Riverdale’s seventh and final season is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.! 

Merely a week after the long-running CW series aired its final episode ever, the streaming giant has added the series in its entirety.

All the episodes are available for fans all over the world to binge-watch on September 1, and going into a long weekend, that gives you plenty of time to catch up on all the shenanigans happening in the Town with Pep. 

Credit: Netflix

Many fans weren’t interested in the weekly release model as it wasn’t ideal having to wait for new episodes to drop every week, but having them available all at once on Netflix allows you to catch up with ease. 

And if you’ve never seen Riverdale and are curious about all the nutty twists and turns that eventually get all of our characters to—spoiler—the 1950s, well, all seven seasons are on the streamer for your viewing pleasure. 

You can rewatch those previous seasons and relive the series in all its glory (including anything you may have missed/forgotten about), or you can just tune in for the final season—it’s up to you! 

As mentioned before, the final season hit the reset button of sorts as Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Jughead (Cole Sprouse), and Veronica (Camilla Mendes), along with many of their loved ones and friends, went back in time to 1955 and found themselves reliving their high school days all over again. 

Of course, as you rewatch any and all episodes, you can read all our reviews of the series that we’ve covered since its inception in 2017! 

Enjoy your Labor Day travels to Riverdale—just remember that before it was redubbed the “Town With Pep” it was known as “Murder Town of the World.” You’ve been warned. 

Riverdale was never the show that played it safe, always surprising us with its kooky, outlandish storylines. There was no telling where the plot would go, but it was always the journey and not the destination that kept fans hooked. And that journey ended tonight, so despite the ending—whether it was what you wanted or not—let’s raise a milkshake to those characters and the memories that we’ve created with them. 

One major takeaway from the finale is that it was always about the core four and their friendship that drove the series, right down to the very end as they met in the “sweet hereafter,” a time frozen in place where they were all 17, young, beautiful, and full of hope, just like we’ve always known them and will always remember them. 

The foursome, sitting at a booth in Pop’s, eating burgers and sipping on milkshakes while sharing a laugh is how Riverdale started—and through every timeline and wacky storyline—it’s where they ended up. It’s a full-circle moment, right down to Jughead Jones, the narrator, delivering the first and final lines of the series. Also, was Riverdale just a fictional story written by him all along? He’s wearing his modern-day clothes (the Serpent shirt), addressing the camera, and you can hear his typewriter going off in the background as if he’d finally concluded his story… possibly the story he was writing when the Comet went off?

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale” — Image Number: RVD720c_0203r — Pictured (L – R): Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones and Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper — Photo: Justine Yeung/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

It’s truly been one heck of a run, and my condolences to those fans who didn’t get the endgame they were hoping for, but let’s take comfort in the fact that this is just one universe, one timeline, and the beauty of Riverdale, as they’ve shown us, is that it exists throughout multiverses. I’m willing to bet there’s a timeline where Archie and Betty do end up together with a family as they have existed as endgame in at least 2 timelines. 

It seemed as though for once, the creator/writers took no chances, appeasing all of the ships at once (and letting them all down simultaneously by not committing to any) by giving us a quad/foursome with Betty, Jughead, Archie, and Veronica all in a romantic relationship together throughout their senior year of high school. After getting their memories back from Tabitha Tate, they couldn’t just shake the feelings that they had previously or the new ones that developed now, so they simply chose to love without boundaries. Why choose when you don’t have to seems like a pretty free approach for the ’50s, but they were living within the constraints of the time period with modern values, so it’s fitting and shocking all in the same breath.

There were, however, plenty of special moments to honor the ships that formed, including Betty and Archie’s final romantic kiss where he suggested that he thought it was going to be them in the end (because it started with them, a boy and girl living next door to each other), which has to count for something, right? The love was always there up until the end. Betty told Angel Jughead/Narrator Jughead that she never regretted not getting married, but I would say the photo on her nightstand of Archie so many years later, along with the excitement of seeing him through her bedroom window once again was proof that things would’ve been different had Archie returned from his trip out West. She even hinted that they were endgame as she didn’t need Jughead to remind her of how Archie’s story played out as she fully remembered it because she loved him her whole life. 

