Riverdale: what you need to know about the first part of season 6

Barely a month after the end of season 5, Riverdale returns for its sixth round of episodes this November 17 on Netflix. Archie and his gang return for 5 chapters of events in a particular universe that will turn their lives upside down.

Even if the showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa did not reveal many details on this season 6 of the series, here is what we can expect from these 5 special episodes.

A first event part of 5 episodes

Season 6 of Riverdale consists of two parts, the first of 5 episodes starting November 16 on The CW and November 17 on Netflix in France, and the second in 2022. The first part is a special event where the characters will evolve in a different universe called Rivervale, as Betty’s interpreter Lili Reinhart put it:

Season 6 begins with a special 5-episode event, which takes place in a different “universe” – RiverVale – while the remainder of the season airs in January. I know it’s confusing. But these 5 episodes are a journey – you’ll see our characters like you’ve never seen them before.

As a reminder, Season 5 ended with an explosion, suggesting that Archie (KJ Apa) and Betty were not going to survive. Will this shift into a new universe bring explanations or even more questions?

The arrival of Sabrina Spellman

It was announced with great fanfare: Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) is coming to Riverdale! The famous witch, who was entitled to her own series The New Adventures of Sabrina, will meet her friends from Archie Comics and in particular Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch), who learned that her ancestor Abigail was burned alive by Jughead’s ancestors (Cole Sprouse), Archie and Betty, and intends to take revenge on the people of Riverdale.

She swears to create a school for troubled girls on the grounds of Thornhill and gathers around her a sort of cult, linked to witchcraft, but her purpose will surely prove dangerous. Fortunately for her, Cheryl should be able to count on the magician Sabrina who arrives in episode 4.

Complicated love stories

After the tragic events of season 5, the romances of the characters in Riverdale were turned upside down. Veronica (Camila Mendes) has returned to the arms of her ex Reggie (Charles Melton) and the two are a very powerful couple. For his part, Jughead is having happy days with Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) with whom he has moved. Finally, Betty forms a solid couple with Archie as the two are trying to have a baby!

New enemies

The departure of Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos) at the end of season 5 will leave a great void in Riverdale. Eternal villain of the series, the latter leaves leaving a bomb under Archie’s bed. If we do not yet know the outcome of this attack, it is hard to imagine the writers of the series killing one of its main characters.

But the Riverdale gang will have no respite as new threats will emerge: a mysterious man called Mr. Cypher and whom Reggie nicknames the Devil but also a ghostly presence in the halls of Riverdale High.