| “ | Every town has that one special place where its community comes together. In Riverdale, that place is Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, a home away from home. But the diner has had a secret history as well. Across the decades, it has been a battleground. Wars fought at Pop's have shaped the town's identity. And, lo and behold, another battle was brewing. | ” |
— Jughead
| ||
"Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of Riverdale and the one hundredth and sixth episode of the series overall.[2] It premiered on April 24, 2022.
Synopsis[]
RIVERDALE THROUGH THE YEARS — After learning that Percival's plan to reinvigorate Riverdale would lead to the demise of Pop's, Tabitha searches for a way to fight back. But when she is targeted by one of Percival's accomplices, the incident sends her back in time and searching for answers.[3]
Plot[]
Jughead, Tabitha, and Pop watch Alice and Percival
Jughead, Tabitha, and Pop watch from the diner as Alice brings Percival on her morning show, Riverdale Today to discuss his game changing announcement for the future of Riverdale, that being a new, privately owned railway, which will drive straight through the heart of Riverdale. Unfortunately, Percival claims that Pop's would be the most ideal and central location for a station, which would mean tearing down the diner.
Tabitha confronts Percival
Tabitha confronts Percival at his shop to explain that she will never sell the diner to him. He had hoped that as a council member, she'd be able to put Riverdale's best interests above her own. He claims that the train project would bring many benefits to their town, over Pops, which is way past its heyday. Tabitha suspects that the project only benefits Percival, but he begs to differ, claiming that their neighbors may think otherwise. He then attempts to use his powers of persuasion to force Tabitha to sell him the diner, but she is impervious to his sway and repeats that she will never sell Pop's.
Betty warns Tabitha
In an attempt to stop Percival from tearing down the diner, Tabitha rallies the troops, or at least she attempts to, starting with Archie, who turns her down, reasoning that he can't go up against Percival right now, as he knows Archie's weakness. Until he can find a workaround, Archie intends to lie low. Tabitha's next stop is the FBI field office, where Betty warns her to stay away from Percival, as he's dangerous and can get inside of her head. No matter what, Betty advises Tabitha to never be alone in a room with Percival. She then heads over to the Whyte Wyrm, reminding Toni that if Percival is coming for Pop's, then that means he's coming for the Wyrm as well. However, Toni has spoken to Percival, who claims that the station won't affect the Wyrm in any manner, but Toni doesn't necessarily believe him. Moving on to Veronica at the Babylonium. She's willing to support Tabitha in any way possible, but playing devil's advocate, she's tells Tabitha that her booth at the casino is doing good business. Veronica suggests Tabitha take the money Percival is offering and open a better diner, in a safer location. As a last resort, she seeks out help at a freezing Thornhill from Cheryl, who agrees that Percival is a scourge on the town and agrees to help Tabitha, but only after she manages to get a hold of her recently manifested skills.
Kevin reports to Percival that Tabitha is trying to rally support for the diner. While she hasn't gotten much traction yet, Percival still fears that she may, and in doing so, she could slow him down.
Jughead tells Tabitha the truth
Tabitha explains to Jughead that Percival has pushed her into a corner, forcing her to consider if his proposal is indeed what's best for the town, but Jughead refuses to give up, referring to Pop's as Riverdale's anchor. However, Tabitha believes that people would prefer a new railroad over an old diner. She then says in her head that she doesn't have any support, though she doesn't say it aloud, but when Jughead responds, she becomes suspicious, demanding to know what he's been keeping from her. And so, Jughead takes a seat and reveals to Tabitha that he can read thoughts, Betty can see threatening auras, Archie is invulnerable unless he comes into contact with palladium, Cheryl is a fire starter and Percival can control people's mind, though Jughead questions how he wasn't able to manipulate Tabitha. He then shares his plan with Tabitha to protect Pop's by making the diner a historical landmark, something he tried to do years ago with the Twilight Drive-In. All they have to do is prove that Pop's has some kind of historical significance.
