Riverdale
Riverdale Review – Things That Go Bump in the Night (6×15)
Saving Riverdale goes hand-in-hand with saving Pop’s. The friendly neighborhood ghosts ensured that Tabitha Tate was well aware of that on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 15.
As the small but mighty town prepares for a full-on good versus evil with Percival Pickens at the helm of the bad team, Tabitha attempted to salvage her family’s business first and foremost.
But every time they tore down Pop’s iconic facade, something went awry. When she saw a ghostly flashback, she tapped Cheryl and Heather, a self-proclaimed witch schooled by a coven in Greendale (hmm sound familiar) for help communicating with the spirit. It was then that she clued into the fact that the diner has been a refuge not only for the living but also for the dead, who were also very much aware of Percival’s plans.
Percival also knew that the spirits were standing in his way by bearing witness to the eldritch evil that they referred to as a ghost train.
It was complicated, even by Riverdale standards, but it confirms that Percival is some kind of evil entity that knows all too much. And the eldritch terrors, well, we’ve come across those in Greendale, so it’s a good thing that they have Heather on hand for intel and information.
The introduction of Heather also bridges the gap between Cheryl and the supernatural. She’s dabbled in it, but the fact that she’s a witch has never been established out loud until now. Heather’s confession about herself prompted Cheryl to be very open about her involvement in the supernatural. Cheryl has pretty much been guiding her powers of pyrokinesis all on her own — sans a few texts from her robust library — so it’ll be nice to have a guide who can help her lean into those powers.
And, of course, Heather is a librarian, so she’ll be able to lend a hand with Cheryl’s idea of expanding Thornhill into a local library. After all, plenty of people already use the location as a source of information.
Am I shipping Heather and Cheryl? I’m not convinced just yet, but maybe it’s because I’m still holding out hope — like many fans — that a Choni reunion is coming. However, I do think that Heather and Cheryl’s interests align better than Choni’s ever have, so that’s an exciting shakeup.
Toni has her hands full in her fight for custody of baby Anthony. She and Fangs are going up against Kevin, and since they are open “gangbangers,” there isn’t much working in their favor. But when the lawyer informed Toni that a healthy family front could persuade the judge, Toni decided to propose to Fangs despite being more and more aware that they aren’t soulmates.
As a mother, I totally understand where Toni is coming from. A mom would do anything for her child, and if that means she has to see eye to eye with Fangs and make him believe that they are destined to be together, so be it.
Fangs is trying his best. I can’t say I agree with his choice to go work for Percival knowing the danger that he poses to the town, but his actions are coming from a place of love, just like Toni’s. He wants to be there for baby Anthony and provide for his family, and Percival’s offer is allowing him to do it. The idea seems to be that he’s selling his soul to take care of his loved ones, but it’s possible having a personal tether can keep him safe from any mind control.
We should all be blaming Kevin for starting this mess to begin with.
We rarely see Jughead and Veronica team up, but boy was it incredibly fun. Veronica came up with a brilliant plan to bring in more revenue to the casino and stick it to the shareholders that were doubting her.
Listen, when you have a friend that can read minds, why not exploit it for profit? And thus, Forsythe the Fantastic — The Seer of the South Side was born. Everyone loves a good magic trick, and this act surely delivered.
And naturally, the haters wanted a piece as well. Reggie immediately hit up Veronica and attempted to blackmail her if she didn’t give him a cut of the profit.
Reggie dangled the fact that Veronica ordered the hit on her father against her, which isn’t entirely fair considering he was only privy to that information on a personal level.
Veronica wasn’t here for any of it, so she called up Jughead to see if his abilities extended to memory wipes as well. Sure enough, Jughead was eager to strengthen his powers, and before Reggie could even say “blackmail,” he forget exactly what he had against Veronica.
Unfortunately, he was aware that he lost a crucial bit of information, so he told Percival, who is now aware that Jughead’s powers are intensifying.
And based on what went down with Frank and Archie, he’s also aware that Archie figured out a way to become invincible.
