Answer the questions below with your child.  Give me the child’s name, your name, the child’s age, and a cell phone where you can be reached.  If you are not in Burlington, NC, please tell me where you are from.

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Last week Riverdale brought back the much loved Jughead but that wasn’t all.  It gave the Barchie folks a little loving between Betty and Archie. Come on folks!  In Riverdale, our foursome has been divided into Jughead/Betty and Archie/Veronica.  Do we really want to mess up those showmance?  Will the writers?  Well, we have the rest of the season to go (and a fifth season also).  Tonight, behind a “supposedly” locked double door Jughead and Betty take on the prep school supposed killers.  What do you think they’ll reveal.

Jughead is talking about the two weeks he lived in the bunker.  It looks like he suffered.  Why?  Sure there was no sunlight but he was hidden and could plot.  Heck, Betty even set up cameras for him to watch the wake and get evidence.  Really?  Oh, and don’t forget that the great misdirection was Betty and Archie as a couple.  Really?  Which one of you set that in motion — you or Betty?  Roberto — kudos to you and the writers on this!

And let’s count all the people in on this.  First there was Charles who was helping gather evidence.  Then Jellybean, who ease dropped and learned that Jughead was alive.  She offered a fur coat because she was “just glad her brother was okay.”  Betty told FP because they needed his help and FP was relieved that Jug was okay.  Archie brought in his mom and Ronnie got Hermosa to help.  My this list is long and no one revealed a thing.  I didn’t think this many living in Riverdale could keep their mouths shut.

Betty comes to find Jughead to go to Stonewall Prep.  Evidently, Charles and FP have been looking for a witness, found him, and he’s showering.  I personally hope this is dear old Grandpa but we have to wait to find out.  At Stonewall Prep, three of the horrible four are meeting for class with Mr. Dull — er DuPont.  The topic is:  Crime and Punishment. Jughead and Betty enter and tell the four to prepare for a mystery to be revealed to which Donna says:  “I knew you weren’t dead.”  Sorry, Donna.  There is no prize for figuring everything out too late.

Jughead now starts to let us in on what happened.  After telling Betty to lock the door, the story starts to unfold.  I love a mystery so kudos to Roberto and company for giving us a Christie ending to this (yes, I refer to Agatha Christie. For those who haven’t read the book or seen either one of the movies, I recommend “Murder on the Orient Express.”)  They have 30 minutes before the next class and Jughead thinks that is all the time they need.  As Bret threatens to call security, Betty collects his and the rest cell phones so they can’t be disturbed.

Jughead starts presenting the evidence.  It seems that instead of Jughead, the victim was supposed to be Moose.  Jughead asks DuPont if it was the same way when FP the first (from now on granddad) was at the school.  DuPont doesn’t like to talk about granddad and calls him an arrogant fool.  From where I sit, it’s DullPont who is the arrogant tool (er — I mean fool). Jughead tells DullPont that the story is a tale about grandparents and grandchildren and Betty adds the phrase “cycle of violence.”  With the reveal, I love that phrase.  The problem was that with Moose marked to be the victim of the crime, Jughead threw a wrench in the plan when he arrived at Stonewall at the same time.  Mr Chipping had the assignment to find the victim but why?  To set up the transition to a new writer, of course!

Well, it seems Mr. Chipping was feeling guilty about Moose.  Alice got an interview and included it in her documentary.   Moose was recruited by Chipping who knew he was marked for death.  It was Mr. Chipping who got Moose to leave.  Mr. DuPont was involved (of course) and his role is coming into focus more.  I always wondered why Mr. Dull was so sneaky.  Now I know.

Now as to Mr. Chipping, he was brought in to be the ghost writer.  It seems that for every new ghostwriter, someone had to die.  So Chipping had to kill someone to get the job.  Jughead asks Dull if this was the original plan for his grandfather when he wrote the novel that DuPont stole.  Dullpont claims that the contract was legal.  (By the way, I am intentionally using DuPont, Dullpont and Dull for the man.  He drives me that crazy.)  Jughead had made the mistake of telling Chipping about his grandfather which meant that Jughead would be the target.  Alice learns from Mrs. Chipping that her husband was drinking and having trouble sleeping.  He was feeling guilty and that caused him to jump out the window.  She knew Donna had told a lie and mentioned that Donna did something similar with Mr. Kotter.  Donna Sweet isn’t sweet after all.  I always thought she should be on Sabrina.  Mr. Chipping jumped to his death then from guilt over Moose.

DullPont tells Jughead and Betty that this is a demented conjecture of the situation.  (Don’t you love a suspect using such words!)  Chipping got the contract fair and square but Jughead draws a diagram.  For Chipping to get the contract, he had to murder someone.  Ryan Allen had been the ghostwriter before him and had to win the contract in the same way.  It was Dull who gave Jughead the clue.  DullPont talked about collaborating on murder.

Now it’s time for Jughead to reveal what happened with his death contract.  Seems Donna and Bret wanted the book deal.  We see the flashbacks in the woods where Donna distracts Betty as Bret leads Jughead further into the woods (I hearing a fairy tale musical in my head — “Into the Woods we go”).  Anyway, while Donna drugs Betty,  Joan hits Jughead over the head with a rock and Jonathan (who is missing from the Horrible Four’s class) pronounces him dead.  Betty is lead to the scene and Donna places the rock in her hand while Betty is in the trance from Devil’s Breath.  As we now know, they didn’t kill Jughead (which he points out).  Guess Jonathan isn’t as good a doctor (or genuis) as some thought because it was a big FAILURE.  Betty was to take the fall when it was discovered.

Now here is where Archie and Ronnie come in.  The prep four go back to the party and send them in search for Betty and Jughead.  They figured that the two of them would raise the cry and Betty would be blamed.  Archie did think Jughead was dead (per the flashback/flash forward).   Jughead is bleeding but Doctor Archie somehow decides to do CPR.  As Archie pumps, Betty breathes and Ronnie staunches the blood.  Jughead seems to rouse but doesn’t really regain consciousness to stay awake.  He does tell the gang “no hospital” so Charles is brought in.  Archie, Ronnie and Betty carry an unconscious Jughead to the road where Charles and an FBI med van is waiting.  Jughead doesn’t regain consciousness for 36 hours.  Donna, to her credit (or discredit), asks why not a hospital and Jughead doesn’t know why he didn’t want to go there.  Charles is the one who directs the gang to return to the clearing and burn their clothes which is where last year’s scene comes from.  The forgetting what happened, pretending it didn’t happen, etc was part of what to do if Jughead died.

The Stonewall idiots (I mean three) want an explanation over the coroner’s office scene (flash forward scene).  Jughead tells them that the coroner is an old friend and we see money exchange hands.  I knew something was up there and now we know what!  Money can buy anything.  DullPont tells them it is a good story, better than Jughead’s original one, but there is no proof that he was behind it or did anything criminal.

Jughead and Betty have been playing a good “cat and mouse game” as they turn over the floor to DullPont.   Having called Dull a serial killer, Jughead reveals a story of murders that have happened over the years.  Each person in the class that had included granddad and Dull had been murdered.  Just before the third person’s death, he had visited granddad and told him what was going on.  When he, a skilled diver had drowned in shallow water, granddad knew he would be next.  That’s the night he left FP and went out for a pack of cigarettes.  DuPont looks scared and feels it can’t be proved but Jughead directs Betty to open the door.  And now we get a moment we all been waiting for.  Charles enters with FP and granddad.  The family is united and FP knows the true story.

DullPont tells them that they can’t prove anything but granddad has been waiting for that moment.  It seems that the others involved over the years are getting lawyers.  DuPont then questions who will believe a drunk.  Now granddad does some confronting and accusations of his own.  DuPont calls himself a builder and is really upset.  How upset you may ask?  Well, he calls himself an honorable man and builder of the Baxter Brothers saga and the school then jumps out the window as Chipping had committing suicide.  The prep three watch with no emotion.