In some way, this is one of Riverdale’s most realistic and normal storylines (and also quite grim and dark, even by their standards, when you factor in that the whole episode was just about getting old and dying)—saying goodbye to the life you once had, a life that slips away so quickly and in the blink of an eye that you barely notice. It dug into human emotions that everyone understands. The people who watched Riverdale from the moment it landed on The CW in 2017 were likely in high school/starting college at the time, but now, they are young adults with families who are starting to realize just how quickly things change and memories fade. Before you know it, the good moments have passed you by, and you’ll never get them back. We’re the adults now who are harboring so much nostalgia, and this realization hits very close to home. 

In addition to that one final scene with Archie and Betty, there was plenty for Bughead fans to work with. The hero of the series was always Archie, and yet, he had one of the smallest roles this season and in this finale, with Betty and Jughead obviously taking center stage for one last walk through the Town with Pep. And I have to admit that when Jughead grabbed Betty’s hand after saying he “sometimes” regrets not getting married, I got chills. She may have always loved Archie, but I think his love for her never withered away.

There was always such a deep connection between them, and in a way, I was seeing Lily Reinhart and Cole Sprouse appreciate all that’s transpired between them up until this moment—the good times and the heartbreak. 

In a perfect world, you stay friends with all of the people you went to high school with, but more often than not, that isn’t the case. People embark on different paths and go their separate ways. It’s unfortunate that it happened in the case of Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead as they were all soulmates, but they all pursued different interests in search of their legacy.

The episode took a huge time-jump, bringing the series into the present day, with sweet old Betty as an 86-year-old reading the Jughead’s obituary with her granddaughter Alice next to her. She’s reminiscing on her life—the good old days, as the adults would often say—when Jughead’s ghost appears and gives her one last day in high school, which allows her to get some closure as to what happened to all her classmates indicating that she didn’t keep in touch with any of them. The unique approach to the storytelling also allowed the series to give fans an update on how everyone’s life played out in a quick and succinct way, while also sending each one of them off with a proper goodbye.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Betty became a magazine publisher of She Says Magazine, which women are still reading in the present, before adopting her daughter, Carla, and becoming a grandmother to Alice, which she says was her true legacy.
• Archie moved to Modesto, California where he settled down with a sweet, strong girl who makes him laugh. He has a beautiful family and works as as professional construction worker and amateur writer who requests to be buried in Riverdale next to his late father upon his death. 
• Jughead becomes the Editor-in-Chief of Jughead’s Madhouse Magazine which produces juvenile satire comics. He never gets married. 
• Veronica makes it big in Hollywood. She’s the top dog, producing the most iconic movies of their time and winning two Oscars. 
• Cheryl and Toni stay together, making their way out west at a Craftsman house where they work alongside artists and activists. Cheryl becomes an incredible painter whose work is shown in galleries and museums across the country and Europe. They also have a sweet boy named Dale, named after Riverdale, and played by Vanessa Morgan’s real-life son, River. Congrats on your acting debut, little one.

