It’s officially a new era for The CW‘s Riverdale, as the series has now jumped seven years forward into the future. The time jump has been teased for the better part of last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the original timetable of it happening, which has left quite a lot of fans with preconceived notions and theories about exactly what it would bring. This week, audiences finally got their answer with the debut of “Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio”, the fourth episode of the show’s fifth season. The episode picked back up on the lives of Riverdale High’s young adults in some truly unexpected ways, bringing new jobs, new relationships, and a slew of new problems for them to solve.
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If you need to catch up on the most essential details and storylines from Riverdale‘s latest episode, we’re here to help. Here are the biggest reveals and Easter eggs from “Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio.” Obviously, spoilers for the latest episode of Riverdale, “Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio”, below! Only look if you want to know!
Archie
In a dream sequence, Archie leads the Bulldogs — or, really, his infantry in the army — in a fight on the Riverdale High football field. After getting knocked down, Archie is motivated to get back up after seeing the Vixens cheerlead, only for his dream to end with Hiram pointing a gun at him. Archie wakes up at a VA hospital, where an officer calls on him to return to Riverdale to rebuild its ROTC program. Archie returns to Riverdale and sleeps at the boxing club, which has fallen into a state of disarray.ย
Toni
Archie finds his way to the new Wyte Wrym in the basement of Pop’s, which is owned by the Serpents, where Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea are performing as musicians. Toni and Archie catch up, and Toni reveals that she’s pregnant, but that she’s keeping the father’s identity secret for now. Toni also reveals that after college, she’d initially gotten a job with Riverdale’s social services office, but they were shut down, and she’s now become the Riverdale High guidance counselor, while moonlighting as Serpent Queen.
Cheryl
After graduating from college, Toni returned to town and tried to reconnect with Cheryl, who hasn’t been seen in town in years. The second time she returned to Thornhill, Cheryl was being antagonized by Hiram and his new right-hand man, Reggie. Toni tells Cheryl that her family accepts her bisexuality and suggests that they could get back together, but Cheryl argues that she’s too cursed to live a normal life.
Kevin, Fangs, and the Serpents
Kevin works as the drama teacher at Riverdale High, after he and Fangs stayed together through all of college. The Serpents — including Fangs and Sweet Pea — have now pivoted to driving trucks.
Betty
In Quantico, Betty is now part of the FBI academy, but has been stuck working on cold cases after something that happened with a serial killer dubbed “The Trash Bag Killer.” She is dating one of her coworkers. On her own, Betty continues to investigate the Trash Bag Killer, but it gives her flashbacks and nightmares to the two weeks she spent being held captive by him. After getting a call from Archie, Betty decides to go back to Riverdale for a few days.
Veronica
On the upper east side, Veronica celebrates her one-year anniversary with her husband, Chadwick. After meeting him while trading at Wall Street, Veronica now works at an Uncut Gems-like jewelry store — but told Chadwick that she was working at Lacy’s with Katy Keene. Chadwick finds out and gets upset, and we learn that part of their strife was caused by a helicopter accident they were both in, during which Veronica almost died. After visiting Hermione on the set of Real Housewives, Veronica returns home to Chad apologizing with a Glamerge egg — which she immediately tries to sell to a customer. Veronica then gets a call from Archie.
Jughead
In the Alphabet City area of New York, Jughead lives with his girlfriend, Jess, and tries — and fails — to be a successful writer. After writing and publishing one successful book, Jughead has writer’s block surrounding his next one, and to make matters worse, Jess leaves him and debt collectors are trying to contact him. While wallowing in his sadness in a bar, Jughead meets and hooks up with Cora — a fan of his first book. The next morning, Cora reveals that she mainly tracked him down so he could read her manuscript. Jughead reluctantly agrees, as long as Cora covers for him with the debt collectors. Jughead gets a call from Archie.
Reunion
Toni shows Archie the state that Riverdale is in — under Hiram’s reign, the town has become impoverished and derelict, with the goal of gentrifying the town into SoDale. Jughead, Betty, and Veronica show up at Pop’s, and Archie tells them of a plan to help save the town.
