| This article is about Toni Topaz, who resides in Rivervale. You may be looking for her Riverdale counterpart, Toni Topaz. |
| “ | I know that I wouldn't be able to live anymore if something bad were to happen to Baby Anthony. | ” |
— Toni to Dr. Whitely[src]
| ||
Toni Topaz is the Serpent Queen and a teacher at Rivervale High School. After an incident in which she accidentally killed Darla Dickenson's son during a brawl with the Ghoulies, Toni was haunted by La Llorona, who had been summoned by Darla with the intent of taking baby Anthony. However, Toni sacrificed herself in exchange for her son's life and became La Llorona.
Throughout Rivervale[]
Season 6[]
Curing baby Anthony's colic[]
Baby Anthony have been crying nonstop, but he finally cries himself to sleep. Something is clearly wrong, so they arrange an appointment with Dr. Curdle Jr., who informs them that baby Anthony has colic. It's quite common and can last indefinitely. Dr. Curdle knows of an old remedy, in which he could put a toad in baby Anthony's mouth to simply suck the colic out, but Toni and Fangs object.
Toni learns of an old Serpent remedy
Toni and Fangs are struggling to deal with baby Anthony, who has yet to stop crying. Fangs was talking to his grandma, and she revealed that back in the day, Serpent mother's would leave their crying babies on tree stumps in Fox Forest overnight. And when they returned the next morning, the babies were sleeping peacefully after having cried the colic out, which apparently, Fangs' mom did with him.
Toni makes a deal with Cheryl
Toni takes Fangs' advice and takes baby Anthony out into the forest, but before she can leave him on a stump, she is startled by Cheryl, who is simply on a night walk. When Toni explains that she's trying to cure Anthony's colic, Cheryl takes the baby in her hands, and he almost instantly stops crying due to the calming perfume she concocted in her greenhouse, the ingredients of which she can mix into a more permanent solution in exchange for Toni's help in embracing Riverdale's old ways.
Toni and Fangs at the festival
The council meet with Cheryl and accept her invitation to the Maple Harvest Festival. There, Toni and Fangs run into Betty and Archie. Toni wishes Archie good luck today, but for what, he doesn't know. After the maple festival, Toni and Fangs join Cheryl in the woods near Thornhill, where they bear witness as Cheryl sacrifices Archie to the Maple Maiden, cutting out his heart with a knife.[1]
Becoming La Llorona[]
Toni kills Danny
The Serpents are at war with the Ghoulies due to the fact that the Serpent Princess Xandra fell in love with the Ghoulie Prince, Daniel. This leads to an all out brawl, with Toni and Fangs leading the Serpents in battle against Darla Dickenson and the Ghoulies. When Darla pulls out a gun and aims it at Fangs, Toni grabs her pocket knife and throws it at Darla, intent on disarming her, but Darla's son, Danny, shields her from Toni's attack and dies from being stabbed in the chest.
Three months later, Toni is going to therapy with Dr. Whitely to openly discuss the fact that she unintentionally killed Daniel and how his death is haunting her. Dr. Whitely asks if Toni has considered reaching out to Darla, which Toni hasn't, reasoning that Darla is a grieving mother and that there is nothing Toni can say to comfort her.
Toni questions Lucinda
Toni is approached by Betty, who asks for her help with a domestic violence case involving a Serpent mother named Lucinda Villa who supposedly drowned her daughter Xandra in a bathtub. The FBI wants Betty to charge Lucinda with the murder, but Toni insists that she's innocent, which is why Betty has come to her, in hopes she can get Lucinda to open up. Betty then takes Toni to the FBI field office, where Toni asks Lucinda for the truth. Lucinda claims that Xandra was drowned by La Llorona, which Toni relays to Betty, explaining that La Llorona is a spirit of vengeance that preys on young children by drowning them. However, Betty isn't convinced Lucinda is telling the truth.
Toni calls Betty
While looking through the lore of La Llorona, Toni calls Betty to check in on Lucinda, who's sticking to her story about not having killed her daughter. Toni is starting to believe that she's telling the truth. Ghosts like La Llorona exist in different cultures. There are different versions of the legends, but they're always mothers and they always go after children. Toni even reads one story where La Llorona could go after an unborn child. Toni warns Betty that something bad is happening in Rivervale, but Betty still isn't convinced.
Toni confronts La Llorona
While grading papers, Toni notices water leaking down from the ceiling and rushes out into the hallway, where she makes contact with La Llorona, though she is seemingly the only person who can see the ghost. Toni pulls the fire alarm and grabs an axe, but La Llorona disappears within the crowded halls, and Kevin asks Toni what she is doing.
