'Riverdale' Fans Are Freaking Out About This ~Steamy~ Detail In The New Promo
A brand new era of Riverdale is officially underway. Now that the show has jumped seven years into the future, life has changed massively for the Core Four and the Town of Pep. Season 5, Episode 4 spent plenty of time in the outside world exploring the characters' adult lives before they were called back to help save their hometown. But the Riverdale Season 5, Episode 5 promo reveals the show returning to its usual compelling chaos, complete with a steamy shower scene tease that has fans speculating wildly.
Warning: Spoilers for Riverdale Season 5, Episode 4 follow. As Toni explained in the Feb. 10 episode, the town that has dealt with serial killers and an organ-harvesting cult is somehow now doing even worse than usual. Town mayor Hiram Lodge is destroying Riverdale in hopes of building up the nearby SoDale, leaving corruption and poverty in his wake.
The original gang may be back together now, but as the Season 5, Episode 5 promo teases, things are going to get worse before they get better. The preview opens on Pop's Diner waitress Lynette "Squeaky" Fields, who's shown frantically running away from the truck she was seen hopping into for a hitchhike ride at the end of the previous episode. Jughead's voiceover indicated she would never make it to her planned destination, so this could be the end of Squeaky. It looks like her disappearance marks the emergence of a new Riverdale villain — maybe even the Trash Bag Killer Betty is hunting at the FBI.
Elsewhere, the Core Four are starting to confront their pasts. Veronica is back in her blonde wig disguise collecting money while Betty returns to her childhood bedroom and has nightmares of her father, the Black Hood. Toni also notes "there's a war going on Riverdale, for Riverdale," as if that hasn't been the case for the past four seasons. And finally, Hiram is clearly up to his old tricks, as he tells someone, "It's time I teach you a lesson."
The promo also hints at a majorly steamy scene as overlaid text reads, "Home is where the heat is." As Archie and Betty fight to reclaim the town (specifically, Archie's house) from Hiram Lodge and groups like the Ghoulies, fans see a brief shot of a hand grabbing a shower curtain, which many viewers are reading as a sex scene. The second half of the preview is centered on Archie and Betty, so maybe Barchie shippers' dreams are about to come true. However, it's worth noting Betty currently has an FBI boyfriend, so this could be a misdirect or a flashback scene rather than a full-on Betty-Archie hook-up.
While you debate the shower scene with your fellow Riverdale viewers, here's what else is going down in the Town of Pep next episode, per the official synopsis:
Toni, Alice, Archie, and Kevin fight to keep Riverdale High’s doors open after learning that its budget had been cut by Hiram Lodge. Veronica gets creative when she discovers Chad is having her followed. Jughead starts a new job after debt collectors show up in Riverdale.
It's technically the end of Riverdale as fans know it, but if this preview is any indication, all the wild mysteries and drama fans love are here to stay.
Season 5 of Riverdale continues on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
