Warning: Spoilers ahead. Since the first episode of Riverdale season four aired in October 2019, fans have wondered how it will come to an end. Since Archie and the gang will be finishing up their senior year of high school, some people have wondered if the upcoming fifth season will bring the characters to college. Well, a newly released fan theory suggested that viewers won’t see the Riverdale kids heading off to college after all. That’s right, viewers are convinced the season four will end with a five-year time jump.

This entire idea started on Tuesday, February 25, after TVLine reported that “the producers of an established series are toying with the idea of ending the current season with a massive timeline shift.” A source told the publication that time jump being considered is a five year difference.

Naturally, Riverdale fans were shook by this news and took to social media explaining how a time jump would ultimately fit perfectly into the series’ plot line.

“A time jump is the best way to do it. They can’t follow them to a bunch of different schools. There will be a mystery/problem that brings them all back to Riverdale after college and the show will continue from there,” one fan posted on Twitter.

Another person said, “If season 5 has a five year time jump, that will be the best thing Riverdale’s done since making Cheryl and Toni a couple.”

Some social media users said that the possible new timeline would make perfect sense now that that Skeet Ulrich, who played Jughead’s dad, FP Jones, and Marisol Nichols, who starred as Veronica’s mom, Hermione Lodge, officially left the show.

“The parents are leaving because of the time jump, the kids are gonna be adults now so there’s no need to focus on the parents anymore. Toni, on the other hand, is probably gonna have more focus next season,” a fan speculated on Twitter.

Other people noted that the five-year difference would allow for more Katy Keene crossovers episodes. Since the series starring Lucy Hale is set five years in the future, the time jump would put the two CW shows on the same timeline. In a recent interview, Lucy seemingly teased more crossovers and said that Hiram Lodge is set to “come onto Katy Keene.”

Riverdale‘s stars and producers have yet to acknowledge the fan theories about a five-year time jump.

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