I barely had any hope for season 5 after the craziness of season 3 and 4 - but so far, season 5 is pretty great actually, especially since episode 3 (2 was a bit too rushed). I didn't love this episode as much as I loved episode 3 so I was a little bit disappointed. Still, it's a great episode and it's unfair to hold it to episode 3 standards (which was so emotional and great due to the theme and had the bonus of a finale-like feeling). But you have to see season 5 episode 4 as a first episode rather than a fourth (it was actually planned to be the first of season 5 but then Covid happened). And as this it is quite amazing.
The time jump of seven years was well done and the characters' development during that time (mostly) convincing. A little minus here for Jug - he was a bit too much of the cliché writer, then again Riverdale plays with clichés all the time and it does work after some minutes of Jug as a writer. Veronica and her marriage seemed very logical to me, just what I expected (although I wondered why she wasn't honest with her husband about her job, that wasn't so much Veronica to me). Betty as FBI trainee was just perfect and I only loved her more after that episode and Archie was all the same, just way more mature, which is really relieving after the last four seasons where I didn't like him so much. I won't say much about Toni and Cheryl - I don't know yet how to think of their development but I'm looking forward to answering this question next week.
Riverdale itself - well, it's not the same and it is kinda crazy but not as crazy as season 3/4 Riverdale and I like the choices made here.
The Aesthetics are great as always, actually even better now with this new touch this episode has. A clear yes from me,
What I absolutely loved about this episode (and the episode before): It took its time, even for little moments, and it felt a lot like season 1 Riverdale just with something new to it. It wasn't crazy stuff happening all the time, it was just a great episode with a really cool way of telling a story. It managed to show all that happened during the last seven years that were skipped, it showed how the characters developed and where they landed - and I really was disappointed when it ended.
I really hope they keep it up.