Riverdale
Riverdale Review – Operation Save Riverdale (5×05)
Operation save Riverdale High (and Riverdale) is officially in motion!
On Riverdale Season 5 Episode 5, Toni Topaz and Archie Andrews led the charge to save their small-town from Hiram Lodge’s grasp.
With Archie, some things never change. With Toni, thankfully many things did.
While they couldn’t do much about Hiram’s desire to un-incorporate the town, thanks to Cheryl’s donation, they successfully launched a plan to privatize the high school and make it a place where parents would want to send their kids.
Or, as Toni put it, a place where kids were no longer “at the mercy of Hiram’s destructive whims,” which, admittedly, has been a long time coming.
Hiram destroys everything he touches, and he’s messed with too many Riverdale teens to count. This is a good first step to regaining control of the town.
Incorporating Toni into the central storyline has been very beneficial for Riverdale. Her character was sorely underutilized in previous seasons, but coming out from Cheryl’s shadow and into her own as the town’s champion and Serpent Queen fits with her personality so well.
Riverdale — “Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming” — Image Number: RVD505b_0448r — Pictured (L-R): Mӓdchen Amick as Alice Cooper and Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper — Photo: Dean Buscher/The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
She’s always been a caretaker, mainly to Cheryl, but now it extends to everyone she cares about.
It’s also great to see others getting extra screentime including Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Kevin. It’s about time they were more involved with all the shenanigans!
Admittedly, I’m not a fan of what’s going on with Cheryl and how little interaction she’s having with the rest of the characters. Can she put this whole “I’m cursed” thing behind her already?
Since Riverdale High became a private institution, Weatherbee was able to hire personnel without education degrees — Betty, Veronica, and Jughead.
Who would have thought that the foursome would reunite several years down the line to work as faculty at their Alma Mater?
Though, I can’t think of anyone better to teach the youth of Riverdale. They may technically be “unqualified” because they lack teaching degrees, but if you think back to some of your best teachers (especially in college), many of them had degrees outside of teaching and yet, added value to the classroom through real-life experiences.
For the core four, their biggest asset is that they’re all passionate about helping students and serving as mentors in a town all too eager to swallow them up.
The positions are only supposed to be for a few months as they look for qualified replacements, but something tells me many of them are going to want to stay.
I guess you can go home again after all.
And somehow, it seems like this is what they all need to restore their souls and find themselves again. When we first met them post-time jump, everyone seemed to be looking for a sense of purpose and direction.
In a twisted way, the town that once drove them away might be the one that brings them back and reminds them who they were and what they stood for.
In terms of relationships, I’m sorry to say, but it doesn’t seem like Bughead fans are going to get their way anytime soon.
Betty and Jughead’s post-break-up talk at the beginning of the episode indicated that while there are no hard feelings between them, they’re both on different pages at the moment.
Jughead, especially, needs to get his life back on track, which includes paying off his debt. He’s a prime example of why credit cards are dangerous!
However, I’m glad that Jughead wasn’t “above” taking a job at Pop’s to make some extra cash while he worked on his novel.
He may be a published writer, but he’s not letting his ego get the best of him.
And somehow, Pop’s seems like the perfect place for our burger-lovin’ friend. There’s no better inspiration for writing a novel based on Pops’ life and a dying small town than being right in the thick of things. Not to mention he’s always done his best writing at the diner.
Riverdale — “Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming” — Image Number: RVD505fg_0001r — Pictured (L-R): Mӓdchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Marion Eisman as Doris Bell, Peter Bryant as Mr. Weatherbee, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews and Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz — Photo: The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
But considering the backlash he got for his first novel, which “loosely” referenced the Serpents, it might not sit well with his friends and acquaintances in town.
Do you think Tabitha Tate will have a problem with Jughead’s upcoming literary work?
I would hope Jughead would do it justice considering Pop’s was always a “safe haven” for them whenever they needed it.
That steamy hook-up between Betty and Archie is also not working in Bughead’s favor. Yes, the hook-up Barchie fans have been waiting for finally happened. And IT. WAS. HOT.
It’s been a long time coming, yes, but I also don’t think it was the only time Barchie will hook up this season. The chemistry and sparks were there!