Later at the jail house, the three prep school bullies are questions.  Joan is first and told not to protect Donna.  Joan won’t turn and says her daddy is an ambassador.  She also denies and Donna and Bret are her friends.  Guess she has immunity folks.  Donna follows  and tells Charles that she’s glad that DuPont is dead.  She doesn’t admit to anything either.  Bret finally comes in and is confronted with all his sins, including the sex tapes.  He’s offered a lesser crime if he turns over said tapes.  Bret says he will not have to stand trial or the tapes get release.   Let’s just say that Charles was prepared for this as Jughead and FP enter and Charles leaves.  Bret’s beautiful face isn’t beautiful for long and he does plead guilty and give them the location of said sex tapes which Jughead, Betty and FP retrieves.

All watch the documentary and want to celebrate, but Betty has one more “bridge to cross.”  She goes to see Donna is who packing to leave.  Betty (and the gang) know that Donna is the daughter of Joan, one of the original three.  She was killed by DuPont and Donna had come to Stonewall for revenge.  Donna had set up everyone to do her dirty work so her hands were not dirty.  In exchange for not signing a contract and not writing about Trudy (or telling), Betty won’t tell her story.  Betty is smart though.  She will be watching Donna.

As the show ends, Cheryl talks to Betty about what she has seen happen between Betty and Archie.  Cheryl knows that Betty has feelings for Archie but promises not to tell.   Could this be the start of Barchie that everyone seems to want on Twitter.  It looks like FP is happy and he and his dad are getting back together.  Kevin has a new play and all must be in it (Jughead included).  Finally, the gang promises to make the last few months their best ever.

So where do we go from here . . . Next week, the play starts, Mr. Sweet isn’t happy, strange costumes roam Riverdale High, and did I see the start of “The Archies.”  More later.

 

Okay Riverdale fans?  We’re in for a bumpy night.  We are to believe that our beloved Juggie has seen his last narration on Riverdale and died.  We are to believe Betty killed him with a rock.  Oh wait, Betty was drugged wasn’t she by the prep school five and woke up beside her dead boyfriend?  or what??  Questions, questions and no real answers yet?  Will we find out tonight or will this be a typical Riverdale asking us more questions than giving us answers?

Cute executives–the memory plaque wasn’t that cute.

The Jughead’s Death and Aftermath

Betty gets a phone call and starts crying.  Yale just called and she got Jughead’s spot (well maybe not but that’s what all think).  Later, at Pop’s, Cheryl offers her condolences to Betty and Cheryl wants to spend time with her.  Cheryl goes to Stonewall (and Betty doesn’t want that) with Betty to get Juggie’s personal effects.  Now — wait a minute.  I thought he had already packed.  And why in the world did he leave an opened lollipop in his dresser drawer.  Bret comes up and gloats.  Guess who else is going to Yale — Bret and he seems to threaten Betty.

Later, in Donna’s room, we find FP hunting for Jughead’s personal effects.  What’s this he says as Donna tells him he won’t find anything.  Well, well, FP has found a stick pin that was Jughead’s.  Donna denies, denies, denies and then admits that she lied because she was afraid that Betty would kill them.  FP goes to Riverdale High and arrests Betty, Veronica and Archie. He questions each but their parents are there for them.  Even Hiram with his health scare supports Ronnie (you know that ticked Hermarosa off).  Mary won’t let Archie answer questions and Betty!  Well Alice tells her that she knows Betty did it.  Way to go Alice!  You have such faith in your daughter.  Then FP admits that the blood on the rock was fake and Betty and the gang can go.  How many feel sorry for Betty with a mother like Alice?  I do.

When Donna learns that our three heroes were freed, she panics and goes to Bret and tells him that they have to do something.  She says that Jughead must be alive (wait — didn’t they tell FP they saw Jughead dead with Betty holding a rock).  Oh right, she does admit that she knew it was blood on what they planted.  Early the next morning (or I assume it was morning), Donna calls Betty and is in a panic.  Why we ask?  Because Donna admits to knowing the rock was real and wonders when it was changed.   Why would FP lie?  Oh, and the investigation is going to lead to Betty’s doorstep if it’s the last thing Donna does.  (I’m getting a list of those to eject from this show!)

Betty decides it is time to hold Jughead’s wake and that it should be at the house.  Surprisingly, FP agrees (wonders of wonders).  At the wake, the preppie five show up to try and enter. Sweet Pea (wait wasn’t he being deprogrammed) tries to prevent them from entering but Betty tells him to let them in.  The five sneer at the wake being at the house and see it as further evidence that Jughead isn’t dead.  After FP tries to talk about Juggie and breaks down, Betty finishes the sermon up admitting that Jughead liked crime fiction and Sherlock Holmes in particular.  She read the final story ending as one of Jughead’s favorites.  Donna goes up to talk to Jellybean about Jughead being alive which Betty stops.  Donna sics Bret on the coffin only to get stopped by Sweet Pea.

Okay to make a long story short.  After Donna threatens Betty AGAIN, Betty meets Archie at Pop Tate.  Cheryl is listening in.  After decorating Jughead’s (or was it Betty’s) locker as a tribute to Juggie, Betty runs off in tears.  She is comforted by Archie and she kisses him.  Cheryl watches, snaps a picture and does her civic duty as President of Riverdale High and hits send to the whole school.  While some are surprised, I think Reggie is suspicious because he can’t see those two together.   Cheryl tells Ronnie personally in the bathroom (because that’s what girls do) and Ron confronts Archie and Betty in the student lounge in front of everyone.  They fight and she calls Betty a b*tch and run offs.

And what about the preppies.  Well, Donna has visited Betty and accused her of trying to set them up.  She’s going to be watching and following Betty.  Betty won’t know when.  Oh, come on Donna.  You are not that good at spying.  Betty leads Donna to the bunker and goes down the steps with a burger and drink.  Donna burst in only to find Betty and Archie in a romantic lip lock.  She goes back and tells Bret she knows that Betty is setting them up. Why else would there have been three milkshakes. Bret tries to get her to relax.  He remind her that they killed Jughead and Donna slaps the fire out of Bret.  She’s the mastermind and he’s not to forget it.  Something is wrong and she knows Jughead is alive.

And Now for the Rest of the Story — as told to Alice!

Alice has decided to make a documentary entitled “Murder in a Small Town” or something like that about Jughead’s death.  She interviews Cheryl’s grandmother who tells her that Riverdale is bathed in blood.  Should we take time to count all those who have died?  No, it would take too long.

We should have gotten suspicious during the interviews and the selection of people Alice showed.  FP basically just states the facts and adds the rock part to the story.  Pop Tate echoes the blood angle while Cheryl and Toni don’t know what to say and don’t seem to be in mourning.  (And we learn they’re not even on the reveal but I get ahead of myself.)  After Donna story that Jughead is alive starts making the rounds, Kevin relates how Jughead helped him with English.  And my Mark Twain reference from a few weeks ago shows up with Kevin remembering that Jughead talked about how cool it would be to attend your own funeral. Reggie is upset because he doesn’t think that Betty and Archie are an item.  If so, he’s sure Ronnie would be back with him (my edit here folks).  Besides Reggie is upset.  If Juggie is alive and faking his death, he’s pulled the ultimate senior prank.  That was supposed to be Reggie’s job.

So what is the big reveal?  What I’ve been saying for weeks.  Jughead is alive and Alice takes her documentary in a new direction on why this is being done.  She tells us it is the story of friendship and the conspiracy to do what is right (my version there folks).  Betty has given her mom an interview and laid everything out but we don’t learn it immediately.  It seems that all that has been going on is an act.  FP, Mary, Jellybean and now Alice have known the truth.  Archie and Ronnie’s fight over the kiss was a setup (and Cheryl didn’t even know she was being used).   Ronnie trusts Archie and Betty because they are her best friends.  In the bunker, Jughead was there the whole time and it was faked because Betty knew Donna was following her.

