Riverdale ending defined – what occurs within the sequence finale?

What occurs on the finish of Riverdale? Spoilers forward for the grand finale of Riverdale, clearly.
Oh, Riverdale: you received our hearts regardless of all the pieces. We’ll most likely by no means see one other sequence fairly such as you ever once more. For some followers, it’s been the most effective TV sequence round with all its risk-taking and unpredictability. The truth is, because it went on, the present virtually turned a realizing parody of itself, taking issues in ever-wilder instructions. That growing absurdity ranks it among the many greatest drama sequence of the last decade, even when followers (and Riverdale itself) don’t at all times take it significantly.
Now it’s throughout, for higher and worse, and the season 7 finale has arrived to shut out the sequence for good. RIP Riverdale 2017-2023. All the time chaotic, by no means boring. For a full breakdown of what, precisely, we simply noticed, right here’s all the pieces you must know concerning the full Riverdale ending defined.
However first, a one-line refresher on what occurred within the penultimate episode: after our characters spent a season with a fresh-slate within the Fifties they ultimately acquired their good reminiscences again from Angel Tabitha, although solely Betty and Jughead determined to recollect the nice and the unhealthy.
Time waits for no man
That leads us to a time-jump through which we skip a whopping 67 years into the longer term, into the current. For our characters, the timeline has progressed from the Fifties, to roughly now-ish. Betty and Jughead, of their 80s, are the only real survivors.
Besides, not for lengthy. Betty checks the obituary part within the day’s newspaper, solely to seek out that Jughead has now died too, leaving her alone. Betty asks her granddaughter, Alice, to take her again to Riverdale for one final journey, earlier than she forgets her former life for good.
On the evening earlier than she plans to start her journey, Betty is visited by Angel Jughead, who provides her a chance to return into the previous and relive one single day. Betty thinks and picks the final day of senior 12 months (which she’d missed out on) when everybody acquired their yearbook.
After which, virtually immediately, Betty is again prior to now and younger once more — renewed and rejoicing within the contemporary (outdated) world round her. She finds Archie discussing his future with Mary and meets Cheryl and Toni, who’s internet hosting an artwork present, and Fangs and Midge, who signal her e book and share hopeful information about their very own future.
The 4-awe-some
Maybe the one greatest revelation (and a long-held fan principle now vindicated) although, comes from Kevin and Clay. They reveal that Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and Archie at the moment are in a polyamorous relationship ‘quad’. After Angel Tabitha had given them their reminiscences again, the foursome every agreed that they didn’t need to be compelled to choose only one associate, once they all liked one another virtually equally.
Because the day passes and Betty basks within the glory of this new previous, she visits Cheryl and Toni’s artwork present, and Cheryl delivers a shifting speech about her love for Toni: how their relationship and their artwork can’t be separated, and feed into one another symbiotically. However not all relationships are so blissful, particularly once they are available a 4.
Veronica tells Archie and Jughead that she plans to maneuver to LA as a way to run a film studio, and the 2 boys take it as a stinging blow. However Betty interjects, and together with her age-given knowledge, she turns issues right into a optimistic.
As an alternative of ruminating about what they stand to lose, the squad embraces and shares their optimistic reminiscences. With the night now having arrived, the 4 take one final journey collectively to Cheryl’s afterparty, although Betty struggles with the information that these would be the remaining hours she spends together with her mates and companions.
In a shifting second sure to please long-time Riverdale devotees, Archie delivers a memory-packed poem/roast dedicated to his mates and their time collectively. We’re not crying; you might be. As Betty leaves, Archie kisses her goodbye and shares his hope for his or her future, a hope that Betty is aware of can’t be fulfilled. And her day is completed.
Preserved by the previous
Now, again within the current, Betty goes on that journey to Riverdale with Alice. However she by no means makes it, and he or she dies peacefully within the backseat earlier than they arrive. Her remaining goodbye to Riverdale was not within the current however prior to now, preserving this idealized model of the city as her remaining reminiscence of it, untrammeled by the current day’s losses.
A younger, 17-year-old Betty now arrives at The Candy Hereafter (the much-adored diner) quite than the 86-year-old Betty. The younger variations of her mates are there, too: Archie, Veronica, and Jughead. And in that state of pure, unburdened pleasure — with milkshakes in hand — is the place Riverdale ends. The characters are, as Angel Jughead declares, “perpetually juniors” and perpetually younger of their dying.
What occurs to every Riverdale character?
In order that’s how the story ended. However what occurred to every character individually? What did their very own fates maintain?
Mary meets a girl named Brooke, who she stays with. She additionally buys her costume store. Alice Cooper turns into a stewardess and, in a single specific journey, even has to fly a aircraft herself when a pilot dies unexpectedly. She will get married to one of many passengers she saved on the flight.
Polly nonetheless has twins, as she did within the authentic timeline. Nevertheless, the most important change is that she lives fortunately with them and her household. Fangs dies on tour when a tire on his tour bus blows whereas on Rocky Mountain. Nevertheless, his success secures the monetary way forward for Midge and their daughter.
Reggie turns into an expert and joins the Lakers earlier than returning to educate at Riverdale Excessive. His spouse and sons run Mantle Motors. Veronica’s determination to maneuver to LA is vindicated. She shortly finally ends up working a studio and wins Oscars.
Archie strikes to California, the place he meets his spouse. They’ve a household collectively, and he writes alongside his profession in building.

A bittersweet finale, when all’s stated and performed, and the top of an period. Riverdale, we salute you.
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