S06.E20: Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Return to Rivervale

[AnimeMania]

THE ULTIMATE MAN OF MYSTERY — Archie (KJ Apa) and the gang gather intel about Percival (guest star Chris O'Shea) so they can better understand where he came from and use that to their advantage.  However, when their plan results in an unexpected outcome, the gang is left having to pay a terrible cost.

Original Airdate: July 17, 2022   8:00-9:00 p.m.    CW

[thuganomics85]

Not as good as last weeks episode, but I'll rank it above the majority of the season because the batshit insanity at least was making me laugh and embrace the craziness instead of just be annoyed by everything.  Plus, we did get some actual movement here with the story, even if I'm sure the resolution will end up being dumb.

So, it basically looks like Rivervale is "leaking" into Riverdale thanks to Bunker Jughead calling Betty to warn her and Archie about the bomb, which somehow screwed with closing the rift or some shit.  That explains why everyone has powers now and why Percival himself is here and no one was aware of him: he's actually from Rivervale and he got sucked into this universe instead.  Also, he was a Satanist and the reason for his actions is because the Rivervale versions of the main gang's ancestors stopped him from making a sacrifice and tried to execute him, only for him to escape thanks to making a deal with the Devil himself, Cypher.  He's hoping the immortality will be a "loophole" from getting his soul taken, but I'm guessing this is all going to end with the Devil getting his way.

Gold star to Cole Sprouse who not only had to play three different Jugheads, but it felt like he got saddled with even more exposition dialogue than normal.  That couldn't have been easy!

Like with most scenarios on this show, I loved that not only was Percival's plan to execute Reggie, Kevin, and Reggie's dad going to be using guillotines in the middle of the damn casino, but Veronica's reaction was less "Holy shit, why the fuck are there guillotines in my damn casino?" and more "Really, guys?!  How 1800s of you!" about it.  Just an everyday annoyance that everyone has experienced at one point in their life! 

Wanted more of the settlers and the main cast in all of that get-up.  No old-timey staches sadly, but K.J. Apa was rocking some crazy sideburns!

Betty reunites with Polly and naturally uses the majority of her time with her resurrected sister to complain about her damn serial killer gene and why that means she's going to hell or something.  Polly finally has enough of the pity party and gets "rid of it" by simply washing Betty's feet.  Sure, why not?  I'm guessing there will be a lot more to this.

So, Jughead is basically Doctor Strange, who can not only portal his way through multiverses, but can even travel around Riverdale and break out Reggie and Kevin (and Reggie's dad) like it's just an average day at work.  But, as usual, the victory is short-lived, as Percival strikes back by... executing Alice, Frank, and Keller instead?  Doubt it is going to be permanent since it was basically off-screen.

[rmontro]

17 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Not as good as last weeks episode, but I'll rank it above the majority of the season because the batshit insanity at least was making me laugh and embrace the craziness instead of just be annoyed by everything.  Plus, we did get some actual movement here with the story, even if I'm sure the resolution will end up being dumb.

Agree, not as good as last week, but still above average for this season.  And we actually got some answers as to what is going on.  I like that they traced it back to the first half of the season and the Rivervale stuff.  

I find it hilarious that we've seen numerous generations of Riverdale citizens, and they all look exactly like the current cast lol, with a few fashion alterations.  There's something supernatural going on right there.

Wasn't there a preview clip last week that featured a full on evil Betty, saying something like "I'm evil'?  What happened with that?  Is that going to happen next episode, or was it something that just got edited out?

Polly cleanses Betty's serial killer gene by washing her feet, and says that someone washed her feet so she could enter the Sweet Hereafter.  I took that to mean she meant Jesus (although you never know with this show).  I'm pretty sure that's not how Christianity works, but I found it somehow moving.

17 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

So, Jughead is basically Doctor Strange, who can not only portal his way through multiverses

Actually, I think that would make him America Chavez.

[the-grey-lady]

28 minutes ago, rmontro said:

And we actually got some answers as to what is going on.  I like that they traced it back to the first half of the season and the Rivervale stuff.  

So much exposition and monologuing this episode! Such bad pacing this season!

