Riverdale is doing something very unusual tonight.  There will be no review of past episodes.  Instead, they are focusing on something important — a tribute to the late Fred Andrews (otherwise known as Luke Perry).  So there will be jumping back and forth from one story to another.  There will be no snarks from me.  I owe it to Luke Perry who provided me with many hours of viewing.  The only thing will be in this recap will be story and as the show begins, no prelude but Jughead writing in his diary.

Jughead has spent the summer writing.  Veronica has spent the summer with Archie.  The gang are building a float for the Riverdale 4th of July parade.  Cheryl still has his brother hidden in the house where she learns about the parade.  As Archie, Jughead, Veronica and Betty work on the float, Cheryl arrives and is not happy that there is going to be a parade.  She is upset because it should be a day of mourning due to Jason’s death.  Jughead, Archie, Betty and Veronica discuss going camping and Archie’s phone rings.  Expecting his father, he hears a voice he doesn’t know and learns his father has … died . Of course, Archie is in shock.

Enter FP who tells Archie that he talked to the Sheriff from Cherry Creek and Fred had stopped to help a car in trouble.  Fred was struck by another car who left the scene and died.  Archie and his mom are both in shock.  The family are being told about the funeral expense.  Because Fred died out of Riverdale, it is going to be $9,000 to bring him home.  Outside the house, our Riverdale four plus Kevin and Reggie remember all that Fred did for them when they were young.  He took Reggie to the hospital when he fell out of a tree house.  Fred served as a father figure to Betty.   Veronica remembered how helpful he was to all.  For Jughead, Fred was there to talk to him about day to day things during his darkest hours. Kevin talks about his willingness to give.  When Veronica ask Archie for memories, he talks about the common place things he and his dad did and how Fred taught him everything — football, baseball and other sports.  They fixed up the jalopy together.  Fred got him his first guitar and sound-proofed the garage.  The memories affect Archie who needs space to himself.

That night, Archie hears the wind and laughter.  He gets up and goes out into the hall.  Downstairs, he sees his grandfather, Artie, at the door.  Grandpa Artie invites Archie to join the gathering but there is no Fred.  Artie tells Archie that he was supposed to bring Fred home.  He wakes from the dream and tells Veronica he is going to get his father and bring him home.

At the Cherry Creek Sheriff’s office, Archie has questions.  The truck is at the accident site and Archie is going to get it.  All Fred’s possessions are at the funeral home.  Archie tells the funeral director that he has come for his father.  As a minor, they can’t release Fred to Archie but his mom talks the director into doing it.

Archie decides to identify his father but at the last minute, he just can’t go into the room.  Veronica and Betty do it for him.  They are in pain as they acknowledge that’s it is Fred.  Archie asks Jughead to write the register/obit as Betty and Veronica come back with Fred’s belongings.  (Excuse me while I cry!)  Meanwhile Cheryl and Toni visit Mary.  Cheryl has something special she wants to do for the family when Archie gets back.

Archie and the gang have now made it to the accident site.  Archie goes to the truck and sees Fred’s jacket.  He gets in and finds his father’s belongings.  As they are there, a car pulls up behind.  Archie gets out of the truth and a woman (Shannon Doherty) arrives with flowers.  She’s paying her respects and knows Archie’s name. She’s the one who was stranded and Fred stopped to help.  Fred was the only one who stopped and he talked about Archie the whole time.  The car that hit Fred came “out of nowhere and was speeding.”  Fred saved her life because he pushed her out of the way.  Once again, Fred was the hero.  She wants to pray for Fred and the gang join her.  She leads them in the Lord’s Prayer as the sun itself seems to pay tribute to the man.

Back at a diner no one can eat.  Archie talks about how his father saved that woman’s life and died for her.  Archie questions why his dad stopped.  The gang tells Archie that’s what his dad did.  Fred was always there for people.  Archie’s having a hard time dealing with this.  He goes outside to his dad’s truck and his cell phone goes off.  FP is on the phone and tells Archie they found the guy who killed his dad.  The guy turned himself in and made bail.  Archie is upset and plans to make the man, George, pay.