• Kevin and Clay also get the ending they deserve, living a spirited life in Harlen together. Clay is a tenured professor at Columbia, while Kevin runs an off-Broadway theater company. Kevin died at 82 in his sleep, while Clay passed a few weeks later peacefully on a park bench. Soulmate stuff.
• Reggie made it to the pros, drafted by the Lakers, working off-seasons at his family farm. When his folks passed away, he sold the land and began coaching at Riverdale High. He was buried in Duck Creek next to his wife and parents. His two sons took up the torch on Mantle Motors. 
• Alice ended up not only being a flight attendant but also stepping in during a time of crisis and landing a plane before marrying a grateful passenger who showed her the world. As for Polly, she welcomed two twins, Juniper and Dagwood, and lived a fulfilled and happy life, though she never returned to performing. The mother-daughter duo also made amends, which was nice to see. No mention of what happened to Hal, but we also don’t care. 
• Fangs and Midge unfortunately didn’t get their happily ever after. Fangs did make it big, but his stardom was shortlived following an accident on the Rocky Mountains that left no survivors. His fame and fortune did, however, provide a good life for Midge and their daughter. It’s an unfortunate outcome, but it’s also a realistic one—not everyone is lucky enough to grow old. 
• Mrs. Andrews bought the dress shop and connected with Brooke, who moved into the Andrews household shortly after and stayed till the end. If any of the parents in town deserved a happy ending, it was Archie’s mother. 
• Pop Tate passed away in 1956 as their senior year began, though he was still serving burgers and milkshakes in eternity… it was a nice touch for Betty to make it a point to visit his grave since he was so crucial to the series and the town of Riverdale. 

While some ships definitely got their perfect (and much deserved!) endgame, it’s fair for those who wanted a little more for Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica, particularly when it came to the love lives that we’ve been so invested in. I’d say that I’d rather the series adopted the endings that they had back in the 2023 timeline, but alas. 

It’s strange that the memories of what came before and the ones they created in this current timeline weren’t enough to keep everyone connected and in each other’s orbit. Trauma usually bonds people, so it would have made sense for them to gravitate toward each other more than ever after realizing that they existed in a different life before this one. The scene at Pop’s once Betty died would’ve made slightly more sense had they all remained friends, but I guess it also stands as a reunion of sorts, when you try to get back to the glory days before life got too busy, things got in the way, and time slipped away. 

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the genuine excitement that teen Betty exhibited upon seeing all of her friends and family members once again. It had been 67 years for her, but for them, not a moment had passed. It serves as a reminder that we take the present for granted all too often, but it doesn’t last very long, and one day, we’ll be dreaming of a time when we can see certain loved ones just one more time. I thought the sentiment was beautifully executed. 

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale” — Image Number: RVD720d_0180r — Pictured (L – R): Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, and KJ Apa as Archie Andrews — Photo: Justine Yeung/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

And finally, there was Archie’s poem, which addressed the day one fans. It honestly read more like a roast of everything that’s happened over the course of seven seasons and was way funnier than it should have been (who knew Archie had it in him?). It also felt like a brief moment when we were back with the original versions of the characters one last time—with references to the cult, multiple Reggie’s, Jughead’s teacher jumping out of a window, Cheryl locking Jason up in a basement, Veronica’s magical powers, the Serpents, and even Betty’s tangerine serial killer gene. These were the storylines that meant so much to audiences—as crazy as they were— so while these characters may have embraced their destinies in the ’50s (and how were they just so content knowing the internet would eventually exist but not having it? You’d think since they knew about the invention of the internet and modern technology, they’d find a way to keep in touch better than anyone), it was nice to see a glimpse of what once was, knowing that all of those moments weren’t entirely ignored and overlooked. 

Some have questioned how Riverdale lost the plot so badly, but I think they just wanted to deliver something more heartfelt and thought-provoking than focusing on relationships, bringing back the focus on friendships that change you for the better and shape your life. 

The bottom line is that Riverdale will always be home—as will these characters, whichever iteration of them you connected with, which I think is the main point of the finale. Live in the moment, appreciate your loved ones, and never take anything for granted.

Riverdale Season 7 Episode 19 was the penultimate episode before the series finale, and it made one thing very clear—we’re never ever going back to the present-day timeline

In a perfect world, we’d get to say goodbye to the characters we’ve known and loved for years in the present timeline, but instead, we’re being forced to bid them adieu in these new versions of themselves—a mold of their ’50s experiences and their previous selves, with some only remember the good memories. It’s a proper sendoff in the grand scheme of things, it’s just not the same as a continuation of what once was… and that was definitely felt.

