Okay – I did a play on the title for tonight’s Riverdale, but I think we’re about to find out why the gang has their powers.  Remember that Archie (invincible), Betty (aura reader), Jughead (mind reader), Cheryl (heat/fire), Tabitha (time traveler/angel), and Veronica (poisoner) all have powers.  I also think Toni has one but am unsure what it is other than communication.  I wish she could ‘wash’ Percival away.  And let’s not forget that Alice, Frank, Tom (adults), Kevin and Reggie (group members) are now on Percival’s side of evil.  I have hope for Kevin but don’t think he’ll be around Moose enough for it to rub off.  It’s time for the powers to be revealed and I don’t think Frank (in particular) will be happy.  And I figure we have six episodes of Percival left (I hope).  Will they carry him into the last season of Riverdale (season seven)?

Let’s get through the opening minutes.  Cheryl and Heather have had a long talk and Cheryl offers her the opportunity to work with the Blossom family library.  Jughead, Tabitha and Pop talk about the diner as the town’s heart and Tabitha develops a plan to move the diner elsewhere (brick by brick).  Let’s call Archie who gets together a gang featuring Fangs.  Fangs and Toni had bad news from the social worker.  It’s not the gang or criminal past but Fangs not working.  Fangs signs up to work on rebuilding Pop’s because he wants to pull his weight (financially) and be a good father to baby Anthony.  Pop’s has to be moved fast because Percival plans to close on the land deal. 

On other fronts, Jughead has writer’s block and Ronnie texts him.  She has a proposition that will use his talent to put money in the club and will give him a 50-50 split if he will do a mind reading acting.  Of course he agrees and is a success.  Betty meanwhile has gone home to find the twins playing with a cat.  She flashes back to her killing her at and takes the cat with her when she leaves (vet visit is what she tells them).

Betty Confronts a Possibility

Betty has found the twins with a kitten that looks like Carmel.  Of course, Betty has a flash back to her killing her cat.  She takes the cat with her and goes to visit Dr. Curdle.  Later, the twins visit the friendly morgue operator.  Betty wants a blood test and Dr. Curdle agrees as Betty is blood kin (and trying to get custody).  Turns out that Juniper has the gene while her brother doesn’t.  Betty talks to the counsellor or her assistant agent, Drake, and they realize that the blind spot affects Betty’s family.  Sure enough, when Alice realizes that Betty has taken the twins, she pays Betty a visits, calls Betty the evil villain and makes threats.  Betty reminds Alice that Percival is controlling her. When Alice leaves, her aura is red hot.  Oh, Betty also has her cousin, Cheryl, tested along with her first “aura catch.” Neither has the gene so the blind spot is certainly there for family but is that all?

Betty is at Pop’s to help out and stops outside to talk to Frank.  Suddenly she sees the aura around Frank and rushes in to tell Archie who takes action.  This worries Betty who discusses it again with Drake.  They realize that something has triggered a change in Betty as Betty has seen a new angry/killer aura.  This time it is around her image in the mirror and she’s worried that the anger is aimed at Archie or friends.  (Remember, Percival did plant a suggestion in Betty’s head the night he took the palladium.  What will be trigger for her to kill Archie?)

Archie’s Battle

As Archie’s crew dismantles Pop’s the first time, the gum ball machine breaks.  The next morning Archie finds the moving van empty and Tabitha finds all back inside.  Tabitha visits Percival and accuses him as Archie’s crew agrees to take everything back out to be stored and this time Doug, a worker, gets an electrical shock from the juke box.  All the crew go to work for Percival and Frank.  Of course, Percival is happy.

Before the third attempt, Archie has a “family talk” with Frank and tells him that this is not what Fred would want.  He gives Frank a picture of Frank and Fred is their younger years.  It seems to bring about a change of heart in Frank but does it?  On the third attempt to move Pop’s, Frank shows up with a crew to help.  When Betty arrives, she sees the evil aura and tells Archie.  He goes out to confront Frank on where he was taking Pop’s.  Was it to Sweetwater River or the dump to be destroyed by fire?  Archie had hope that the picture of Fred and Frank together would cause a change but guess what!  It didn’t.  Frank tries to punch Archie’s face but once again, Frank loses.  His fist hits Archie’s (iron) jaw and Frank is hurt.  Score one for the good guys!