The ultimate goal was to prove what the prep school has done and catch them (again in my words).  Betty, Archie and Ronnie had found Juggie unconcious but his beenie had protected his head.  Betty, in need of something to do for stress, had learned to knit and made him a new one which she gave during the reveal.  All was set in motion to make Donna doubt herself (and us to find out just how culpable the prep five are  and to get frustrated).  When Alice talks to the three and asks why they went to the extremes they did, Betty tells Alice that they knew the preppies were setting her up for blame.  If the preppies found out that he was alive, they would scramble and do anything to protect their little preppie hides.   Betty tells Alice that Donna and the group are fracturing (which is shown by Donna slapping Bret).

And the Aftermath that is still to come:

As the show goes off (with no previews — Roberto, I’m mad), we learn that Ronnie set Hermarosa to do some spying.  Hermarosa has gotten some goods on the preppies and it turns out that the report reveals something about Donna.  Anyone want to take a guess?  If I am right, she’s the sister of Evelyn.  How else could she have gotten into prison to see her except as being a relative?

And as a side note we find out something else about Hermarosa.  She wants Ronnie’s place.  Why else would she break in while Archie and Ronnie are having a moment, give Ronnie a passport with the blonde identity and plane ticket, and actually find out dirt thinking it is for another purpose.

My one hope for Archie is that teens come back to his community center.

Now my questions to you are as follows:

What type of drugs does Donna have access to and how?

What will she do next week when she sees Jughead alive?

And why did you cut to Nancy Drew with the scene making me think we were getting another half hour of Riverdale?

Okay Riverdale fans!  How many have ever watched Oklahoma?  Remember this song where they tried to convince the villain that people would mourn him when he was gone with “Judd Frye is dead.”  Well, it is my theory that they’re going the same way with Riverdale only with Jughead is dead but not really.  The question is:  How do you pull it off.  We know they can’t kill off the narrator . . . can they?  And the Twitter world would go crazy if he is!  Well maybe we’ll know the fate of the “crown one” before the night is through.

And the Deed Is Done

As the show opens, we get season three finale flashback (or is it flash-forward in reverse).  Oh, and did I mention, dead Jughead is narrating the story.   The three return to Riverdale is silence.  I guess they forgot to arrange an alibi.  Anyway, as in all murders that are set-ups, they get caught.  Ronnie tells mommy and daddy she played strip poker.  Archie tells Martha that he was skinny dipping.  Betty, who has blood on her bra, was dressed wrong for the party and had wine spilled on her.  The next day all three meet at Pop’s to try and get the story straight.  Whoops!  Too late gang and Kevin comes up on the intense discussion.

As if that isn’t enough, each find something wrong at home.  Ronnie walks in on Hiram and the rest of the family discussing the rewriting of Hiram’s will.  Archie walks in on his mom with a friend who offers to get him into the Naval Academy.  Betty walks in with — nope.  Alice is being Alice after all.  (I’m not sure what is going on with her.)  Of course, she is seeing Charles who is going to help her get the goods on Donna and Brett and Jughead’s murder.  Of course, this will involve a bug being planted.  We all know how that will (not) work.  Brett and Donna are the type of creeps who know about bugs (but I get ahead of myself as you will see in a few minutes).

And the Hits They Just Keep Coming

Archie and Ronnie are suspicious of Betty but what can they do?  They only saw her with the rock so they try to support her.  What no one knows — not even Charles — is that when Betty planted the bug, she made one more stop.  She stopped by to see Evelyn about the “trigger word.”  Evelyn says Betty already knows what happened and questions her on Jughead.  Evelyn is one who loves to gloat and does so about Betty being in the same hell as she before long.  Betty won’t admit even to Charles where she has been.  With Brett and Donna only talking about a Rolex a new plan must come into play (especially after Brett and Donna mention to them that they found the bug).

Over at Archie’s, he gets disturbing news from Martha.  Martha has a girlfriend.  While I say good for Martha, It’s a big “whoops” because she hasn’t told Archie.  Both women have had to hide their feelings but now are ready to be together.  Well, I never saw that coming.  At least Archie takes it well.  Meanwhile, Betty gets Archie to go fight Brett but Donna sticks her nose in and Archie leaves.  (If looks could kill, Donna would have killed Brett.)  Martha finds out and whoops, the scheme may be blown but Betty calls and interrupts.

Oh, and let’s not forget poor Ronnie.  Not only is she drinking again but daddy dear apologizes to her for not telling her the truth.  Ronnie and Hiram share a moment and at least peace is restored within the family (or almost so because Ron has to be nice to Hermrosa).  Later, with Archie in bed, Ronnie finds out that someone spilled to her college choice (Barnard??) about the club that she is running.  Her application has basically been pulled.  Well, of course, Ronnie should have seen that coming.  A minor can’t sale, distribute, or make alcohol.  I honestly think that Ron thinks the prep school gang is behind it but I’d look closer to home — like her half sister.

Poor Betty isn’t having much more luck.  FP and Alice has pinged Jug’s phone which is in Betty’s pocket.  Now how did that happen.  Oh good, they let us see how the prep school gang slipped it into Betty’s pocket.  FP and Alice wants to know why and Betty says that Jug lost his charger.  She was going to charge the phone and forgot.  Betty knows it is a setup but proving it is going to be the problem.

And a Plan Emerges

Betty tells Archie and Ron that she has no idea how she got beside Jug’s body.  She just knows she didn’t kill him.  Charles has planted a fake blood rock in FP’s evidence file which Betty made with Jellybean’s fake blood.  Later, with Charles’s help and Archie and Ron watching, they learn that Donna had known no trigger word but used a powder on Betty that knocked her out.  Known as Devil’s Breath, Betty has no knowledge of how the deed was done (but we still don’t know who did it).  It definitely had to be the Prep School Five (writing club). In fact, when Betty confronts Donna in the woods, Donna admits that there was no trigger words and Evelyn hates Betty.  The two were working together to gaslight Betty.  Why not set up the girl with mental illness to take a fall for the prep school five.  Who would believe a deranged girl (well, seeing your creepy looks, I would!)

So, let’s cut to the chase.  Betty sets up a search by asking FP to declare Jughead missing.  The whole town searches.  Archie finds the body in a ravine and calls FP.  Betty and FP identify the body (but not exactly like what we saw in the flash forward because Brett and Donna show up and try to barge in).  By the way, have I said lately how much I want Donna and Brett out of this show and in jail or something?  It’s never too many times to say that.

While Archie gets his mom’s consolation and tells her something (which we don’t see — bad producers), Ronnie is telling daddy dearest that she and sis will work on his estate together.  Betty is again meeting with Donna who apparently called this meeting.  Donna is upset that Betty didn’t just drop the body search.  Donna isn’t as smart as we thought because she wants to know why Betty did it.  In one of Betty’s best scenes ever, she declares herself the wild card.  As she (not so) sweetly tells Donna, Betty’s the daughter of the Black Hood, in training with the FBI and coming for Donna.  If Betty goes down, so will Donna who is going to be Betty’s target.  Donna should be scared because Betty’s now on the offensive.  The Prep School Five thought they were running the scenario but now Betty is going to switch it up.  I just hope Betty and company can stay ahead of them because it looks like they are arrested next week (whoops, meant to hold that one).

Next week:  Another memorial ceremony happens.  Will Jughead be a special guest (Mark Twain style).  More evidence is planted.  Our trio goes to jail.

My question:  How is Jughead faking his death this long?  Did he have a dummy made of himself?  Is FP in on it now?  The medical examiner is a nitwit and could be bought off.  I guess we should really say:  If Jughead is really dead who will narrate the show during season five.

 

 

 

Riverrdale, I’ve missed you.  Real life got in the way and I had to take time away.  I’m back tonight and I’m told that Riverdale is going to be something else.  Are we finally getting to the big Spring Break story?  And why call it the Ides of March?  It’s not even Valentine’s Day yet?   Will March 15 run for two months?  Will Jughead really die?  Will the word “tangerine” ring out setting Betty off?  Well, only time will tell.

Tonight’s show seems to lack interaction.  Thus, I’ll take it from each character’s individual lives.  At 8:20 PM, it seems Betty is the only one who doesn’t have a case o the “woes.”

