Riverdale season 6 is back, and we’re finally witnessing the aftermath of Hiram’s fiery farewell.
On the list of things that could happen to Betty and Archie upon hearing a bomb under their bed, I have to say, developing superpowers was not high. Nothing about Riverdale could truly shock me at this point (I can just hear the writer’s room yelling “challenge accepted!” now), but they definitely know how to keep their audience on their toes. You have to give them that.
So yeah, Archie now has super strength and some level of invincibility, Betty has super serial killer vision, or aura sensing powers, Bingo has regenerative capabilities, and Jughead…is going deaf. Talk about drawing the short straw.
Riverdale season 6, episode 6 felt like an interesting extension of the “Rivervale” event that filled the first five episodes of the season. Not only does some sort of magic seem to be lingering in the town, but there was also a marked style shift from a typical episode of Riverdale.
Related: Riverdale season 6, episode 5 review: Here’s to one hundred more
Everything about this episode felt like a cross between a crime drama and one of the CW’s Arrowverse shows. It was like a superhero origin story mixed with a procedural drama. And it was definitely closer to a DC origin story than a Marvel one, because it got very dark, very quickly.
Of course Betty and Archie would get superpowers and have zero fun with them. Sure, Betty got her super satisfying moment of victory over Glen, but right from the start these “new mutants” were all business. In moves that surprised exactly nobody, Archie went full vigilante, and Betty had her new super eyes trained on murderers. How do you get super strength and not at least go crush one of those carnival strength tests? What a waste.
With all of the wild twists and turns Riverdale has taken, it’s really difficult to say whether or not this is the next direction the show is swinging in or if Betty and Archie are just having delusions of grandeur as a result of bomb-induced head trauma. Honestly though, and this may be the residual Rivervale talking, I think I could get on board if these superpowers stayed! Is that crazy? It feels crazy.
At this point, superpowers would actually make some of the Riverdale plot lines more believable, and “Rivervale” displayed that the show can work well when it leans toward the supernatural. Since Cheryl seems to also have some magic creeping into her story, I think this could actually work for a while.
The other huge thing that happened in Riverdale season 6, episode 6 is the alleged death of Hiram Lodge. Honestly, even saying alleged is generous in this case, because unfortunately, there is absolutely no way that he’s truly gone. While Riverdale doesn’t always follow the rulebook when it comes to storytelling, you simply can’t kill a character of such importance as the main villain of the series offscreen. If he was going to die like this, it would have been in the season 5 finale when Mark Consuelos was still around to give his body as proof. As much as I hate to say it, I’m sure that Hiram Lodge has survived to ruin another day.
That being said, while this death certainly isn’t real, the emotions that Veronica is feeling very much are. She made the decision to put the bounty on his head, and before she could change her mind, it was too late (or so she thinks, at least). My heart broke when she heard the news and realized what she’d done. This man has put her through so much, but he’s still her father, and he’s now potentially the man who’s made her a murderer.
Given the huge changes everyone seems to be going through in Riverdale season 6 so far, I’m interested to see how this action effects Veronica’s near future. To compete with superheroes, family possessions, and near-complete hearing loss, I’m guessing it’s going to be huge. I just really hope this actually ends up being an empowering story for Veronica, and not one that results in her being even more oppressed by her father.
Speaking of fathers, Reggie came very close to losing his in Riverdale season 6, episode 6. Given his dad’s fate in Rivervale, I was thinking this death could be a sign that the Rivervale stories will have real consequences in this world, but thankfully, it looks like he’s going to live. While I can’t imagine his shift will be as severe, this scare could also lead to a new direction for Reggie in the rest of the season.
Thanks to Hiram’s ghoulies, Toni and Fangs will also have their hands full this season. And for the record, their little “for the record, we’re still bisexual” moment was definitely not for Kevin, but for the audience. Just letting us know that they’re still here, and they’re still queer.
Like with Veronica, I really, really hope this ends up being an empowering season for the Serpents. I am so tired of seeing the ghoulies wreak havoc on the town with no consequence. The only silver lining is that maybe law enforcement can actually do something now that Hiram Lodge is gone, at least in some capacity. And of course, we now have the Ginger Knight, Archie Andrews, patrolling the streets.
Even with his hearing loss, Jughead’s fingers are still going full speed ahead! The “Wallbeat Journal” wants his coverage of the bombing on Elm Street, and he’s going to use it to expose Hiram Lodge, once and for all. I just hope he doesn’t end up exposing Veronica’s bounty while he’s doing it. That girl doesn’t need any more problems on her plate.
An interesting theory surrounding Riverdale season 6, episode 6 is that all of these changes are somehow a result of Rivervale Jughead’s narration. Maybe he ended up confusing which universe he was writing for. If this is the case, we could be in for some far more interesting changes ahead, as everything is at the mercy of his typewriter.
Again, this might sound crazy, but I could get behind a season of huge twists brought about by Rivervale Jughead that could culminate in another meeting of two Jugheads to reconcile everything that, without a doubt, will go wrong. As long as this season actually has lasting consequences and character development, I think that could actually be a really cool direction, and would at least attempt to explain some of what’s happening in Riverdale season 6, so far. It would also be a great way to connect Rivervale to the rest of season 6.
Finally, after all of that, the Trash Bag Killer has also returned. And much to many theorists’ dismay, Glen has officially been ruled out as a suspect, since he’s the TBK’s latest victim. Good thing Betty now has her super serial killer vision, but she may not need it since the TBK has such a soft spot for her. Or, was that line about disrespecting Betty really just an addition from Rivervale Jughead? Or, is the TBK now Archie’s alter ego after the explosion? Or, is the TBK just stupid Hiram Lodge all over again?
What a ride we’re all on together! Hope you’re ready to strap in for the rest of Riverdale season 6! It’s looking like a wild one.