The CW's Riverdale opened its sixth season with the death of its main character, Archie Andrews, and the show's creator has now addressed whether or not he's actually dead. Based on the characters from the decades-old comic, Archie, Riverdale follows the same group of teens in modern-day. However, this adaptation sees the likes of Jughead, Betty, and Veronica trading adolescent squabbles for more adult-laden themes. The series has had its share of sex, drugs, scandal, and murder - all within the first season.
The highly anticipated sixth season had been promising more horror elements, including introducing Kiernan Shipka's teenage witch, Sabrina, from Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. In the comics, Sabrina exists in the same universe as Archie and his friends. This turn has been addressed in a special five-episode event entitled, "Rivervale" a spookier version of the suburban town. The show is no stranger to these supernatural themes as past seasons have had the town haunted by a murderous Gargoyle King, and citizens recruited by a mysterious cult. This season, Cheryl Blossom, played by Madelaine Petsch, has even formed her own cult, which has a hand in Archie's demise.
Now, Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has confirmed in an interview with TV Line that everyone's favorite redhead, played by KJ Apa, is indeed deceased. Aguirre-Sacasa was asked if Archie would be dead throughout the entire Rivervale event or if his death was just a one-episode plot line. After confirming that Archie would still be dead as the crossover event goes on, he also promised that it wouldn't be the only death by the end of the five-episode event. Read his full response below:
No, they are serialized, so Archie is dead in Episode 2. And I’ll say this: That’s only the start of the body count for Rivervale.
As fans deal with the loss of Archie, questions on how Rivervale affects the greater Riverdale universe were posed. Aguirre-Sacasa went on to whether the events of Rivervale were part of an alternate dimension or if everything that happens is real and will carry on even after the last episode of the crossover. Read the creator's response below:
"No, one of the things that we really worked hard on is to make sure that these five episodes… obviously, we wanted to make them as fun as possible, and we wanted to event-ize them and all that stuff, and we wanted a little bit of a clean slate and a fresh start with these episodes. But it was really important to make sure that they were what we call “in continuity,” meaning that things that happen in Rivervale would continue or echo or speak to the events of Riverdale. Every year, we start very disparate storylines, and we always try to weave them all together, and this year is no exception. I’m not going to speak to alternate universes or dreams or anything like that, but I will say that this is all happening, and we will play as though this is all happening, even beyond the first five episodes."
In the episode, viewers were introduced to Rivervale where terrible things are happening to the main characters. While Jughead and Tabitha battle a frightening pest infestation, Cheryl and her followers enact a plan to ward off competitors in the maple syrup business. The horror influences become more apparent as Cheryl holds her annual Maple Harvest festival, which mimics something from Midsommar. It's all fun and games until Archie, who is enjoying the evening's festivities, is later called to the top of Thorn Hill and stabbed to death by Cheryl's hands. The Blossom offspring alleged a sacrifice was required.
Riverdale has always taken liberties with its storyline and has never been shy about killing off characters. The first season saw the death of Cheryl's brother, Jason Blossom, as its main plot point. But, the death of the prominent lead character is something totally different. Usually, the sudden loss of a character so important to a series would alienate a fanbase. Samira Wiley's departure from Orange Is the New Black is a perfect example. Many viewers left the series over her character's abrupt demise. Given The CW's audience and this show's track record with jumping the shark, it would not be a surprise if this plot development doesn't have the opposite effect, stoking fans' love for the show even more.
Source: TV Line