[Noneofyourbusiness]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

Wasn't there a preview clip last week that featured a full on evil Betty, saying something like "I'm evil'?  What happened with that?  Is that going to happen next episode, or was it something that just got edited out?

We saw that scene. It was in Betty's nightmare. The line came from her conversation with Polly.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, Noneofyourbusiness said:

We saw that scene. It was in Betty's nightmare. The line came from her conversation with Polly.

Odd, not sure how I missed that.  Actually, there was a a news report about a random shooter, maybe that bit got cut out for me.

[ruby24]

I don't know where all this is going and it's hard to care. I was convinced it was all some other universe that wasn't going to matter, but now it's hard to see that happening.

Apparently RAS said that he was all set to go in one direction for the last season and then just recently they came up with a brand new idea and they're doing that instead, so...eek. I don't know, man. 

I really would like them to rid themselves of this supernatural shit for the final season but how do they do that without separating this whole year out from the real world? Ala, it was all a dream, it was all another dimension, something. I'd like not to have to care about anything that happened this season at all and can't we all just forget about it, please. 

[Noneofyourbusiness]

4 minutes ago, ruby24 said:

I really would like them to rid themselves of this supernatural shit for the final season but how do they do that without separating this whole year out from the real world?

By having all the supernatural stuff in Riverdale go back to Rivervale when the connection is cut between them, probably. It will still have happened, but it won't be able to happen again, and the characters might even lose their memories of it. Betty and Archie will still have survived Hiram's bomb because of Narrator's Jughead's phone call but won't be able to put their finger on exactly what happened, etc.

Too bad, since the show is more interesting with it in.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Noneofyourbusiness

[the-grey-lady]

58 minutes ago, ruby24 said:

I don't know where all this is going and it's hard to care. I was convinced it was all some other universe that wasn't going to matter, but now it's hard to see that happening.

Apparently RAS said that he was all set to go in one direction for the last season and then just recently they came up with a brand new idea and they're doing that instead, so...eek. I don't know, man. 

I really would like them to rid themselves of this supernatural shit for the final season but how do they do that without separating this whole year out from the real world? Ala, it was all a dream, it was all another dimension, something.

I still think your suggestion is exactly where they're going. This will be an AU, or, like the poster below suggests, they'll somehow separate the two universes or some such. 

[magicdog]

Couldn't help but notice some acknowledgement on the show's part of past incarnations of Archie and the gang - specifically, the Filmation years:

1) The nod to US of Archie in which the gang's ancestors (who look exactly like the current gang) and their roles in helping shape US history with historical figures (such as Robert Fulton, etc.).

2) The superhero angle.  The gang as superheroes with powers.  Filmation tried to adapt an animated series but had lost the rights to the characters so they created this instead.

[Moxie Cat]

So, did any Riverdale fans here watch Sleepy Hollow? The final season's Big Bad had sold his soul to the devil, and spent most of that season figuring out how to become immortal to exploit the same exact loophole. Once he accomplished that, his grand plan was to turn the US into a fascist totalitarian empire. Sound familiar? (Granted, that villain had more impressive goals than just a dinky town.)

I guess we'll know someone was really inspired by Sleepy Hollow if in the finale, Archie sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a weapon that destroys Percival. And I guess that's one way the final season could go.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Moxie Cat

[the-grey-lady]

1 hour ago, Moxie Cat said:

So, did any Riverdale fans here watch Sleepy Hollow?

I did, though I don't notice the connection until now.

Ah, Riverdale – you never tire of copying better shows/books/movies.

[tennisgurl]

That was a whole ton of exposition dumped on us, but this was still one of the seasons better episode. That probably isn't saying much, and it was less fun than last weekend, but this explanation is at least halfway decent. At least its better than yet another alternate dimension or Riverdale just having magic now...of course it seems like magic exists there anyway considering Sabrina is cannon in Riverdale. Or is she sucked in from Rivervale too? Because I can totally buy that Sabrina exists in the Rivervale universe. I do like the explanation that they threw at us in basic form, that Percy is from Rivervale and he brought magic to Riverdale, which pretty nicely ties the first half of the season into the second, and it explains what Percy's deal is, more or less, and why magic is here now. I half want all of this supernatural stuff to disappear with Percy, as its making the show even sillier than it normally is, but I also sort of want some of it to stay. The show clearly likes doing horror, its one of the few times the show really seems to try anymore, so maybe just leave a few ghosts around. 

