The battle of Good vs. Evil was fought on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 21.
From dark rituals to mind-controlled Ghoulies, there were many more layers to this big fight than meets the eye. Percival didn’t make this battle easy for our heroes.
Did the fight live up to the anticipation? Or was it just another mind game by Percival?
“Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen: The Stand” was a jam-packed chapter. A lot happened to our heroes in their war against Percival, from one mini fight to the next and the surprise twists.
It would’ve been easy for Riverdale to drag this out into Riverdale Season 6 Episode 22. Especially since this is only the penultimate episode of Riverdale Season 6, and the season finale is coming up.
I’m glad Riverdale went in this direction because the battle ended on a high note before the comet would arrive.
There was so much momentum built after Riverdale Season 6 Episode 20; Percival’s downfall needed its separate chapter to enjoy his failure. His defeat was the moment we all waited for months.
Something as big as the town possibly being crushed by Bailey’s Comet is too big of a plot to be rushed with Percival dying. (We’ll get into this twist later on.)
Percival didn’t make it easy for the Riverdale crew. Right down to the final battle, he made every little interaction and each step one huge battle after the next.
We expected his shadiness because he had always shown his true colors.
Our villain’s name is Percival Pickens. He’s an immortal, interdimensional sorcerer whose power is growing by the hour. He wants to claim Riverdale or destroy it depending on the outcome of a war we’re pre-destined to lose.
Jughead
So, why did the group think Percival would play fair with a negotiation? This is Percival Pickens! He’s never played fair, at least not entirely.
It was baffling that Archie and Veronica would try to make deals with him. Like Archie’s offer to be a prisoner or them giving up half the town for three dead bodies was not a fair and balanced trade.
Percival would’ve never settled for half when he had been currently controlling the town as the mayor. Any strategist would’ve known this; Archie and Veronica overplayed their hand.
The same goes for when Percival used the ritual to infect and control the bodies. Did they not expect him to retaliate and not play fairly?
Controlling Reggie, Abuelita, Jason, and a zombified Glen packed some of the best horror moments that Riverdale has ever done.
Reggie stabbing Archie took us all by surprise because he was so vicious. And Abuelita’s shotgun blasts were extra terrifying when the background music cut to make the pops go louder.
[Chainsaw raging] Come get some!
Betty
Sure, Betty channeling her best Ash from Evil Dead impression made me laugh loudly, but the horror nod was a nice touch.
The only thing surprising about the fights was that Cheryl burned Jason alive. Why did he have to die? It made no sense. Cheryl could’ve knocked him out; she would never kill “JJ.” How is Polly going to react now that he’s dead again?!
The other twist that will have head-scratching consequences was Baby Anthony being aged up into a young adult.
It’s understandable why the group needed him since he’s the only other immortal being that could fight Percival. However, how will this affect Riverdale now that he’s no longer a baby? And did his lack of life training/growth affect him?
Archie: Toni, Anthony is baby.
Toni: Right now, he is. But we’ve had the privilege of seeing Anthony in the future, and he’s a warrior, Archie. What if Tabitha speeds up time, just for Baby Anthony? Ages him up. We would miss his childhood, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Percival would never see it coming.
Reggie: Damn, that’s some looper-level crap.
At least the plan of aging up Baby Anthony did work to take down the Ghoulies and reclaim the Babylonium. It would’ve been terrible if that sacrifice had been for nothing because it was a high price.
Riverdale can claim this as winning the battle that led to winning the war. Getting back the Babylonium did tip the scales and drove Percival to fight them at the diner.
We have to give Tabitha a lot of credit for winning the war. If it weren’t for her resourcefulness, the group wouldn’t have been able to gain the upper hand.
This twist again showed why Tabitha is essential to the group and Riverdale.
Recruiting people from Rivervale and transporting them to the supernatural town was a great full-scale moment that tied the season together.
We started the story with Rivervale on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 1, and now they’ve thrown the enemy back to the spooky town from where he came from. Percival’s end needed that satisfying finish coming from the descendants of the people he sought to destroy; it’s the best karma for a petty Big Bad like him.
Rivervale Jughead revealing the twist was a chef’s kiss moment because you knew something sinister was hiding up his sleeve. But it was the scene of Percival waking up surrounded by blood and the Rivervale descendants that put the cherry on the surprise sundae.
It was the type of scene that made it clear there was nothing he could do. Percival was defeated, and we loved to see it!
Though, Mr. Cypher tearing up the deal made it even better.
There was no way Percival could worm his way out of that trap. Transported back to his original time with no devil contract covered every possible loophole. Kudos to the Riverdale writers for covering their bases; they made this thorough.
Will Bailey’s Comet collide with Riverdale and kill everyone? It’s the cliffhanger to end all Riverdale cliffhangers.
Percival got the last laugh, but it’s not a done deal in the grand scheme. Tabitha has seen possible outcomes where they’ve survived their war against Percival, so it’s not out of the question.
Jughead: You know I’ve been looking forward to this. A test of our mental prowess. Must have I admire your hubris, and while your psychic abilities have been impressive, you’ll never break into my mind.
Percival Pickens: We’ll see about that. I’m a believer in beginner’s luck.
Still, something has affected this outcome to make Bailey’s Comet the death curse.
Could it be from Jughead surviving the battle against Percival? Tabitha and Jughead wondered why he was alive; this might be how Riverdale fulfills Jughead’s death prophecy.
Let’s hope that Percival doesn’t win the war, especially without our characters dying (again).
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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Cheryl frozen outside Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe looked like a cross between Elsa from Frozen and Emma Frost from X-Men.
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Bingo deserves all the head scratches and treats for saving the day!
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It was a missed opportunity not to show Polly’s reaction to Jason dying. She lost the man she loved yet again.
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Betty with a chainsaw. That’s it. That’s the last thought.
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans!
What did you think of “Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen: The Stand”?
Will Jason ever return from the dead? Will the town survive against Bailey’s Comet? Did you like Percival’s defeat?
If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.