The connection between the two Archie Comics shows remains subtle, but Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are connected.
The first season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina dropped on Netflix on October 26. The series is already earning a new generation of fans for Sabrina Spellman .
Initially commissioned as a spin off of Riverdale, the connection between the series became less clear once Sabrina was moved to Netflix. However, long-term fans of the Archie Universe still hold out hope for a crossover.
These dreams could still become a reality. The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina contains a number of parallels with Riverdale that keeps the connection between the two series very much alive.
1. In the Town of..
The opening episodes of both Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina begin with a voice over. These voice overs are intended to set the scene for each stories.
In Riverdale, Jughead Jones takes this role. Chilling Adventures has Sabrina herself as the narrator.
Each opening sequence is similar, but there is one key difference. While Sabrina is the central character of her series, Jughead is an outsider observing events, at least for the first few episodes.
2. The Mixture of Classic and Contemporary.
Another way in which these two series parallel each other is through their mixed contemporary/classic setting.
Chilling Adventures and Riverdale are both set in the present day. However, both also manage to evoke the 50s-60s era of the original comics.
Riverdale does this mostly through settings. The drive-in, Pop’s Diner, and now Veronica’s Speakeasy evoke feelings of times gone by. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina accomplishes the same feel through the character’s outfits, and a clever use of music.
3. Battle of the Sexes
Both of these shows feature a number of strong female characters. The first season of each also features an episode involving these strong women taking on a team of sexist football players.
Veronica and Betty in Riverdale embark on a mission to destroy the team’s ‘Playbook’, in which they record their ‘scores’ with women. Sabrina begins by forming W.I.C.C.A, a group to empower and protect girls at her school. Later, she enlists her frenemies the Weird Sisters to help teach some football playing bullies a lesson.
The main difference, again, is how important these stories are to each series’ overall narrative. Girl power is an enduring theme in Riverdale, but it is not the main point of the story. In The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a male fear of women taking power remains a major storyline throughout the series.
4. A Choice to Make
The main plot of Chilling Adventures is triggered by a major choice Sabrina needs to make. She must choose between her magical family, or her mortal friends.
Take away the magic, and this seems very similar to Jughead’s main story in Riverdale’s second season. Jughead is forced to choose between the Southside, where he was born, or his friends on the Northside. In Jughead’s case, he is eventually able to find a happy medium between the two. Time will tell if Sabrina can do the same.
5. A Whole Parallel Universe
Perhaps the biggest parallel between The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale is the possibility that the former takes place in a parallel universe.
In episode seven of Chilling Adventures, minor Riverdale character Ben Button delivers a pizza to Mary Wardwell. Those caught up on current events in Riverdale may find this cameo somewhat confusing.
This has sparked a new theory that Sabrina’s story is not taking place in the same universe as Archie and friends, but a similar parallel world. If true, this removes any issues Ben’s appearance could cause.
Hopefully we won’t be waiting too long for confirmation on this theory. Season 2 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is already in production. Riverdale Season 3 is currently airing.
