The final countdown! After five years on The CW, Riverdale is nearing its conclusion with a seventh and final season.
“I am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,” the CW’s CEO Mark Pedowitz said during an executive call in May 2022, according to Deadline. “We had a long conversation with [executive producer] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa] yesterday, who is thrilled by this news, and we will treat the show in the manner it deserves. We want to make sure it goes out the right way.”
Pedowitz noted that he thought Riverdale was ready to say goodbye, adding, “I think they, too, felt that seven years is the right amount. As a fan myself, I do want to do what is right for the show.”
Amid the announcement, KJ Apa opened up about getting the opportunity to play Archie for so many seasons. “I’m sad to be saying goodbye to Riverdale next season, to our sets, to our crew, to our producers, to our CW family but I can speak for everyone, for Cami [Mendes], Cole [Sprouse], Lili [Reinhart] and the rest of our cast that we are so grateful for everyone’s support,” the actor said during the CW Upfronts in May 2022. “To the fans, without the fans, none of this would be possible.”
The New Zealand native spoke exclusively to Us Weekly on the red carpet at the network’s New York City event. “I think a few of us, we saw it coming,” Apa said of the announcement that the show would end in 2023, noting that the cast didn’t get a say in the cancellation. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ll be really sad to say goodbye to Archie, to Riverdale, to our sets, to our crew.”
Apa continued: “It’s exciting and it’s sad, you know, ’cause we’ve created so many memories on this show. I’ve got a kid now. I’ve been through so much over the last six years and I know everyone else has. Yeah, a lot of growing up in the last six years.”
The teen drama, which premiered on The CW in 2017, explored the characters at the center of the iconic Archie Comics. Following a murder, the main group of friends came together to uncover the dark secrets that exist within their town.
During season 6, viewers got to experience a special “Rivervale” event that saw the characters exist in an alternative universe following an explosion that resulted in Archie, Betty, Jughead and Cheryl developing mysterious powers in the aftermath. “We have super powers, and these last few episodes of the season are amazing, actually,” Apa told Us of the penultimate season. “They’re really intense. They’re very fast-paced. We are definitely gonna be finishing this one off with a bang.”
According to Apa, the characters’ new abilities should help them face the season’s villain Percival Pickens. “I’m hoping that it comes down to him and me fighting,” he told TV Line in May 2022 of the upcoming showdown. “But I think it becomes a little more intricate than just a physical battle. There’s a lot of dark magic. He’s got powers, we’ve got powers. So it’s very Harry Potter meets Stranger Things.”
The I Still Believe star also admitted that he was “a little sad” to see the show wrap up. “I try not to think about it, because the more I think about it, the more real it becomes,” he revealed. “I think a lot of us saw it coming, [Season] 7 most probably being the final season. So it didn’t come as too much of a surprise to me.”
Scroll down for everything to know about Riverdale‘s final chapter:
The final countdown! After five years on The CW, Riverdale is nearing its conclusion with a seventh and final season.
“I am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,” the CW’s CEO Mark Pedowitz said during an executive call in May 2022, according to Deadline. “We had a long conversation with [executive producer] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa] yesterday, who is thrilled by this news, and we will treat the show in the manner it deserves. We want to make sure it goes out the right way.”
Pedowitz noted that he thought Riverdale was ready to say goodbye, adding, “I think they, too, felt that seven years is the right amount. As a fan myself, I do want to do what is right for the show.”
Amid the announcement, KJ Apa opened up about getting the opportunity to play Archie for so many seasons. “I’m sad to be saying goodbye to Riverdale next season, to our sets, to our crew, to our producers, to our CW family but I can speak for everyone, for Cami [Mendes], Cole [Sprouse], Lili [Reinhart] and the rest of our cast that we are so grateful for everyone’s support,” the actor said during the CW Upfronts in May 2022. “To the fans, without the fans, none of this would be possible.”
The New Zealand native spoke exclusively to Us Weekly on the red carpet at the network’s New York City event. “I think a few of us, we saw it coming,” Apa said of the announcement that the show would end in 2023, noting that the cast didn’t get a say in the cancellation. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ll be really sad to say goodbye to Archie, to Riverdale, to our sets, to our crew.”
Apa continued: “It’s exciting and it’s sad, you know, ’cause we’ve created so many memories on this show. I’ve got a kid now. I’ve been through so much over the last six years and I know everyone else has. Yeah, a lot of growing up in the last six years.”
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The teen drama, which premiered on The CW in 2017, explored the characters at the center of the iconic Archie Comics. Following a murder, the main group of friends came together to uncover the dark secrets that exist within their town.
During season 6, viewers got to experience a special “Rivervale” event that saw the characters exist in an alternative universe following an explosion that resulted in Archie, Betty, Jughead and Cheryl developing mysterious powers in the aftermath. “We have super powers, and these last few episodes of the season are amazing, actually,” Apa told Us of the penultimate season. “They’re really intense. They’re very fast-paced. We are definitely gonna be finishing this one off with a bang.”