Archie finds his phone number in a phone book and takes off to find the guy.  At the driver’s home, Archie confronts him.  Archie wants answers but George is crying.  George has a son who actually committed the hit and run.  Jeffrey, the son, did it and was afraid to confess.  George took the blame to protect his son.  Sounds like something Fred would do to me and Archie realizes it.  There are two families in grief.

Archie is outside when the rest of the gang arrives.  FP had called Jughead and they took off.  Archie told them what happened and that the kid who hit Fred was a stupid, terrified kid.  Archie realizes that he would have also taken the car out without permission.  George did what Fred would have done, protected his kid.  Archie can’t believe what he is doing.  He feels like a terrible son.  Veronica tells him that he’s not a terrible son.  Archie remembers the fights and lies he did to Fred.  Veronica tells Archie that Fred loves him and she saw pride every time Fred looked at Archie.  Veronica tells him that it is time to go get the hearse and take his father home.

As the convoy arrives at the Riverdale town line with Fred’s body, FP is waiting to give them a police escort back into town.  There is no one on the road but the street is lined by everyone paying their respects (major cry number two). Cheryl is there as is the rest of Archie’s friends.  As the hearse pulls up to the house, Mary comes to Archie and gives him a hug.  He has brought his father home and Mary is proud of him.

At the graveside funeral, Josie is there to sing “Amazing Grace.”  Archie and his friends, plus FP, are the pall bearers.  We watch Mary, Cheryl, and Betty lay a rose on the coffin.   Archie delivers the eulogy and breaks down.  Archie talks about how much Fred had fixed up or built buildings in Riverdale.  Fred helped build the town. Archie tells everyone that he will be proud to point to a building sometime in the future and tells his children that their grandfather had a hand in creating that place.  Archie talks about a previous Fourth of July.  It was raining and Fred arrived back with fireworks.  He, Mary and Archie shot them off in the back yard.  Fred was the greatest man Archie had ever known and Archie hates that he will never have the opportunity to tell Fred goodbye.  Archie says Fred’ spirit and memory will live on in the town known as Riverdale.

After the funeral Veronica goes to the funeral director and offers to pays for the funeral but learns that Hiram already has paid for the service.  Jughead is writing a history of Fred’s life.  Hermione is reading the obit in her jail cell in tears.  Hiram reads it in the prison yard.  As each adult who is no longer in town (Alice) reads the obit, we see Mary going through her memory box of pictures.  Archie comes in and escorts his mom outside.  There are all of Archie’s friends with the backyard decorated.  Cheryl sets off a fireworks as “Going Home plays.” (Cry number three).

In the garage, Archie looks at the jalopy Fred helped him build.  We get the memories that flash through Archie’s eyes of Fred soundproofing the garage, Archie sharing the car.  Archie smiles and sobs.  The scene fades to a place card remembering the amazing actor who played Fred Andrew and made us fall in love with Dylan McCay (Luke Perry).

I want to offer my sincerest thanks to the creative forces and actors who did this memorable tribute to Luke Perry.  What you may not know is that the pictures Mary looked at toward the end of the scene was lent by the family for use in the show.  You could feel the pain of all those who had worked with Luke as they “lived” this tribute to the man, not the actor’s, life.  Their love for the man came through.  For that I say, “THANK YOU” from the fans.

 

 

Okay Riverdale fans!  It’s that time to go on a roller coaster ride.   I will admit up front that I missed the opening three minutes but I did get back for the action.  While Riverdale was good tonight, I’m a little upset that they revealed the Gargoyle mystery a little too early (okay, a lot early).  I won’t reveal the one behind the scam until last but will just refer to the person as game master throughout the initial round.  And yes, we do get some resolution but only to have a new mystery presented toward the end of all of this.  I will save that comment to the end.

