Rivervale Review: Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox (Season 6 Episode 5)
And all was right in Riverdale, once again.
Or is it?
Parallel universes collide in Riverdale Season 6 Episode 5, “Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox,” as the show fires on all cylinders to deliver a satisfying 100th trip around the sun.
Almost miraculously, the overpacked, absolutely insane hour of storytelling ends up giving one of the most gratifying reveals of the past six years. Everything that happens is still senseless, the payoffs just feel bigger — more earned, somehow.
That’s not to say if you think too hard, questions won’t form at rapid-fire.
(Were the past four episodes just a dream within a parallel universe? Why did Archie know about the amalgamation but not Betty, if they were both at its birthplace? Which universe did Narrator!Jughead come from, if the dead Jughead was from Riverdale?)
The best approach is to toss all logic out the window. Without it, the episode becomes a roaring success. “The Jughead Paradox” isn’t really meant to give you answers — even when at times, it tries its best.
This episode exists to provide fan service to all who have survived the crazy ride of the past six years.
Fan service is exactly what “The Jughead Paradox” delivers. Surprise twists, fun cameos, and zero hesitancy to full-on insane at every given turn, make for an absolutely wild experience. With an episode so jam-packed with parallels, tributes, and fourth wall breaks, it would be impossible to catch them all in a single viewing.
Cole Sprouse sits at the helm of the episode, driving the majority of the story forward.
It’s a heavy load to bear as the series walks into syndication. Sprouse has to essentially play four different versions of himself throughout the hour, and somehow manages to give a unique voice to every Jughead we meet (that isn’t already dead).
He’s also tasked with delivering all the exposition, being the only core character aware of what’s happening between the two universes. Ethel and Dilton (super amusing return cameos) shoulder a slight bit of the load, but it’s not much.
Sprouse not only makes the story compelling, but successfully manages to keep viewers up to speed. Even with mile-a-minute dialogue and out-of-this-world explanations, Jughead’s journey is easy to follow.
Perhaps it’s because the audience discovers things as Jughead does. There are a myriad of small Easter eggs dropped throughout the episode — giving viewers an opportunity to race Jughead in finding answers –but it’s just as satisfying to simply hang on for the ride.
“Chapter One Hundred” also gives KJ Apa a chance to play a different version of Archie — something he misses out on in the previous episodes of Rivervale (being murdered sucks). Angry Archie has certainly made appearances throughout Riverdale’s run, but evil, villainous, Big Bad Archie is a whole different story.
Apa does a fantastic job at shifting gears; managing to come off chillingly ruthless, he maintains a sympathetic edge by drawing emotional gravitas from Archie’s grief.
Sprouse and Apa do most of “Chapter One Hundred’s” heavy hitting of the episode, which means the other characters are mostly there to play.
It’s an absolute blast watching Veronica seduce both Reggies into a threesome, and Cheryl finally gets to be the creepy, incestuous twin we always knew she would be. Every character gets to revisit their “pilot” selves in one of the most impressively mind-bending scenes, and there is no cut-off for how campy performances can land.
There’s also Reinhart, who takes a bit of a backseat in “Chapter One Hundred,” until the final moments. She takes to the wackiness of her character’s situation with ease, leaning into a few comedic beats that land exceptionally well.
Petition for Riverdale to let Lili Reinhart be funny more often.
As for romance, there’s plenty of that, too.
Betty and Archie are just in love as ever, their powerful connection even part of what forces Rivervale to form in the first place.
Jughead and Veronica almost get their moment of canon (so close!), only for Bughead fans to be rewarded instead. It’s well worth the stark story turn, however, with a beautiful moment of reprieve between one of the show’s most popular romances.
There’s also plenty of Veggie (times two), a heaping spoonful of the world’s healthiest couple Jabitha, and a few Ethelhead crumbs.
Besides fans of Varchie (oops) and Choni, everyone is likely to be satisfied with a few fun-filled moments between pairings (if there are Alice and Hal enthusiasts, even they get a shout-out).
If there’s one thing worth complaining about in “The Jughead Paradox,” it’s the lack of tribute to the show’s queer relationships. There may be a quick mention of Kevin and Moose, but Casey Cott barely gets a piece of dialogue, let alone a moment of romance.
Cheryl and Toni are the love story that suffers the most. As the leading queer ship, their lack of shared screen time feels like a gross misplacement. Even as individual characters, the two are severely underused.
It will be interesting to see what aspects of Rivervale follow the characters back into their normal lives. While Rivervale wasn’t exactly a representation of the character’s biggest fears, it certainly touched on certain conflicts the show will most likely have to address.
They’ll just be addressing it in a more grounded, normal way. Because what is Riverdale, if not a typical, boring, run-of-the-mill, small town, right?
What did you think of this episode of Rivervale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Riverdale airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.