Archie and the Business World

Archie is pulling triple duty with the construction company, the community center, and school.  After meeting with Mr. Honey, he feels he doesn’t have a chance at College.  Mr. Honey is all heart, isn’t he.  Archie isn’t too smart, I admit, but he’s had a rough time lately.  Not only was he standing trial for a murder that he didn’t commit but he served what — three or six — months in juvenile while learning to fight.  Come on Honey, give him a break.  And while you are it, why not go back to Dawson’s Creek where you had a heart.

Later, Archie gets a visit from Hiram Lodge who feels the need for exercise.  Hiram seems a little haunted when he sees Fred’s picture.  Well, he didn’t have anything to do with Fred’s death (at least we know that about Hiram).  Maybe mortality it catching up with him.  While Hiram is exercising, Archie tries to talk business.  Later Archie asks Mr. Kline to run the construction business for him.  .When it comes time to sign the papers though, Archie can’t do it.  When He tells Hiram that he could do it, Hiram seems to think Archie made the right decision.  Now what does Hiram have to gain from that!

Veronica’s Nose Dive

Daddy dearest appears to be ill and Ron is worried.  When she can’t take it, she heads out hunting for Archie.  Let’s just say that the two of them make more than music in the music room.  Come on guys — modesty please.  There’s a window n the door!  Veronica doesn’t want to think of the future but the present.

That’s not all of Ron’s problems though.  Mr. Honey finds a flask in her locker.  Now how did he know to look there?  Oh, someone’s writing stories and must have told him.  Archie, the gentleman, steps up and takes the blame and gets detention.  After he finishes, he goes by the house to talk to Ronnie who tells him that Hiram is dying from a medical condition.  Archie offers sympathy and comfort.

Meanwhile, Cheryl and Toni have caught the person feeding items to the paper.  They spring the trap and Ronnie is waiting.  Guess what!  The newest “Lodge” is as much of a creep as dad.  Herrmarosa (as I call her) have Ronnie’s style with wigs.  She caught and exposed after a three way sexy dance with Cheryl and Toni.  Hermarosa also knew of Hiram’s condition and that sends Ronnie off on a plan to cure daddy dearest.

At dinner one night, Veronica does a presentation on her maple rum.  She’s ready for business with charts and Cheryl’s expansion plan.  The maple run is going to be producing 300% more than Hiram’s.  Hiram congratulates her and gets the old fire back in his eyes.  He warns her that the dragon (him) has been unleashed.  After Hermione and Hermarosa jump on her about upsetting daddy, she tells them she plans to cure him.  Ronnie knows what will save his life.  Okay, Ron, let me get this straight.  He’s got a very serious illness that could kill him and you think starting a war will help?  Well everyone to their own devices.

Jughead (and Betty) and That Stupid Prep School

Okay, I’m getting a little tired of Bret, Donna and company and their smugness.  This crew is just the Slytherins of Harry Potter only without the magic.  Instead, they steal, cheat, and videotape.  Since the leader, Brett, hates Jughead’s success so much, they decide they must “get rid of him.”  Thus, they set him up with someone stealing his computer and claiming it for their own (I think the stupid jerk’s name is Jonathan.  Let’s just call him Brett’s slave.)

Mr. DuPont gave Jughead a chance to write another story.  Now, we see that Jughead isn’t too smart.  He tells his classmates about the story he is going to write about a murder at the prep school.  Come off it Jughead.  Don’.t you know better than to give Brett ideas.  Anyway, Mr. DuPont is giving Jughead until Friday to prove that he wrote the story and didn’t commit plagiarism.  What is Jughead to do?  FP doesn’t want Jug to give up.  Jughead and Betty search for the computer and can’t find it anywhere.  Instead, they find his first story, The Boy in the River, with edits and rewrites ready for press.  DuPont is the plagiarist if you ask me.  He steals the story, has rewrites by Jug’s classmates and gives the money to the Brotherhood.  Now, just who is the Brotherhood though?  Better yet, who wrote the story and lived it.  It’s about Jason right?  Like Brett knew Jason?

While Betty has tried to get Donna to confess about her part in all this by calling her and company DuPont’s pawns, Donna is too smug and tells her she doesn’t know anything?  Jughead has had to deal with Brett.  Turns out Brett does have blackmail to use against Jughead.  Brett, the pervert, did record one of Jug and Betty’s sex session and will release it live if Jughead doesn’t leave.  While Jughead may not be hurt, Brett plays the shame card on Betty.  Let’s all play the blame game on Brett.

Much to FP’s disgust, Jughead takes the option of leaving the prep school.  Brett gets one more change to gloat but then invites Jughead to the Ides of March party and tells him to bring his friends.  Jughead, I didn’t think you were this big of idiot.  You are supposed to “beware the Ides of March” (per Caesar and Shakespeare).  I also thought you could tell a setup better than this.  Betty calls Ronnie and Archie to come also.  I smell trouble and I am right.

We are now up to the mystery that has taunted us since last May. Jughead and Brett go into the woods for one last round of — er — one up-man ship I guess — first followed by Donna and Betty.  When Betty tries to get Donna to confess, Donna has a little something to pull on Betty.  Donna isn’t dumb.  She’s been studying up on Betty and found out about “tangerine” from Evelyn.  Here I thought Evelyn was never to rear her head again.  Seems that the Farm didn’t plant just one command in Betty’s brain.  She may have been cured of “tangerine” but another word will have her kill the people Betty loves — Jughead.  Brett and Donna watch Ron and Archie enter the woods to find Betty standing over a dead Jughead.  It sounds like Archie doing the voice over???  Could this really be the end of Jughead.  And Roberto and company were smart!  We got not previews or anything else from the next show.  We were robbed!

So I leave you tonight with these questions;

Is Jughead really dead?  Has Betty got more than one trigger?  Will Mr. Honey ever change his name to Mr. Stupid?  Will Mr. Weatherbee ever be named principle again?  How will Archie and Ronnie prove they weren’t there?  How many more lies can Donna and Brett create?

Okay — the title is a joke Riverdale fans.  Let’s face it though.  We are at Chapter 66 and Riverdale is still going strong.  The town seems to be processed.  So I have to wonder sometimes if just where we stand with the Riverdale writers.  Are we heading toward the “Blossoms 666” saga?  We are definitely seeing a reworking of the Archie comic and why not visit the new Archie-verse.  With the mention of Katy Keene can Sabrina be far behind?  And it is the mid-season finale before Winter Break.  After tonight, we won’t have a new episode until mid-January.

The episode tonight is called “Tangerine.”  Now tangerine denotes a fruit that is orange i color to me.  Riverdale’s Hiram is seeing “red” after Veronica’s declaration last week and I’m sure their war will start tonight.  The only preview I saw of this week’s Riverdale had Alice sliding back into the cult and going after Betty.  We don’t know what happened to Archie or Jughead and we have to wonder if Cheryl got rid of the body.  What I want is these stories to come together somehow  but this is Riverdale and it won’t happen anytime soon.  So off we go.

Jughead and His Story

Wait a minute!  Jughead has written his first Baxter Brother’s story and it was about a body being found in a lake.  (Do I hear flash forward here?)  Bret and the rest aren’t happy as they watch Mr. Spooky (I mean DuPont) hand Jughead a contract.  Of course, this sets Jug on a quest.  He approaches Chuck (who might as well be on contract) for FBI help in finding dear old granddaddy and has success.  When Jug gets to the location (looks like a trailer to me), grandpa comes out with a gun.  Yep, this is the Jones’s men alrighty.  Will shots be fired?  No!  Jughead goes inside.

Grandpa Jones tells Jughead that the stories FP told are probably true.  Jughead wants to talk about DuPont’s stealing the Baxter Boys but FP-1 said that his assumptions are wrong.  FP-1 did write the short story but sold it to Mr. Creepy for $5,000.  He then left school  Now the books are worth millions.  FP is the one who sent daddy out for a pack of cigarettes.  Jughead tells FP-1 that he’s the next ghostwriter and voices Jug’s concern that DuPont is murdering people.  Jughead thinks he will be next.  FP-1 suggests that Jug seize the opportunity and disappear.  Now, why would Jughead do that?  Take down DuPoint, yes, but disppear?  That’s not Jughead’s style.

