Riverdale Ends Its Reign as One of Television's Most Reliably Bonkers Shows

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After seven seasons of off-the-rails drama, surprise musical numbers, and plenty of bed-hopping, the teens (turned adults, turned teens again) of Riverdale say goodbye this week as The CW series reaches its series finale. Plus: Rosario Dawson investigates an emerging threat in Star Wars: Ahsoka, and Kim Cattrall returns to the Sex and the City universe in Max's And Just Like That... Season 2 finale.

Riverdale Series Finale

Wednesday, 9:00 PM ET on The CW
*Our must-watch pick of the week*

The show that introduced the world to sexy Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) and his friends comes to an end this week. Riverdale's final season paid tribute to the Archie Comics by transporting Archie, Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) back to the 1950s, a shift that allowed the show to wrestle with the difficult realities of the time period, including racism, homophobia, and the Red Scare. While the high school students did battle one last serial killer, the real villains this season proved to be Riverdale's adults, who consistently stood in the way of progress and prevented the teens from embracing their true identities.

The goings-on in 1955 were delightfully bananas, but viewers have been critical that Season 7 is unrelated to the six seasons of drama (and particularly the relationships) that came before it. However, the finale, written by series creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, will return to the present — and the future — as 86-year-old Betty relives the last day of senior year with her friends, whose memories have been restored from before the comet that sent them back to the '50s. (This show, man.) Will Archie be by her side, his six-pack still intact in his mid-80s, or does Riverdale have a different endgame in mind for its many ships? Whether you stopped watching around the Black Hood or the organ-harvesting cult, it's worth tuning into the series finale to find out.

Star Wars: Ahsoka

Wednesday, Disney+

After making her debut in The Mandalorian Season 2, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) continues her search for Jedi Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi). Set after the events of 1983 film Return of the Jedi, Ahsoka draws inspiration from across the Star Wars universe, but it primarily functions as a continuation of animated series Rebels, in which Ezra sacrificed himself during a battle against the Empire and disappeared with General Admiral Thrawn (voiced by Lars Mikkelsen, who reprises his role in the live-action series). In order to find Ezra, Ahsoka and Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) must first stop Thrawn's ascent, but despite his lack of Jedi powers, the Imperial leader proves to be a formidable adversary.

Ahsoka also introduces live-action versions of other Star Wars Rebels characters, including Twi'lek New Republic general Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), mercenary Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson), and droid Professor Huyang (voiced by David Tennant). And for fans who aren't as familiar with the animated sequels, creator Dave Filoni has a surprise up his sleeve: Hayden Christensen is set to reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka's former Jedi master who went on to become Darth Vader. Ahsoka's relationship with the late Anakin makes her quest that much more personal — and if there's anything that motivates a Star Wars hero, it's a long-standing vendetta.

And Just Like That... Season 2 Finale

Thursday, Max

And Just Like That... Samantha Jones is back. Season 2 of Max's Sex and the City continuation has been all about blasts from the past: Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) rekindled her relationship with Aidan (John Corbett); Charlotte (Kristen Davis) returned to work as a gallerist; and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) took steps to reclaim her role as the voice of reason within the group. But for SATC lovers, nothing compares to Kim Cattrall's homecoming as Samantha, who has not appeared in the show due to the actor's very public decision to step away from the franchise. That will finally change with the AJLT Season 2 finale, which features a phone conversation between Carrie and Samantha. As Parker told Entertainment Weekly, "It's a really opportune moment in the story, [a] consequential event happening in Carrie's life, that Samantha rings and they have this quick, lovely, sentimental, funny call."

Though Parker insists the moment — which Cattrall filmed solo, without seeing any of her former co-stars — "feels normal and really nice," fans shouldn't expect Cattrall to reprise the role again, as she's said "this is as far as [she's] going to go" with the character. Still, one scene with the wise-cracking Samantha Jones is better than nothing. If Aidan's ex-wife (Rosemarie DeWitt) can prompt a breakthrough in Carrie in just a few minutes, imagine what her oldest friend can do with even half the time.

If You Have...

An Hour

The Winter King: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on MGM+
Invasion Season 2 Premiere: Wednesday, Apple TV+
Nancy Drew Series Finale: Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET on The CW
Grown-ish Season 6 Summer Finale: 10:00 PM ET on Freeform

An Evening

The Bachelorette Season 20 Finale: Monday, 8:00 PM ET on ABC
Untold: Swamp Kings: Tuesday, Netflix
BS High: Wednesday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO

A Full Day

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 2 (Episodes 1–8): Wednesday, Netflix
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn: Friday, Apple TV+

Up Next

Justified: City Primeval Finale: Tuesday, August 29 on FX
One Piece: Thursday, August 31 on Netflix
The Wheel of Time Season 2: Friday, September 1 on Prime Video

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.