It was fun seeing Rivervale again, I loved Tabitha and Jugheads "yeah sure ok" reactions to hearing that Nana and Cheryl's witch ancestor who's actually Cheryl has switched bodies, nothing surprises them anymore. The thing that's really supernatural is the fact that the Jones/Andrews/Cooper/Blossom lines have all looked exactly the same for hundreds of years. I so wanted more of the cast in pioneer clothes, although nothing will beat Jugheads Gilded Age mustache. Cole was really putting in the work this week, playing three different Jugheads, sometimes playing against each other. I also laughed at Tabitha's "really? Mr. Cypher?" look when Rivervale Jughead told them how you sold his soul to the devil. 

We really have gotten to the point where Veronica isn't even so much surprised at people wheeling in actual damn guillotines into her place of business so much as she's annoyed at the space they take. Just another Tuesday in Riverdale at this point. So they managed to save the mantles and Kevin (now playing for team good guy) but Percy decided to execute Frank, Alice, and Sheriff Keller, I guess because when you bother to buy guillotines, you just have to kill somebody. I don't buy it, as we didn't see their actual deaths. After his dad almost help kill him, things are sure going to be awkward at the Kellers this week.

I've been making jokes about Riverdale being built on top of a hellmouth since season one, but I never thought that would actually be confirmed in cannon.

[rmontro]

21 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I really would like them to rid themselves of this supernatural shit for the final season but how do they do that without separating this whole year out from the real world? Ala, it was all a dream, it was all another dimension, something.

Maybe they could do some sort of reset, where once they get rid of the connection with Rivervale, all this goes back to when the rift started, and all is forgotten.  Not sure where that leaves us, is that back to the explosion again?  Which reminds me, they did throw a hint in there that maybe Jughead wasn't over Betty because he tried to save her.  Honestly, at this point I'd rather see him with Tabitha.  At least she won't be mooning over Archie all the time.  And she is an angel after all, at least for now.

[the-grey-lady]

50 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Maybe they could do some sort of reset, where once they get rid of the connection with Rivervale, all this goes back to when the rift started, and all is forgotten.  Not sure where that leaves us, is that back to the explosion again?  Which reminds me, they did throw a hint in there that maybe Jughead wasn't over Betty because he tried to save her.  Honestly, at this point I'd rather see him with Tabitha.  At least she won't be mooning over Archie all the time.  And she is an angel after all, at least for now.

That reset idea, to separate their memories of Rivervale from the ones in Riverdale, seems plausible to me.

But I have to disagree about Betty. She wasn't mooning over Archie when she was with Jughead. She'd accepted that her view of her and Archie as a couple was a fantasy, and she really loved Jughead. Jughead and Tabitha are a black hole of chemistry.

[rmontro]

4 minutes ago, the-grey-lady said:

But I have to disagree about Betty. She wasn't mooning over Archie when she was with Jughead. She'd accepted that her view of her and Archie as a couple was a fantasy, and she really loved Jughead. 

She may have accepted it, but she still entertained the fantasy.  I don't see evidence of Tabitha fantasizing over some other dude.

[the-grey-lady]

1 minute ago, rmontro said:

She may have accepted it, but she still entertained the fantasy.  I don't see evidence of Tabitha fantasizing over some other dude.

Maybe she occasionally wondered what could have been, but people have feelings. That doesn't mean they don't love the person they're with. And Tabitha may not be interested in anyone else, but she doesn't seem into Jughead, either.

[Dobian]

I love how Percival goes on local television and spills the goods on everything about his pact with the Devil, the alternate universe, and getting his blood-soaked revenge on the descendants of the town's founders, and of course none of this insanity ends up on YouTube and attracts the attention of the rest of the country.  Riverdale truly exists in a vacuum.

I enjoyed the call-back to the Rivervale mini season and particularly Cypher, whose attitude about the whole thing was, "Best of luck with that SOB that has been ducking me the past 300 years!"

The suspense of Percival chopping people's heads off was kind of diminished by the knowledge that Cheryl can just bring everyone back to life now.

