Something wicked has come to town on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 19. Wickedly fabulous, that is.
Sabrina Spellman (the witch, the legend, she of the staircase dance parties) is here to save the day and fight back against Percival Pickens’ death plague. There is no witch more powerful in the Riverdale/Greendale universe than Sabrina.
And before any war of Good vs. Evil starts, we need our heroes back on the battlefield.
“Chapter One Hundred And Fourteen: The Witches of Riverdale” felt like a pause-and-recharge episode. After all the biblical chaos on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 18, there needed to be some downtime to undo Percival’s recent damage.
He literally brought down the plagues! How much more evil could he get when he killed half the cast?
You could feel the slower pacing in the chapter’s tone. Everything was more serene, the pacing spent more time telling us what needed to happen, and the main storyline was stuck until the victims came back to life.
Plus, we got Sabrina Spellman back for an official Riverdale crossover with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. No “Rivervale” shenanigans, like Riverdale Season 6 Episode 4; this was all Riverdale canon.
Riverdale had plenty of witchy connections the last few months, especially with Riverdale Season 6 as a whole going full supernatural. But I liked how this chapter owned up to all its absurdity and just went for it.
Of course, Cheryl would have the powers of the phoenix; it’s the helpful plot device that came to the rescue. And of course, Riverdale’s soapy love triangle and twists were a must, even when it came to realizing heaven (or “The Sweet Hereafter”) was real.
This is coo-coo bananas, but I’m also kinda feeling it. So, what do I do?
Cheryl
We’ve reached the point where even the characters broke the fourth wall. They know what campy world they’re playing in.
Just go along for the wild Riverdale ride and don’t ask any questions. Sometimes it’s easier that way to accept it.
Sabrina’s first attempt at bringing Jughead back had good intentions. But her quick failure made it clear that something as big as leaving The Sweet Hereafter wouldn’t be so simple.
After weeks of Tabitha and everyone talking about their certain deaths, returning to the mortal world would seem terrible.
I completely understood why Jughead and everyone else turned it down to stay in happiness. It’s the “perfect” Riverdale world we’d all expect after reading the Archie Comics as kids.
I liked that it felt believable that the victims would turn it down. Why would they give up that happiness after years of Riverdale’s darkness?
The Sweet Hereafters of the victims were quite telling about their true happiness. Like, Jughead loved his writing/fame, Archie wanted a picturesque home life with Betty, Fangs, and Toni wanted a peaceful life with Baby Anthony, and the Blossoms had a loving home life.
Jughead, Fangs/Toni, and the Blossoms didn’t surprise me in the least.
Sabrina: I can’t promise you a happy ending. Once I find Jughead, great name by the way, I’ll explain what happened, but it’s up to him.
Veronica: Meaning?
Sabrina: The dead have to want to return. I can’t force them to come back.
Fangs/Toni are great parents who want the best for their son. Plus, they’ll gladly take it if they can get peace for the Southside Serpents. On the other hand, the Blossoms were always about family in their sick, twisted way.
And in Jughead’s case, his joy for writing blended with his ambition to be famous plenty of times. Of course, his heaven would give him some shred of that.
Archie’s “Sweet Hereafter” was surprising because of how Riverdale still teased the love triangle of Archie/Betty/Veronica at the end of the chapter.
Hear me out: Tabitha may have seen plenty of past outcomes where Archie ended up with Veronica and others where he ended up with Betty. Those realities shifted based on the different timelines and the past worlds.
Nick: Has anyone put a hex on you? Damned your soul?
Betty: No. I was recently likened to the Harlot of Babylon.
Sabrina: Oh, yes, totally! Yeah, no, the Harlot wouldn’t technically be allowed into heaven. No.
Betty: Oh, okay, well that figures.
Sabrina: Anyone else here have an emotional connection with Archie that can lead him back to the mortal realm?
[Betty points to Veronica]
Veronica: Sure, yeah, kill me temporarily so I can visit my ex-boyfriend in heaven. Why not!
However, in this timeline, Archie’s heaven is literally a happy marriage with Betty. Like kids, a house, and an alive Vegas. Veronica wasn’t a part of his heaven.
Why should she settle for someone whose heaven didn’t include her? Veronica deserves so much more than that.
And didn’t Veronica and Archie already agree that their life goals don’t align? There’s no point for this love triangle to be a thing or for this storyline to come back when Archie and Veronica don’t work as a couple anymore. Can’t Riverdale move on?
One benefit of Sabrina’s early failure was that we got some updates about the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It felt like closure for us fans about what happened after Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 4.
It’s a shame we didn’t get Gavin Leatherwood back in full Nick Scratch glory (seriously, why?!), but Jughead’s reanimated dead body did the trick. Even as a corpse, Nick and Sabrina still radiated chemistry!
How Sabrina was alive again made sense in the grand scheme of the Riverdale universe; there was no way her aunts and loved ones would let her stay dead after her sacrifice. But, sadly, she and Nick can’t be together, especially since he ended his life to be with her.
It was a controversial ending and one that shouldn’t have happened. Still, at least Nick and Sabrina got their tender goodbye and growth.
Speaking of growth, Reggie and Kevin got their slight redemption again, albeit a little too late. If only they’d seen the light sooner, they wouldn’t be trapped in the vault as Percival’s prisoners.
Still, we need to credit them for doing the right thing. It would’ve been terrible if Reggie killed Kevin; that act would’ve made him an unforgivable villain.
Plus, Marty would’ve eventually discovered how Reggie got the heart transplant. That guilt would’ve eaten him alive.
Don’t cry, not for me. What was that thing your aunties used to say? Witches don’t cry.
[“Nick” and Sabrina kiss]Nick
Hopefully, Reggie and Kevin can use their newfound time to figure out how they can stop Percival.
What are the odds it’s the new mysterious weapon Reggie just happened to steal? (I’m guessing pretty high.)
Could any of the returnees be corrupted after their escape? It’s the big question I had after Cheryl brought Jason and Polly back to life.
Something has to be wrong with them.
They’ve been dead for so long; Jason’s body was literally rotting on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 1. Bringing them back will most likely have consequences from Death, as well as their attitudes toward the mortal world.
Let’s cross our fingers that they don’t corrupt the people around them. Or worse, Death claims a victim in Cheryl’s life as payment for stealing two from them. (Looking at you, Heather.)
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
-
So, Baby Anthony is immortal, and Tabitha is a guardian angel? The layers of this Good vs. Evil war are getting more intense as the weeks go on.
-
Calling Betty the “Harlot of Babylon” was peak levels of unintentional shade by everyone.
-
Vegas will always be a good boy.
-
Jughead got his hearing again. What other benefits could have happened from Cheryl’s phoenix spell?
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans!
What did you think of “Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen: The Witches of Riverdale?”
Do you want Sabrina to return? What consequences will Polly and Jason bring to town? Who will win in the Archie, Betty, and Veronica love triangle?
If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
