In the final episode titled “Goodbye Riverdale,” Archie and the group experience a last day together at their high school. Betty, portrayed by Michele Scarabelli at the age of 86, stumbles upon an obituary for Jughead. Sharing her memories with her granddaughter Alice, she reflects on the gang’s extraordinary adventures and reveals that she’s the sole surviving friend. Her heartfelt desire is to revisit Riverdale and relive her youthful days one final time.
As Betty drifts off to sleep with her high school yearbook, she awakens in a dream where Jughead appears as an angel, offering her a chance to return to Riverdale for one last visit.
During her return, Betty spots Archie outside her window, about to join a construction crew and head to California. Revisiting her childhood home, she encounters her mother Alice and sister Polly. Polly, played by Tiera Skovbye, is pregnant, and Jughead unveils that Alice pursued a career as a pilot. Betty also visits Riverdale High, marveling at the youth, beauty, and carefree spirit of the students. She contemplates the fleeting nature of this special time.
While at school, Fangs signs Betty’s yearbook, but tragedy strikes when he dies in a bus crash while on tour with his band.
Mary remains a steadfast partner with Brooke, staying together until the end.
Betty’s reunion with Veronica unveils that Veronica thrived as a leader of a major Hollywood studio. Meanwhile, Kevin and Clay build a life together in Harlem, with Clay becoming a professor and establishing an off-Broadway theater company.
The iconic Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle evolves to include Jughead. Betty reminisces, “The four of us realized that we could, and maybe should, just be… together. At the same time.” She recounts nights when their dynamics shifted, with Archie sneaking into her room, Veronica spending time with Jughead, and other variations.
After high school, the friends grow apart, maintaining minimal contact. Betty and Jughead visit Pop Tate’s grave, discovering that Jughead ran a magazine called Jughead’s Madhouse Magazine, while Betty founded She Says Magazine and adopted a daughter.
The poignant story concludes with Betty passing away in her sleep.
“Riverdale,” which commenced in 2017 as a contemporary adaptation of the classic Archie Comics, reaches its emotional conclusion in this final chapter.