Jughead visits FP in the hospital (from helping Archie and tells him what has gone down.  After talking, FP will meet with FP-1 if he wants to stop by the hospital.  When Jughead goes back to granddaddy’s place has disappeared.  Jughead returns to school, signs the paper and finds an invite under his door.  When we think it’s a flash-forward, it turns out to be in present time.  Jug is initiated into the Pen and Quill Society.

Veronica and Dad Round Two, Three or More

Veronica got rejected from her second choice and looks like Hiram has sabotaged all of her choices because she refused Harvard.  He suggests the Riverdale Community College although Columbia may still take her.  Hiram is going to make it hard on Ron.  Meanwhile, as mayor, Hiram has pulled Pop Tate’s liquor license which closes the speakeasy.  Pop knows something about Hiram and I just wish they’d tell us. Yes, Pop!  We all know he wasn’t raised right.  Now Ron is going to take Hiram on with a big blow to daddy’s ego.

I love Ron’s one-upmanship (is that a word?).  It is brilliant.  Where would Hiram get the idea to make rum?  With us not knowing enough about his background except Pop saying he was brought up wrong, we should have suspected family.  Turns out the recipe belongs to Hiram’s mom who we finally get to see tonight.  She gets upset when Ron fills her in with the info on what her son has been doing.  She pays sonny boy a visit and slaps his face.  And, by the way, Ron tells dad.  She has the recipe for the rum.  This round to Ron.

The the closing of the speakeasy, Hiram shows up.  Ron also has a surprise visitor from Columbia.  Daddy dearest has pulled a fast one to set up the meeting.  Ronnie excuses herself to go sing.  While delivering the “Saturday, Saturday” number, we see her boyfriend Archie taking on Dodger.  Archie wins but at a cost (which I’m not sure of yet).  After the song, Hiram shows Ron a legal paper saying that he owns the rum recipe.  As Ron apologizes to the Columbia rep, the rep looks impressed and tells Ron that Columbia is always looking for people with a story.  After being asked to share “said” story, I think we can assume Ronnie will be heading to Columbia.

Archie and the Vigilante

FP shows up to question Archie about being the vigilante.  Hey, Archie did admit he was but it was very evident as Archie showed his injuries.  Archie and FP are discussing the Dodger’s situation when a young boxer tells them that Dodger is back and offers to help.  Meanwhile, someone wants to buy Andrew’s Construction and we learn that Eddie has been beaten up and is in the hospital AGAIN.

Archie goes to FP after learning about Eddie.  FP agrees to helps but he needs to pick up something first — his leather Serpent jacket.  As Archie confronts the Dodger family, and a fight looks imminent, FP arrives in his jacket.  Only thing we know about this fight is that Archie and FP wins and ends up at Pop Tate’s.  FP is glad to be back in his leather jacket and makes Archie promise the vigilante days are over.  As they top to leave, we get a reply of the Fred shooting at Pop’s but with FP taking the bullet. This sets Archie off and he goes to catch the Dodger clan as they leave town.  He beats up (maybe kills) Dodger and the Center kids saw the fight. (By the way producers.  Wasn’t this bad enough with Fred’s shooting.  It looks like Pop Tate’s is the hit man capital of Riverdale!)

Mary returns home to find Archie a basket case.  He tells her all that has happened and he misses Fred.  I think Archie realizes how dumb he’s been acting and knows Fred would hate it!  Mary doesn’t know what to say to Archie.  As he works at the Community Center, a man enters.  Welcome Fred’s brother, Frank, to Riverdale.  Could he be the one wanting to buy the construction company?  It makes sense to me.

Is Betty and the Coopers All Nuts!  

Betty finds out that Polly has attacked a nurse named Betty at the psychological site she’s using to get over Edgar.  Polly is strapped down on the bed when Betty arrives.  She remembers nothing of what happened.  Of course, we know it has to be a hypnotic suggestion left by Edgar but what triggered it? Edgar lives from beyond the grave!

Betty tells Alice that Polly received a phone call before the incident.  Immediately the phone rings and Alice goes zombie on us.  She pulls a knife and heads toward Betty.   Betty snaps her finger or does some that brings Alice out of the trance.  Alice doesn’t remember anything.

Betty realizes that there is only one person who would know — Evelyn.  Oh great!  Another appearance by Evelyn the kidney transplant person married to Edgar.  I thought her visit to high school was bad enough.  Oh no!  She’s as nutty psycho as Edgar was.  She’s the one who placed the calls and gave the trigger word.  What, you ask, was the trigger?  The episode’s title, “Tangerine,” said three times.  I wouldn’t have thought she said it three times to Alice.  As Evelyn starts to say the word to Betty, I realize that the word has been planted in Betty’s mind also.  Sure enough, the trigger isn’t strong enough to make Betty kill herself but it sends it into her childhood memory of killing Caramel.

Surprisingly enough, Betty gets Chuck/Chip/Charles (whatever he answers to tonight) to try an experiment.  He says the word three times but Betty doesn’t seem to go zombie on us.  She does go outside and relives the Caramel incident sending her younger self off to play.  Should we shout that she’s cured.  Come on!  This is Riverdale and it wouldn’t be that easy.

Betty and the gang help Cheryl with something (wait for it).  When Cheryl returns home, she goes to bed but tries the “tangerine” trigger again.  Looks like she may not be cured as Alice hears something smashing upstairs.  Betty does retain somewhat of a memory of what happened as she tells her mom she was trying the trigger word.  I think she’s not cured (of course, she isn’t) as she smashed the mirror in her room.

Cheryl and the Mystery of the Gaslighting

When we first see Cheryl, she is surrounded by her brothers (yes, Jason and the doll) and she tell them she is going to put an end to the prison in which she is living.  Just as we think Cheryl may die from the smell of gas, who should show up but Penelope.  Cheryl  now knows who was behind everything that happened to her.  Penelope passes out as Cheryl wears a gas masked.

When Penelope awakes, Cheryl puts her on trial.  She has chained Penelope to a chair but as Penelope used to torture (no I mean abuse) Cheryl.  Penelope was always complaining about being abused as a child.  Seems she practiced the same thing with Cheryl but I digress.  Cheryl is going to hold a trial for Penelope with Titi, Granny and Jason watching.  The charges for Penelope are:  gaslighting, trying to kill the core four, and killing Cheryl’s dad.

As Cheryl serves as district attorney and judge, we all know that Penelope will be found guilty.  We all know Penelope’s crimes and she really doesn’t offer a defense.  She tells Cheryl to put her in jail.  Wonder if Penelope is hoping for a mayorial pardon?  Instead, Cheryl has something better planned for her and asks Titi for the chloroform.

Penelope awakens to find herself in the D & D (whoops G & G) bunker.  Here is where Penelope will serve her time.  Evidently, Cheryl will make only occasional visits and Penelope isn’t happy.   Cheryl ignores mommy dearest and heads back home to Titi.   There she tells Cheryl that it’s time to let Jason have some peace.  Surprisingly she calls Archie, Veronica, Betty and Jughead to be there and witness it.

Penelope wakes up in the D&D (whoops G & G) bunker.  That’s where Penelope will serve her time.  Penelope yells at Cheryl when she leaves.  Cheryl returns home and talks to Titi about all the pain.  She’s going to give Jason the peace he deserves.  After telling Jason good-bye, she gets a torch and lights the boat with Jason in it.  As it starts to burn, Archie and Jughead pushes the boat away from Cheryl.  She hugs Titi as the boat drifts into the lake.  Somehow, a Viking funeral suits this story.  Let’s face it!  The Blossom family could have inspired a Shakespearean play!

Now for our latest flash forward:

The title card reads:  Four weeks later (only four weeks until Spring Break? What happened to mid-terms and Christmas?)

