Since this episode has already aired, check out our coverage on it, including interviews with showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa explaining (sort of) what time period the time jump takes place in, Vanessa Morgan’s upgraded role, and a full breakdown of how the episode came to be. You can also check out our own explanation of the time jump weirdness, and an extended musical performance of “After Dark”.
The original text follows.
This is the first official episode of post-high schoolRiverdale, with all that entails. A lot of rumors have been flying about potential casting and romantic shake-ups, and while those mostly remain unofficial (keep reading for the official ones) I’d venture there’s no reason to do a time jump if everything remains status quo. Whoever they may be, expect some new cast-members, new professions, new relationships, and maybe some old sparks.
One of those initial rumors that is panning out? That Archie will be joining the Army, not the Navy. That seemed to be borne out by the script cover teased by Aguirre-Sacasa (fun fact: this is the first time since the pilot and second episode of the series that Aguirre-Sacasa has written two episodes ofRiverdale in a row, in season), and according to Apa, is true. Though the script cover comes from Archie 1941 #5, which found the town grappling with Archie being MIA, and presumed dead after fighting in World War II, here we’ll get Archie returning to find Riverdale is a ghost town, thanks to Hiram Lodge. In an effort to rejuvenate the town he’ll get the old gang back together. First stop? Riverdale High.
Also getting some shake ups: Betty will have joined the FBI, and Jughead may be alcoholic and homeless (though it’s also possible Apa was joking/exaggerating this).
Seems… fun? Here’s a blurb from the schedule The CW released back in May:
“Season five of Riverdale will begin with our characters’ final days as students at Riverdale High. From an epic Senior Prom to a bittersweet Graduation, there are a lot of emotional moments and goodbyes yet to come—with some couples breaking up, as everyone goes their separate ways to college—or elsewhere. Then, we will redock with our gang as young adults, all returning to Riverdale to escape their troubled pasts. And life—and romance—will only be more complicated now that they’re in their twenties…”
Other bits of note about this episode! Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty is officially joining the cast as a main cast member, living with Kevin Keller and Serpent Queen Toni Topaz. Toni, by the way, seems to be very visibly pregnant, and is running her minions through the halls of Riverdale High, picking up where Cheryl left off. She’s also, as teased in the Season 5 premiere, the new Serpent Queen of the South Side Serpents.
Probably alarming, particularly for those who ‘ship Varchie (a.k.a. Veronica and Archie): Chris Mason is joining the cast in a recurring basis as… Veronica’s husband, Chad Gekko. Archie-verse fans might recognize the name from Katy Keene, where the Wall Street type was played by Reed Prebenda. Here, he is described as “An Alpha dog… threatened by Veronica’s life in Riverdale, especially her friendship with Archie.”
Joining the cast full time is Erinn Westbrook as Tabitha Tate, Pop Tate’s daughter who moves to town hoping to expand Pop’s into a franchise. Though it seems reasonable to think that would bring her into direct conflict with Veronica, not so, says writer Ted Sullivan: “One thing I truly love about this show is it does not resort to the old trope of women hating other women (usually written by men). That will continue. Tabitha is good people! Be nice to her when she arrives!” he said via Tweet.
Three other cast members showing up, though most likely as recurring/one-time players: Jeremy Jones, Robert Egger and Skylar Radzion. The latter was widely rumored to be playing Jughead’s new girlfriend by fans (she is not), and the other two do not have confirmed roles at this time.
Oh, and we don’t know if she’ll show up in this episode or a subsequent one, but Filipina-Canadian Instagram star AC Bonifacio will be on the show as a River Vixen, and at some point will have a heated dance battle with Cheryl.
We also got a sneak peek at the villain — or one of the villains — who will be threatening the Town With Pep post-graduation: a trucker who cruises the “Lonely Highway” complete with skeleton tied to his front grille. That ties in nicely with some promo art previously shared, showing a blonde woman running away from a 18-wheeler. Is that woman Polly Cooper? Tiera Skovbye, who plays Polly, stayed mum when we recently interviewed her, though did let slip we’ll see the presumably now nine-years-old twins Juniper and Dagwood post-time jump.
Regardless, time to bone up on your Duel!
Last thing to discuss is the title of the episode, “Purgatorio.” That’s the title of the second part ofDante’s DivineComedy. The first part isInferno, the second partPurgatorio, and the third partParadiso. Though as usualRiverdale titles are mostly references to well known things that, like the script covers, only skirt the plot, there are two potential things to glean here.
The first is that The Divine Comedy is Dante’s journey through the afterlife, and inPurgatorio he reaches Purgatory, the halfway point between Heaven and Hell, natch. In the poem, Dante explores what the wages of sin and vice are, something that we’d venture Archie will be doing when he encounters Hiram’s Riverdale.
The second is that this is the halfway point. Obviously nothing is far from certain, but one could certainly speculate that Aguirre-Sacasa views this as the halfway point in Archie’s story — which isRiverdale‘s story, in essence — with the previous four seasons forming theInferno part, and whatever is next eventually heading towardsParadiso. Don’t know if we can safely say “Riverdale is running for eight seasons!!” but it’s food for thought in terms of a plan, particularly given “Graduation” did a good job of wrapping up the first four seasons.
Here’s the official synopsis from The CW:
SEVEN-YEAR TIME JUMP — After spending seven years away from Riverdale, Archie (KJ Apa) returns to find the town is now under Hiram Lodge’s (Mark Consuelos) grip and on the verge of becoming a ghost town. When Toni (Vanessa Morgan) catches him up on what’s been going on, Archie reaches out to the rest of the gang to return home. Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, Drew Ray Tanner and Erinn Westbrook also star.
