Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) sacrificed her life to stop the Void from destroying the world and everyone she loves at the end of the series finale of Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina last December. But in this week’s episode of Riverdale, as revealed in the synopsis, photos, and promo videos for the upcoming installment, Sabrina is very much alive, leading fans to wonder how is that possible.
This Tuesday’s episode of Riverdale is the fourth installment of the show’s five-episode special event called Rivervale. While it’s not clear if the stories in Rivervale will eventually have a bearing to Riverdale’s main continuity, some fans think that Sabrina is still alive in the special event simply because it is set in an alternate universe.
Though Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has yet to confirm or deny that theory, he did say that Rivervale will address the fatal ending of the Netflix series. “The end of Sabrina is definitely alluded to and referenced [in the special event],” Aguirre-Sacasa said in a recent interview with The Wrap. “And I will say, no, Sabrina is not appearing just because we’re in Rivervale.”
Interestingly, even though it seems that Riverdale will return to its usual form right after the Rivervale special event, Aguirre-Sacasa teased that Sabrina may still show up on the series in the future. “Without saying or spoiling anything I can say, yes, there is a chance we will see Kiernan as Sabrina later on in Riverdale. Yes, there’s a chance.”
In Riverdale season 6, episode 4, aptly titled Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Witching Hour(s), Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Nana Rose (Barbara Wallace) revisit the tragic stories of the Blossom women through the years as Bailey’s Comet passes over Rivervale. The once-in-a-lifetime celestial event also prompts Cheryl to summon a familiar face to Rivervale, who is none other than Sabrina Spellman.
In Entertainment Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at the episode, Sabrina helps Cheryl perform some sort of “transference” spell on Nana as they try to solve a problem that involves multiple timelines and generations of the Blossom family.
Riverdale airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.