Riverdale – Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Witching Hour(s)

Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) narrative takes us on yet another tale of mystery and intrigue—this time through the hallowed halls of Thornhill, the Blossom ancestral home. And within the walls of Thornhill three stories of Blossom women (Madelaine Petsch) through the centuries will be told: Abigail in 1892, Poppy in 1957 and Cheryl Blossom in present day. Each Blossom woman starts their day in a similar fashion, yet each is connected by one singular moment: Bailey’s Comet. In present day Cheryl is dealing with Nana Rose’s (Barbara Wallace) own mortality catching up to her, but Cheryl appears to have a ritual planned for the night of the comet. To prepare for the ritual\ Nana Rose is read the stories of the Blossom women.  

In 1892 Abigail interviews a young woman for the position of schoolteacher—Thomasina Topaz (Vanessa Morgan). Impressed by Thomasina’s background and lack of spouse, Abigail hires Thomasina and upon their handshake a nearby candle spontaneously lights up. In 1957 and present day the same candle lights. But as Abigail teaches her class proper etiquette and prepares them for a career of propriety, Thomasina tries to push the envelope by encouraging the students to join her in witnessing the wonder of Bailey’s Comet. Ruffled by Thomasina’s ideas Abigail reminds Thomasina that she is to teach only the curriculum provided to her and nothing more, eventually apologizing to Thomasina that night where they share a heartfelt moment—and a kiss.  

Later that night in bed together Abigail and Thomasina hear a loud knock at the door from Constable Keller (Casey Cott), who is searching for Thomasina for her part in a murder. Abigail is able to turn the Constable away from Thornhill but soon looks to Thomasina for some answers. Escaping from a cruel arranged marriage where she was expected to be a subservient spouse with no educational ideals, Thomasina was left with no choice but to kill her husband before he killed her. Abigail promises to protect Thomasina and have her stay at Thornhill forever, yet their bliss is later interrupted by Fen Fogarty (Drew Ray Tanner), a soldier who was sent by Abigail’s brother James. Fen produces a final letter from James that asks Abigail for one request—to marry Fen. While Abigail is ready to do whatever James has requested in his final wishes, Thomasina senses that Fen is a dark soul and implores Abigail to help her go through Fen’s belongings when he goes hunting to find out who he is. 

The next day with Fen out of the house, Abigail and Thomasina discover that Fen has not only murdered James and forged his signature—he has done this several times over. Even worse, Thomasina discovers a pentagram in Fen’s chest and signs that point to him being a warlock. Upon his return to Thornhill, Fen finds Abigail and Thomasina in his room and threatens to kill Thomasina unless Abigail marries him. To save Thomasina, Abigail agrees to the marriage and begins to formulate a plan. After their nuptials are complete and Fen is ready to consummate the marriage, Abigail goes Lizzie Borden on Fen and attacks him with an ax. Thinking she is finally free Abigail goes to find Thomasina, only to discover that she has become Fen’s final victim. Still alive, Fen finds Abigail in Thomasina’s room and as the comet passes overhead, he curses Abigail to a life of immortality without love before finally collapsing to the floor. 

In 1957 Poppy Blossom is a hit amongst the housewives of Rivervale with her sage advice and unconventional methods of resolution. When Tammy (Erinn Westbrook) meets with Poppy to express her frustration of not being able to run Pop’s and her husband’s disapproval of such an idea, Poppy presents her with an herbal concoction to temporarily incapacitate her husband so she can step up in a leadership role. Aside from meeting with each spouse one-on-one, Poppy hosts a salon where other housewives such as Velma (Camila Mendes), Bitsy (Lili Reinhart), and Elaina Alexis (Madchen Amick). While the discussion starts light-hearted on the topic of Bailey’s Comet, Elaina Alexis in Alice Cooper-esque fashion starts to gossip on communism in Rivervale and immediately sends the women into a tizzy. 

Later in private Bitsy sits with Poppy and admits her own unhappiness in her marriage with her husband Jack (Cole Sprouse). After a tough first pregnancy, Jack wants to have another child and Bitsy is not sure she wants to indulge him. Deciding to help Bitsy with her current plight, Poppy presents her with a bottle of ginger root as a natural form of birth control. Grateful for her help Bitsy embraces Poppy and their encounter turns more intimate as the women share a kiss. Embarrassed by her own feelings Bitsy pulls away and tries to leave, Poppy assuring Bitsy that everything will be fine. Unfortunately, Poppy is later visited by an angry Jack with a reluctant Bitsy in tow. Bitsy informs Poppy to butt out of her marriage, only saying that to placate Jack as he threatens Poppy’s life. Unfortunately, Jack’s threat and Poppy’s help creates a ripple effect within the Rivervale community—namely the husbands. When Poppy’s makeup party has no guests, the husbands arrive at Thornhill and threaten Poppy with a choice: leave Rivervale or else.  

Though Poppy refuses to leave, she soon finds that Rivervale becomes an uncomfortable place when the townspeople stare at her with scorn and hatred during her arrival at Pop’s. Later when she returns to Thornhill, Kirk Keller (Casey Cott) and officers are rifling through Poppy’s home. The reason—Poppy is supposedly accused of being a communist and is taken in for questioning. Refusing to sign Keller’s confession, Poppy is jailed and later visited by Bitsy—who informs Abigail that she is pregnant. Nine months later, Jack visits Poppy in jail and begs for her to help Bitsy deliver their baby. In turn, she will not have to return to the jail cell—Poppy agrees and  Bitsy has a baby girl as Bailey’s Comet passes over. Before Poppy leaves Bitsy in the room, she produces a pouch from her bag for Bitsy to use when the time is right. Poppy goes to deliver the news of the delivery to Jack and Kirk Keller, only to discover the terms of her help means being under house arrest at Thornhill indefinitely. A year later, Bitsy finally frees herself from Jack by using the pouch that Poppy gave her.  

 In present day Cheryl has told the story of Abigail and Poppy to Nana Rose and Britta (Kyra Leroux), who wanted to stay with Cheryl rather than join her classmates in watching the comet. After the stories of Abigail and Poppy are told, the doorbell rings and Cheryl goes to let the guest of honor in—none other than Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka). With Sabrina in attendance, the transference ritual can begin. And under Bailey’s Comet one last magical moment occurs as Cheryl and Nana Rose switch bodies, only Cheryl was Poppy and Abigail. Cursed by Fen back in 1892, the spell was finally broken in 2021 when Abigail found a way to move her soul into a body ready to leave the world and be free. In turn, Nana Rose is granted another chance to reclaim her youth for just a little bit longer. When Sabrina sits down and explains this to Britta, Abigail is finally reunited in the sweet hereafter with Thomasina.