Riverdale‘s final season is now upon us, and the 1950s setting is making way for some absolutely unexpected storylines. The series’ newest episode delivered that in nearly every way — and in the process, debuted what might be one of the show’s most specific pop culture references yet. Spoilers for Season 7, Episode 7 of Riverdale, “Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four: Dirty Dancing” below! Only look if you want to know!
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One subplot of the episode concerned Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) being cut off from her parents’ allowance, leaving her needing to get a part-time job at Riverdale’s local movie theater, the Babylonium. After working there and realizing that attendance is low due to the advent of television and drive-in theaters, Veronica devises a plan to bring in new customers. She shoots a commercial for the Babylonium that can air on local television — and then plays the advertisement for her boss. The commercial, shot entirely in black-and-white, shows Veronica emulating the real-life AMC Theatres advertisement starring Nicole Kidman, down to acknowledging that we go to moves to “laugh” and “cry.” A clip of the advertisement was actually posted to social media a month before the episode aired, by showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
What is Season 7 of Riverdale about?
The seventh season of Riverdale goes where no season of Riverdale has dared to go before-the 1950s! Picking up where last season ended, Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) finds himself trapped in the 1950s. He has no idea how he got there, nor how to get back to the present. His friends are no help, as they are living seemingly authentic lives, similar to their classic Archie Comics counterparts, unaware that they’ve ever been anywhere but the 1950’s.
Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) is the classic all-American teen, coming of age, getting into trouble, and learning life-lessons; Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) is the girl next door, starting to question everything about her perfect life-including her controlling mother Alice (Madchen Amick); Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) is a Hollywood starlet who moved to Riverdale under mysterious circumstances; Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) is the Queen Bee with a withering wit and a secret longing; Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) is an activist fighting for the Black students of recently integrated Riverdale High; Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) is a “square” crooner wrestling with his sexual identity; Reggie Mantle (Charles Melton) is a basketball star from farm country; and Fangs Fogarty (Drew Ray Tanner) is a greaser who’s destined to be an Elvis-type star. It isn’t until Jughead is visited by Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook)-Riverdale’s Guardian Angel-that he learns the cosmic truth about their predicament. Will Jughead and the gang be able to return to the present? Or will our characters be trapped in the 1950’s forever? And, if so…is that such a bad thing?
What do you think of Riverdale spoofing Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
New episodes of Riverdale air Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