Archie leans over Jughead and says:  “He’s dead.  What did you do to him Betty?  (Or something to that affect.)  Did Betty go “Betty zombie” and kill Jug, her love?  Did she see him as Caramel and have to kill him?   Well, it looks like it won’t be long until we find out although four weeks could be two months in Riverdale.

On returning:  We get high school life and so much more.  To be honest I can’t tell you all that happened in the preview.  It went too fast but looks like we will FINALLY get the gang back together.

 

 

Okay folks.  Let’s get Riverdale underway.  I’ve got to remember to check and see when the winter finale is.  So far, Riverdale has been good but it all seems to be building to the Spring Break drama.  I want all the principals together.  Riverdale my question to you is:  When will Cheryl, Toni, and Reggie be in the gang with Archie, Veronica, Betty and Jughead?  It has to happen sometime, doesn’t it?

Riverdale is labeled “In Treatment” tonight.  I’m beginning to think that after this season we, the fans, will need treatment.  Shall we all admit it?  The flash forwards are confusing the heck out of us (bet you thought I’d say something else, right?).  Over the holidays I plan to put a flash forward list together at my blog and see what the clues tell us.  But for now, let go to the show.

The Video Treatment

Well, it’s happening again.  VCRs are showing up with the tapes of only the house  know the being the focus.  Boring, I say!  Why have some weirdos in Riverdale but this seems to be getting out of hand.  Who is behind it?  Will we ever know? And why open with that if it has nothing else to do with the episode.  At the 8:25 mark, it doesn’t look like it will!  Personally, it’s a waste of time without any set-up for potential story line (like maybe next week’s episode?).

Guidance Help

Betty’s Turn

All the students are getting acceptance letters to their college choices but something just seems off.  Apparently, Riverdale isn’t known for brains.  Oh, right.  They killed Dilton off with “Dungeons…” (whoops) “Griffins and Gargoyles.”  Betty comes home to find her mom reading her mail.  Poor Betty!  No Yale for her.  I guess she wasn’t told that Yale is a hard school to get accepted to.  Oh, by the way, Alice opened the letter, got upset, then searched Betty’s room and found her diary.  Seems Betty likes to talk about her sex life and her mom says that it is getting in the way of Betty’s study.  Now let’s see.  You are sharing a house with FP.  Do you really have room to talk Alice?

Since the Mr. Honey is worried about the student’s mindset at this time, he sets up times for the seniors to talk to the guidance counselor.  Betty is first and guess who shows up and barges in?  That’s right Alice!  Alice thinks that Betty is having too much sex and Betty thinks her mother has caused most o f her problems due to Alice’s psychotic behavior. Oh, and Alice is going by Smith now.  Guess the Cooper name isn’t good enough.

This guidance session is getting good.  Betty is finally letting Alice have it about joining a cult, giving away her college fund to said cult, working undercover for the FBI.  Oh, let’s not forget the convent/mental institute that Alice put Betty in to “help her.”  Betty hits her with the fact that both Alice and Polly enjoyed sex at 18 since both had babies then.  Let’s face it.  When Betty says she has had to take care of herself, she speaks the truth.  Where has Alice been?  Off crusading or doing whatever she wants!

Alice sees herself as protecting Betty but reading her diary took things a little far.  Alice’s cry of “You will always be my daughter” rings halfway true but I have to wonder if she’d use the same line on Polly (the nuthouse resident, again).  In the end, the guidance counselor hits the nail on its head by telling Alice that she gave away Betty’s college fund for control purposes.  Alice admits that she doesn’t want to lose Betty like her other two children.  The reason:  “I love you best” (and that is a quote from Alice).  I think that this town has more problems than we ever thought Guidance Counsel is smart.  She knows Alice gave away the college fund to control Betty.  Alice feels she lost her other children so she is trying to hold onto Betty.  Alice loves her best.

Later at home, Betty finds Alice cooking and is told to set the table.  Betty finds a check on the table and looks at her mom.  Betty tells Alice that she loves her.

Archie’s Session

When Archie falls asleep in class (again), he’s sent to guidance counselor who wants to know where Archie sees himself.  Archie wants to stay in Riverdale, work at the community center, and fulfill Fred’s legacy of helping others.  The counselor sees Archie’s bruised hands and becomes worried that he’s on drugs but Archie sets that record straight.  He admits to his vigilante work and helping people is need.  While she sees it as anger and comic book reactions, Archie relates what Dodger has been up to.  She wants Archie to stop but he points out all the “crappy things” that have happened to him.  He tells her he has a right to be angry and he’s tired of seeing his loved ones hurt.  Let’s face it folks!  Shooting up the Andrews’  home was a little extreme.  At least he sees that (and we thought he was dumb!).

After talking to the counselor (or actually volunteered to help), Archie goes home and tells him mom that he’s leaving.  Hey, I see that he’s tired of putting his mom in danger but living at the community center is crazy Archie!  Do you want to smell like a gym?  Talk about stress!  Oh, and Archie tries to get rid of the mask and actually does some good by setting up a hotline.  Unfortunately, I think it will come back to bite him as he gets a call and picks up the mask – AGAIN!

Cheryl’s Turn

Mr. Honey has decided that Cheryl isn’t mentally stable to be head cheerleader.  Mr. Honey, my friend, being head cheerleader may be the only sane things in Cheryl’s life right now.  Unfortunately, he strips her of the title unless the guidance counselor clears her to stay as head.  Cheryl has no choice but visit the counselor’s office.

The counselor has a handle on Cheryl before they even talk.  While Cheryl puts on a show that everything I fine, it’s not and wants to know what is going on with Cheryl after all she’s been through.  Well, let’s face it.  Cheryl had a brother die, a dad who committed suicide, and more trauma than I can relate here.   Was it as bad as Archie’s?  That is determined on how you describe the differences but anyway, let’s get back to Cheryl who admits to talking to Jason about her problems.  While the counselor sees this as normal, Cheryl then explains everything else – like she “ate her brother Justin while in the womb.”  The counselor says that this was impossible and offers her the information that there is a test out there that will reveal whether this happened of not through DNA.  Hey, I like this counselor.  She points out to Cheryl that she is not mad.  Someone is trying to gaslight her.  For the novices, this is a movie term for someone trying to make you think you are crazy.  While Cheryl isn’t nuts, the counselor can’t allow Cheryl to stay in her head cheerleader role.

Cheryl does the test!  Believe me, I haven’t researched this yet, but since the serial killer gene is real, I’m sure the Riverdale writers did their research on this also.  I learned a long time ago with my soap research that strange things can actually happen!  The test results come in and Cheryl goes to Pop Tate’s where she relates to Toni that the test came back negative.  She did not eat her brother in the womb!  Toni asks who is trying to drive Cheryl nuts.  I guess that’s the next question but I’m betting that there is a real life “Justin” somewhere who is doing it.  Let’s face it!  That would be a nice tie in “The Blossoms” alt-verse comic.

Veronica’s Take

Veronica has applied to Harvard and dear old Hiram wants to know if she has been accepted.  Veronica blows him off with a non-reply only to get a call from the Dean of Admissions at Harvard telling her she got in.  The only problem with this is that the Dean hints that “daddy dearest” had a hand in it.  I’m beginning to think that Ron needs to write a book and entitled it “Daddy Dearest.”  He does make her life miserable.

Veronica’s next stop is the guidance counselor’s office where she lets out her anger at Hiram.  The guidance counselor compares their interaction to an Oedipus Complex even though Hiram has been tormenting Veronica.  Let’s remember some of the things “daddy dearest” has done.  He gave her a business then demanded protection money, he tried to kill Archie in an illegal fight, he had Ron’s mom arrested for murder (but wait—she did try to kill him), and introduced the illegitimate daughter in shocking manner.  The guidance counselor is good.  She walks Ron through all of them and in the end points out the obvious.  Ron and Hiram are going to have to acknowledge each other’s existence.  Ron though has to decide whether going to Harvard is a desire that is strong enough to keep her under “daddy dearest’s” thumb.  The last question is the telling part.  The counselor asks Ron:  “who’s leading – him or you.”

