Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13
Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35
Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 | Chapter 49 | Chapter 50 | Chapter 51 | Chapter 52 | Chapter 53 | Chapter 54 | Chapter 55 | Chapter 56 | Chapter 57
Chapter 58 | Chapter 59 | Chapter 60 | Chapter 61 | Chapter 62 | Chapter 63 | Chapter 64 | Chapter 65 | Chapter 66 | Chapter 67 | Chapter 68 | Chapter 69 | Chapter 70 | Chapter 71 | Chapter 72 | Chapter 73 | Chapter 74 | Chapter 75 | Chapter 76
Chapter 77 | Chapter 78 | Chapter 79 | Chapter 80 | Chapter 81 | Chapter 82 | Chapter 83 | Chapter 84 | Chapter 85 | Chapter 86 | Chapter 87 | Chapter 88 | Chapter 89 | Chapter 90 | Chapter 91 | Chapter 92 | Chapter 93 | Chapter 94 | Chapter 95
Chapter 96 | Chapter 97 | Chapter 98 | Chapter 99 | Chapter 100 | Chapter 101 | Chapter 102 | Chapter 103 | Chapter 104 | Chapter 105 | Chapter 106 | Chapter 107 | Chapter 108 | Chapter 109 | Chapter 110 | Chapter 111 | Chapter 112 | Chapter 113 | Chapter 114 | Chapter 115 | Chapter 116 | Chapter 117
Soon-to-be immortal man walking.
Percival grants Alice an exclusive interview where he divulges his intentions and origins. Percival came to Rivervale from Europe with other colonisers and wanted to learn dark magic. He was caught by the ancestors of Archie and the gang trying to ritualistically murder a young girl, and sentenced to death in a stockade, on the very spot where Pop’s stands today. The devil took note of Percival’s evildoings and released him in exchange for his soul. Percival left town to learn how to become immortal and returned 400 years later to exact revenge on the Rivervaleans, only to be transported to Riverdale when Archie’s house blew up. He wants to rule the world, starting with Riverdale, and Jason informs Cheryl that the ghost train Percival is laying tracks for will ferry soldiers from the Sweet Hereafter to fight in the final battle against the town.
Tabitha and Jughead go through a portal to Rivervale to find out about Percival’s origins. They learn about him from Lou Cypher, someone Raphael had mentioned to Tabitha, and also learn that Narrator Jughead is writing their doomed fates in his comics, having to write dark endings in exchange for his fame and fortune. Archie makes a bomb to blow up the tracks but has to wait as Veronica finds out that Reggie, Mr. Mantle and Kevin are held prisoner in the casino and are set to be executed. Jughead makes a portal and saves them, but Percival strikes back by executing Alice, Tom Keller, and Frank Andrews in their stead. Betty continues to struggle with her trauma thinking she’s evil and Polly helps guide her on her healing path.
Tropes
- And I Must Scream: When Abigail transferred Nana Rose into Cheryl’s body, it also resulted in her dementia transferring as well. Nana Rose’s mind soon succumbed, resulting in her being a borderline vegetable.
- Artistic License – History: In his interview with Alice, Percival says that he arrived in what would be Rivervale in 1580. But assuming that Riverdale takes place in New York State, the first non Indigenous settlement of New York dates back to 1609.
While there were Spanish colonization in North America at the time, it was in the Southern coastal states and New York was initially Dutch before England took it over in the 1660s. - Call-Back: Reggie happily exclaims that he was saved by ‘Donnie Darko’, which is one of the nicknames he teased Jughead with in high school.
- Deal with the Devil:
- How Percival got his powers.
- Also how Narrator!Jughead made a deal to become the greatest comic book writer in the world but also infected the realities with darkness, although it was originally Vale Writer Jughead who made a deal with the devil.
- Easily Forgiven: Even though Reggie worked with Percival for a while and blackmailed Veronica, the minute they learn that he (along with his dad and Kevin) are in danger, they don't think twice about saving him.
- In turn, Reggie seems to hold no grudge against Jughead and Veronica for violating his mind, even thanking Jughead for saving his life, although Reggie still doesn’t know exactly what they did and it seems unlikely to be brought up.
- Holy Water: Polly blesses water and cleanses Betty’s feet in it, after which Betty sees the golden aura of good around herself in the mirror. This was done for Polly when she was entering the Sweet Hereafter, as she too felt she was bad. Jesus did this for his disciples in The Bible.
- Identical Grandson: All the 1580s Vale ancestors.
- Kansas City Shuffle: When Tabitha says Percival's plan won't work because they moved Pop's, Cypher laughs that it's not the diner that's important, it's the land it's on. The land just happened to be the site of a Hellmouth, which churches and other benevolent structures like Pop's are often built over to "cap" the evil power within. By moving Pop's, they "uncorked" that power and thus played right into Percival's plans.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Alice has no idea that Polly has been resurrected.
- Loophole Abuse: Percival's plan is simple: If he can find a way to continue living forever, then the Devil can't claim his soul. Cypher just chuckles Percival isn't the first to try this "and it always backfires."
- Motive Rant: Toward the end of his interview with Alice, Percival starts ranting about how his fellow travellers from Europe were lying when they talked about workers' rights and freedom, and that he wants to have total rule over Riverdale and all of the chaos that will occur in it.
- My Grandson, Myself: Percival isn't the "ancestor" of a Riverdale founder, he is the same guy (only from Vale. He does not have a counterpart in Dale).
- Never the Selves Shall Meet: What Vale Writer!Jughead tells Tabitha and Jughead that they cannot do.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Vale Writer!Jughead calling Dale Betty to warn her and Archie about Hiram's bomb ended up causing everything else this season to happen.
- Personality Powers: Narrator!Jughead reveals that he gave the gang those specific powers as he found them an extension of their personality traits.
- Plot Hole: Riverdale!Betty’s ancestor is named Blessing Cooper, instead of Blessing Blossom. This could be due to it being in Vale, but the same mistake was made in the main continuity in Season 5.
- The Reveal: Percival is from Rivervale. He crossed over to America with everyone's ancestors, but was caught practicing witchcraft. Sentenced to death in the stockade, he instead made a deal with the devil and got both his freedom and immortality. After 400 years, the rift between the worlds opened due to Hiram's bomb, and Percival ended up in Riverdale. He hoped to take over and get his revenge, but the arcane energies from Rivervale went with him and gave everyone powers.
- After Vale Ethel and the Vale Jugheads succeeded in separating Dale and Vale, Vale Writer Jughead called Dale Betty to save her and Archie from the explosion. They didn’t get out regardless but survived as the call caused the worlds to still be melting into one another; this time, with the magic of Vale into Dale, which gave Barchie superpowers and caused Archie to save their lives with his invulnerability.
- Jason reveals to Cheryl that the purpose of the Ghost Train is to bring an army of ghosts drafted by General Pickens to Percival.
- Revenge: Percival’s main reason for targeting Archie and the townsfolk.
- Swirly Energy Thingy: The portal to Rivervale that Jughead makes.
- Time Loop Trap: Tabitha traps her Vale counterpart in a time-loop to buy herself and Jughead some time and avoid a calamity that would result if the two Tabithas met.
- Wham Episode: Percival ends the episode killing Alice, Frank and Tom.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Polly spends the episode bringing Betty out of her depression and proving to her that she’s not evil.
