Do you need to watch CAOS before the Riverdale season 6 crossover?
By Sabrina Reed
Netflix Life has reported that Kiernan Shipka will reprise the role of Sabrina Spellman in Riverdale season 6 during the five episode event coming to The CW this fall. Of course, that means we’re in for a witch of a time thanks to this long coming Chilling Adventures of Sabrina crossover.
However, there is a question that some Riverdale fans will be in desperate need of an answer to before the premiere of the crossover. Though CAOS and the beloved CW show share a universe this will be the first time they’ve ever blended worlds outside of allusions, family name drops, a town line between Riverdale and Greendale, and a tie-back to the Blossoms.
As such the crossover might have a steep learning curve for fans of the town with pep who’ve never watched Sabrina’s magical show.
Is it necessary to watch her Netflix original series before season 6’s premiere? Here’s what we know!
Do you need to watch CAOS to understand the Riverdale season 6 crossover?
Spoilers ahead for the Riverdale season 5 finale and CAOS part 3
The short answer is likely no. While knowing CAOS‘ lore would certainly be helpful, if you’ve never watched the show, you won’t need to binge all 36 episodes of its two season run. Though do plan to be spoiled for the series as exposition and a bit of information of how and why Sabrina is in town are certain to play into the plot given the finale of her show.
You should also know there’s a reason why Cheryl Blossom’s ancestor Abigail invoked Satan’s name when cursing Betty, Archie, and Jughead’s ancestors. The witch culture of CAOS is satanic in nature. There are all kinds of occult elements to the show, and it’s the darkest series of the Archieverse Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has created.
The Blossoms were name dropped in CAOS part 3 as Sabrina went on a Quest of Unholy Regalia. According to CBR, an ancestor of the family had taken the crown of Herod from Hitler in World War II and brought it with him back to Riverdale.
Sabrina and her cousin Ambrose even made a trip to the Blossoms’ maple groves to retrieve the crown from one of the trees. Inadvertently, they brought Herod trailing behind them to Greendale where they have to fight him but, as journalist Angie Dahl notes, someone had to have trapped him in the tree.
If it was a Blossom or perhaps the whole family then they couldn’t possibly be mortals with no claim to a magical history. Season 5 of Riverdale has clearly shown that fans were on the right track with believing the Blossoms to be witches.
A recent Entertainment Weekly piece about Sabrina’s involvement in season 6 confirmed this when it revealed that she’ll helping Cheryl perform a life or death spell. So, while the Blossom heiress has yet to explicitly named a witch on her own show, it’s only a matter of time.