Riverdale Season 7 Episode 20 Evaluation: Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale

That is the top, Riverdale followers! After a few years of milkshakes and mischief, we have made it to Riverdale Season 7 Episode 20.

The sequence finale was a curler coaster of feelings for the characters and us watching at house. There are many candy endings and unhappy goodbyes for these beloved characters we have recognized for seven seasons.

It is a heartbreaking finish for the wild and entertaining (but generally irritating) story that was Riverdale.

“Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale” served true to its identify.

Riverdale’s sequence finale was a nostalgic journey down reminiscence lane and a farewell to the characters. Should you had any questions on what would occur to the group, we obtained these solutions, albeit generally not the solutions we hoped for or needed.

Having the sequence finale be framed round Betty’s final want (e.g., reliving one pleased day she missed out on) was a wonderful alternative for the plot construction.

With Riverdale Season 7 Episode 19 being set throughout junior yr, there was nonetheless numerous time left in highschool. This transformation bypassed all that additional time and made us those left at nighttime catching as much as the story.

This story tonight is about saying goodbye to a city that was as soon as misplaced in time.

Jughead

One thing is alluring about connecting the dots and fixing the thriller. Since Betty was remembering her life, we obtained to hitch her on the journey and eagerly awaited discovering out what occurred to every of her family and friends.

Severely, I could not wait till Betty or Jughead revealed every future story!

This tactic made the pacing fast, hooked us in to search out out the reality, and did not take away from the unhappiness. We obtained to delight in our feelings with every scene and goodbye, too.

It is unhappy to assume that the final day of Riverdale Excessive was the final all the buddies have been collectively.

Betty selected today as a result of she obtained the mumps and could not get her yearbook signed. But it surely is smart why today as a result of it assured that everybody can be collectively.

Everybody sometimes strikes on after faculty. Simply look to Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4; the core mates barely talked to one another within the seven years since they left.

Primarily based on the revelations within the new timeline, some characters would by no means return to Riverdale, not to mention be collectively in the identical room once more.

For instance, Fangs’ ending was so heartbreaking!

He labored onerous to be a profitable musician to assist Midge and their little one. Being a musician was his primary purpose for Riverdale Season 7. It was a merciless joke for him to die due to his music profession.

Betty: It didn’t work out like they hoped, did it?
Jughead: No. 4 weeks into his tour, Fangs’ bus was heading over the Rocky Mountains when one among his tires blew. There have been no survivors.
Betty: He was the primary one among us to move away.

And for Archie to depart Riverdale throughout his summer season away felt out of character for him.

Archie beloved the city, even when he needed to be a author and go on summer season adventures. His by no means coming again and deprioritizing his writing profession felt oddly unsatisfying; he deserved extra.

I am glad he was pleased along with his life post-Riverdale, however one thing felt lacking. (We’ll get to this afterward.)

The High 3 future reveals got here from the Cheryl/Toni, Alice, and Veronica segments.

Do not get me mistaken, there have been loads of different reveals that melted my coronary heart and felt satisfying. Like Kevin and Clay’s life collectively in New York or Jughead changing into a profitable journal author, however the three above hit all the precise notes.

As an illustration, Alice dwelling her dream as a flight attendant and discovering love once more was all of the makings of a romance novel.

Solely Alice might pull it collectively to avoid wasting a falling aircraft. I would not have been stunned in the event that they finally made a TV film in her world about her second likelihood and love in life.

Veronica changing into a profitable film studio proprietor was proper up her alley.

We have recognized for a few years that she had a watch for enterprise, together with the film enterprise. Josie even stated it as a lot throughout Riverdale Season 7 Episode 17. A implausible ending for her can be to turn into the highly effective film mogul she was all the time meant to be.

It could’ve been excellent had she and Betty saved in contact extra, however we will blame this on folks naturally drifting aside within the years after highschool.

So, for those who occur to see that neon signal some lonely night time on the finish of that lengthy journey, that journey that each one of us is on. Pull over, come on in, sit down. Know you’ll all the time be amongst mates, and that Riverdale will all the time be your own home.

Jughead

Not less than we will benefit from the satisfying endgame of Cheryl and Toni ending up collectively. “Choni” survived and thrived out of Riverdale’s primary {couples}. Listening to they’d an extended and pleased life collectively melted my coronary heart.

For many who fought the nice struggle and ‘shipped them since Riverdale Season 2, your second has come. Congrats in your victory!

Between all of the highs, some complicated and unsatisfying moments left me scratching my head. The principle problem is that the sequence finale took the coward’s method out on many huge selections.

For many of Riverdale’s run, the sequence performed with and targeted on romantic relationships.

Plots about which {couples} have been endgame, who was relationship whom, and the neverending breaking apart/getting again collectively made up a lot of the teenager drama. So, for the finale to not make a long-term alternative between any of the principle 4 teenagers, it failed on the story arrange method again on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 1.

The ultimate selections felt like lazy writing.

Within the first occasion, the “quad” romance between Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica felt like a method to not resolve which {couples} have been endgame.

A polyamorous relationship was a good way to showcase illustration of one thing that is not proven a lot on TV. Extra visibility is all the time welcome to coach and focus on several types of relationships.

In Riverdale’s case, with romances being such a focus of the characters and their plots, the choice for the romance got here throughout as a approach to appease everybody.

Since some folks would not be pleased if their ‘ship weren’t collectively, it is higher to provide the whole lot or nothing as an alternative of 1 factor and never the opposite.

And the reason of Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica being too enthralled by all the nice recollections from Angel Tabitha did not make sense.

Certain, Archie and Veronica had solely the nice recollections of their romances being superb. Nonetheless, Jughead and Betty saved the dangerous; they knew firsthand how poisonous and horrible issues obtained between everybody.

Why would they nonetheless be down for that?

Plus, that is nonetheless 1955. Leaping right into a polyamorous relationship can be one thing too surprising and out of the strange for them.

The second occasion is that not one of the primary 4 ended up collectively.

As talked about above, it was the “all or nothing” method. For the reason that present gave us a style of the whole lot, balancing it with none of them being collectively felt prefer it was attempting to keep away from drama, which was very unsatisfying.

Betty: I’m afraid it’s time for me to go.
Archie: Okay. Effectively, tonight isn’t goodbye anyway. I do know we’ll see one another once more. Perhaps. Perhaps we’ll even find yourself collectively. You realize I’ve all the time felt that it could be you and me on the finish of the street. I imply, it began with us. A boy and lady subsequent door to one another.
Betty: That’s a stunning sentiment, Archie. However that’s not what occurs sooner or later.
Archie: No?
Betty: No.

I might’ve beloved it if Betty and Archie obtained collectively as a result of “Barchie” was the strongest pairing out of the 4 left. And the teasing of Archie saying he thought he and Betty would find yourself collectively was so merciless.

Even when it had been a special pairing as an alternative, like Archie & Veronica or Betty & Jughead, it could at the least affirm one thing that had been set earlier than. We had some basis for why any of the pairings would get collectively.

Sending all 4 in reverse instructions did not match the buildup and romance plots that got here earlier than.

The ultimate scene of the gang reunited at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe was a touching send-off.

Riverdale has performed with the “Sweet Hereafter” themes in earlier seasons; it had been talked about as a chilled and superb place away from the darkness. So, for everybody to reunite in dying, it was a candy starting to their subsequent part.

And in some methods, it is an excellent reply to the comics.

A neverending story of the teenagers collectively at 17. Loads of milkshakes, sock hops, and drama at Riverdale Excessive for his or her afterlife. Riverdale will proceed, and our favourite characters will all the time be collectively.

A candy notice to finish their story on.

Final Ideas From Sweetwater River:

• • Is Betty a “peaked in high school” individual? She lived an thrilling life along with her household, constructing magazines and empowering ladies, however the day she needed to see once more was her final day of highschool? Betty, it is time to transfer on.

• • We might hear the sounds of the typewriter as Jughead did his ultimate send-off. Might this whole story be tied again to the narrator plot from Riverdale Season 6?

• • That wasn’t a poem; it was a roast for the ages. Everybody obtained served throughout the social gathering!

Now, over to you, Riverdale followers.

What did you consider “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale”?

Which character’s future reveal was your favourite? Did you’re keen on the sequence finale? Was there an ending you wished occurred?

Should you missed the sequence finale of Riverdale, you’ll be able to watch Riverdale on-line to get caught up on the episode and all the sequence. Come again right here and share your ideas within the feedback beneath.

Edit Delete

Justin Carreiro is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Observe him on Twitter.