Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has confirmed Riverdale season 5 will include a time jump. The CW's stylishly neo-noir reimagining of the Archie Comics universe was as bonkers as ever in season 4, but it also had to overcome some shocking real-world challenges along the way. Things started off on a poignant note when the season opened with the death of Archie's beloved father Fred Andrews following actor Luke Perry's own tragic passing last year. Then, before season 4 could fully wrap up its overarching storylines, the coronavirus pandemic took a turn for the worse in March, leading to production shutting down.
Since filming on The CW's shows has yet to resume, Riverdale season 4 was forced to wrap up a few episodes early, with last week's "Killing Mr. Honey" serving as its unexpected finale. Because of this, the series was unable to tackle the major events - among them, Archie and his friends attending their senior prom and graduating from high school - originally planned for its last three episodes this season. As a result, those things will be covered in season 5 instead, along with a time jump previously intended to take place between seasons.
Speaking to TVLine, Aguirre-Sacasa explained he and the other Riverdale creatives had been "talking and planning on doing a time jump" between season 4 and 5 prior to the shut-down in March (complete with "a tease at the very end" of season 4). With that no longer possible, season 5 will be "picking up right where we left off for the first three episodes, and then doing a time jump." And while the finer details are still being worked out, the general expectation is the time jump will span several years (according to TVLine).
Riverdale doing a dramatic time jump is hardly a surprise; it's actually been a popular fan theory for a while, and for valid reason. For starters, this should allow the show to get around the logistical obstacle of having its four leads (Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Jughead) attend different colleges - or, in Archie's case, a naval academy - by simply skipping over their college years and having them reunite in Riverdale sometime after they've graduated (or, if not that, while the main four are on a break from school). It would also allow the primary cast to play characters who're closer to their real age in season 5, as opposed to having to pretend they're all still 18 going on 19. Plus, with costars Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols leaving after season 4, this will provide an organic explanation for why many of the parents of Riverdale are no longer around as much, if at all.
After four years of Archie and his pals solving crimes and battling serial killers in The Town With Pep, a massive shake-up like this should help to keep Riverdale feeling fresh in season 5. It could also lead to some larger changes that, depending on who you ask, would be good or bad for the show in general. Whether that's fan-favorite couples breaking up and/or an end to the school musical episode tradition, change is definitely coming to Riverdale. But fans need not fret, there will surely still be plenty of the amateur detective work, soap opera drama, and miscellaneous mayhem they love on the horizon, too.
Riverdale season 5 doesn't have a premiere date yet.
Source: TVLine