Riverdale Season 5 Episode 1: What to Expect?

Hello there! Fans of Jughead, Veronica, Betty, Cheryl, and Archie, the great news is finally here. ‘Riverdale’ is all geared up to release its fifth edition. The upcoming installment has been teasing a lot of changes ever since its announcement! We have some new cast additions and a time jump! Well, what does this mean for the dynamics between the main characters? Which of the couples stand a chance? Are there any fresh link-ups? And what mysteries lie in store for the gang? Well, here’s everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated premiere of ‘Riverdale’ season 5!

Riverdale Season 5 Episode 1 Release Date

‘Riverdale’ season 5 episode 1 will release on January 20, 2021, at 8 pm ET on The CW. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa confirmed the news on his Twitter handle, saying: “Back to the Future….buckle up gang!.”

Where to Watch Riverdale Season 5 Episode 1 Online?

You can watch ‘Riverdale’ season 5 episode 1 by tuning to The CW at the above-mentioned time. You can also catch the show on CW’s official website and even on the CW app. If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can watch the show on DirecTV and Fubo TV. If you live outside of the US, you can watch all the episodes of the show on Netflix, a day after its CW premiere, i.e., every Thursday. ‘Riverdale’ is also available as a VOD service on YouTube TV. You can also purchase the episodes on Amazon.

Riverdale Season 5 Episode 1 Spoilers

Season 5 marks the return of KJ Apa as Archie, Camilla Mendes as Veronica, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Lili Reinhart as Betty, Casey Cott as Kevin, and Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl. However, we won’t see Jughead’s dad, FP Jones (Skeet Ulrich), this season. Marisol Nichols, who stars as Hermione Lodge, makes a comeback as well, joined by Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty, and Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz. A new addition in season 5 is Chris Mason, essaying the character of Chad Gekko, Veronica’s controlling and jealous husband, who works on Wall Street.

Season 5 kicks off with the squad attending their graduation and then features a time gap of seven years while bringing in another gang of masked criminals. Star Lili Hart confirmed the time jump during an interview on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’: “We’re actually doing a seven-year time jump into the future, so we’re not going to be teenagers anymore. I’m really psyched about it. I think it will be really nice to play an adult. But I also really appreciate that Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa], our showrunner, said let’s revamp. So we’re not just stuck in high school for seven seasons.”

Since the lead characters are quite grown up now, there are massive changes in the group dynamics. Star Vanessa Morgan’s real-life pregnancy is embedded into the storyline, and it will be interesting to see what this means for Toni and Cheryl. On the other hand, Veronica, now married to Chad Gekko, returns to Riverdale. Of course, this new development is bound to create some friction between her and Archie. Betty trains for the FBI, but we are yet to know what’s the status of her relationship with Jughead. Even Veronica’s mom, Hermione, is not in a great place when it comes to personal connections.

The first episode from season 5 is called ‘Climax’ and here is its official synopsis as outlined by The CW: “Betty and Jughead’s investigation into the auteur leads them to the discovery of a secret underground for red-band screenings; Archie agrees to participate in a boxing exhibition against KO Kelly.” You can also watch the trailer for season 5 below:

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