Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | March 19 - 25, 2022 By Dana Simpson TV Media I t's time to turn the page and begin a new frame of Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa, "Song- bird," 2020) and friends, be- cause the second half of "River- dale" Season 6 begins Sunday, March 20, on CW. Series fans everywhere have been waiting for the dark high school drama to air Part 2 of Season 6 since it aired its 100th episode on CW in December of last year. Titled "Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox," the final episode before the break saw Jughead (Cole Sprouse, "Five Feet Apart," 2019) reach his breaking point and take off on a quest to solve the mysteries plaguing his hometown of Riverdale. Of course (and spoilers ahead for those not yet caught up), "Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Witching Hour(s)" also featured a very special guest: Sabrina Spellman (Keirnan Shipka) from "Chilling Adventures of Sabri - na." As diehard fans of the Ar- chie Comics universe will know, Sabrina, while vastly different in lifestyle, hails from the same world as Archie and friends. This time, however, fans of the TV se- ries adaptations finally got to see a crossover event that will be talked about for seasons to come. Before "Riverdale" celebrat- ed its 100-episode milestone (a milestone that, in the industry, allows the show to enter syndi- cated reruns), plenty had oc- curred in Season 6. During what is often referred to as Season 6's "five-episode special event" that takes place in the related universe of Rivervale, viewers discover that Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch, "Polaroid," 2019) un- leashed a curse on Riverdale as revenge for its involvement in past atrocities. Tied up in River- dale's history of witch hunts and trials, Cheryl's anger paved the way for Sabrina's introduction into the series and the injection of further supernatural elements into the show's storylines. One of these haunting devel- opments is tied to Jughead and Tabitha's (Erinn Westbrook, "In- satiable") apartment. Now that the couple — who finally pro- claimed their love for one an- other — have discovered their home is possessed by the spirits of dead couple Sam and Diane, fans are interested to see how that plot point progresses and whether the sinister fate of the dead couple could foreshadow inevitable disaster for River- dale's newest sweethearts. Among other earth-shatter- ing paranormal events in the first five episodes of Season 6, Archie is dead, Veronica (Camila Mendes, "Palm Springs," 2020) sends Reggie (Charles Melton, "Bad Boys for Life," 2020) to Hell, Toni (Vanessa Morgan, "Finding Carter") accidentally kills Darla Dickenson's (Azura Skye, "One Missed Call," 2008) son and is haunted by La Lloro- na before eventually becoming the Mexican folkloric mourner herself, and both Kevin (Casey Cott, "Asking For It," 2021) and Jughead sell their souls. Talk about an action-packed pre-hia- tus cliffhanger! Heading into the next part of the season with "Chapter One Hundred and One," the cast and crew of the series are keeping whatever information they have close to the chest for the sake of their fans. That said, audiences can expect more of the super- natural as Season 6 continues; something many fans have been asking for for a long time. While discussing the events of the first five episodes of Sea- son 6 in November 2021, show- runner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa ("Chilling Adventures of Sabri- na") told TVLine, "It was really important to make sure that they were what we call 'in conti- nuity,' meaning that things that happen in Rivervale would con- tinue or echo or speak to the events of Riverdale. Every year, we start very disparate story- lines, and we always try to weave them all together, and this year is no exception." Needless to say, the writers, producers, directors and actors seem to have a lot in store for the town of Riverdale through- out the remainder of the season — and, yes, the show will pick up back in the regular universe and away from the brief trip into Rivervale. Regardless, the occult drama of the first installment will find a way to play into the remainder of the season — fret not, Archie fans! Hiram Lodge's (Mark Consue- los, "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," 2006) explosion at Archie's house and Jughead's subsequent hear- ing loss will pay a big part in driv- ing the plot forward as of this week, while Veronica and Reg- gie's relationship doesn't appear to be getting any better than late last season (or, to be honest, in Rivervale). Betty (Lili Reinhart, "Hustlers," 2019) also appears to be having a heap of trouble in her own personal life, according to the 30-second promo trailer in which she sees plenty of stress between herself, ex-boyfriend Glen (Greyston Holt, "Bitten") and current boyfriend Archie (who did not die!) At the end of the day, nothing is for certain in Riverdale, and each of its citizens must now face some of their biggest chal- lenges yet. But from relationship squabbles to exorcisms and ev- erything in between, Part 2 of "Riverdale" Season 6 will no doubt be a wild ride. Don't miss it when it pre- mieres Sunday, March 20, on CW. New episodes will be re- leased weekly. Charles Melton and Erinn Westbrook in "Riverdale" Beyond the 'Vale': Teens back in 'Riverdale' following supernatural foray 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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