According to Apa, the characters’ new abilities should help them face the season’s villain Percival Pickens. “I’m hoping that it comes down to him and me fighting,” he told TV Line in May 2022 of the upcoming showdown. “But I think it becomes a little more intricate than just a physical battle. There’s a lot of dark magic. He’s got powers, we’ve got powers. So it’s very Harry Potter meets Stranger Things.”
The I Still Believe star also admitted that he was “a little sad” to see the show wrap up. “I try not to think about it, because the more I think about it, the more real it becomes,” he revealed. “I think a lot of us saw it coming, [Season] 7 most probably being the final season. So it didn’t come as too much of a surprise to me.”
Scroll down for everything to know about Riverdale‘s final chapter:
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Credit: The CW
When Will the Final Season of ‘Riverdale’ Air?
The CW confirmed that the final season will have a midseason return in 2023. An episode count has not been confirmed yet.
Credit: Kailey Schwerman/The CW
Are Betty and Archie Endgame?
Apa hesitated in May 2022 when asked about Barchie’s fate before telling Us Weekly exclusively, “I don’t know, but I’m very, very anxious to see.”
The actor also opened up about Archie and Betty’s future after his character shared a kiss with his ex Veronica. “I think Archie’s very much loving his time with Betty and imagining a potential future with her, [which includes] kids and her family and being married. Which is why that scene kind of struck me,” he exclusively told Us. “I don’t think [the kiss] meant anything more to Archie.”
In response to a question about Jughead possibly reuniting with ex-girlfriend Betty, Apa told TVLine that same month, “I wouldn’t be worried about that. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
Credit: Jack Rowand/The CW
How Did the Cast React to Plans for the Final Season?
After Riverdale‘s final season was confirmed, Mendes took to social media to offer a glimpse at what is yet to come.
“One more season to deliver the ending you all deserve 💖 so much love for all the fans who were here since day one and never left. wouldn’t have made it this far without you!!” she tweeted.
Credit: Robert Falconer/The CW
Will Old Cast Members Return?
Molly Ringwald, who plays Archie’s mom, Mary Andrews, exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2022, “I will be back. I haven’t been in it for a while,” noting that story lines are being kept tightly under wraps. “I think that’s all I can say!” the Pretty in Pink actress joked.
Credit: Kailey Schwerman/The CW
Will ‘Riverdale’ Season 7 Stay in 1955?
The season 6 finale ended with Cheryl saving the world from a comet, but that somehow reverted the characters back to teenagers. Also, they’re in 1955 and Jughead is the only one who remember their real lives.
Aguirre-Sacasa told Nerds of Color in a July 2022 interview that the comics-accurate costumes and setting are part of the “special” storyline in season 7. “Riverdale is so divisive, but the thing everyone agrees on is whenever we see our characters in flashbacks, dream sequences, or whatever it may be in their 1950s iconic comic book outfits, everyone is delighted,” he explained.
Credit: The CW
Is Season 7 Connected to Past Seasons?
With the big change, Aguirre-Sacasa assured Nerds of Color that the move doesn’t make the seventh season an alternate universe and likened it to this year’s Rivervale arc.
“We’re going to hunker down, be in the ‘50s, and kind of deconstruct not just Archie Comics but what Riverdale has been and have it in dialogue with what people think of as the Archie Comics. That said, it is not a clean break,” the showrunner warned. “It is very much in continuity with the first six seasons, kind of the same way that Rivervale ended up being in continuity with the rest of the season. Jughead remembers what happened the first six seasons, it’s in question what the other characters will remember … We are also using this as sort of an opportunity to do some fun resetting of the table, a little bit of mixing and matching, adjusting backstories, and things like that, but it’s very much in keeping with what we’ve done the first six seasons.”
Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW
What Relationships Will Be Explored?
“You’re really getting what made the show so special in season 1, which was the relationships in the town. This season is more pared down with the craziness, but there are some bizarre things happening,” Petsch teased to Variety in December 2022. “We are shaking things up. Everyone is dating everyone.”
Credit: Kailey Schwerman/The CW
What Will Season 7 of ‘Riverdale’ Look Like?
Aguirre-Sacasa took to social media in December 2022 to share a first glance at the season 7 premiere, which introduces all the characters in their new ‘50s style.
“Here’s a sneak peek at our beautiful premier episode, coming soon!! We’re making something truly special this year,” he wrote alongside a handful of emojis that hint at what the final season has in store.
In the clip, “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets plays while everyone is seen smiling in their ‘50s garb, with the exception of Jughead, who is aware that something has gone awry.
Credit: Courtesy of Nicholas Barasch/Instagram ; Courtesy of Karl Walcott/Instagram
Who Is Joining the ‘Riverdale’ Cast?
Nicholas Barasch will join the final season as the new antagonist, preppy high school bully Julien Blossom. He’ll find himself at odds with everyone, especially Archie.
Karl Walcott, meanwhile, will play Clay Walker, an open-minded army brat who loves art and is open about his sexuality, Deadline reported in December 2022.
