S06.E01: Chapter Ninety-Six: Welcome to Rivervale

[Bort]

Quote

Following the explosion that ended Season Five, a new day dawns in the town of RiverVALE, where everything is as it should be. Veronica and Reggie are now the town's power couple, while Jughead and Tabitha move in together. But with Cheryl demanding a return to the "old ways", this serenity will surely not last. And how could Archie and Betty possibly have survived?

Airdate: 16 Nov 2021

[Artsda]

That was interesting. Did Cheryl brainwash everyone?

I enjoyed the change in relationships, Betty and Archie were great. 

[ruby24]

Well that was weird.

I don't understand how Archie and Betty are living together and want to have kids already. How long has it been since the last episode, like 3 weeks? 

[Lady Calypso]

5 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Well that was weird.

I don't understand how Archie and Betty are living together and want to have kids already. How long has it been since the last episode, like 3 weeks? 

It's almost most definitely a coma thing. We hear beeping from the bomb the two times Archie is jolted awake. It's very, very likely that this is a coma dream that one, or both of Archie/Betty are having (probably both, with Archie's end here). 

If it isn't, then I won't be surprised by it either, but there were some moments in the episode where characters would say something weird (Jughead saying I love you to Archie...nice moment, but also weird) that probably indicate a coma dream. 

This was one way to have KJ take his paternity leave. Just kill him off until the end of the event! 

Weird episode, for sure, but I think that's the purpose. They made small, but noticeable changes, such as Veronica/Reggie being together and I guess Cheryl making Thornhill a sovereign state? And Archie randomly selling maple trees.

There will be more stretching of believability when details mentioned in these episodes somehow carry over into the real world when we get back to it, such as Frank having a family and baby Anthony having colic and being cured by Cheryl.

[Quark]

It says something about this show, when this episode is likely Archie or some other character having a dream, but it could also be happening regardless.

[SourK]

I respect that they're doing something different. And I'm sure this will turn out to be a dream or a pocket universe created by Sabrina or something. But I'd like to believe the Riverdale town council thought they could solve their PR problems being being Rivervale.

Also props to the show for immediately reminding us that what was happening this episode was no more stupid and ridiculous than the the cliffhangers we ended with last season.

Finally, my favourite part was when the random finance bro actually used a metaphor correctly and said Veronica was making lemonade out of lemons, and she got offended and said she didn't know what that meant. Of course not. He should have said she was making raspberry cordial out of molasses or something.

[rmontro]

I was just assuming this was an alternate universe version of the town, but coma dream works too.  I'm just wondering if this "five episode event" is going to be a continuous story, or is it going to be five separate tales?  Because if it's continuous, Archie is apparently dead -  the Riverdale version anyway.  Although there could be some trickery involved.

I do believe this is an alternate universe (or coma dream), and not reality.  Because I don't believe Doctor Curdle would actually prescribe putting a toad in an infant's mouth, or that Toni would leave her baby out in the woods all night.  I think the reason for all this is because I don't think the producers are willing to say there is actual magic in the Riverdale universe, and we're going to be seeing some coming up, if we haven't already.  They want to keep Sabrina in a separate reality.

I don't think real magic would be that crazy, considering all the other wacky stuff that goes on in this show, but whatever.  I'm enjoying the extra layer of crazy.

[ICantDoThatDave]

What the hell, Riverdale?  I was promised a Sabrina appearance by commercials!  And when she doesn't show up at all I go out & Google this ('cause why would I before?) & find out she's not showing up until episode 4?  See you back in 3 weeks I guess.  No Sabrina, no interest in your silly show (& yes, I get the irony of saying that :) ).

[Andromeda]

OMG, I caught up just in time, finished bingeing on Netflix a couple of days ago.

This was amazing. So creepy, complete with classic horror references. And there are four more Rivervale's? I'm so in. 

I already thought of Riverdale as a shadow/alternate reality place compared to our own, but this is next level.

"She who walks among the trees" is a Children of the Corn reference ("He who walks among the rows"). The sacrifice of the man felt a lot like the pagan celebration depicted in Harvest Home and Wicker Man. The bugs -- ugh the bugs! -- gave me the itches. But Jug, you need to wash new sheets before you use them. Chemicals can make you itch.

I too wondered if Cheryl brainwashed everyone — she seemed to be handing out potions and mixtures right and left.

Hurry up and give us Sabrina! I'm down with the magic.

Figures Veronica would be materialistic enough to want to have sex on a pile of money. (All I could think of was ew, germs.)

