Riverdale Season 6 Episode 11 Review: Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America
The town of Riverdale might be running out of time, even if Tabitha has the power to save it.
On Riverdale Season 6 Episode 11, Tabitha took us on an excellent adventure through the decades, facing off against one Big Bad after another. And unlike Bill and Ted, we didn’t need a magical phonebooth to make it happen.
Just the iconic Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe as our backdrop for all the drama and war to come.
“Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America” was our long-awaited Tabitha-centric chapter. Sure, other group members were included, but this storyline brought her to the forefront as the main hero.
Tabitha Tate (played by Erinn Westbrook) has been a great addition to Riverdale. She’s level-headed, has a strong business mind, and is willing to protect the people she cares about at a moment’s notice. None of her choices feel reckless or dramatic; she’s a nice balance against the soapier plots.
And on a show with a big cast like Riverdale, side characters outside the core five get pushed to the background with no real plots. (We’ll never forget you, Kevin, Alice, and Josie!)
Letting other stories shine is a great move for the show; Tabitha’s time travel adventure didn’t disappoint.
Her new powers proved the working theory that more abilities were hiding in town. After Cheryl’s pyrokinesis on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 10, it was only a matter of guessing who would be next.
The chronokinetic power seemed like a lot of fun!
Granted, Raphael’s vague guidance didn’t set her up for success, and Percival’s many shady plans were evil as hell. The ability itself was a handy trick that any superhero group would want to have around, and Tabitha was the perfect person to have this power.
Would you trust time traveling to Archie or Cheryl? It’s all about Tabitha (or Betty) with this ability.
She’d heed all the warnings, solve Raphael’s advice, and get the job done because that’s how great Tabitha is as a person.
“Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America” answered the burning question of why Percival hated Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe so much. And why Percival went out of his way to torment Tabitha more than anyone else.
Percival is evil, which we can all agree with, but I liked how there were many layers to how far back their feud went.
Riverdale does an amazing job of tying their current and past plots together. Tabitha is a new character, but her influence played a huge part in the past growth of the town and the Chock’lit Shoppe.
Tabitha: Except, I didn’t do it consciously. It was like a reflex. The bullet hit me and it triggered a time jump. But why to 1944?
Raphael: Maybe you’re needed here for a mission?
We all love the diner; its neon glow and milkshakes are part of Riverdale’s heart. Having the scenes in 1944, 1968, and 1999 at the diner showed how huge moments that nearly imploded the town could happen in one small place. For years, the diner we’ve visited was the setting for every past catastrophe.
Riverdale’s history should be thankful for what Tabitha did as Teresa, Tina, and Tessa to save it.
The 1944 story was the most cohesive of the three plots.
We were learning with Tabitha (as Teresa) what was going on with her powers, and Sheriff Pickens made his evil plans pretty clear from the onset. The 1944 arc had a strong start, middle, and end.
Plus, it had the best learning lesson about “sundown towns” and their discriminatory rules against people of color.
The chapter was full of history and a great way to learn about the past (as well as issues that still impact today). Though the first story felt the most enriching with its structure, it didn’t feel rushed to get to the next decade.
We’ve got to give Tabitha a lot of kudos for her kindness and bravery. She didn’t back down once against Sheriff Pickens, especially when things looked grim if he got the search warrant.
At the 1944 town meeting, the townsfolk weren’t prepared for how effortlessly she cut down the racist sheriff. And he screwed up yet again by trying to take the couple from the diner.
Tabitha: I don’t know what your angle is with this shame train project, but the only person it will benefit is you.
Percival Pickens: Well, your neighbors may feel differently. They, in fact, may want you to do what’s best for the town. And sell me that land.
Tabitha: Hmm, again … never.
I loved how Tabitha outwitted and outplayed him at every turn.
Sure, Raphael’s angel powers did some heavy damage, but it was for the greater good. The sheriff was pure evil, and Tabitha had to think on her feet to stop the sundown town from happening.
If she’s going back in time to save Riverdale and shut down a bigot, she might as well use her powers to get the job done. Go big or go home!
The 1968 storyline, on the other hand, was the kind of time-traveling adventure you’d think you’d have—one where you would use the information from the future to change the past.
Raphael’s explanation that certain things couldn’t change was a solid argument to make and one that Riverdale needed to have so that it grounded these new chronokinetic powers.
Tabitha: One thing a lot of people don’t know about me. In college, I was on the varsity fencing team and the debate team.
[Continues fighting with Paul Prince]
Tabitha: My favorite philosophical argument was, “If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you?” I would always say yes!
[She lunges for Paul Prince and he disappears]
If Tabitha could freely move through time in the diner, why couldn’t she go back to change everything bad in history?
Like, she could save Jason Blossom on Riverdale Season 1 and rewrite the entire six seasons of Riverdale. One small move that would change everything.
Restricting the possibilities gave Riverdale (and us at home) a playground of how these powers could be used. It’s easy to say for her to save people and rewrite history, but there would be no Riverdale plot if that were the case.
Though, if she had to use her knowledge somewhere, the J. Edgar Hoover blackmail was a nice touch.
Tabitha didn’t change history or alter any big events that created a new timeline. She merely used facts from the past to benefit the reality she was currently in. And those townsfolk in the diner didn’t need to be bothered any further.
It’s smart thinking and a move so petty that it felt fabulous.
If Riverdale Season 6 Episode 9 was a chapter where the villains rose ahead, this chapter felt so satisfying rooting for the heroes!
For its 1999 plot, “Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America” could’ve used more screen time. This decade was where the pacing rushed Tabitha through so it could bring her home. Also, it had the least amount of decade references and nods.
I loved how Tabitha put up a strong fight against Paul Prince (aka. Percival Pickens). Her fencing skill was top-notch, and she could’ve sliced him right then and there if he didn’t magically disappear.
Tabitha: Who are you? Really?
Paul Prince: My name is “Legion,” but blow out the candle and I am the dark.
Their battle did reveal two truths: (1) his mind-control ability was present as early as the 90s, and (2) he’s an amalgamation of darkness. He called himself “Legion,” but that could’ve just been part of his Big Bad speech.
Whatever powers Percival has, it doesn’t work on Tabitha; she is his greatest enemy, and not just because of their shared history. She might be the secret weapon in all of this to stop him once and for all.
Tabitha needs to be protected at all costs.
Though, will Riverdale fall into the darkest timeline?
Tabitha stopped the evil future from happening three times, but the current reality seems to be the most dangerous one yet. Archie, Jughead, Betty, Cheryl, and Tabitha have powers, so someone needs them to be armed for the next terror.
More friends could also discover their abilities too, like Veronica or Toni. But Percival has set himself up with loyal servants like Sheriff Keller, Frank, Alice, and Kevin.
The war Raphael talked about could start soon; let’s hope Tabitha and her friends can permanently save the town.
On the bright side, Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe survived the end of the world, but at what cost. (*Prepares dramatic stance*) At what cost?!
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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Why didn’t anyone want to help Tabitha against Percival? It felt mighty shady how mostly everyone refused to help her when she needed them.
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Come on, Jughead, Tabitha was going to find out eventually that you could read minds. A secret like that couldn’t be kept a secret forever.
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A railway station could be placed anywhere; it doesn’t need to be at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. Also, going on a news show threatening to shut down a longstanding town business feels illegal and against the rules of the town council.
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The holy grail was in Riverdale all along. Indiana Jones could’ve saved the trip.
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans!
What did you think of “Chapter One Hundred and Six: Angels in America”?
Will Riverdale’s grim wasteland future come true? Why is Percival so fixated on destroying Riverdale? Who will be the next person to discover their superpower?
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.