Having Frank try to undercut Archie clearly underscores just how dangerous Percival’s manipulations are. Frank was always Archie’s biggest cheerleader, so there’s no way he would willingly try to sabotage his nephew’s business. And despite Archie’s best efforts, Frank wasn’t strong enough to use Fred’s memory as a tether.
Archie wouldn’t even know Frank was pulling a fast one on him if it wasn’t for Betty’s ability to see people’s auras. When Betty saw Frank glowing in a red hue, she knew that he wasn’t being truthful about his decision to call a truce.
Betty tried to hone in on her abilities so that she could determine why she was able to see some dangerous auras and not others.
She confided in an FBI agent — Drake — who was definitely helpful, but her help was also slightly concerning. Why didn’t she question anything Betty was saying? Why did she ask Betty if she’s happy living with her boyfriend? It was strange. Why didn’t Betty see any red flags there?
Betty initially thought that her blindspot was anyone with the serial killer gene, but when she tested Dagwood and Juniper, she realized that one of the twins had the gene, but it wasn’t the one glowing in red. I’m glad they are incorporating the twins into the mystery, but I truly don’t want them to be the inhabitants of evil. And I’m really glad Betty saved that cat before Butterscotch met the same fate as Caramel.
Alice dug into Betty when she realized she took the twins from her, and her tirade ended with her informing Betty that she was the villain and has always been bad.
Betty definitely seemed shocked and hurt by the outburst, but it was also leaning into her own biggest fear as she saw a red aura around herself in the mirror.
Who does Betty pose a threat to? Herself? Her loved ones? Juniper and Dagwood? The town? And does Drake know more than she’s letting onto?
Overall, it was an intense night of Riverdale that laid a lot of the groundwork for the final battle.
It’s pretty clear that Percival is going to come for Veronica and Jughead for their little “act,” and will likely take a stab at Pop’s new setup at the El Royale, but if they keep being one step ahead of him and keeping him on his toes, maybe they have a shot at winning this after all?
What did you think of the episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
It’s the beginning of the end for Riverdale. After an 8 months hiatus, The CW series kicked off transporting the Riverdaleans (Cheryl said it!) smack dab into the middle of 1955.
Jughead was seemingly the only one from the group to remember that they were actually from the future, but his attempts at jogging everyone’s memory using a time capsule were fruitless, nearly backfiring as Archie, the picture of an all-American boy, suggested people were going to think he was a “loony” and warned him not to get sent to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Remember how good it was when that place no longer existed?
Much of the episode focused on Jughead wondering if the cataclysmic event of Bailey’s Comet simply brought them to the past or if this was a past from another alternate universe, while the rest of Riverdale’s finest lived their best lives… or as good as they were going to get in the ’50s.
Veronica Lodge arrived in town from sunny Los Angeles where things were anything but. After a deep heart-to-heart with Archie, who was goo-goo gaga over her the minute she walked into the classroom, she revealed that her parents abandoned her because of their devotion to their hit series, Oh Mija! Is it giving anyone else Live with Kelly! vibes? Veronica hid behind red lipstick and thick-framed spectacles, but in reality, she was just covering up that she’s a lonely girl who wants to be loved.
It was nice seeing the characters in the “original” Archie Comics versions, though I don’t think anyone is actually buying that Archie can pass for a junior in high school, not even KJ Apa. There were times when it almost seemed like he was trying to stifle a laugh over the material, but I chalked it up to Archie’s go-lucky attitude.
Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: Don’t Worry Darling” — Image Number: RVD701fg_0028r — Pictured: Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper — Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Betty spent most of the episode helping Toni and Tabatha spread the message of what they witnessed in Mississippi during the Emmett Till trial. Riverdale has always steered from addressing current events, but you can’t really tap into the fabric of the ’50s without acknowledging one of the most appalling events of the era. There was so much more to the time that would shape the future other than rock n’ roll, hot rods, and poodle skirts—though that was a vibe.