Ethel beating up on Bunker Jughead like a nagging wife was the highlight of the episode for me.  So if you're Jughead and you live in an actual dimension like Riverdale or Rivervale, you get a hot piece like Betty or Tabitha, but if you live in the purgatory between dimensions, you get Ethel.  Cosmic justice?

In the TV interview, I'm guessing that the guy holding the boom mic and the woman in the back are probably actual show staff.  Nice cameos!

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, the-grey-lady said:

Maybe she occasionally wondered what could have been, but people have feelings. That doesn't mean they don't love the person they're with. And Tabitha may not be interested in anyone else, but she doesn't seem into Jughead, either.

Well, Betty did end up back in bed with Archie, so obviously she wasn't over him.  As for Tabitha, maybe they don't throw a lot of sparks, but sometimes the best relationships aren't the most passionate ones.  To flip that, sometimes the most passionate relationships aren't the most healthy.

[the-grey-lady]

3 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Well, Betty did end up back in bed with Archie, so obviously she wasn't over him

Yeah, seven years later, when they were both lonely and single. And then when they stopped sleeping together, she didn't care. That doesn't scream "not over him" to me. And I agree that comfortable relationships can be great, and that passionate relationships can be unhealthy, but Jughead and Tabitha have no sparks. They seem awkward just touching. They seem like pals, not people in a relationship.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 7/19/2022 at 12:46 AM, magicdog said:

Couldn't help but notice some acknowledgement on the show's part of past incarnations of Archie and the gang

My favorite televised incarnation was the cartoon Archie's Weird Mysteries.

15 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

At least its better than yet another alternate dimension or Riverdale just having magic now...of course it seems like magic exists there anyway considering Sabrina is cannon in Riverdale. Or is she sucked in from Rivervale too? Because I can totally buy that Sabrina exists in the Rivervale universe.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina took place in the RiverDale universe and that's the Sabrina who appeared in "The Witches of Riverdale" last week. The Sabrina who appeared in "The Witching Hours" earlier this season was her alternate self in the RiverVale universe. So there was always magic in the RiverDale universe, just not so prominently in the town of Riverdale compared to the nearby town of Greendale where Sabrina lives and Cheryl's old flame (no pun intended) Heather moved to. The Hellmouth under Pops exists in both universes, too, and Cheryl's books of arcana. Cheryl may or may not be a witch even without the seepage from RiverVale, and Heather definitely is.

7 hours ago, Dobian said:

I love how Percival goes on local television and spills the goods on everything about his pact with the Devil, the alternate universe, and getting his blood-soaked revenge on the descendants of the town's founders, and of course none of this insanity ends up on YouTube and attracts the attention of the rest of the country.  Riverdale truly exists in a vacuum.

The rest of the country would think it was a skit.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Noneofyourbusiness

[SourK]

So... in principle I can get on board with most of the ideas in this episode, and I think a lot of them could have been entertaining stories in themselves, if they were developed more, so I'm kind of bummed out that they're not -- but also happy that this was at least interesting.

• I like the idea that Percival is a villain transplanted from an alternate, supernatural universe and that he realized he was the only one with magic powers in Riverdale and saw his chance to take over -- that's a really neat concept.
• I like that Riverdale is a comic book written by Rivervale Jughead, and now he's being confronted by the characters who ask him, disbelievingly, why he would give them such terrible lives -- also a very nice concept, with or without the part where he made a pact with the devil to only write things that make the world worse.
• I like the idea of Worst Jughead in the bunker between worlds, somehow continuing to make the worlds collide because of his human vulnerabilities.
• I like the idea of a bunch of people signing on with Percival and then realizing what they actually got on board with only at the moment when it's too late to do anything, and he feels confident enough to be openly fascist.

I could do without the biblical stuff, but maybe that's just me.

IDK. This season is frustrating, because it feels like it has a bunch of scattered pieces of what might have been a cool story, but they never got assembled into anything -- they're just sprinkled randomly among the pieces of much less cool stories.

[the-grey-lady]

27 minutes ago, SourK said:

This season is frustrating, because it feels like it has a bunch of scattered pieces of what might have been a cool story, but they never got assembled into anything -- they're just sprinkled randomly among the pieces of much less cool stories.

Perfectly said.