The final countdown! After five years on The CW, Riverdale<\/em><\/a> is nearing its conclusion with a seventh and final season.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,\u201d the CW\u2019s CEO Mark Pedowitz<\/strong> said during an executive call in May 2022, according to Deadline<\/em>. \u201cWe had a long conversation with [executive producer] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa]<\/strong><\/a> 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Pedowitz noted that he thought Riverdale<\/em> was ready to say goodbye<\/a>, adding, \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Amid the announcement, KJ Apa<\/strong><\/a> opened up about getting the opportunity to play Archie for so many seasons<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m 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<\/strong><\/a>], Cole [Sprouse]<\/strong><\/a>, Lili [Reinhart]<\/strong><\/a> and the rest of our cast that we are so grateful for everyone\u2019s support,\u201d the actor said during the CW Upfronts in May 2022. \u201cTo the fans, without the fans, none of this would be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The New Zealand native spoke exclusively to Us Weekly<\/em> on the red carpet at the network\u2019s New York City event. \u201cI think a few of us, we saw it coming,\u201d Apa said of the announcement that the show would end in 2023, noting that the cast didn\u2019t get a say in the cancellation. \u201cI can\u2019t speak for anyone else, but I\u2019ll be really sad to say goodbye to Archie, to Riverdale<\/em>, to our sets, to our crew.\u201d<\/p>\n Apa continued: \u201cIt\u2019s exciting and it\u2019s sad<\/a>, you know, \u2019cause we\u2019ve created so many memories on this show. I\u2019ve got a kid now. I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/a><\/p>\n During season 6, viewers got to experience a special \u201cRivervale\u201d 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. \u201cWe have super powers, and these last few episodes of the season are amazing, actually,\u201d Apa told Us<\/em> of the penultimate season. \u201cThey\u2019re really intense. They\u2019re very fast-paced. We are definitely gonna be finishing this one off with a bang.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Apa, the characters\u2019 new abilities should help them face the season\u2019s villain<\/a> Percival Pickens. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that it comes down to him and me fighting,\u201d he told TV Line<\/em> in May 2022 of the upcoming showdown. \u201cBut I think it becomes a little more intricate than just a physical battle. There\u2019s a lot of dark magic. He\u2019s got powers, we\u2019ve got powers. So it\u2019s very Harry Potter<\/em><\/a> meets Stranger Things<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n The I Still Believe<\/em> star also admitted that he was \u201ca little sad\u201d to see the show wrap up<\/a>. \u201cI try not to think about it, because the more I think about it, the more real it becomes,\u201d he revealed. \u201cI think a lot of us saw it coming, [Season] 7 most probably being the final season. So it didn\u2019t come as too much of a surprise to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Scroll down for everything to know about Riverdale<\/em>\u2018s final chapter:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Shane Harvey\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The final countdown! After five years on The CW, Riverdale<\/em><\/a> is nearing its conclusion with a seventh and final season.<\/a>
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The CW confirmed that the final season will have a midseason return in 2023. <\/a>An episode count has not been confirmed yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Kailey Schwerman\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Apa hesitated in May 2022 when asked about Barchie’s fate before telling Us Weekly <\/em>exclusively, “I don’t know, but I’m very, very anxious to see.”<\/p>\n 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<\/em>. “I don’t think [the kiss] meant anything more to Archie.”<\/p>\n In response to a question about Jughead possibly reuniting with ex-girlfriend Betty<\/a>, Apa told TVLine<\/em> that same month, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be worried about that. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Jack Rowand\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n After Riverdale<\/em>‘s final season was confirmed, Mendes took to social media to offer a glimpse at what is yet to come.<\/p>\n “One more season to deliver the ending you all deserve \ud83d\udc96 so much love for all the fans who were here since day one and never left. wouldn\u2019t have made it this far without you!!” she tweeted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Robert Falconer\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Molly Ringwald, who plays Archie\u2019s mom, Mary Andrews, exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> in May 2022, \u201cI will be back. I haven\u2019t been in it for a while,\u201d noting that story lines are being kept tightly under wraps. \u201cI think that\u2019s all I can say!\u201d the Pretty in Pink<\/em> actress joked.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Kailey Schwerman\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Aguirre-Sacasa told Nerds of Color<\/em><\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n With the big change, Aguirre-Sacasa assured Nerds of Color<\/em><\/a> that the move doesn’t make the seventh season an alternate universe and likened it to this year’s Rivervale<\/em> arc.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We\u2019re going to hunker down, be in the \u201850s, and kind of deconstruct not just Archie Comics but what Riverdale<\/em> 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<\/em> ended up being in continuity with the rest of the season. Jughead remembers what happened the first six seasons, it\u2019s 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\u2019s very much in keeping with what we\u2019ve done the first six seasons.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Colin Bentley\/The CW\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re 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,\u201d Petsch teased to Variety in December 2022. \u201cWe are shaking things up. Everyone is dating everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nRiverdale Will End ‘With a Bang’: Everything to Know About the CW Show’s Seventh and Final Season<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n\u201cI am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,\u201d the CW’s CEO Mark Pedowitz<\/strong> said during an executive call in May 2022, according to Deadline<\/em>. \u201cWe had a long conversation with [executive producer] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa]<\/strong><\/a> 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.”