As Jughead put it, anyone who considered the ’50s to be the greatest decade needed their head examined. I’m sure you could say that about any decade, but the focus on Till’s murder lent itself to a point that the real Tabitha made toward the end of the episode about ensuring that the moral arc of this universe bends toward justice. Even without that knowledge, the ladies of ’50s Riverdale went above and beyond to ensure that Till’s story was told, deciding to deal with whatever consequences may come at a later time. They were determined to make a stand, be heard, and make a change, kickstarting important discussions. It was also nice to see Toni get some powerful material to work with.
All of their actions in this timeline ensure that, at some point, they can make it back to a Riverdale that’s not on the verge of moral and societal collapse as it was right before Bailey’s Comic struck. It’s a situation of the past impacting the present.
Riverdale has never been a series that’s forthcoming with answers, so it was nice that the real Tabitha—the one from the present and Riverdale’s Guardian Angel—clarified what happened to not only Jughead, who was kind of spiraling, but also the audience. We don’t have to wait several episodes to get some clarity!
In short, Cheryl wasn’t successful in stopping Bailey’s Comic from extinguishing Riverdale, and the trip to the ’50s was Tabitha’s last-ditch effort to save everyone by throwing them into a timeline where she would have enough time to reverse the effects and hopefully find a way to get everything back sorted and everyone back to their timelines. It’s a tall order, and one she needs to embark on knowing that Jughead isn’t running around causing ripples and corrupting the timeline by asking too many questions. Essentially, there’s no Riverdale to get back to, so why would she let Jughead suffer in the ’50s by holding onto all of his memories, especially when no one else had any recollection of the past-future? It would be torture for him. And thus, she made the conscious choice to erase his memory, which actually might be more torturous for him as now he’ll go on trying to remember what it is that he forgot.
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.
Maybe he’ll figure it all out with time. He did write all those comics logging what happened to them while chowing down a 30-cent burger and fries at Pops! All I know is that his makeout session with Veronica in the teaser trailer makes a lot more sense if Jughead has absolutely no idea what’s going on just like the rest of them.
It’s a different dynamic for Riverdale, but somehow, it feels like the most grounded and normal season… for now, at least. I know things are about to take a wild turn as everyone fully embraces the ’50s and new relationships start forming, but it also feels like the closest we’ve ever gotten to the most authentic Archie Comics characters. It’s a refreshing twist for the final season, that’s for sure.
The slate has basically been wiped clean, and anything can happen, but the innocence of the season likely won’t stick around for much longer either, if the teasers are to be believed. Tabitha mentioned that the timelines have been knotted, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that means that strange things are about to start happening—stranger than we’ve ever seen before.
Other Musings
- Jughead telling everyone where they end up in the future was comical as he really had to hold back for Kevin and Cheryl, simply suggesting that one of them joined an organ harvesting club and the other became a witch. I wouldn’t believe Jughead either.
- Jughead suggesting Betty and Archie make out on his bed while they blow up a bomb underneath wasn’t his best moment… I know that’s how they got into this mess in the first place, but it was pretty desperate.
- It’s strange to see Betty’s whole family back together again as one big happy unit, including Hal Cooper.
- I’m hoping we get to see an appearance from Hiram Lodge this season—he’s a crucial part of Riverdale.
- Jughead owning a dog named Hot Dog truly is so fitting.
- Cheryl’s twin isn’t Jason Blossom, it’s Julian, which might be the hardest change to wrap your head around, especially because her relationship with Julian is the complete opposite of the bond she had with Jason!
- Tabitha and Jughead truly are endgame. Their kiss at the end was mesmerizing, and such a heartbreaking moment for her to give up the love of her life for the greater good.
- “Awesome… I mean swell.” The writers are having a lot of fun here already.
I can’t wait to see how the series comes back from an extinction-level event and reverses all of this. It’s been—and continues to be—a wild ride.
What did you think of the episode? Did you like the reset or do you miss old, tortured Riverdale?
Riverdale has seen its fair share of psychos, serial killers, and murderous villains. After all, it didn’t get the nickname ‘the murder capital of the world’ for no reason.
Find out which villain you’d be by taking our quiz below. Share your results in the comments or on social media at @CraveYouTV!
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!
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