Riverdale, somehow I don’t think this will be the “graffiti” known today. To present day young adults, graffiti means artwork/words on buildings, sidewalks, etc. That’s what I’m familiar with and evidently part of the seinor prank at one of our high schools. Maybe Riverdale plans to pay tribute to the movie by the same name. The movie, “American Grafffiti” was about coming of age in the 1950s but there was no murder mystery or coffee shop. It was about a diner like Pop Tate’s though so maybe that is why they are calling it. Tonight, we have a double date for Archie/Betty and Reggie/Veronica. Does Alice know (or care)? Probably not. Her mothering skills were as bad in the 50s as today.
Jughead and Tabitha Solve a Crime
We open where we left off. Jughead talking to Sheriff Kline about Ray Bradberry. Jughead tells the sheriff he is going to try and find out more about Ray Bradberry (especially his wife). It doesn’t compute to Jughead, and he enlists Tabitha as his assistant. He tells her that Ray’s death doesn’t make sense. At Mr. Bradberry’s, they find a photo of an African-American woman named June. She lives in South Carolina. Apparently, there was something special between the two.
Tabitha convinces Jughead to call her. Is that “Mrs. Simpson” he asks for. Never mind. Jughead introduces himself and tells her what happened. She wants to know if it is the house on Magnolia Street. Jughead tells her yes and promises to be there to meet her on her arrival. It seems they were married in Los Angeles and could live as a couple in a few cities. In South Carolina, it was a different story. Their marriage was held against the couple and rocks were thrown through the window. Ray left to protect them both. Jughead and Tabitha are now convinced Ray was killed.
When Jughead presents the theory to Sheriff Kline, the sheriff gives Jughead two thick files. What Kline has discovered (or made up/been given) says that Ray was a card carrying member of the Communist Party and dodged the draft. He has evidence that Ray had spent some time in a mental hospital. Again, Jughead must question if Ray took his own life. I have to ask: “Who had Ray killed?” Also, did Kline try to over sale this story?
When Ray’s wife, June, arrives she looks at the letter and remembers the past. Ray and June had planned to go to Paris where they could be free. Jughead asks about Ray belonging to the Communist Party and June says it wasn’t for long. Ray also had scholarships and awards. He worked at the “maple factory” (I thought: Blossom’s Maple Factory, oh no) and felt there were better things around the corner. Jughead wonders if she has any idea on who killed Ray, but she doesn’t. She has seen many terrible things but won’t stop Jughead from asking the questions. She does want him to finish Ray’s book and Jughead agrees and plans to give the proceeds to June when it is published. Then June embarrasses Tabitha and Jughead by asking if they are going steady to which both say a nervous no. She leaves and tells them to take care of each other. Has the “bending toward justice” started in this moment.
Later at Pop’s, Jughead and Tabitha talk. Tabitha would like to talk to her mom but doesn’t know if it is the right time. Jughead feels like that in some ways also. Later, as Jughead goes through things at Ray’s apartment, the neighbor knocks on the door. She needs milk for her cat and wonders if Ray had some. Looking in the refrigerator, they find it empty and the neighbor remarks on how strange that is. She had heard the milk man at a strange time with milk. Where is it now? Jughead suddenly knows who the killer is!
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The Double Date
Archie and Reggie are having breakfast when Uncle Frank enters. He has something for Archie. Since Archie got his grades up, Frank has his car keys and the boys are gone. Archie tells Reggie that the car was rescued from the dump. His father, Fred, helped Archie rebuild it. The two take the car to school where Betty and Veronica watch them while plotting. Those two wanted to be independent women but the car may have changed that.
sVeronica asks Reggie to have another chance at a date. He agrees and Reggie asks to borrow the car. Archie agrees but a little later is approached by Betty. Archie and Betty decide to go on a date even though they don’t have a ride. They’ll walk to the diner. Both couples go on their dates, but it wasn’t what the girls expected. Archie kept watching for his car while Reggie tells Archie he went for a ride on the highway. Some bad blood build over that but we learn more later.
The next morning, Uncle Frank asks Archie what happened last night, and Archie confesses. Frank tells Archie that he and Fred had a similar relationship. Frank brings Archie around to treating Reggie like family. Meanwhile Betty and Veronica are talking about the problems with their dates. They make the decision to double date and go to Centerville for Fang’s concert. The guys agree.
On the date, they stop at Pop’s for a meal. Reggie and Archie are obsessed with a car magazine and the girls suggest that it’s time to leave. Both Archie and Reggie reach for the keys but Archie claims the car. They start off to Centerville and run out of gas. While Archie and Reggie start off to Pop’s for gas, Betty and Veronica sit in the car and wait. The boys fight like brothers over different things on the way to the gas pump while the girls get a ride from Cheryl to the concert. While getting gas, Pop offers his old truck to Reggie and Reggie takes it and promises to fix it up. As the guys walk back to the car, Reggie admits that he took the car to visit his folks. Reggie has been homesick and needed to see his mom and dad. Archie admits that he misses Fred. Their friendship gets deeper. They arrive back to an empty car.
The next day, Archie finds Reggie at a garage working away on the truck. What surprises Archie is who else shows up to help. Apparently, Betty can repair cars and is helping Reggie. She also takes the time to rub it in that Fangs was fantastic.
The Book Group
This story was not what I had hoped it would be. While we have Toni, Clay, Tabitha and other talking about books about African-Americans. They have not invited any others like Cheryl and Kevin to come. . Cheryl asks if she can attend so she can be with Toni. Eventually both she and Kevin join the group. They are reading Native Son by Richard Wright. Kevin offers his thoughts while Cheryl seems afraid to talk about what she got out of the book. After all the others leave, Cheryl tells Toni that the “white family” in the book is too much like her family. Cheryl calls the book powerful and she’s afraid that what she would say wouldn’t be accepted by others in the group. Cheryl and Toni grasps hands after Cheryl makes sure no one is watching. Toni invites her to go to Fang’s concert in Centerville and Cheryl agrees. Later we learn that they had Midge in the car and picked up Betty and Veronica.
Fangs and Midge
At school, Fangs tells Midge that he wants to make a life for her and the baby. He plans to play at Centerville and make a name for himself as producers will be there. Midge wants to come but Fangs is worried that it’s not a good town and a rumble might happen.
Well, we already know Midge goes with Cheryl. The day after the concert, people ask Fangs for his autograph. He gives it but Midge walks away. When he catches up with her, he has good news. Midge is his lucky charm. A record producer wants to work with him. They kiss as this could be the way they become a family.
Next Week: Veronica decides to host a Halloween night. Do murders occur? Is there a new love triangle forming between Reggie, Archie and Betty?