In the end, Veronica turns down Harvard and decides to beat daddy at his own game.  She won’t have her life mapped out by him.  Instead, she is cutting the “tie that binds” and going to do things her way.  She is going to “murder him” but not physically.  She’s going to destroy him in business.  Now she’s still in high school, right?  She’s under age, right?  How can she beat him at the alcoholic “gin” game at that age?  I’m not sure but Hiram was very upset when he found that she had opened his first bottle of his new label gin.

Jughead Talks to Riverdale’s Counselor

Will someone tell he just where Jughead is going to school?  I thought he was in a prestigious prep school but I guess DuPont doesn’t lead to trust there.  Jughead revisits his old stomping grounds to talk to Riverdale’s teen helpline, the guidance counselor.  While he recognizes that she’s using psy babble on him, she does open Jug’s mind to one thing.  He may have a slight persecution complex over the conspiracy he sees with his grandfather.  This leaves him blind to all his father has accomplished.  Well, it’s not every day that a man pulls himself up from motorcycle gang leader to sheriff, now is it?  She wants Jughead to write but not to put too much suspicion on Mr. DuPont.  This, to me, is her first big misstep as I think I see another clue developing.  I’m not going to drop that here though.  I also loved how Jughead took all her candy out of the bowl when he left.  (I have to wonder if this was in the script or an ad lib that they decided to leave in the script?)

Later, FP arrives home to find Jughead who gives him a hug.  Jughead then tells FP that he loves him and appreciates all FP has done in his life.  Maybe Jughead is growing up.  Maybe FP can open up.  I doubt that but I can hope, can’t I?

Jughead also share a draft of his writing with Betty who loves it.  While he’s not focusing on the conspiracy, he has done some research like the counselor suggested.  There seems to have been many “deaths” associated with connections to the Baxter Boys?  So where does that lead us – to a flash forward of course.

FLASH FORWARD TIME:

We see Betty, Archie and Veronica in a police line up.  Bret and Donna (I think that’s her name) identify them as being there when Jughead dies/disappears.  And we fade to black!

Next week is the mid-season finale. 

What do we get?  Alice attacking Betty with a knife!  Has the Body Farm cult gotten into Alice’s head again?  Tune in to find out next week (or at least see the set up for the show’s return after a few week’s off).

Hi Riverdale fans!  Tonight’s recap is going to be much briefer than what I usually do.  It’s not because Riverdale wasn’t a full hour, it’s just trying to wrap my head around everything that goes down leads everything to a shorter description.  And I actually like my title for this chapter better.  Riverdale seems to have a distorted history and the family plays into the story.  It seems that secrets are coming out and there’s a hint of madness wherever you look.  So let’s get to the quick run down.

Archie and the Community Center

Archie is out to save Riverdale.  He comes up with a scheme to not only stop the kids as the man in the mask but be there as Archie when FP arrives.  He even finds work for some of the kids so they can make an honest salary.  We all knew Archie had heart, didn’t we!  Archie even tries to get the kids in the Community Center only to learn that Dodger is giving a pizza party at the video arcade.  No worries, Ron has hamburgers brought in and everyone shows up.  This is too much for Dodger who calls Archie out for being the vigilante.  When Reggie and others show up, Dodger says he has the proof.  The Community Center gets trashed but no way of knowing who did it (wink, wink — of course it was ordered by Dodger).

One night, Archie comes home to find a mask with a knife through it on the door.  He immediately goes in and tells Mary that they have to leave.  Unfortunately she doesn’t get the message and tries to make Archie explain.  Suddenly, gun fire erupts and the window is blown in. Mary needs to learn to listen to Archie if danger is coming.

Archie knows FP can’t do anything so he turns to Hiram Lodge (yep — he’s back).  Hiram has visited the Community Center to express his sympathy at Archie’s loss.  Archie refused the blank check Hiram gave him.  Maybe he regrets that when he asks Hiram’s help with Dodger.  Hiram says he can’t help Archie with that problem.  Yet, shortly after the talk, Archie and Reggie finds Dodger injured in the alley.  Coincidence?  Hiram becoming a  vigilante?  Will we ever know?  Of course, Riverdale can’t wait to tell us later.

Betty and Charles

So, what do you do when your brother reappears as a FBI agent acting strange.  If you are Betty, you follow him.  As Betty reports to Jughead, Charles does nothing really suspicious.  This is itself is strange in the Riverdale world.  So Betty decides to go see the fake Chic and find out what he knows.  Oh, he knows Charles and Chic tells Betty about a murder at the “home” where he and Charles were raised.  He tells Betty it was Charles who went insane and committed the murder.  When given a lie detector test by Betty, Charles doesn’t appear to lie until faced with this.  He then tells Betty it was Chic who did it not him and he ran because of Chic (yeah right).

Later at the house, Charles tells Betty that someone (Betty’s accused) turned in Alice for a murder.   He and FP go to cover the crime up better.  When Charles returns, Betty and he reunite.  Later, at the prison, Chic and Charles share their love for each other.  So my question is:  Just what is Charles really wanting from the FP/Alice family.  It’s got to be more than a family.  My thoughts:  He likes to terrorize people and Betty is his next victim.

Veronica’s Strange Situation

Veronica and Hermione are going to make a family only Hiram shows up and wants to be a part of it.  With him is his other daughter, Hermosa. (By the way writers where did you get that name?)  Ronnie wants no part of it and is throwing her mom a party which gets crashed by Hiram and Hermosa.  While Ron isn’t happy she is gracious.  Oh, and did I mention.  Hiram is now into rum and wants Ron to use it at the speakeasy and let Hermosa help her.

Hiram goes to see Hermione and tells her he wants to get back with her.  Okay, I hate to use this word but I will.  They really let this scene get just close enough to kinky that I wonder how it made it past the censors.  Anyway, Ron finds out and gets mad but Hiram uses the spill that Veronica will always be his favorite.  Wait, wasn’t he just planning revenge against both of them?

Hermosa shows up at Pop’s to tell Ron that Hermione and Hiram will remarry.  Ron doesn’t want to believe it but Hermosa tells Ron that she doesn’t know the Hiram she knows.  Seems Hermosa’s mom was a singer and Hiram was good to both her mom (before she dies — another death) and Hermosa. Later at the apartment, a new picture is over daddy’s desk — Hemosa. Ron isn’t having anything to do with this or Hermosa taking her place and basically declares war.  She’s not losing her place of honor to someone she never has known.

Jughead and His Grandfather

Let’s make this brief.  I would have liked more background on this.  To summarize it, which is the best way to deal with this, Jughead finds a story his grandfather wrote.  It was hard work because everything by “Forsythe the first” has been destroyed.  Jughead accuses Mr. Dupont (whatever) of plagiarizing his grandfather’s work.  Well, that doesn’t set well with the author Dupont.  He threatens Jughead and says the books support the school.  He also threatens Jughead with his scholarship.  So what does Jug do?  He goes to Mr. Chipping who  jumps out the window.  While Jughead tells others to call for an ambulance, he goes downstairs.  When he returns, he learns the class is cancelled, they all got A’s due to their teacher’s attempted suicide, and a new teacher enters.  That’s right!  It’s none other than Mr. Dupont.

Cheryl’s Strange Family

We all know that Jason is (cough) living in the basement Chapel at Thistlehouse yet Julian still is haunting the house.  Cheryl is having nightmares and refusing to leave nana alone in the house with the doll.  When Ti-Ti talks her into returning, she puts the doll in a circle of salt.  She’s not at school long before she gets called to the office to learn that Dagwood has been rushed to the hospital due to choking.