Tabitha reads The Green Book
Jughead and Tabitha seek out Pop Tate, who shares with them a box of keepsakes and memorabilia that documents the diner's history over the decades. In the box, Tabitha finds a copy of The Green Book, with a section dedicated to the diner. Jughead and Tabitha remain at the diner throughout the night and assemble as much as they can to plead their case that Pop's is worthy of being named a historical landmark. Every significant event in Riverdale has happened at the diner, judging by the memorabilia Jughead has uncovered. He's certain that the Rockland County Historical Society will accept their application. However, their brief moment of celebration is interrupted when an armed man enters the diner and fires a single shot at Tabitha.
Tabitha travels back in time to December 24, 1944
Tabitha awakens at the diner, though it's not where she finds herself, it's when, December 24, 1944, to be exact. She has somehow time traveled back to the past, but before she can even begin to register what's happening, she's approached by Titus Tate, who refers to her as Teresa and shows her that the diner has made it into The Green Book. She then notices Jughead sitting alone in a booth and joins him. He confirms that she has indeed traveled back in time to 1944 and that Titus Tate is her great-grandfather, though he referred to her as Teresa because it's how his mind is comprehending her sudden appearance. And also, Jughead isn't actually Jughead, rather he's her guardian angel by the name of Raphael, which Tabitha guesses after, to her own confusion, remembering a similar conversation from Rivervale. Raphael has assumed Jughead's form because it's someone she's comfortable with. If she saw his true form in all its glory, she'd lose her mind and go insane. The real Jughead is in present time, by Tabitha's bedside at the hospital after getting shot. Jughead raced her to the hospital and she's now on life support. Assuming what he says about being her guardian angel is true, Tabitha wonders where he's been all her life. Raphael claims that he's always been near, but that they're only allowed to show themselves during times of cataclysmic events. Raphael doesn't have all the answers, but he proposes Tabitha read a book titled The Enigma of Time Travel.
Raphael guides Tabitha
According to the book, Tabitha is chronokinetic, or in layman's terms, a time traveler. Tabitha suspects that the trauma of getting shot unlocked her gift, but she didn't do it consciously. The bullet hit her and triggered a time jump. But why to 1944, she wonders. Raphael suspects that she may be needed here. Tabitha still isn't sure, but she recalls the book mentioning a talisman, an object she can focus on in order to hone her power and control it. And if she can do that, she may be able to will herself to her own time. Whatever it is, it's an object of symbolic or religious power to either herself or the world. But given how difficult of a task that may be, Raphael suggests they focus on why she's in 1944, alluding that she was sent here on a mission. Just then, Titus interrupts and asks if she's coming with him to the community meeting at the high school to determine if Riverdale should become a sundown town or not.
Sheriff Perkins wants to make Riverdale a sundown town
Mayor Keller thanks everyone for coming and welcomes Sheriff Perkins, who looks remarkably a lot like Percival to state his stance in favor of Riverdale becoming a sundown town, as he believes it will cut down crime, evident by the lack of crime in their neighboring towns of Greendale, Centerville, and Seaside. When Principal Cooper inquiries further, Sheriff Perkins explains that all black people must be outside the town's limits by sundown. And if not, they'll be treated as trespassers. Tabitha interjects and accuses Perkins of being racist and questions how the black families and black owned businesses are to survive if they're being forced out. Perkins suggests they simply move to a different town, but Artie Andrews interjects, stating that he didn't go to war for their country, just to come back to town where people aren't free to come and go as they please. Not to mention, five of the men in his fire department are black and have saved countless lives. Mayor Keller agrees to think it over and settle the matter in the new year.
