Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook), granddaughter of longtimeRiverdaleresident Pop Tate (Alvin Sanders), first came to our beloved town after the seven-year time jump at the start of Season 5. Usually, main characters coming onto the scene in the middle of the show don’t quite fit and many find themselves desperately wishing that time could be used on one of the other characters. However, from the very beginning, Tabitha was an exception to this. From her first breath on-screen, it became clear thatRiverdalefound something — andsomeone— quite special, and the way she’s been integrated into the series is nothing short of fantastic. Tabitha quickly became a powerful, insightful, and incredibly loved character, which is the result of thoughtful writing and Westbrook’s captivating presence on-screen.
RELATED:‘Riverdale’ Season 7: Kiernan Shipka Teases Sabrina Spellman’s Return
Since joining theRiverdalecrew, Tabitha has become instrumental in the stories and in the characters’ lives. In the fifth season, Tabitha took over Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe from her grandfather. Though she had her work cut out for her, Tabitha sought to franchise the restaurant, leaving her impressive job in Chicago to do so because she understood the importance of places like Pop’s. To make matters more complicated, she quickly made an enemy in Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos), as he had made Riverdale into a pitiful shell of what it once was since the gang had left town post-graduation. Keeping Pop’s was not a priority to him — or even something he necessarily wanted — so Tabitha had to put her franchising plans on hold and fight. From the start, she stood her ground for what she believed in, even before she had anyone on her side.
Introducing someone new in the middle of the series is always a risk, and most shows don’t pull it off right.Riverdale, however, did an exceptional job of this. Tabitha’s relationships with the other members of the show quickly grow and come into focus, and time is spent making sure these relationships are special, powerful, and true to who both characters are. A great example of this is the friendship between Tabitha and Toni (Vanessa Morgan), who we’ve seen grow close over the last season and a half. To start, Tabitha and Toni were business partners in a sense, as Toni’s bar, the Whyte Wyrm, is located underneath Pop’s — where Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) old speakeasy used to be. But, a friendship grew between them, particularly after they joined the Town Council alongside Alice (Mädchen Amick) and Frank (Ryan Robbins) at the end of the season.
Something that really tested Tabitha early on and proved her a fantastic addition toRiverdaleis the writers immersing her in the mysteries that became the focus of the fifth season. To start, after seeing Jughead (Cole Sprouse) down on his luck and agreeing to give him a job, she becomes his partner-in-crime as he investigates the seemingly extraterrestrial Mothmen that have plagued Riverdale throughout the decades. Later, Tabitha joinsBetty(Lili Reinhart) as she investigates the murders on the Lonely Highway and her sister’s disappearance. Tabitha becomes somewhat of a conscience or voice of reason for both characters — and, really, everyone else — in their time of need. And, she did all of this while successfully running her business amidst Hiram’s attacks. Including her in the mysteries (and some others, of course), often the draw of the series, was such a smart decision on the writers’ behalf, especially after everyone being left out of Betty and Jughead’s mysteries for so long. Tabitha’s involvement showed off her quick thinking and competence, bringing her to the forefront of the show in the best way.
Tabitha’s relationship with Jughead has also worked exceptionally well for the series (even if it doesn’t get as much focus as it should sometimes). The two quickly became involved in each other’s lives, sharing many of their scenes together, and we watched as their romance actively grew. Thankfully, Tabitha didn’t feel and wasn’t written as though she was just Jughead’s love interest — as he’s a member of the core four — but as a well-rounded character with every bit of agency as the members of the core four. Jughead and Tabitha became each other’s biggest supporters, and the two stick together throughout their hardships. The two have had arguably the healthiest relationship we’ve seen on the show, and as we head into the final episodes of the sixth season, it’s time we getmoreof them together.
Tabitha’s unwillingness to break the fundamental things that make Pop’s what it is has kept the town safe, despite the challenges she faces, has been instrumental in the story. As Pop’s is the heart of Riverdale, it’s what Percival needs to destroy before he can truly take control and fulfill his evil plans. More than that, though, is what Tabitha means to Percival’s plans as an individual. As revealed in Season 6, Episode 19 by Tabitha after a conversation with the archangel Raphael, Tabitha is Riverdale’s guardian angel, which is the culmination of everything we have seen over the season. Tabitha has been the source of everythinggoodin Riverdale, and she has worked tirelessly in her efforts to stop Percival with little to no reward or break whatsoever.
Even though she is still a recent addition to the show,Riverdalehas wasted no time in showing us what we’ve been missing in Tabitha Tate. She’s been a breath of fresh air, a welcome addition on all accounts, and has quickly become one of the series’ strongest characters. It’s clear that so much thought has been put into Tabitha’s story. While there are still some issues, like not having nearly enough focus on Jughead and Tabitha’s romance in the sixth season, the overall result of Tabitha’s introduction is a smashing success. Riverdale deserves some credit for being able to nearly flawlessly bring Tabitha into the show and write such instantly compelling and deep relationships between her and so many of the other characters. While it’s still recent, her growing friendship with Veronica has been such a wonderful new inclusion, as are her ongoing relationships with Toni, Archie (KJ Apa), and the others. Overall, creating Tabitha Tate is one of the best thingsRiverdalehas ever done.