Only in Rivervale could you "declare" yourself a sovereign nation and have it actually stick. Idiots have tried that, but nope -- you are still liable for property taxes and contributing to the government that supports us.

I felt bad for the baby maples, but they didn't look dead -- replant them!

Whoever's daughters those are need to rescue their children from Cheryl's bizarro clutches...

[thuganomics85]

Fare thee well, Riverdale and hello... Rivervale?

Right now, I"m definitely in the camp that this is some kind of weird coma dream of either Archie or Betty (or maybe both?!) after the explosion from last season, thanks to Hiram's bomb.  Even looking the obvious crazy stuff, there was so many smaller moments that make me think things were off by normal standards, like Jughead suddenly being openly emotional with Archie or Reggie becoming more insecure than normal about Veronica/Archie's past.  Feels more and more like stuff that I think might be deep in Archie's subconscious and is playing out now.

But, of course, this is Riverdale/Rivervale, so this really could be a whole new world we're watching.  Hiram's bomb created the multi-verse!!

I knew something big was happening at the end, so Archie "dying" wasn't too surprising.  Af first, I thought he was getting Midsommer-ed, but this actual fate ended up being closer to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom instead.  No matter what universe he's in, Archie never has it easy!

Veronica and Reggie really did go full Wolf of Wall Street on this joint with the sexing it up on a bed covered in money thing.

I wonder if Frank really does have a former wife and a daughter, or will this be a part of whatever craziness is going on.

At least Cheryl is consistent.  And by that, I mean that she's always insane!

If nothing else, this was an interesting start to say the least. 

[Diapason Untuned]

16 hours ago, Quark said:

It says something about this show, when this episode is likely Archie or some other character having a dream, but it could also be happening regardless.

Exactly! I knew that this was some weird dream thing, but I could legit see this actually happening in real Riverdale, somehow.

I loved Jughead doing his Rod Sterling impression! Cole Sprouse looked like he was having so much fun with that.

The scene where Cheryl ripped out Archie's beating heart and everyone just started dancing to the beat had me bowled over. This show really makes me laugh sometimes.

[tennisgurl]

You know your in for a wild time when the episode starts with Jughead as emo Rod Serling introducing us to the alternate universe RiverVale which manages to be even weirder then good old RiverDale. This is probably a coma dream of Archie and/or Betty, but it could also be some kind of alternate universe, like narrator Jughead said, which is how they are going to bring Sabrina into things. That way they can have their crossover without having to world build more about Riverdale taking place in a universe with magic, I can see Sabrina either creating a weird pocket dimension as a part of some magic plot or even this taking place in the Sabrina universe while the regular show takes place in another universe. Of course, this show is weird enough that I can totally buy real magic existing in Riverdale, honestly it would explain a whole lot. I half expect The Watcher from the MCU to show up in the background, although even he would probably think this world was a bit too much for him.

So I guess someone watched The Wickerman/Midsummer recently, they were really channeling that kind of vibe. Interesting that Rivervale is pretty similar to Riverdale, but there are some bits that seem to be a bit much even by Riverdale standards, like Cheryl declaring her home a sovereign nation, but on the other hand I can see that happening in a regular season too, the only part that I can totally call as not being something that would happen in regular Riverdale is the ending, which was hilariously batshit insane, especially when Jughead Serling showed up to narrate us out with the "a town with heart" sign in the background, I really do prefer this show when it gets super stylized and embraces horror over melodrama. Its not exactly good, but its more interesting then when it tries to tell a real story. They did do a pretty good job at showing some smaller things being extra weird and then building to the Wickerman climax, it actually did manage to be a bit creepy until things went hilarious again. 

Its kind of funny that they did all of this fertility stuff when KJ is taking some time off because he had a kid. This is certainly one way to get Archie off the show for a bit, have the town hack his heart out! Unless this becomes an anthology show where it starts in a new version of Riverdale every time, I am at least interested in where this is going.

[Carrots4]

The references to other horror movies were okay, but it was just too weird how Archie’s own family was willing to sacrifice him for…really trifling things. His uncle can’t get over himself enough to have a relationship with Alice, so he’ll have Archie killed to have a shot with Alice? Betty sacrificing Archie for a child has a twisted logic to it, but her excitement over her future son becoming the Maple King himself in 25 years is just insane. Why wish that on your child?

Finally, who eats 119 pancakes in a sitting? The contests were kind of cool except for that one. The show wins me over and then it loses me completely.

[Dobian]

This show has jumped the shark…a 20 foot great white leaping 15 feet in the air.