The alternate universe of Rivervale was a welcome change, and it refreshed the series as a whole. Did Rivervale crack the formula or Riverdale?

Everyone's favorite surreal reimagining of Archie Comics, Riverdale, returned fairly early to screens for a special 5-episode event called Rivervale, after the explosive (pun intended) season 5 finale. What was supposed to be a life-ending bomb under Betty and Archie's bed became just a dream, as did the rest of the town and anything scientific.

Audiences were in a parallel universe where the town was spelt with a "v", and had several supernatural beings and events happening every minute. From cults to witchy magic, Rivervale departed from Riverdale's usual storytelling and gave fans something new and exciting to watch. These first five episodes of season 6 loved by all, but fans still missed the old Riverdale while watching them.

Rivervale Did It Better

New Horror Concepts

Rivervale was refreshing for audiences to watch because of its anthology structure, where each episode featured new supernatural tales like those of  La Llorona, Lucifer trading souls, a Midsommar-like cult, the return of dead characters and even some immortal ones.

The best part was that neither of the episodes really connected to each other, and were fresh stories by themselves. The previous horrors were forgotten in each new chapter, and this genre change was quite nicely executed by the cast and writers, elevating Riverdale, already one of the best teen dramas, from a dull patch.

The Sabrina Crossover

One of the most burning questions for Riverdale season 6 was about the return of the all-powerful Sabrina, and how she would make her way into the Rivervale universe. She was introduced to the show to help Cheryl, who was also a witch, to perform a once-in-a-lifetime spell which would grant Cheryl peace.

Fans of Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina were thoroughly pleased to see their favorite return to screen, and also gave them hope that she would appear back in the right town, and maybe stay for a little while.

Higher Stakes For The Town

While Riverdale has had its own murderers, cults, and thugs threatening to hurt the people of the town, Rivervale upped those stakes and put every parallel universe that the town existed in, in danger. Not only that, the two universes would have crashed and destroyed each other, which was a lot more astronomical damage than the ordinary version.

It created a sense of urgency and even sadness that the surreal little town of Rivervale could stop existing, or that there was a Jughead trapped out there fueling it with his stories.

Archie As The Villain

Probably the best part of these special episodes was seeing Archie step out of his goody-two-shoes and become a villain instead. After being brutally sacrificed, he rose from the dead (one of the best qualities of the Rivervale universe) and viciously tried stopping Jughead from saving Riverdale.

Granted, his motivation came from a sad place, but the twist was truly unexpected, and it genuinely caught fans off-guard.

The Cheryls

Many things don't make sense about Cheryl, but Rivervale's special attention to her and her lineage made for a really campy/soapy, but delightful tale to watch on screen. Watching the unfair tales of Poppy Blossom and Abigail Blossom was great period drama, but then finding out that Cheryl was in fact the original Abigail from almost a century ago was mind-blowing.

It's unclear whether this Cheryl revelation will roll over into the actual Riverdale show, but it definitely made a bit more sense why Cheryl was so affected by generational trauma.

Riverdale Got It Right

The Overarching Mysteries

Audiences loved watching the suspense roll out slowly on Riverdale, as the teens put on their sleuthing hats and investigated the murder of Jason Blossom, who the Black Hood was, what Edgar was planning, or the Gargoyle King's objective.

These mysteries of Riverdale form the foundation of the show, and uncovering each clue is a part of the show's appeal. The connecting sinews between each episode form a cohesive whole.

The Romances And Ships

It's no secret that Riverdale has some of the most iconic couples whose scenes and chemistry have stolen hearts. Ships like Barchie, Bughead, Varchie, and Choni are all the rage on every TV forum, and it's because the love and history between these couples is very real.

The romances in Rivervale seemed twisted and weren't real, which drew audiences to the actual couples on the regular version of the show who were not accelerated into big commitments like their alter egos.

The All-American Teenage Lifestyle

While Riverdale may have graduated past high school for the main characters, Archie, Ronnie, Jughead, Reggie, Betty, Toni, and Kevin all ended up back in school as teachers or coaches even in adulthood. The earlier seasons of the show depicted a classic teenage lifestyle in America, except with iPhones.

This amazing world of milkshake shops, diner style dates, quaint suburban living, and car washes was what made fans buzz to the original show, and the appeal still remains.

The Twists

The plot twists in Riverdale are second to none. From Clifford Blossom murdering Jason, to Hal being the Black Hood and making Betty bury Archie alive, Jughead joining a whole gang, Cheryl burning down her home, Ms. Grundy and Archie dating, and Alice being in a cult (but undercover for the FBI), Rivervale just could not match up.

Of course, Riverdale has had five seasons to establish these, but every moment of the show is a wild ride with new and bewildering things happening all the time.

Hiram As The Villain

Hiram Lodge was the biggest bad on Riverdale, and his drive to burn down the town and build over its ashes was too strong. No other villain could really come close to the villainy he had achieved, with his last act being a bomb under Archie's bed.

His history with Riverdale and the hunt for palladium connected his obsession with making the teens' lives hell for years, and his calculated dastardly acts can't be levelled by a sorrowful and evil Archie.

NEXT: 7 Unpopular Opinions About Riverdale's Betty, According To Reddit