Preview — Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4: Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio
The Riverdale we know is a thing of the past, or is it?
In the promotional materials for Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4, “Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio,” it really doesn’t look like that much has changed. When Archie returns from war he finds Riverdale falling apart at the seams under Hiram’s vicious rule, and boy that sure does sound exactly like the last three seasons.
This episode looks to fill in some of the gaps for us in the seven years since graduation. Archie is back from the Army, and it appears that he’s the one that brings everyone back home after learning about what’s been going on from Toni.
We have a lot of questions about how time works in Riverdale and hopefully seeing the episode will clear some of them up. In a sneak peek, Veronica tells her husband Chad that it’s 2021, but as far as we know the kids were in the Riverdale High Graduating Class of 2021.
Is the town of Riverdale actually stuck in a time bubble as my personal crackpot theory suggests? Or is this simply another continuity error that we’ll breeze right past, because well, it’s Riverdale.
It also looks like Toni’s been back in town for a while. Did she and Cheryl rekindle their romance after college, or have they too gone their separate ways?
Archie and Toni share a lot of scenes in the trailer for the new post-time jump world, and that’s one friendship I’m excited to see blossom. Every bisexual woman needs a himbo best friend, it’s what makes the world go round.
Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4, “Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio,” was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Steve Adelson.
What do you hope to see on the other side of the time jump? Is Hermione still starring on Real Housewives of New York? Have any of our heroes stayed connected over the years, or will this be the first time they’ve all reunited? Did any high school sweethearts make it? Tune in on Wednesday to find out.
In the meantime, check out the photos and promo video below for a preview!
Episode Description: After spending seven years away from Riverdale, Archie (KJ Apa) returns to find the town is now under Hiram Lodge’s (Mark Consuelos) grip and on the verge of becoming a ghost town. When Toni (Vanessa Morgan) catches him up on what’s been going on, Archie reaches out to the rest of the gang to return home. Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, Drew Ray Tanner, and Erinn Westbrook also star. Steve Adelson directed the episode written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
Photos from Riverdale Season 5 Episode 4:
Promo video:
What are your hopes for this episode of Riverdale? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and be sure to catch up with our review of Riverdale Season 5 Episode 3, “Chapter Seventy-Nine: Graduation” right here.
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Samantha Coley
Samantha (she/her) is a social media specialist by day and a sci-fi junkie by night. As a freelance writer and podcaster, she also enjoys live-tweeting, blogging, good music, and better television. Her current favorite television shows include Star Trek (yes, all of them), Riverdale, and Stranger Things and there will always be a place in her heart for Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, and The West Wing.