Kanika Kumar
With its sixth season, The CW’s ‘Riverdale’ dabbles in the world of witches, ghosts, demons, and spirits. The 5-episode special event of ‘Rivervale’ transforms the sleepy town of Riverdale into spooky Rivervale, an alternate universe of sorts where dark magic lurks in every corner.
In the season’s fourth episode, we finally see the much-awaited crossover between ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ and ‘Riverdale.’ Thus, Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) arrives in Rivervale and proceeds to help Cheryl Blossom with her magical powers. You must be curious about Sabrina’s visit as well as her life status, considering that she dies in the finale of her own show. Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers you seek. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Why is Sabrina Spellman in Rivervale?
Sabrina Spellman arrives in Rivervale from Greendale just before Bailey’s comet is spotted. We find out that Cheryl reached out to Sabrina because she needs help with a particularly tricky spell called the transference spell. Sabrina tells Britta that she and Cheryl have “mutual friends” and share the “same interests.” She also emphasizes that she’d do anything to help a fellow witch. Thus, it is confirmed that Cheryl and the Blossom women are witches.
Cheryl, Nana Rose, and Sabrina hold hands to perform the spell just as Bailey’s comet passes over Rivervale. The spell works; Sabrina addresses Nana Rose as Abigail and asks her how she feels. Nana Rose, replying as Abigail, says that she is finally free and at peace.
Essentially, Sabrina helps Cheryl in performing the transference spell which allows souls to shift bodies. Abigail’s soul — cursed to be immortal and lonely by the warlock Fenn Fogarty — is present in Cheryl (since Abigail, Poppy, and Cheryl are the same person) but due to the spell gets transferred to Nana Rose’s frail and dying body. This forces Fenn’s curse to break, as Abigail’s soul can now leave the mortal world through a dying body.
On the other hand, Nana Rose’s soul exits her body and enters Cheryl’s young and healthy body. Thus, Nana Rose can enjoy the beauty of youth again through her own granddaughter. So, thanks to Sabrina’s magical skills, the Blossom women again take control of their fates and finally embrace freedom.
Is Sabrina Dead or Alive?
In the fourth and final season of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,’ Sabrina sacrifices herself and successfully saves the world from stark nothingness and a complete lack of life brought about by the Void, the ultimate Eldritch Terror. As her loved ones mourn her in the mortal world, Sabrina arrives in the Sweet Hereafter and reunites with Nick, who dies to be with her. However, in ‘Rivervale,’ Sabrina is very much alive.
Fans believe that the world of ‘Riverdale’ exists in the same timeline as ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’ Since the town of Rivervale is an alternate version of Riverdale, it makes sense that Sabrina is not dead here. Additionally, Sabrina explains to Britta that “there’s no death for witches, only transformation.” She also states, “I mean, I died and came back” — this indicates that Rivervale’s Sabrina is aware that she dies in another dimension. Thus, Sabrina does actually die in her own show but comes back to life in the parallel universe of ‘Rivervale.’ Since she is a witch, it is possible for her to exist in different forms in different timelines, dimensions, and realms.
Read More: Does Nana Rose Die? What is the Transference Spell?
