Summary

• Sabrina's arrival in Riverdale created confusing contradictions in both shows' lore.
• Riverdale's witchcraft lore clashes with Sabrina's immortality and resurrection abilities.
• The crossover retcons Sabrina's fate and sacrifices for the sake of satisfying fans of both shows.

The crossover between Chilling Adventures of Sabrina during season 6 of the former was an event fans had been waiting for. Developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — who also developed Riverdale — Sabrina was initially conceived to be a companion show to Riverdale. However, the series’ move to Netflix put the two shows' connection in flux. The arrival of Sabrina’s eponymous character confirmed not only the success of Aguirre-Sacasa’s shared universe, but it also caused a lot of confusion regarding Sabrina’s finale.

Riverdale season 6 removes the main characters from “The Town With Pep” and inserts them in the Cheryl Blossom (Madeleine Petsch) is a witch and the descendent of Abigail Blossom, who was accused of being a witch. This is where Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) comes in. However, while her arrival is exciting, it creates a crossover problem that audiences are still struggling to understand three years later.

Sabrina's Arrival In Riverdale Is Confusing For Both Shows' Lore

Surprisingly, Sabrina's Arrival Isn't Riverdale's Introduction To Witches

Sabrina’s arrival in Rivervale poses several complications for both shows’ lore, particularly regarding the existence and immortality of witches, and Sabrina’s death during the series finale of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. While in Rivervale, it is revealed that Cheryl is not actually descended from Abigail Blossom. Rather, Cheryl is Abigail Blossom, who was cursed with immortality by the warlock Fen Fogarty and created personas — including Cheryl — to hide her immortality.

This contradicts aspects of both shows’ lore. In episode 4 during her first appearance on Riverdale, Sabrina claims that witches cannot die, implying that they are inherently immortal. This is confusing for two reasons. First, Abigail’s curse is that of immortality, suggesting that witches are not actually immortal despite Sabrina’s claim. Second, prior to Sabrina’s declaration, she and Cheryl had performed a ritual to transfer Abigail’s soul into Nana Rose’s body in order for Abigail to finally die. This suggests that while the body of a witch is immortal, their soul is not.

It is revealed in a flashback in season 5 that, in Riverdale, Abigail Blossom was burned at the stake by the townspeople, but not before cursing the town.

The confusion does not end here. It is revealed in a flashback in season 5 that, in Riverdale, Abigail Blossom was burned at the stake by the townspeople, but not before cursing the town. In season 6, after the main cast returned to Riverdale from Rivervale, the Rivervale arc, but it also confirms Sabrina’s claim that witches are immortal as Abigail is never killed by the main characters, but banished.

Is Riverdale Retconning Sabrina's Lore?

Witches Can Die In Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Although the witch lore cements itself by the conclusion of Riverdale season 6, Sabrina’s presence in the show accidentally retcons an aspect of Sabrina’s lore. While Riverdale confirms that witches are immortal, several witches — including Sabrina herself — in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are killed, proving that they are not immortal.

It is worth noting that, although witches are not immortal in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, they can be brought back to life. One such way is through the Cain Pit, which is a grave on the grounds of the Spellman Mortuary. It is used several times throughout Part 1 of Sabrina. However, the Cain Pit is not used afterward, nor is it mentioned in Riverdale. This is done to heighten the stakes for the characters as it removes an easily accessible way for the characters to cheat death, but it also causes problems with Sabrina’s ultimate fate.

Does Sabrina Die Before Or After Her Cameo?

Sabrina's Appearance In Riverdale Changes Everything

During the season finale of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Sabrina sacrifices herself in order to drain the Void from her body, causing her to bleed out and die. However, it is revealed that Sabrina’s appearance in Riverdale takes place a few years after the events of the Sabrina finale. Sabrina should be dead, but she’s not because her boyfriend, Nick Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood) died, sacrificing himself so Sabrina could be resurrected. Being resurrected was what led Sabrina to specialize in necromancy, which is why Cheryl asked for her help.

Sabrina should be dead, but she’s not because her boyfriend, Nick Scratch died, sacrificing himself so Sabrina could be resurrected.

However, in Sabrina’s series finale, Nick appeared in the Sweet Hereafter because he wanted to be with Sabrina in the afterlife. Sabrina disclosing that Nick is still in the Sweet Hereafter is another example of Riverdale retconning Sabrina’s lore. Although Sabrina and Nick are given closure when Nick’s spirit temporarily inhabits Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) body, it ultimately undermines Sabrina’s sacrifice and the conclusion of their love story.

Beyond confirming that Riverdale and Greendale exist in the same universe, it is unclear why Riverdale rewrote aspects of Sabrina’s story whilst developing its own confusing witchcraft lore. The show’s confusing supernatural arc is also, for some reason, rendered virtually insignificant in season 7 when the characters time travel to the 1950s. There was no need to bring Sabrina Spellman to Riverdale except to retcon her ending and satisfy fans of both shows, especially since Sabrina's story continued in the comic book "Witch War."