Last week was a wash out for me on recapping Riverdale.  I’m sorry about that but sometimes real life interferes.  I have a feeling that Veronica’s real life may interfere with her hopes and dreams tonight.  Let’s face it folks!  Riverdale isn’t a happy place for families.  In fact, most of the core four are products of a single parent home!  Jughead’s new school also may hold a family secret.  Betty’s secret is her brother but what about poor old Archie.  His life is so tied in with Veronica’s I wouldn’t put it past Hiram to mess with Archie’s future either.   And let’s not forget the big plot device we are living for – Spring Break.  Roberto, our dear creative genius behind Riverdale, was over on Twitter today giving another flash-forwards hint.  I’ll get to those at the end of this recap.

Archie the Crime Fighter

Archie seems to have decided to become part vigilante.  I’m not sure he’s that smart but he wants Riverdale to be a good place. Of course, it’s hard for the people he helps to know whether Archie is good or bad as he learns when he gets pepper sprayed.  Hey Archie!  All superheroes have their ups and downs.

Archie’s downs continue as the neighboring businesses attack the community center.  First it is a kid shoplifting.  That kid appears to run with Dodger.  It culminates when FP shows up with a list of complaints filed by the neighbors who want him to shut the center down.  FP suggests that Archie talk to the business owners.  After seeing one of them, I don’t think they will be open minded.  Besides some of the teens coming to the center think Dodger is their only chance at a future.  That’s a sad commentary (but true) of our times.

Archie meets with the business owners and talks to the businesses about the community center.  He asks for the owners to donate time and help others.  Archie is starting a Big Brother/Big Sister program  and is determined to help the neighborhood.  One business owner stays behind to tell Archie what really is going on.  Seems Dodger is worried.  If the businesses do not get rid of the community center, Dodger won’t protect the businesses (from his gang).  Now where have I read/seen this before?  Oh, yes, I read this in Oliver Twist and saw it in a performance of Oliver in London.  After learning this, Archie goes tto see Dodger.  Archie asks Dodger to leave town but Dodger refuses and pulls a gun on Archie.

Betty and Kevin Join the (Junior) FBI

Betty and Kevin appear to also be headed for a career in crime fighting with the junior FBI.  I’m not sure I’d trust Charles to lead the group but he is.  First thing he does is show them photos of a line up and asks them which one was a serial killer.  Guess who gets them all – Betty.  Well, she does have the gene as she learns a little later while visiting a doctor.  She’ll eventually tells Kevin but only after remembering that she hurt her cat, Caramel and daddy dearest made Betty kill the cat with a rock.  Betty is scared that she could turn and Kevin tells her maybe they should quit FBI school.  She agrees.

When Betty tells Charles that she’s dropping out because she has the gene, he admits that he has it also.  He tells Betty to harness the gene and use it for good.  Now wait a minute here.  We always thought that Betty got the gene from daddy dearest.  Does this mean that the gene really came from Alice.  Isn’t Charles’ dad really FP.  That’s what we were told at the end of last year!  Realizing she doesn’t know much about Charles, Betty decides to become Nancy Drew (like the show that follows Riverdale) and starts tailing Charles.

Veronica’s Complicated Family

Veronica meets with Hermione and we learn that Ron wants mommy out of jail and daddy to serve a very long time.  Hiram meanwhile has decided he will take everyone down including Pop Tate which makes Ron mad.  She meets with daddy who won’t call Pop if she tells the law enforcers that she set daddy up.

As the trials start, a mystery woman appears in the courtroom.  Hermione’s trial is first and FP learns that he doesn’t know all the facts.  As things look bad, we find out that Ron has got the dirt on the governor who will let Hermione off the hook if she pleads guilty to the offense she is being tried for (Hiram’s attempted murder).  As this plays out the mystery woman leaves the court.

Later, at Veronica’s club, the mystery woman overhears Veronica thanking the governor on the phone.  Seems she is as sneaky as Ron and has evidence that will help Hiram get off.   When Veronica offers to pay her more that Hiram is paying, the mystery woman reveals a shocker.  She is Ron’s sister, Hermosa.  The next day, Hiram walks free with Hermosa at his side.  He gives Ron a gleeful look as he introduces his new daughter to the press and announces he is running for mayor.  Now, he will run the town.  Wonder what Dodger will think of that!

Jughead and the Mystery of FP Jones the First

Jughead is still having trouble at school.  First, he is worried about Moose’s disappearance and still having to deal with the brat – I mean Neil.  His creative writing teacher, Mr. Chippering, does have his own mystery to share.  He is one of many writers of the series, the Hardy Boys – no I meant the Baxter Boys.  FP used to love those books and it looks like a competition is brewing to become more like the author of those novels.

Mr. Chippering brings in the publisher of the books who is looking for a new author for the series.  He has attended the prep school himself.  Playing a game of Mafia (well, that’s what we called it), he finds out that Jughead has an aptitude for mysteries and murder.  Jughead learns that the publisher had known his grandfather (let’s call him FP I).  FP I, like Jughead, had a talent for writing.  The publisher urges Jughead to join the competition to be the writer and to do the best he can in school.

Bret isn’t going to compete against Jughead who he considers trailer trash.  He goads Jug into a fight and Jug threatens him in front of his classmates.  Jughead goes home, determine to quit that prep school and join his friends at Riverrdale.  FP stops him and tells him to be something more than what FP I and FP II has been.  FP wants his son to graduate and do great things.  Later, as Betty and Jughead look at his box of Baxter books, we learn that the books were a birthday present to Jug from FP I.  Also, Jug finds a note from his grandfather.  He accepts the publisher’s challenge to compete against Neil and the battle is on.  The publisher looked please so I have to ask:  Is the publisher FP the first?  The challenge Jughead and the others are to do is write the perfect murder.  Hmm!  I’m getting a hint about the Spring Break story  here folks.  Do you want me to tell you now?  No, I’ll wait until the end of this piece.

Oh, and Tonight’s Flash forward

In biology class, Betty, Veronica and Archie are accused of murdering Jughead.  Okay –that’s freaky.

And next week:  Things get stranger for all the families but especially for Cheryl (who was missing from this week’s show) as the doll, Justin, seems to want to possess her.

Let’s recap the fast forwards, and if I miss one let me know.  Roberto and Riverdale writer’s don’t be mad at me.  I probably have missed something but I did guess at episode six of season one that Nina was the mole on 24.  So our clues are:

Archie, Betty and Veronica burning their clothing.

All searching the woods for Jughead.

Jughead’s body being identified by FP and Betty

Now:  Betty, Veronica, and Archie being arrested for Jughead’s death.

Now my question to you readers:  Could this death of Jughead have been cooked up by Jughead to research his “perfect murder mystery?”