Ronnie and Jughead Does Teamwork

Ronnie starts Jughead’s act and is his assistant.  Jughead is a success and Reggie realizes that there is money to be made that he doesn’t have to tell Percival about.  He tries to blackmail Ronnie with killing her father wanting a 50-50 split of the take on the mind reading.  Meanwhile, Ronnie has asked Jughead to do research on wiping the memory from Reggie’s head.  Jughead does research and finds that it can be done (telepathic erasure) if the victim, I mean Reggie, is distracted.  Sure enough Jughead gets into Reggie’s head, finds the correct Reggie comic, and rips the appropriate pages out.  Ronnie takes his “cut back” and Reggie has no recall on what he used to get it. Jughead also no longer has writer’s block. Later, Reggie tells Percival who realizes that Jughead’s power is slightly different from what Percival had thought.  You know he’s planning to destroy Jughead now.  Reggie also wasn’t smart enough to keep a diary so he has no recollection on what he forgot no matter how hard he tries to remember.

Toni and Fangs

Fangs’ money issue seems to be the root of his insecurity.  He thinks if he gets a job, there won’t be any real custody issues.  He goes to work for Archie but when things go haywire, he takes a job with Percival and Frank on that construction crew.  Toni talks to the counsellor and the issue isn’t his lack of work.  Toni feels that they need to marry.  Fangs comes home to a special dinner by Toni and she apologizes. She hasn’t had enough faith in him and its due to her independence.  They’ll be equal partners.  Toni wants to get married but Fangs seems not to be interested. She proposals and we get … (no answer on tonight’s show).

Cheryl and Heather Come Clean

Cheryl and Heather talk and it seems to be something very witchy about Heather.  Heather knows about magic and the one who founded it (Hecate).  Later, Heather does a tarot reading for Cheryl that is right on the money.  Cheryl first card is the “power” card.  It is followed by the romance and “tower” card.  Heather is shocked because the tower card is connected with mayhem, catastrophe and destruction to which Cheryl says:  “Welcome to Riverdale.” 

When Heather had left Riverdale at her young age, she went to Glendale where a weird lady had taken her in.  The woman was the leader of the coven and taught Heather everything about witchcraft.  Heather suspects Cheryl is a witch (well, we knew that).  Cheryl admits she is but hasn’t used her powers.  She proves it to Heather by lighting the fireplace and candles in the room.  Cheryl asks Heather to teach her.  (And we should start preparing for Sabrina’s arrival, I suspect.)

The Diner’s Importance

One night, Tabitha returns to what she thinks is an empty diner.  As she starts in, all the lights are on and she sees people in the window.  She enters and the diner is unlit and no people are there.  Where is Gabriel when we need him!

Tabitha knows Cheryl has a power and visits her while Heather is there.  Tabitha wonders if ghosts could still be haunting Pop’s.  Heather agrees to help Cheryl work a spell to move the spirits.  Candle are lit and a spell is read.  A spooky voice screams and a ghost appears.  It is the waitress who died years ago.  She is there to reveal a message.  The ghosts who are there are to bear witness to an epic battle of good and evil.  If things are removed, they are put back by the ghosts because Pop’s must remain in its present form.  If Percival prevails, his “train” will be a ghost train that connects the living and dead.  Evil will arrive on the train and defeat the good that Riverdale represents.  Tabitha asks if they set up Pop’s somewhere else if that will defeat the evil.  The waitress nods, and that is when Archie confronts Frank.  All pieces are taken to a new location with Pop’s restored in full. Tabitha and Archie show the place to Pop who is excited because it looks the same.  Archie asks if the plan worked, and Tabitha sees the ghosts who nod.  Score another one for the good guys.  Wonder what Percival’s next move will be?

Well next Sunday we learn.  We see Jughead start a reading only to get some sensations that Percival causes.  We also get Archie with the frank statement that they are at a crossroads.  And, it wouldn’t be Riverdale right now without more threats by Percival.

I believe that when Percival falls (hopefully this season), the powers will leave the others.  The question is:  how will this change the show.  We’ve seen that the first episodes of season six are being resounded to our Riverdale.  What will the show look like its final season seven.