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television” — Image Number: RVD719fg_0002r — Pictured (L – R): Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Tabitha Tate, Angel Tabitha, arrived in 1955 to nudge Jughead’s memory of all that came before (or after, who really knows) before offering to give everyone back their memories should they choose, just as she dropped the bad news: they’re all stuck here forever. 

Long story short, she couldn’t untangle all the timelines, but she was able to weave them into one… this one… meaning that the energy from all those other timelines is now uplifting this one that they exist in. My understanding is that this is where it all begins, with everything that transpired previously still true and enduring, as they live out the rest of their lives from this point forward. I guess it’s great that she managed to save them all, but it’s a pretty bleak realization, especially when you consider everything that they all lost—the progress, the relationships, the families, their futures that they once envisioned as completely different people. 

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television” — Image Number: RVD719fg_0005r — Pictured (L – R): Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s not forget that Archie and Betty were engaged while Toni was a mother to baby Anthony! Neither of those storylines were mentioned nor did they seem to make an impact on the characters, which was downright strange. Betty seemed more phased by the fact that she and Jughead dated than anything else, though I couldn’t help but chuckle at her ecstatic smile watching herself and Archie cheat on their significant others. I guess that’s a happy memory for them but Veronica, not so much. It’s hard to think you can just keep the good memories without losing sight of the overall picture as they are so heavily intertwined but oh well. 

You can’t expect me to believe that when after the characters got their memories back, Barchie who are actually ENGAGED and now remember that, don’t even acknowledge or talk about it and basically ignore it. Yeah totally believable. #Riverdale pic.twitter.com/8oqLGBqNxq

— depressed as hell (@barchiebaby) August 17, 2023

"You and I… We were together"

"Yeah. Until we weren't"#riverdale pic.twitter.com/Sb9p8aQpnd

— Riverdale After Dark: A Riverdale Podcast (@RiverdaleDark) August 17, 2023

And Jughead and Tabitha? They were cosmic and meant to be… and instead, they got a final kiss before Angel Tabitha disappeared into thin air. It was such a beautiful scene, and their chemistry was so natural, but there’s no denying that they were robbed of an actual chance together. They deserved better—they were supposed to be endgame! They will live on eternally, sure, but what compelled the writers to do this? To make Jughead move through the rest of his life knowing he lost his greatest love and the one that sacrificed it all so that they could have a future?

https://twitter.com/barchiesorigin/status/1691995955586007042?s=20

Why was any of it necessary? It’s hard to truly understand the need to blow up the entire plot that they had going and seemingly start over in a new era rather than finishing out what they started the way it was intended. The ’50s were a fun timeline to explore, don’t get me wrong, and if they wanted to dabble in time travel, fine, but it should’ve never been more than a pitstop. 

While it was nice to see everyone relive the glory days of Riverdale, back when it was just the show that could, it was also a reminder of all that we’ve lost. Jughead and Tabitha are just one of those relationships, but we also saw Archie and Betty once lasting love reduced to two schoolmates who have barely spoken to each other in the past episodes. Archie’s love story this season is with Reggie, and while I’m all in on this bromance, it’s a bummer for anyone looking for true momentum on the Betty and Archie storyline. 

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television” — Image Number: RVD719fg_0004r — Pictured (L – R): Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty and KJ Apa as Archie Andrews. Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

And will the final episode simply be a walk down memory lane between the only two people that actually were brave enough to keep the breadth of their memories—the good and the bad—Jughead and Betty? Jughead wanted to preserve the history, while Betty knew that she needed to experience it all, embracing the darkness and the light, for a well-rounded experience. Both of these decisions are in line with their characters, but it also gives them a unique connection that bonds them. It’s giving  #Bughead shippers way more to work with than #Barchie shippers. I think it’s clear that the series ships Bughead, and honestly, it’s bringing me back to why I loved Jughead and Betty in the first place.

I’m surprised Archie wouldn’t decide to keep the dark experiences as well. As a writer, you’d think he’d want to call on them to influence his writing and poetry.