Flynn and Tracy seek refuge
Tabitha heads back to the diner and explains to Raphael that, to her knowledge, Riverdale was never a sundown town. It's as if someone is trying to rewrite history, that someone being Percival. Tabitha believes she's meant to stop him and derail his plan. Suddenly, she finds a worried and panicked family of three banging on the door. She welcomes them inside and locks the door behind them. She and Titus escort them to a booth, where Tracy and Flynn explain that their car ran out of gas while they were in Centerville as it was getting dark. They almost got caught by the police until they escaped into the woods and remembered Pop's diner, which they read about in The Green Book. Tracy asks if they can stay until the morning, and Tabitha and Titus are more than willing to accommodate.
Titus and Tabitha stand their ground
The police arrive outside the dinner in search of Tracy and Flynn. Sheriff Perkins and Deputy Keller are under the impression that she's harboring criminals after their colleagues in Centerville identified some trespassers in their town after dark. Tabitha explains that they don't have any criminals, only a scared family in need of shelter. Furthermore, she reminds them that Riverdale isn't a sundown town yet and that he's going to need a warrant if he intends to come into her diner and take them away, as she's well aware of what happens to people who break sundown laws -- they vanish. Titus exits the diner with a shotgun in hand, reiterating that no one is entering the diner without a warrant. Refusing to back down, Sheriff Perkins intends to call over to Centerville and have them work up an arrest warrant, which should be ready by morning.
Tabitha devises a plan
They've bought themselves a few hours, but once the police arrive with the warrant, there's nothing stopping them from taking Tracy, Flynn, and Baby Annie away. Flynn wants to sneak out back and make a dash for the woods, but Tracy fears for Baby Annie, who is asthmatic. Titus remarks what they need is a Christmas miracle, and Tabitha looks over to Raphael, reminding him that it's Christmas Eve and that this is the one night of the year he can and should get involved. She recalls their previous conversation, where he stated that his true form would drive her insane and asks if he meant that literally. Raphael confirms that he did and that her eyes would start to bleed, and her mind would snap in two. Tabitha proposes he show his true form to Percival and the deputy, but first she calls Chief Andrews and brings everybody into the back, whilst Raphael goes outside and physically and mentally scars the sheriff and deputy.
Tabiths goes to Mayor Keller
With Sheriff Perkins and Deputy Keller incapacitated, rambling on the ground with their eyes burned out, Tabitha and Titus guide Tracy and Flynn out of the diner and take them to Chief Andrews, who will help get them home. However, before sending them off with Artie, Tabitha first takes them to the mayor's office, where she explains to Mayor Keller that they were hunted down like criminals for simply being caught in Centerville after dark. They are why he can't allow Sheriff Perkins to turn Riverdale into a sundown town. It would cost the town its soul. And with that, Mayor Keller declares that Riverdale will not become a sundown town.
Perkins shoots Tabitha
The next day, Tabitha gets off the phone with Tracy and reports to Titus that she, Flynn, and Baby Annie made it home safe and sound. Tabitha then decides to come clean to Titus about her not actually being Teresa. However, they're interrupted by Perkins, who seems to have escaped an insane asylum, as well as his straight jacket. He tells Tabitha that she can't beat him and then pulls out a gun and shoots her.
Tabitha asks Pop for money
It would seem as though Tabitha has time jumped yet again. This time as Tina Tate to April 3, 1968, just as Dr. Martin Luther King is giving his Mountaintop speech. Realizing that he's going to be assassinated tomorrow, Tabitha asks to borrow some money from Pop to catch a bus out of Riverdale. Unfortunately, the bus to Memphis breaks down just outside of town. Raphael appears, but this time as Toni, and tells Tabitha that there's nothing she can do to save Dr. King. Tabitha recalls Betty telling her that the FBI office in town opened up in the 1950s and goes there for help, but among them is an agent that again resembles Percival. Agent Keller approaches and asks if there's anything he can do to help, but she simply leaves.
Raphael advises Tabitha
Tabitha reconvenes with Raphael, who reiterates that there's nothing she can do to stop Dr. King's assassination. Some events are fixed points in history. Certain incidents of the past affected the world so enormously that the universe won't allow them to be altered. Raphael suggests she start looking for her talisman, but Tabitha doubts she'll be able to focus on anything other than what's going to happen the following night, for which Raphael assures Tabitha she will be at her time.
