Riverdale is back in its glory.  Tonight, as we approach graduation, Riverdale promises to tie up at least some loose ends from season one to now.  I already have a new suspect as the auteur (I was wrong and surprised but no spoiler yet).  And with graduation next week, we have to have this week’s episode to set the stage for the jump five years as the series moves forward.

By the way, hold on to your seats.  From just the opening, it looks to be a wild, wild night that may not play well to my sarcasm.  It’s also a big Jones family night.

Archie’s Life Comes Full Circle

As Archie hits the boxing bags (and wakes his mom), he has a flashback to the shooting of Fred’s at Pop Tate’s.  I thought this was settled but evidently Archie’s guilt always goes there.  Mary tries to comfort him, but Archie isn’t having it.  He feels ashamed and runs off to the cemetery for a heart to hear with Fred.  Nice touch with honoring the memory of Luke Perry guys.  And I feel it was much needed honor.

Poor old Archie!  He just can’t buy a break as he arrives to caps and gowns delivery at school.  Remember Principal “Honey Bee” told Archie he probably wouldn’t graduate.  Cheryl is having a melt down because she doesn’t like the outfit and plans to do something about it (a fashionista to the end).  Veronica, on the other hand, tries to make everything seem as if she and Archie haven’t broke up over Betty.  Jughead and Betty walk up which for some reason makes Archie leave suddenly.  Ron goes after him and tells him to hold it together for graduation.  Yeah Archie – we know the jail time and Hiram. 

Sheesh!  I forgot how much Hiram had been involved in the story since joining in season two.  While Archie is lifting weights, Hiram shows up at the gym to get revenge for the break-up with Veronica.  When he can’t get the rise out of Archie (a fight) that he wants, he brings up Fred and Hermione.  That did it and Archie is ready to go but Mr. Kline is there to break it up!  (Well, at least one of the two remaining hunk dads were there to stop it.  It’s all in the day for Archie!

In addition to all else going on, Mary has been in touched with the lawyer of the may who killed Fred.  They want the family to write a letter so the punishment won’t be so bad.  Archie tries but can’t.  Guilt is back when the father shows up and admits that his son, Jeffrey, has admitted all to the police and pled guilty to the hit and run.  Archie tells him that the one thing he knew was that Fred didn’t deserve to die alone that way.  Archie would have not run but stayed and faced what he did.  He all but tells the boy’s father he can’t write the letter.

Later, Archie returns to see his mom watching the auteur tape that reminds Archie of all that has gone on (which arrived last week).  Mary is a basked case and even called Uncle Frank.  Archie gets upset and destroys the television and tape.  He runs upstairs and starts hitting the bag again but Frank Walks in.  He’s there to talk to Archie and Archie isn’t having it.  They have words that evolves into a fist fight with Archie throwing the fists.  In the end, Frank tells Archie to let the anger out and Archie realizes what he has done.  He falls in Frank’s arms and cries.

Later the family meets for a counseling session.  Frank tells Archie that Fred would have been proud of him.  Archie tells him that he didn’t have to come back but Frank admits that he’s feeling guilty himself.  He’s turning himself in for becoming a mercenary (I won’t say anything with what we’ve been through lately) and needs a lawyer.  Of course, Mary volunteers.   Archie and Frank then goes to visit Fred’s grave.  (Hey, we got a genuine Archie smile!)

The Preppie Murder Mystery

The night that Archie has his meltdown isn’t easy for Betty and Jughead either.  Brett calls Betty late at night and tells her he needs to talk.  He feels like he’s marked for death and will talk for a solitary cell.  When Betty and Jughead get to the prison, they find out that Brett is dead.  He hung himself in the cell.  The funny thing is that later they find out from their friendly morgue doctor that Brett had stab wounds on his abdomen.  Okay. Could it be worse.  This is Riverdale folks.  A murder is never that easy!  Brett’s was only hung and stabbed.  He has his eyes gorged out.  How gross is that.  (Betty’s face said it all.)

Next stop is, of course, friendly brother Chuck.  They decide to do some investigating with the smut store owner.  What do the three find?  Another death by hanging of course.  No answers there (it’s too easy and quick).  Hey!  That’s what Betty thinks.  When they get home though, Jughead gets good news.  He’s been accepted in the Writer’s Program at the university of his choice.  Jellybean though seems upset.  Is she hiding something g(well, I’m not telling you now!)

