Riverdale is back for its seventh and final season this month, and after a whirlwind Season 6 finale, the gang finds themselves trapped in the past. 1955, to be specific. Ahead of the Season 7 premiere, The CW released the official trailer. In true Riverdale fashion, the trailer is fraught with drama, romance, and the sneaking suspicion that something isn't quite right with this time.
When Season 6 ended, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) used her newly boosted powers to stop a comet from destroying Riverdale. She ultimately succeeded, but the event didn't come without one major consequence: it pulled the town back in time to the 1950s. The backward time jump also brought Cheryl and the crew back to their high school days. While almost all of them have no memory of their former lives, Jughead (Cole Sprouse) remembers everything. Season 7 will pick up here and will see Jughead work to convince the others that something is amiss and return the town "back to the future." Additionally, the upcoming season will place a greater focus on the characters' personal journeys over centering on a main villain.
Like the first teaser, the new trailer showcases the '50s aesthetic that will, of course, be a prominent feature of the season. Despite the abundance of bright colors, the music paired with Jughead's staple voiceover emphasizes the off-kilter atmosphere of 1955 Riverdale. As Jughead tries to explain the situation, the trailer reveals some of the many ways this Riverdale differs from the right one. Most notable are some of the couple pairings. In this timeline, Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Kevin (Casey Cott) are in a relationship. Meanwhile, Cheryl and Archie (KJ Apa) may hear wedding bells in the near future. Veronica (Camila Mendes) is once again the new girl in town, but this time, her name is famous for a different reason.
Romance aside, this season will also come with its own murder mystery. Through the return of a recurring character, the trailer teases that something bloody is afoot at Riverdale High. Naturally, viewers will have to wait to learn the identity of the new terror in town, but they will surely give everyone a massive challenge.
What Else to Expect From Season 7
Through the years, Riverdale has become known as a show with increasingly wild plotlines, and creator and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa previously stated the final season will also be quite the ride. He attributed it to the time period, saying "Thank god the '50s were as crazy as they were because it's been so fun to be in that world." He also noted the final season is "totally surprising" and "completely inevitable." Viewers should also keep an eye out for the return of Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman. Though nothing is set in stone, Shipka previously teased that her character could return to help out Jughead and the others.
Season 7 of Riverdale premieres Wednesday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW, streaming the next day on The CW app and website. The finale episode is scheduled to air on August 23. Watch the trailer below: