Riverdale (TV Series) Chapter Eighty: Purgatorio (2021) User Reviews

Too many movie references!

[itzmanes · 8/10 · 14 February 2021]

This episode is with a lot of movie references. So, I am just writing a plot summary from movies after the main characters in this episode.

Archie Forrest Gump (1994)

The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the events of Vietnam. Also, both of them have a friend with no leg and both of them playing football.

Betty The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

Veronica Uncut Gems (2019)

With his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive. Also in bot beginnings (movie and Veronica part), a famous star is coming to the shop. And both of them have problems with their marriage.

Jughead Sunset Blvd. (1950)

A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. The movie like the episode starts with a writer sitting in his apartment when the debt collectors asking for money.

Good start

[Miss_Betty_Blue · 8/10 · 18 February 2021]

We'll see how long they can keep it up now that the characters are back in Riverdale

why §

[raddzo · 6/10 · 17 July 2021]

Unsuccessful change of events! Because after 7 years the situation will be different..At least Archie has a beard to show his age.. You should have worked on this more...starting new events with our new and big characters.

Surprised

[rwpkdhqp · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

The season gets getting better and better! i know riverdale is trash and cringe but this last 4 episode were one of the best ones of the entire series! This was Vanessa's episode and hopefully season! Like I always say let's hope the writers don't ruin this season bc it's has a lot of potential! I'm actually liking more this side of riverdale now!

Love this season for far!

[confidencegame · 11 February 2021]

Except for the Episode 2, which was there just to tie-up all loose ends and write-off recurring cast, this season is going very well so far! It's not just the writing that has improved, but also the technical stuff (camera work, lighting, art direction) is visibly more appealing as well. Best since Season 1.

I just hope things don't revert back to usual quickly. These new characters and storylines deserve better than that!

Why the gang didn't suprise when they see Archie?

[selimhicdurmaz · 7/10 · 31 March 2022]

They saw Archie first time after years and they didn't even suprise! Espically Jughead is just sitting around. It's too lame.

But the series is getting better and I'm so happy to be fan of this series :)

Gang back together Again!

[junaidbadar-16253 · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

Riverdale is getting better and better. This is sort of a soft reboot of Riverdale and it's going on in right direction so far. Right now this show has a lot of potential and I'm hopeful that writers won't mess it up. Very few shows have done this kind of reboot and the way Riverdale done it... It's plausible. Town is messed up right now & so is The Gang's Lives. It will be interesting to see how former best friends & lovers, now moved on in their lives, have new relationships and are going through difficulties in their lives(living with different traumas) now got together again after 7 years to save their town; "That never runs out of Mysteries". Also looking forward to the new faces & how they will interact with the old ones.

Interesting

[carteros · 9/10 · 11 February 2021]

Definitely a needed turn of pace for the show surprisingly making me want to come back for more

Shaky "season premiere" episode

[hnt_dnl · 5/10 · 15 February 2021]

I really wanted to like this episode more than I did, especially since it featured a lot of scenes between two of my favorite characters Archie and Toni. Unfortunately, I found this 7-year time jump episode to be exposition-heavy with very unnatural sounding dialogue. Many scenes fell flat because all the characters were doing was breaking the fourth wall and narrating the plot to the viewer instead of just interacting normally. Characters were just spoon-feeding key plot points to set up the season. Archie's Army rank is Sergeant, which is an enlisted rank, so why is he being put in charge of the ROTC, which is training for OFFICERs? Also, if Archie is actually discharged from the Army, then that makes him a civilian again, so how does his superior have the right to tell him what to do for employment now that he's served his time? Archie can do whatever he wants now. Then Archie and Toni's dialogue was reduced to Toni filling him in on the state of Riverdale and the town backstory.

As for the other main characters, in what should be a regular dinner scene, Veronica and her Hiram-wannabe husband talk about the most key events of their marriage like when they used to work together on Wall Street, having a baby, and why she's now working her current job...also "The Accident". No one irons out all their life in what should be just a typical family dinner. Jughead and his publisher talk about his messy personal life and his girlfriend and miraculously when he returns to his apartment, said girlfriend unceremoniously dumps him. Betty and her co-worker/boyfriend talk about her career trajectory and coincidentally about her Riverdale experiences right before she gets the call from Archie to come home...and hersubplot involves "The Trashbag Killer"! lol

