The town of Riverdale is back on Riverdale Season 5 Episode 19.

After a long fight against Hiram, the group accomplished their mission of saving the wicked little town. It's potentially a brighter future for Riverdale, a second chance for them to right their wrongs.

Though, based on how the season ended, the past came back to bite them in the end. It's an explosive end that could go anywhere.

Is this the last we'll see of Hiram? That's the big question heading out of "Chapter Ninety-Five: RIVERDALE: RIP(?)."

The group found their smoking gun against Hiram that he couldn't blackmail his way out of. His videotape of killing the crime boss sealed his fate; it's the perfect end wrapped in a bow.

Hiram would be foolish ever to come back and tempt fate. This should be his final chapter to end his story and give Riverdale a chance to explore new plots.

Tick, tick, boom.

Hiram

• Permalink: Tick, tick, boom.

Riverdale has been so obsessed with Hiram ever since he arrived during Riverdale Season 2. His criminal schemes were fun at first, but they've dragged on too much to the point that it has lost its thrill.

Let his bomb be his parting words.

The first half of Riverdale Season 5 Episode 19 focused exclusively on taking down Hiram. Between the videotape to the Ghoulie confession to the documents of his crimes, there was so much evidence collected against him.

Hiram shouldn't be able to get out of this. Even with a pardon from Governor Dooley, his crimes crossed into the federal level; there is no more redemption for this villain.

Hiram: You’re turning against your own blood like this, Miha? I blame Archie. This is his influence.
Veronica: Don’t. We broke up. This is all me.

• Permalink: I blame Archie. This is his influence.

When it came to the point Veronica and Archie were plotting his murder, the line had been drawn in the sand.

Archie and Veronica were so chillingly cold with how they'd kill him and cover up the crime. It's impressive how they brainstormed the murder on the spot and determined all their loose ends. Riverdale had me fooled for a split second that they'd actually go through with it.

However, exiling Hiram from town and not turning him over to the FBI (or killing him) made it clear that he was returning. Why let him be free if he's not returning at some point?

Destroying the diner might be one of the pettiest schemes Hiram has done yet.

He didn't need to set the place on fire; he didn't need to set ANY of the places he burned down to complete his plans. Out of all the spots, Pop Tate's Chock'lit Shoppe was a treasured spot for the town, so once he did that, all karma rightfully came rushing down on him.

It'll be nice to have Pop Tate back in town. He's a friendly face and someone who will show Tabitha the love and support she needs from her family.

Plus, after the insurance incident, the Tates could plan together for any issues that come up. Jughead is going back to teach/lead the newspaper, so Tabitha needs another ally at the diner.

Was incorporating the town of Riverdale always that simple? Seriously, all it took was a vote of 51% townsfolk?!

Riverdale made it seem like it's an exhausting task with lots of sabotage, scheming, and underhanded plots. Like, Hiram had to incorporate SoDale so he could "claim" the unincorporated Riverdale as his own property. That didn't even seem possible from a legal standpoint.

Granted, the town had to rebuild itself with the school and services to be thriving again. But, if all it took was taking power away from Hiram with a town council, the group could've done this weeks ago.

The storyline became more complex than it needed to be.

The same goes with Cheryl's recent discovery about Abigail Blossom's murder and "The Forgotten."

She could've worked with her friends to find a solution, but that conversation in Archie's house and the town hall meeting seemed pretty one-sided. Cheryl wanted to condemn and fight, which is odd because her family has killed plenty and hurt people in Riverdale.

The group was coming up with ways to reincorporate the town; her recent discovery could've been something they tabled as a way to fix in the new Riverdale.

Archie: Tonight is not about the past. But I promise you…
Cheryl: No! No more empty promises! Let the official public record show that from this moment on Thornhill and its lands shall cede from the corrupt township of Riverdale. Whatever happens tonight, you lot will have no jurisdiction over it or its blessed inhabitants.
Betty: Cheryl, come on.
Cheryl: Nay, cousin! What is decreed is decreed.

• Permalink: No! No more empty promises!

My solution: Cheryl should've been on the town council to make it five members instead of four. Shockingly, Cheryl wasn't even considered as her family had been in Riverdale for generations and provided much of the town's wealth.

Plus, having Cheryl on the council would've repaired the damage caused by the Riverdale citizens to her family. It was a bad move.

The witchy curse will be a fun 5-episode event for Riverdale. (Wait ... I mean Rivervale.)

We've all waited for the eventual crossover between Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, so this might be that chance to make it happen.

As mentioned in last week's review, it's not that outlandish for there to be magic and supernatural elements in Riverdale. This is the same town that dealt with darkness and a curse that caused multiple serial killers and deaths. A connection to a Blossom coven fits right at home.

It's exciting where this could go for the future. Bring on all the witchy fun!

A few of the plot teasers for Riverdale Season 6 seemed quite intriguing. Like, Fangs and Toni revamping the Serpents to be a more powerful presence.

They're right about the gang; the Serpents took a major backseat in the previous seasons and have served more as support. It's time they come back with a roaring force to take down the Ghoulies and anyone who gets in their way.

Archie: Betty, I wanna try again. Us. Not as friends with benefits but for real. All in. And can we try again?
Betty: We can. I wanna be with you too, Arch.

• Permalink: We can. I wanna be with you too, Arch.

Maybe it'll spark a competition between Veronica and Reggie's new underground casino?

Veronica might not have her New York dreams now, but she could be ruling Riverdale with her iron first in no time. I loved her power move of kicking Hiram out of town; that moment served as her evolving into the most powerful businessperson in town.

All confidence, no regrets. She could be a fascinating anti-hero on Riverdale Season 6.

Plus, her romance with Reggie might be the right match as endgame status. Veronica and Reggie are a great fit; they have the same goals, they complement each other, and their chemistry is off the charts.

Archie and Betty's chemistry is red-hot too!

It's time for "Barchie" and "Veggie" to be a thing. Let's have them explore their relationships and grow instead of reverting to their high school romances.

Hopefully, the bomb planted under Archie's bed didn't hurt anyone. We can't have Barchie be finished when we just got them back. It would be too cruel for Hiram to win like this.

Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:

• Frank and Alice are totally going to date. He could barely hide his crush from her.
   
• Now that Betty is an FBI agent, could the battle against The Trash Bag Killer be her next case? This storyline didn't seem like it was over yet.
   
• Kevin is heading to New York to pursue his Broadway dreams. It's the right move for his character and the best way to end his storyline.
   
• The issue with Betty's ancestor being involved in Abigail's death caused a little plot hole. Betty is in the same family tree as Cheryl, so it had to be a female with a "Cooper" last name after they left the Blossoms. My best guess: it could be Betty's great-grandmother.

Now, over to you, Riverdale fans.

What did you think of "Chapter Ninety-Five: RIVERDALE: RIP (?)"?

Did anyone die in the bomb blast? Is Hiram's time on Riverdale done? What does the curse hold for the town of Riverdale?

If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your comments below.

Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.