Seeing all the characters come back into their experiences made me miss them for who they were and what we fell in love with them for. Season 7’s characters were shades of the people we once knew, inhabiting many of the same elements, but it just isn’t the same, and seeing them step back into those former roles, even for a brief minute, was a stark reminder of how much we’ve been failed this season. 

The one thing those “memories” via colored TV (Jughead’s initial shock juxtaposed with his nonchalant “this is called binge-watching in the future” was cute, and it was a nice meta touch that they all watched the first episode of Riverdale) proved was that Cheryl and Toni’s love defied space and time—they made it through, against all odds, always finding a way back to each other. If there’s anything that deserves to be celebrated, it’s that. 

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television” — Image Number: RVD719a_0273r — Pictured (L – R): Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom and Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I also couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that Julian didn’t care to get his memories back because he was “just a doll” in the 2023 timeline—Riverdale thrives in the self-awareness of its kooky storylines. I also very much respect Kevin’s decision because the past seasons weren’t kind to him, and there’s no reality that makes sense to him without Clay in it. It can’t be said for most of the characters, but he’s better off now. Also, what was the scene with Uncle Frank and Tom Keller in the shower? Are we to assume that this reshuffling in Riverdale is allowing them to be true to themselves—and after all the flack that Frank gave Archie about his poetry?  

TOM KELLER

AND

UNCLE FRANK

WHAT THE WHAT#riverdale pic.twitter.com/vMmfjWaUpk

— Riverdale After Dark: A Riverdale Podcast (@RiverdaleDark) August 17, 2023

Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television” — Image Number: RVD719a_0111r — Pictured (L – R): Karl Walcott as Clay and Casey Cott as Kevin — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Tabitha’s arrival lent itself to the conclusion of the storylines for the characters while they were still in the clueless stages: Veronica’s decision to make The Comet into a movie (with W.E.B Du Boi’s blessing) with Clay writing the script, Betty finally getting through to her mother and urging her to find happiness away from her cheating father (go travel and see the world, Alice!), Jughead writing Pep Comic’s series finale-fitting eulogy, Archie deciding to work at Reggie’s barn while he goes to basketball camp so he can make it to the pros, and Cheryl winning her Vixens back (via classic dance battle, which is truly a classic throwback but also a weird way to spend precious last moments when so much has been left unsaid and undone) and living in her light while inspiring others to live in theirs.

this is what #Riverdale is spending their final episodes on instead of going back to the present i’m cryifbfbdbd pic.twitter.com/EIGEYqGEvF

— tia ♡ (@barchiesorigin) August 17, 2023

This seems like the natural cut-off point for these characters, who will undoubtedly move through life differently now with their memories, even just the good ones, intact. I’m actually surprised this didn’t cause a rip in the time-space continuum because it’s a classic rule as to why no one is allowed to know the future; if you know how things end, it’s going to influence the decisions you make. But since 2023 is 68 years from now, I guess it also doesn’t matter because, by the time they reach the year where they initially existed, they’ll be well into their 80s, which is also a wild thought. 

It was a stunning episode, particularly seeing everyone get glimpses of their former lives, which was well-crafted. There were sweet moments in the episode, naturally, as we all get nostalgic reminiscing on the town and show with pep (and plenty of murders, serial killers, cults, and superpowers—well, actually, maybe we should just forget that last part), but overall, it’s a bit of a letdown when you think of the potential, what could have been, and how much time was just wasted with pointless storylines that didn’t really make much of a difference.

Hopefully, as we take one last walk with our Riverdalians, we’ll at least get some insight as to how their lives turned out to provide audiences with some closure. Did knowing about their previous life impact them in any way moving forward in the ’50s? Did it give them hope? Did it spark new relationships or rekindle old flames? Did Reggie make it to the pros? Did Archie become a big writer? Did Betty find a way to stay in the bliss and make sense of the world despite all the darkness bubbling up? Did Veronica change the way the movie industry operates?

What did you think of the episode?

Riverdale airs its series finale on Wednesday, Aug 23.