10 things nobody wants to admit about Riverdale

9. The time jump should have been a movie

Riverdale had produced four compelling seasons in its high school setting when the decision was made to initiate a time-jump. It was a bold move, but at the time it seemed like a necessary one. As enjoyable as season 4 was, the show had begun to grow stale and needed a refresh. This promised to do just that.

So, after an emotional finale-esque episode (that would have served as the season 4 finale prior to the pandemic), which saw the gang graduate, the fourth episode of season 5 took us seven years into the future, as they all found their way back to Riverdale.

This was a welcome change. Right out of the gate, things felt that much fresher. The characters were adults now, with new conflicts weighing on them, and the time-jump had paved the way for plenty of new storylines. Old relationships were broken through distance and betrayal, while new dynamics were formed between those who never left the town. And, at the center of it all was Archie Andrews, who finally returned to Riverdale and was intent on saving it.

Unfortunately, the longer season 5 (and specifically season 6) went on, the more off-the-rails the story got. Not only did the concept of wanting to save the town get tired real quick (because they weren’t succeeding), Hiram Lodge once again being the one-dimensional cardboard cutout villain responsible for the town’s downfall resulted in it all starting to feel very familiar very quickly.

The whole concept of the time-jump was brilliant. However, it was brilliant for Riverdale: The Movie. The series should have ended after graduation, allowing the cast to move onto other projects. Then, at some point in the future, this storyline could have been the perfect catalyst for a revival/reunion movie. Because, in all honesty, it was the perfect storyline for a more mature Riverdale chapter, but it just didn’t have the legs for multiple 22-episode seasons.