That night, Betty gets a call from another prep school baddie, Donna.  Donna needs help because now that Brett’s dead, she believes she’s next.  (Wonder why?  Could it be because she was his girlfriend and co-conspirator?)  Betty drops here because she was the one who framed Betty with Jughead’s fake death and hit Jug with the rock.  When they call the school asking for her friend, Jess, they learn that she is dead while walking home through the woods.  The murder weapon:  a blow to the back of the head with a rock.  Now just who would do this.

Later Betty and Jug find a videotape outside the door.  In this one, the auteur has gotten into the house and filed a knife on Jellybean’s face.  FP isn’t having anymore and tells the family to pack their bags to leave the house.  At the motel, Jughead and Betty realize that something just isn’t right.  They go back to the house and call Chuck.  When he arrives, Betty shows him the bug they found that he planted to listen in to the house.  He admits that he killed Brett and Jess and tried to kill Donna because they deserved to die.  He also made the first films of the houses but he isn’t responsible for the latest ones.  He knows who it but won’t tell.  They are smart.  They can figure it out.  And the rest will have to wait til the end of this recap.  (And some sympathy is shown for Alice with two supposed sons who are killers.)

So Where Is Veronica (and Hermarosa)?

Ronnie, before work, has a talk with her mom about Hiram’s return to his mobster’s way.  While tired of Hiram’s putting his life in danger, she wants Hermione to give Ronnie the stock in her dad’s business.  Mommy dearest loves the idea and allows it to happen and loves the thought of a hostile takeover which plays  out oin the board room but not before Ronnie is almost killed at Pop Tate’s while taking the trash out.  The Mallory’s are there seeking revenge.  Luckily they didn’t know that Hermarosa and Ronnie were meeting.  Hermarosa takes them out and the sisters are now ready to take on daddy dearest.  What follows is the interruption of a board meeting and an angry Hiram.  He does not want them messing with his business and he will continue to control things with a fist and a gun.  Good idea Hiram!   Tell Ronnie that later when you call her with your face smashed up.  Ronnie uses the knowledge to tell him that he ”may be a Scorpio” but is acting like a dog.  He’s battling his disease but still up to his old ways and goes to her room where Hermarosa is waiting.  Their next step is coming.

The next day, Hiram says he is thinking of retiring.  Ronnie and Hermarosa have decided that they can run the business.  They say Hiram can take a sabbatical in the Caymans.  He ways that he and Hermione will enjoy that.  Guess what Hiram!  Hermione has her own plans.  She is getting a divorce and heading back to New York to star in “The Real Housewives of New York.”  Bye, bye family!  Ronnie and Hermarosa are now in charge (and seemingly friends). 

Cheryl Blossom and the Future?

With Ti-Ti’s family calling it off between the two, they’re having problems.  Cheryl isn’t having much better luck with family issues.  She wants to sale some land and reopen the family business but the rest of the family won’t allow it and call it retribution for what Cheryl did by killing their brother (whatever — I can’t keep this family straight).   Cheryl visits her mother and she tells Cheryl to disappear.  I forgot how diabolical Mama Blossom could be.  Cheryl returns home later to find that her “family” all committed suicide by drinking poison but leaves everything to Cheryl.  She has no delusion on who caused it and the family may have bonded over the death (er murders). 

So Now for the Big Auteur Reveal

Sorry the post is so long but there was so much going on.  The auteur’s identity finally comes to Jughead and Betty when they realize that one person has had access to the house to film the last tape.  Since it wasn’t Chuck that only left one suspect.  Three guesses – oh let’s  don’t play that game.  It was Jellybean.  As Jughead tells FP, she did it to keep Jughead in Riverdale.  If she set up threats and mysteries, she was sure Jughead would stay behind.  It started out because of her ex-boyfriend’s return to town.  They started going to Blue Velvet which led to the films.  She and their friends would make the mini-movies complete with the costumes they designed and masks they made.  Jughead tells FP that he doesn’t think that Jellybean realizes just how serious what she did was.  FP goes home to talk to Jellybean and greets her with a hug.

So now everything looks wrapped up right.  We still have one episode to go with graduation.  How will that end and why are the masks show in the preview?  We have one more episode before the epic five year jump.