The following night, Tabitha and those in the diner listen to the radio as Senator Robert Kennedy announces that Dr. King has been assassinated. The diner erupts in anguish and sadness, so much so that Pop collapses to the floor, with Tabitha running over to comfort him. Pop wonders if they should shut down the diner out of respect, but Tabitha believes they should stay open, so people don't feel as if they're alone.
The agents warn Tabitha
The following day, Tabitha receives an unwelcome visit from Agent Pierce and Agent Keller, who inform her of the rioting in Greendale, Centerville, and Seaside last night. With that in mind, the mayor is banning all public gatherings effective immediately. She has until 6 PM to disperse, but Tabitha tells him that no one is rioting and that the customers inside Pop's just wish to grieve and pray in peace, but the agents aren't concerned with her claims and threaten to start arresting people should the gathering continue past 6 PM. Tabitha confronts Agent Pierce, explaining to him how they're peacefully listening to the radio and talking about the great life of Dr. King. What difference does it make to him, she wonders. Agent Pierce claims that he simply wants to make sure their emotions don't spill over into unrest and violence.
Tabitha blackmails J. Edgar Hoover
Tabitha informs Pop and the customers inside that the FBI are threatening to arrest them if the gathering isn't disbanded by 6 PM. Tabitha refuses to play into their hand and suggests that they stick together as a community, because violence and chaos in the streets is exactly what Agent Pierce wants. So, Tabitha calls the FBI and demands to speak with its director, J. Edgar Hoover, who she blackmails with intel of his secret files on so-called threats to the American public. In exchange for her silence, she tells him to get rid of Agent Perry Pierce.
Agent Pierce gets a call from the director
Agent Pierce receives a call from Director Hoover at the field office, who calls off "Operation Turkey Shoot" and fires Pierce, which he suspects to be the work of Tabitha.
While mourning the death of Dr. King with the townspeople of Riverdale, Tabitha notices Pierce driving slowly passed the diner. He makes eye contact with her but continues to drive past.
Tabitha finds a bomb
Tabitha convenes with Raphael, who tells her that she's completed her mission by banishing Percival and keeping the diner open. She wishes she could do more, and Raphael tells her that her mission may be ongoing. Tabitha then heads into the back to refill some ketchup bottles, where she discovers a bomb planted by Percival inside the cabinet. She takes the bomb outside the diner and places it in a trash can, where it explodes.
Tabitha is now Tessa
Tabitha has time jumped once more to November 1999. She's closer to her time than before and now appears as Tessa Tate. Pop exits and asks for her help after catching a couple kids spray-painting "88" on the diner, which is a symbol of hate and a code used by white supremacist. Tabitha questions why anyone would do that. Pop Tate isn't sure, though he did catch one of the kids. On the ground, near their feet, Tabitha finds a baseball card.
Tabitha speaks with Brian
Sheriff Keller explains that they've been overwhelmed with phone calls since last night about a wave of vandalism through town. It was all kids, and they all responded the same way. They all seemed to be in a daze and claim that they don't even remember doing what they did. Tom intends to take the kid home to his parents, but Tabitha asks to talk with him first. When Brian apologizes for vandalizing the diner despite having no recollection, Tabitha returns his baseball card, which he recently got from the curiosity Shop that just opened on the outskirts of town. The guy who runs it gave him a good deal. However, he can't remember what he had to do in exchange for it, though he remembers that the shop's owner's name was Paul Prince.
Tabitha breaks in
Tabitha stakes out the Curiosity Shop, where she is joined by Raphael, who has now taken on the appearance of Betty. He remarks that she's getting better at time traveling and that she jumped almost an entire second before the explosion. After Paul exits the shop, Raphael hands Tabitha a bobby pin to break in with while he plays lookout. Tabitha takes a look around the shop, which is filled with antique items. Among them, an old camera, which she uses to take photos of the shop.