As if this isn’t bad enough, Cheryl also has her aunt and uncles show up.  They feel like the maple business and Thistlehouse is costing too much money.  They have an offer to sale and want to do so.  Well, with Jason in the basement, how can Cheryl do that?  When the family wants to go downstairs to the Chapel to pray, Cheryl refuses to sale and the family calls her crazy.  Later, one of her uncles shows up and goes downstairs.  What he sees makes him call Cheryl crazy!  Well she has the right, doesn’t she??  Anyway, he grabs Cheryl and threatens to put her in a mental home.  No, he decides to kill her himself.  Little does he know that Ti Ti wasn’t injured when he slapped her and kills him.  Later, auntie returns asking where her husband is and both lie.  I guess crazy is the norm in that family.

Endnotes/next week

I’m not even going to try and go there this week.  The sad news is there was no flashforward so no new clues.  Did I scare them off last week?  Oh, well, seven days until a new Riverdale folks.

 

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?”

 

Hi all you Riverdale fans.  Sorry for no recap last week but it is autumn and I had a sinus flair up.  So here’s the gist of what you missed.  New “man in charge” at Riverdale High who dared stop President Cheryl’s party quickly learns of her wrath.  When Mr. Honey calls the cops on her shindig at her house, someone (Cheryl) leaves a beehive in his office.  Jughead is going to a prep school???  Whoops.  Kevin, the snitch, was telling his sweetie, Sweet Pea, about the “Farm” investigation.  Well, let’s give Kevin some room for doubt.  He is, after all, alone and in need of love.   All of which sets it up for an interesting episode of Riverdale tonight especially considering what we have learned in the commercial about the newest Branch Davidian — I mean Farm — plan.  And yes, we get a resolution but you won’t find out until the end of this.

Jughead at the New School

Betty, FP, and Jellybean bring Jughead to his new school and room and Betty is already emotional.  While FP and Jellybeans given them some space, Betty gives Jughead a kiss.  After the family leaves, Moose walks into Jug’s room and they catch up on what they have been up to.  Moose wants to be called Maraduke and we realize they are roommates.

At school, Jughead, Bret and others don’t seem to agree on writing styles .  There is jealousy there folks!  The teacher has to step in to calm the discussion down.  The smartie, Bret, calls Jughead “trailer park trash.” Well, I call Bret an over-privileged snob.  Later when Jug goes back to his room, he finds Moose with Donna.  Donna has a warning for Jughead about how Bret plays dirty.  Moose announces he likes both guys and girls!

Jughead and his classmates find that they’re not going to have class that afternoon.  Instead, the teacher is having a session at 9:00 PM with a story due.  As Jughead writes, Bret tries to get into Jughead’s head.  Jughead finally grabs Bret and tells him the real story about his family.  Bret finally seems scared.  The winner of the competition is Story C in the 9:00 PM class.  Bret and Jughead’s story tied for last place.

Jughead finds that someone has splashed stories about Riverdale around the school.  While they couldn’t attack Jughead out right, they took Moose out.  He’s leaving school but Betty is more about Jug when they talk later.

Veronica and Archie and Family

Remember last week how Veronica wanted to change her name to Gomez?  Well, we get more of that this week.  As we learn, Hiram’s dad had a past in Riverdale — one that Hiram was ashamed of.  Boy, it must have been bad for bad boy Hiram to hate his name.  Well, Hiram changed his name to Lodge which mad his dad mad.  When they fought over it, Hiram took his dad out.  Veronica learns all this from dear old dad who comes and goes as he pleases from prison because — “Hey” — he owns it.

Veronica doesn’t let that stop her though but makes her decide to use a new name.  At the end of the episode, she visits dear, old dad and announces that she did change her last name.  Now, she is Veronica Luna.  Oh, and daddy dear, she’s changed the locks, put an alarm in, and will be sleeping with a taser.  She’s a chip off the old block, isn’t she.

Meanwhile, Archie is having his own troubles with family.  It seems that the community center needs $40,000 to bring it up to code.  Veronica decides that Reggie, Archie, Mad Dog, and I guess it’s his younger brother can wash cars.  A crowd gathers and they make some money but not enough.

As all this plays out, a new nemesis arises for Archie.  His name is Dodger and he’s a bad bully who preys on the kids at the video center.  Archie decides to tell FP about the dude but things get out of hand and Archie decides to confront Dodger.  Ends up while Archie goes one against five, he still gets money from Dodger which Mad Dog doesn’t want to use.  He suggests Veronica finds a way to “launder” the money but she refuses.

Veronica has been trying to help Archie and gives Mary a check for the remainder.  Mary won’t use it because she wants Archie to return to Chicago with her.  Later, Mary visits the gym and sees Mad Dog teaching the kids self defense though boxing.  Visiting Archie in his office, she tells him that she understands that he wants to make Riverdale a safer place — better than the crime filled one she knows.  She’s going back to Chicago and get the community center 501 status which means he can raise money for repairs.

Betty and the Investigation

Good news!  Charles has found the Farm.  Bad news, they lose an agent posing as a pizza delivery man because Edgar is on to him.  By the way, Evelyn is also still around and up to no good.

Betty gets a call from Edgar.  He has demands and it includes $250,000 (what, not a million), passports, a bus, and safe conduct.  While Betty, with Tee-Tee (yes, I used that) and Veronica’s help, tries to get the items together, Edgar calls back.  Betty asks for more time and for him to release a hostage.  Edgar isn’t going to fall for that but he does send someone to the FBI center.  It’s Polly and she’s got a bomb strapped to her chest.

Charles tells Betty how to defuse the bomb but they cut the wrong wire.  Instead of stopping the timer, it speeds it up.  While Polly is freaking out, Betty remains cool and uses a bobbie pin to stop the timer.

Betty moves out with the items that Charles has requested.  She drives into the compound and Edgar meets her trying his smooth Body Farm talk.  Betty only wants her mother and Evelyn, looking like a 1980’s cult Patty Hearst, sneaks up behind Betty an knocks her out.  Betty wakes up tied to a chair with Alice in the same predicament.  What Edgar hasn’t realized though is that Betty is resourceful.  Betty frees Alice and herself an lays a trap for whoever comes to get them to use them as a shield.  Oh, look!  It’s Evelyn who comes in and gets beamed herself..

Betty and Alice is trying to get everyone on the bus.  Betty is recognized but gets the person to go to the bus.  Alice sees Edgar has found out that they are free.  She takes off to confront Edgar while Betty is to load the bus.  Mr. Weatherbee stops Betty to explain that Edgar blamed him and he doesn’t want to be a part of this anymore.  Betty puts him in charge of getting the bus loaded and follows her mom.

At the top of the building, Edgar is literally getting ready to blast off in a rocket.  Alice has Evelyn’s gun and plans to stop him.  Alice is really bad a** tonight.  She won’t be swayed by the spill but Edgar draws a gun from his belt.  Gunshots ring out and Alice survives while Edgar lies dead.  Later at the house, Jughead asks how the family is.  Alice is writing an expose for the paper and Polly has gone to a counseling center.  As they are talking, the doorbell rings.  Outside is a “present” — as sack with a VCR tape.  Doesn’t Edgar know that VCR is dead?  The tape is labeled his last words.  It looks like Edgar and the Body Farm may be gone but not entirely forgotten.

Cheryl and the Family Home

Toni and Cheryl get interrupted in a romantic moment by a scream.  They find Cheryl’s grandmother at the fireplace watching a fire.  Nana mistakes Cheryl for Penelope and mentions — shocker — the tripletts  Cheryl tells her the twins are sleeping in the nursery but could this be a reference to the “Blossoms 666” comics?  Could Cheryl have another brother like in that comic series?

Cheryl gets home one day to find a new, mysterious guy, Darius, sitting in her living room.  Toni must see that Nana needs help as she thinks Darius can be that help.  Cheryl immediately tells him that the chapel is off limits. Later, Cheryl finds some things suspicious downstairs and fires Darius.  The next morning, on her visit to Jason, a rat pos out of Jason’s shirt and Toni finds out what is really in the Chapel.  Could this be the start of a new big story for Cheryl and Toni?  Could Darius be Cheryl’s brother that she doesn’t know about?  The name sure fits with the comics.

Next week;  Has Halloween shown up everywhere in Riverdale?  Wait, how do we know.  The town is always strange.