The fact that Archie and Jughead are now roommates might make things a bit more complicated, but I think Archie and Betty owe it to each other to explore those feelings that started in high school and clearly exist in the present.
Plus, they’re adults so they don’t owe anyone an explanation.
Let’s Talk About What #Barchie’s Steamy Shower Scene on ‘Riverdale’ Means for the Ship
Betty was so into it that she forgot she had a boyfriend. Even when she decided to stay in town, she didn’t let her beau know!
In her defense, she did have a lot on her plate. She made amends with her ex, finally hooked up with the boy next door, helped him get his house back from the Ghoulies’ grasp, and had a lot going on at home with her sister, Polly.
Riverdale has not been kind to Polly, and it looks like she may be at the center of the new mystery that also involves Lynette Fields aka Squeaky.
When we saw Squeaky last, she was hitching a ride with a truck bearing a glowing skeleton as Jughead’s narration warned that “she would never make it to California.”
It was a little strange that her disappearance would be the mystery that would keep the foursome in Riverdale, but the fact that Polly was being chased down by the same truck and may now be one of the missing girls definitely changes things.
Betty will do anything to save her sister, especially if this new mystery is connected to the Trash Bag Killer!
Betty may have been a little out of line by judging Polly’s lifestyle when she hasn’t been around, but she was simply trying to help as she noticed her sister was going down a destructive path.
I’ve never understood why family members get upset and blame those who are trying to create a better life for themselves.
Why make Betty feel guilty for pursuing a career with the FBI? Polly could have just as easily left Riverdale and made a better life for herself and the twins. And even if she couldn’t, she didn’t have to get wrapped up in the wrong crowd. Toni has managed just fine.
Riverdale — “Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming” — Image Number: RVD505fg_0013r — Pictured: Charles Melton as Reggie Mantle — Photo: The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Riverdale will only destroy you if you let it. Then again, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Polly get swooped up in a questionable lifestyle. We all remember what happened at The Farm!
Veronica decided to stay put in Riverdale for the time-being because she felt like she owed it to everyone considering her father was the one responsible for singlehandedly destroying the whole town.
That’s fair.
But what I can’t seem to understand is why Veronica keeps running back to Hiram to fix her problems when she’s quite capable of standing up for herself and getting the job done on her own?
She’s a grown woman who doesn’t have to play daddy’s game anymore. If she never told him about her marriage to Chadwick, why would she want him meddling in her relationship now that he’s become possessive?
If she truly is the “She-Wolf of Wall Street,” she should have no problem handling Chadwick and telling him to fall in line, which she eventually did.
Why couldn’t she take that approach to begin with? Nobody puts Ronnie in the corner!
The fact that Chadwick froze their assets and had some goons spying on her means that there’s absolutely no trust in their relationship, but Veronica’s reaction means that she’s not surprised by his insecurity in the slightest. At this point, she seems more fed up, and I don’t see Veronica putting up with it for much longer, especially cause she doesn’t need him.
Just like Hermione and Hiram’s relationship, this one isn’t rooted in love, but it’s not even a solid business arrangement.
There’s nothing about this marriage working in Veronica’s favor. She’s capable of taking care of herself and making her own money — she’s got that Lodge independence.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she does run back to Archie sooner rather than later!
Other Thoughts
- Can someone knock some sense into Reggie? There’s no reason he needs to be playing lackey to Hiram Lodge. And that hair, honey, no.
- Poor Sheriff Keller. Riverdale never had a great police force, but now he’s the only one running the show? How is that even allowed?
- Jingle Jangle still exists… ahh, just like the old days.
- I hope we find out more about Tabitha because she’s a little firecracker! I snorted when she called the debt collectors “pumpkin.”
- Why is there no mention of FP? Is he still with Gladys and Jelly Bean? Does that mean he’s been separated from Alice for several years?
While I wasn’t a fan of the time-jump on Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4, this episode really changed things around for me. Seeing these characters as adults is refreshing; it’s reinvigorated the show in a way that’s fun and surprising again.
Everyone is being challenged and pushed in new directions, and while they’re still the characters we love, it allows them to play with new emotions, relationships, and experiences.
And let’s be honest, the fight to save the town and Riverdale High may be the most realistic and normal thing to happen on the series in quite some time.
What did you think of the episode?
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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