Toni finds Baby Anthony on the floor
Toni gets a visit from Janet, who received an anonymous report and has come to do a wellness check. Toni insists that Baby Anthony is safe and questions who made the report, but Janet can't disclose that information. Unbeknownst to the two of them, La Llorona is in Anthony's and attempts to take him until he screams and Toni comes barging in to find Baby Anthony crying on the floor.
Toni, Betty, and Fangs plot their move against La Llorona. Betty has discovered a pattern. La Llorona is following a direct line from Sweetwater River. Toni suspects that Baby Anthony is the main target and tasks Fangs with taking the baby to the Wyrm and surrounding him with the Serpents for protection.
Toni at the séance
Toni and Betty ask Cheryl and Nana Rose for help in making contact with La Llorona, who takes possession of Nana Rose and reveals that her name is Martha Mallon. She was nurse in the children's ward in Rivervale's first hospital, and during those early years, they lost many children, which the townsfolk blamed her for and accused her of being a witch. So, they dragged Martha and her children to Sweetwater River, weighed them down with rocks, and threw them into the dark waters. They drowned and Martha became La Llorona. As for who summoned her, La Llorona reveals that it was the work of Darla Dickenson, from her son's grave.
Toni and Betty find Darla
Toni and Betty find Darla at her son's grave. She's been expecting them. Toni apologizes for killing Danny, but Darla isn't interested in her apology. Danny was her last living son. Betty commands Darla to call La Llorona off, but Darla explains that she can't be called off. Once summoned, there's no stopping her until she gets the baby she came for, that being Anthony in this case. Betty and Toni are confident that the Serpents are protecting Anthony, but Darla warns them that La Llorona will stop at nothing to claim Baby Anthony, as she's an unstoppable force. So, they race over to the Wyrm, where they find what remains of the Serpents. Fangs wakes up and reveals that La Llorona took Anthony to Sweetwater River.
Toni is the new La Llorona
Toni and Betty arrive at Sweetwater River just in time to stop La Llorona, who has Baby Anthony in hand. Toni is sorry for what La Llorona has endured and is asking that she show mercy, but La Llorona was called forth and can't return without the child. However, Toni offers to take away her suffering by becoming La Llorona herself. She'll do this not only in exchange for Anthony's safe return, but as penance for the life she took. Martha agrees and hands Toni Baby Anthony. After Toni gives Anthony over to Betty, she trades places with Martha and becomes La Llorona. Before retreating into the water, Toni tells Betty to protect Baby Anthony and let him know that she loved him.[2]
Back from the dead[]
Toni and Fangs are experiencing weird dreams too, involving Toni drowning and coming back as a ghost who was trying to hurt baby Anthony.
Betty's bachelorette party
Toni attends Betty's bachelorette party, but the following morning, they're all suffering from hangovers and recalls how when they were in high school and hung over, they could just skip class.
During Betty and Archie's rehearsal dinner at Pop's, Toni reveals that Cheryl is dead, strangled to death in her bed. Fortunately, Cheryl is resurrected when Jughead saves Rivervale by becoming a story generator.[3]
Toni and Fangs join the rest of the gang in assisting Riverdale's Jughead with taking out Percival. Once Jughead lures him into a trap, they stab him with his own daggers, leaving him weak enough for Tabitha to turn him over to the Devil.[4]
Physical Appearance[]
Toni is a young woman with long black hair, brown eyes, and brown skin. She often wears flannel shirts as well as flannel jackets, staying true to her Southside roots.
Appearances[]
Season 6[]
- "Chapter Ninety-Six: Welcome to Rivervale"
- "Chapter Ninety-Seven: Ghost Stories"
- "Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox"
- "Chapter One Hundred and Four: The Serpent Queen's Gambit" (Riverdale) (archived footage)
- "Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen: The Stand"
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (writer) & Correa, Gabriel (director) (November 16, 2021). "Chapter Ninety-Six: Welcome to Rivervale". Riverdale. Season 6. Episode 1. The CW.
- ↑ Salinas Schoenberg, Janine (writer) & Correa, Gabriel (director) (November 23, 2021). "Chapter Ninety-Seven: Ghost Stories". Riverdale. Season 6. Episode 2. The CW.
- ↑ Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (writer) & Correa, Gabriel (director) (December 14, 2021). "Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox". Riverdale. Season 6. Episode 5. The CW.
- ↑ Iman, Danielle & Kyle, Evan (writers) & Glaude, Cierra (director) (July 24, 2022). "Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen: The Stand". Riverdale. Season 6. Episode 21. The CW.