‘Riverdale’ Season 5 Will Bring Big Changes, Prom, and More of Our Favorite Characters

When COVID-19 struck and everything we knew came to a halt, big changes happened across all facets of life. Some of those changes hit the entertainment industry and brought a sudden stop to the production of television and films. One of the series’ impacted was The CW’s hit drama, Riverdale.

The show follows friends and foes – and their families – as they navigate life in the small town. However, we learn that nothing is as it seems and with each episode, more twists and turns help us discover a dark history.  People in Riverdale have big secrets, ones they’re willing to go great lengths to keep. Add that to teenage drama and tensions (both angry and sexual) between the adults too, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

It’s also the recipe to one of our favorite shows. A show that left us with more questions than answers after the season 4 finale last week.

EW recently spoke with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Riverdale showrunner, about the halting of production, the season 4 finale, and what’s to come.

Season 4 was cut short. Ending on episode 19 instead of the original 22. This means that fans didn’t see the kids go to prom or graduate. These were big moments in the series, so we hoped to see them in the future. Of course, the presence of a few people would be missed if they weren’t there to see it.

Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols announced their departures from Riverdale earlier this year. However, with the season-ending before originally planned, it felt premature to end their abruptly too. Luckily, fans won’t have to say goodbye just yet.

Aguirre-Sacasa had this to say about characters in upcoming episodes.

Yeah, I’ve talked to all the actors and I called Marisol and Skeet and I said, “You know guys, obviously we still want to finish the stories we started in the season.” And both of them were like, “Of course, let’s do it.” And again, neither Hermione nor F.P., this isn’t a spoiler, but they’re not dying. My hope is to have them be a part of Riverdale for as long as Riverdale continues.

As major fans of the show, we were ecstatic at that news. The series is going to be very different without two of our favorite Riverdale parents. Knowing they’ll have a welcome window of return if they wish to use it is nice. FP and Hermione haven’t had easy roads, but they’ve been two of our favorite journeys to watch.

Season 5 will kick off with what would have been the last episodes of season 4. So we’ve got a few chances to see some of our favorites again. That doesn’t mean it’s all going to be sunshine and rainbows, though.

Yeah, we had written episodes 20, 21 and 22 and when we talked about season 5 and some of the big events like prom and graduation, it would feel like a cheat if we somehow didn’t do those. So we’re essentially starting the season with the last three episodes of season 4, and partly because they’re dynamite episodes. I mean big, big, big changes happen. We are continuing the mystery and the relationship drama straight into season 5.

We aren’t sure how to feel about those “big, big, big changes” but there’s no turning back now. What are you most looking forward to when Riverdale returns? What changes are you hoping to see, or do you want things to stay the same? Let us know.