\n
\nPedowitz noted that he thought Riverdale<\/em> was ready to say goodbye<\/a>, adding, \u201cI 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.\u201d
\n
\nAmid the announcement, KJ Apa<\/strong><\/a> opened up about getting the opportunity to play Archie for so many seasons<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m 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<\/strong><\/a>], Cole [Sprouse]<\/strong><\/a>, Lili [Reinhart]<\/strong><\/a> and the rest of our cast that we are so grateful for everyone\u2019s support,\u201d the actor said during the CW Upfronts in May 2022. \u201cTo the fans, without the fans, none of this would be possible.\u201d
\n
\nThe New Zealand native spoke exclusively to Us Weekly<\/em> 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<\/em>, to our sets, to our crew.”
\n
\nApa continued: “It’s exciting and it’s sad<\/a>, 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.”
\n
\n[jwplayer ShcrRHML-zhNYySv2]
\n
\nThe 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.<\/a>
\n
\nDuring season 6, viewers got to experience a special \u201cRivervale\u201d 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<\/em> 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.”
\n
\nAccording to Apa, the characters’ new abilities should help them face the season’s villain<\/a> Percival Pickens. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that it comes down to him and me fighting,\u201d he told TV Line<\/em> in May 2022 of the upcoming showdown. \u201cBut I think it becomes a little more intricate than just a physical battle. There\u2019s a lot of dark magic. He\u2019s got powers, we\u2019ve got powers. So it\u2019s very Harry Potter<\/em><\/a> meets Stranger Things<\/em>.\u201d
\n
\nThe I Still Believe<\/em> star also admitted that he was “a little sad” to see the show wrap up<\/a>. \u201cI try not to think about it, because the more I think about it, the more real it becomes,\u201d he revealed. \u201cI think a lot of us saw it coming, [Season] 7 most probably being the final season. So it didn\u2019t come as too much of a surprise to me.\u201d
\n
\nScroll down for everything to know about Riverdale<\/em>‘s final chapter:
\n
\n[podcast_block]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/The-End-Era-Everything-Know-About-Riverdales-Final-Season-0066644.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"When")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWhen Will the Final Season of ‘Riverdale’ Air?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/The-End-Era-Everything-Know-About-Riverdales-Final-Season-005.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Are")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nAre Betty and Archie Endgame?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/The-End-Era-Everything-Know-About-Riverdales-Final-Season-0077.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"How")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nHow Did the Cast React to Plans for the Final Season?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Molly](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RVD401b_0311b.jpg?w=800&quality=78&strip=all\" "\\"Will")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWill Old Cast Members Return?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Riverdale](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Riverdale-Season-7-News.jpg?w=800&quality=55&strip=all\" "\\"Will")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWill ‘Riverdale’ Season 7 Stay in 1955?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Riverdale](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Riverdale-final-episodes.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Is")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nIs Season 7 Connected to Past Seasons?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Riverdale](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Everyone-Is-Dating-Everyone-in-Riverdales-Final-Season-2.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"What")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWhat Relationships Will Be Explored?<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"'Riverdale'](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Riverdale-Season-7-Everything-to-Know-back-to-the-50s.jpg?w=800&quality=70&strip=all\" "\\"What")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n![\"Riverdale](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Riverdale-Will-End-\u2018With-a-Bang-Everything-to-Know-About-the-CW-Shows-Seventh-and-Final-Season-143.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Who")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n