Finally, none of these characters actually look 7 years older, which is especially noticeable since the very episode prior to this one was them graduating high school as 17 to 18 year-olds. They look the same and sound the same as they were in high school. Then there was this random plot that got thrown in at the end of the episode which I guess is going to be a big one for the new season. Even though this episode is technically being called the 4th episode of Season 5, it's basically the season premiere since the previous 3 episodes concluded the high school years and delayed due to the pandemic. And the graduation episode prior to this one was brilliant and easily one of the best episodes of the series. Hopefully, this middling "Season 5 premiere" episode isn't a sign of things to come for the adult versions of these Archie Comic characters.

a tiny spoiler ahead

[dabriamoulton · 9/10 · 11 February 2021]

I actually love this episode and believe it can be a fresh start for Riverdale. I love the way they briefly explain their lives after the time jump, the way this episode was directed, the writing wasn't bad at all *expect for Kevin saying a ship name*, and the I loved the lighting of it. I actually seem to love Veronicas and Bettys storylines this season and I'm looking forward to this season.

Purgatorio

[natashaana · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

I really loved it toni got screen time the Toni archie friendship and I loved that it went through all the characters with equal screen time im looking forward to what is next

Amazing!

[dizzyflamingo · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

I love how Toni was given more screentime and she actually has lines! I loved Betty and Archie's storylines, surprised by Veronica's (wow the potential!) and Jughead's was the most realistic. Can't wait for the next episode.

One of the best chapters yet

[davidelfrancomartins · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

I loved. I loved everything. Shame some of the fandom keeps voting down because their ship isn't together. Season 5 is going to be the best!

Pleasantly surprised by season 5, keep it up!

[fqmbqhiq · 9/10 · 14 February 2021]

I barely had any hope for season 5 after the craziness of season 3 and 4 - but so far, season 5 is pretty great actually, especially since episode 3 (2 was a bit too rushed). I didn't love this episode as much as I loved episode 3 so I was a little bit disappointed. Still, it's a great episode and it's unfair to hold it to episode 3 standards (which was so emotional and great due to the theme and had the bonus of a finale-like feeling). But you have to see season 5 episode 4 as a first episode rather than a fourth (it was actually planned to be the first of season 5 but then Covid happened). And as this it is quite amazing.

The time jump of seven years was well done and the characters' development during that time (mostly) convincing. A little minus here for Jug - he was a bit too much of the cliché writer, then again Riverdale plays with clichés all the time and it does work after some minutes of Jug as a writer. Veronica and her marriage seemed very logical to me, just what I expected (although I wondered why she wasn't honest with her husband about her job, that wasn't so much Veronica to me). Betty as FBI trainee was just perfect and I only loved her more after that episode and Archie was all the same, just way more mature, which is really relieving after the last four seasons where I didn't like him so much. I won't say much about Toni and Cheryl - I don't know yet how to think of their development but I'm looking forward to answering this question next week.

Riverdale itself - well, it's not the same and it is kinda crazy but not as crazy as season 3/4 Riverdale and I like the choices made here.

The Aesthetics are great as always, actually even better now with this new touch this episode has. A clear yes from me,

What I absolutely loved about this episode (and the episode before): It took its time, even for little moments, and it felt a lot like season 1 Riverdale just with something new to it. It wasn't crazy stuff happening all the time, it was just a great episode with a really cool way of telling a story. It managed to show all that happened during the last seven years that were skipped, it showed how the characters developed and where they landed - and I really was disappointed when it ended.

I really hope they keep it up.

The best episode so far

[impthqirx · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

This was a good episode because of how grounded it is

Best one so far

[My21Thoughts · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

I honestly think this was one of the best episodes so far, this episode was so interesting, I mean of course you going to hate that Varchie, bughead, and Choni are not together and some of them got they own love interest but u got to be realistic now your favorite couple is not finna come back after the first episode and be together you got to give it time. But I really love the episode I want to really know what Cheryl is doing she so mysterious this episode

Amazing!

[hedda-56044 · 10/10 · 17 February 2021]

The storyline in this episode is incredible. The way the actors gets in a new role and how the whole storyline takes a new turn is really good.

SO SO SO GOOD!!

[breannaemilya · 10/10 · 16 February 2021]

I loved this episode it really have a feel to what will be coming next for the gang. I can't wait for this weeks episode!!

Love the Toni and Archie pairing

[rashidahee · 10/10 · 26 March 2021]

I really like that Toni has gotten more screen time and a stronger storyline. She was really interesting to watch and her and Archie have a nice chemistry. I hope the show pairs them together more and makes them friends. I loved how everything changed and how everyone looks older. It was a nice episode overall. Tabitha Tate is cute and I liked her little interaction with Archie as well. I didn't like Hiram being a villain again. I was honestly hoping he would have moved away. I like the actor but I'm tired of seeing Hiram be the villain for Riverdale.