Raphael sees the Holy Grail
Tabitha returns to Pop's with the photos and shares them with Raphael, questioning why Percival keeps appearing during moments of crisis. Raphael explains that there are some men whose hearts are so cold that they burn down villages just for the warmth, leading Tabitha to question how exactly he's doing this, suspecting either reincarnation or that he's an immortal time traveler or demon. Raphael recognizes the Spear of Longinus in one of the photos, said to have pierced the side of Jesus at his crucifixion. It's one of the most powerful objects in history. He notices the Holy Grail in another photo. This could potentially be Tabitha's talisman, Raphael remarks.
Tabitha fights Percival
Tabitha returns to Curiosity Shop for the Holy Grail, but she is confronted by Percival, who attacks her with a sword. He says that his names are "legion," but if she blows out the candle, he is the dark. Tabitha grabs the Spear of Longinus and fends off her attacker, explaining that in college, she was on the fencing and debate team. She uses her sword fighting skills to defeat Percival and burn the entire shop down before leaving with the Holy Grail and returning to Pop's to convene with Raphael, who congratulates Tabitha on stopping Percival but tells her that it's time for her to return home. Tabitha fears that the grail may not even be her talisman, but Raphael is hopeful and fills the grail with a milkshake, which Tabitha proceeds to drink from, hoping it will send her home.
Tabitha takes out the gunman
Tabitha has traveled back to her time, just moments before she is shot. The armed man enters with his gun drawn, but this time she's prepared and knocks him unconscious by throwing a can at his head. Jughead is in shock and asks Tabitha what he's missing, as she explains that the man was sent by Percival to kill her. After tying her would-be assassin up and locking him in the freezer, Tabitha informs Jughead about her ability to time travel. He questions why none of them got an angel. Tabitha replies that she's being trained for a war that's been brewing for decades, if not centuries. And its major battles are still ahead of them. Percival was the same villain in every time period. Tabitha isn't sure what he is, but she doesn't think he's human, and it's going to take all of them with powers, working together, to stop him.
Tabitha went to the future
Jughead and Tabitha rally with Archie, Betty, and Cheryl in a booth at the diner, where they explain the impending war and how Percival has appeared in every time period with a plan more evil than the last, leading Cheryl to question why he's bringing a railroad to the town. Jughead doesn't think it's his ultimate goal, though it's happening nonetheless, as Archie overheard his Uncle Frank talking on the phone with Alice about getting Governor Dooley onboard with the railroad and blocking any attempt to landmark Pop's. That's because Pop's is where the resistance will gather. Where the forces of good will marshal and where the final battle will be fought, Tabitha explains, along with revealing that her talisman wasn't the grail, rather it was Pop's. Once Tabitha realized what her talisman was, she was able to time jump into the future, where the diner was an empty shell. Ever worse, outside, the sky was full of ash and Riverdale was a wasteland. Archie questions if this is a future they can prevent, but Tabitha isn't sure, as certain events are fixed points in time. Perhaps this future that she saw is one, but what she knows for certain is that they're at ground zero for the impending apocalypse.
Cast[]
Starring[]
|
Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
|
Soundtrack[]
- Ada "Cry Baby" Ray - I Cried to Be Free
- Scene: Tabitha prepares dinner for herself and Jughead when a gunman enters Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe.
- Glenn Miller - Jingle Bells
- Scene: Tabitha time travels to 1944 and meets Titus Tate.
- Sonny Jones - Suffering
- Scene: 1968, Tabitha waits for the news of Dr. King's assassination.
- Mahalia Jackson - Take My Hand, Precious Lord
- Scene: Tabitha has a gathering at the diner while Agent Pierce drives past after being fired.
Trivia[]
- The episode title comes from Tony Kushner's 1991 two-part play of the same name.
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
Screencaps[]
Videos[]
