Though Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was generally set in the same universe as the CW’s Riverdale, the two live-action Archie Comics adaptations only ever had the slightest bit of crossover — a stark contrast from their comics counterparts who’ve interacted quite frequently.
As desperately as Kiernan Shipka’s Sabrina Spellman wanted to be a “normal” teen, you’d think she might have put a bit more effort into sneaking off to Riverdale at least a few times. Netflix’s Sabrina may be over and done with, but the time-travelling, dimension-hopping witch is on her way back to television in an upcoming episode of Riverdale’s upcoming sixth season. After initially announcing it in a Q&A with The Dipp, Riverdale writer Evan Kyle confirmed news of the magical crossover with Entertainment Weekly, and explained how Sabrina’s plot will involve Cheryl Blossom, who was last seen dabbling in magic during Riverdale’s season five finale.
“We’ve been talking about having Sabrina visit Riverdale since season 1, so it’s thrilling that this is finally happening, as part of our Riverdale special event,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “It’s also perfect that she shows up to help Cheryl Blossom during her hour of greatest need. Everyone on set lost their minds — I think fans will, too. It’s really fun and special.”
“from Greendale to Riverdale 😈
See u in Season 6.”
– @kiernanshipka on IG pic.twitter.com/pML4wja3QN
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) October 7, 2021
Because Sabrina ended up biting the bullet in her series’ finale, there’s some mystery as to how exactly she’ll pop up in Riverdale, but it seems safe to assume that her being a witch with powerful connections to hell will have something to do with it. In Riverdale’s season five finale, Cheryl read aloud the same “curse” that was once read by Abigail Blossom, a distant ancestor of Cheryl’s who was burned alive at the stake under suspicion of being a witch. While Abigail’s curse was directed at the men of Riverdale of her time, there’s a possibility that Cheryl’s invocation — which involves invoking Satan’s name — may work on her peers and somehow bring Sabrina into the mix.
All things said and done, this sort of weirdness was quite commonplace on The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but it’ll bring a decidedly new level of strange to Riverdale that many fans have always wanted to see on the small screen.
Riverdale’s sixth season premieres on November 17.