Valens character in our universe.”
Aguirre-Sacasa also posted a look at Archie, who is a dreamboat in every single decade he exists in.
View this post on Instagram
Will Riverdale Season 7 Be As Weird As Previous Seasons?
In a surprising twist, Aguirre-Sacasa revealed to Entertainment Weekly that it’s “probably, weirdly, our most grounded season.” Madeline Petsch confirmed this, noting it is “pared down with the craziness” while chatting with Variety, adding that it will focus heavily on the core relationships that made season 1 so special. She did warn, however, that “everyone is dating everyone.”
“Thank god the ’50s were as crazy as they were, because it’s been so fun to be in that world,” Aguirre-Sacasa explained, adding, “Every season we explore the tropes of a specific genre, be it supernatural, be it pulp, be it crime. This year our genre is the 1950s, so we’re in dialogue with the American myth of what the 1950s were versus the reality.”
Will There Be New Faces on Riverdale Season 7?
You bet! Aguirre-Sacasa explained that there will some differences between the characters, so the ’50s Veronica may not have the same background as the present-day Veronica. This will likely make it complicated to keep up for fans, especially since season 6 was so all over the place.
“Archie feels much more innocent than we’ve ever depicted him on Riverdale,” Aguirre-Sacasa explains, adding, “When we meet Archie here, he is a clean cut, 1950s teen. We describe him a little bit as a Richie Cunningham-type from Happy Days and he’s on his own journey. He’s a more innocent, romantic kind of character.”
However, it also provides the opportunity to mix in new characters.
Deadline reported that two new faces were cast for the season as recurring cast members. Nicholas Barasch will play Julian Blossom, a “bully who always gets his way.” He will be Cheryl’s twin brother (yep, not Jason Blossom!), and the “antagonist to all of our teen characters, most especially Archie.” It also seems like Archie and Cheryl might be getting married (or something?) based on this teaser on Instagram. It’s Riverdale… that’s all I have to say.
Karl Walcott, on the other hand, joins as Clay Walker, an Army brat described as “studious, well-read, and well-traveled.” The outlet notes, “He is very open-minded in his art and his sexuality. As he does in the comic books, Clay will have an impactful friendship with fellow queer character Kevin Keller.”
What Will Riverdale Season 7 Episode 1 Be About?
Aguirre-Sacasa told EW that the first episode is Jughead’s story. “It’s him asking, ‘What do I do with the fact that I’m the only one who remembers our lives before the comet hit?’ And that gets resolved at the end of episode 1. But you get to see Cole playing the Jughead we’ve known, and then you get to see Cole putting on a 1950s persona.”
The show runner also teased “something very, very dark happens at the end of episode 2.”
Will There Be a Villain in Riverdale Season 7?
Riverdale is known for its villains—Hiram Lodge, TBK, Gargoyle King, the list goes on—but Aguirre Sacasa notes there won’t be one villain this season, per se. Instead, the decade seems to be the villain as he notes the character must find “their way in the constricting, dark realities of the 1950s, trying to discover themselves in a really repressive, conformist, homophobic, racist world.”
The biggest struggle is our characters trying to live authentic individualistic lives during a time period where that was really hard to do,” he adds.
When Will Riverdale Season 7 Premiere?
The CW announced that Riverdale’s final season will kickoff on Wednesday, March 29 at 9/8c. It will consist of 20 episodes that will conclude on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Is There a Riverdale Season 7 Synopsis?
Yes!
“Picking up where last season ended, Jughead Jones finds himself trapped in the 1950s. He has no idea how he got there, nor how to get back to the present. His friends are no help, as they are living seemingly authentic lives, similar to their classic Archie Comics counterparts, unaware that they’ve ever been anywhere but the 1950’s.
Archie Andrews is the classic all-American teen, coming of age, getting into trouble, and learning life-lessons; Betty Cooper is the girl next door, starting to question everything about her perfect life — including her controlling mother Alice; Veronica Lodge is a Hollywood starlet who moved to Riverdale under mysterious circumstances; Cheryl Blossom is the Queen Bee with a withering wit and a secret longing; Toni Topaz is an activist fighting for the Black students of recently integrated Riverdale High; Kevin Keller is a ‘square’ crooner wrestling with his sexual identity; Reggie Mantle is a basketball star from farm country; and Fangs Fogarty is a greaser who’s destined to be an Elvis-type star. It isn’t until Jughead is visited by Tabitha Tate — Riverdale’s Guardian Angel — that he learns the cosmic truth about their predicament. Will Jughead and the gang be able to return to the present? Or will our characters be trapped in the 1950’s forever? And, if so…is that such a bad thing?”
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