Tonight we basically have two tales that come together toward the end.  We have Betty’s (ahem) rescue, the GK’s final game, and the end of the Black Hood.  Of course, this is sci-fi.  Of course, death doesn’t always mean anything as Cheryl shows but that’s all the hints I’ll give you now.

The Great Hunt

If you have ever read sci-fi lore by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time), you have heard of the Great Hunt.  It’s a common theme that goes from hunting for something (Gawain and the Green Knight) to running for your life to survive.  Riverdale chooses the “run for your life” and it is Archie, Veronica, Betty and Jughead who are doing this.  The core four find themselves invited to one final game of Gargoyles and Gryphons (although I doubt this will ever end).  They are the children of the original Midnight Club.  Before you ask how Betty could be there, the game master has “bought” her from Edgar.  Isn’t that sweet that Edgar will sell people for devious reasons?  Well, the core four find themselves at dinner with the game master who has two special guests.  Can you guess?  That’s right Hal in his Black Hood shows up and a very much alive Chic.  Oh great, he’s back and made to look like Jason. The good news is Jughead knows Arthur Conan Doyle and already figured out that the Gargoyle King wasn’t Jason but someone else.

The game master finds out that Jughead is way ahead of the game and has figured out much of the plot.  Well, the core four and Hal don’t get their dinner (well maybe Hal does).  The core four are invited to the green area outside where they find out that they will have to survive the night/run for their lives.  As they run, tasks will be assigned which must be completed.  If they don’t complete the assigned task, the game master’s gargoyle minions will kill them.  When the core four hesitate, the game master sic the minions on them and the gang is off at a run

The first task is Archie’s and he must must battle a grizzly beast.  It’s a very tall man dressed as a wolf, complete with claws.  I’d like to take a claw to the game master right about now.  Anyway, when it looks like Archie is about to lose his life, Archie finds a weapon (a log) and takes the grizzly human out.  Task one is won and it’s on to the second task.

The second task is Veronica’s.  She must play spin the bottle with one of her friends.  There are six chalices with one containing poison.  Whichever one the bottle stops on is the one from which they drink.  Okay, Betty steps forward and the game begins.  When it looks like Betty will lose, she drinks but nothing happens.  The game master appears and Ron says all the glasses were poison free.  Oh no, the games master replies.  They must get the antidote.

Okay, I have a plot point here.   In many of the novels I have read (much less the D & D games I have watched), the characters/players are supposed to drink.  To pass this challenge, the players pretend to drink (or in the case of the Princess Bride have a tolerance for the poison) and either pretend to drink before spilling their glass on the ground.  Betty and Ron took a sip then poured their glass out.  Haven’t they studied enough literature or seen enough movies to fake this plot point?  Evidently they aren’t as smart as I thought!

Oh well, the game master sends them into the woods with the minions close behind.  While on the run, Archie tells Ron that he loves her regardless of what is going on with Reggie.  Ron admits that nothing happened because she loves her Archiekins.  Oh great, we get the kiss we were promised.

The next task belongs to old Hell whatever himself, Jug.  He must fight the Gargoyle King Chic.  Chic has gotten use to be adored and worshiped and doesn’t plan to let Jughead kill him.  Once again, it looks like evil has won but Jughead knocks out Chic and they’re off again to the final task.

The last task is Betty’s and it is to face her dad.  Betty opens a case to find a gun.  Hal confronts her with one also.  If she doesn’t kill him, Hal tells Betty he will kill one of her friends until she does.  Betty pulls the trigger and wounds Hal.  Archie grabs the antidote which makes the game master mad.  The game master isn’t satisfied and comes out of hiding to finish Hal off with a bullet in the head.  The minions are told to kill the core four but I’m going to make you wait a few more paragraphs as I tell Cheryl’s story.  It does, in some ways, impact the finale.

Cheryl and the Farm

Somehow (maybe during that three minutes I missed) Cheryl has escape those holding her prisoner and fled down the hall.  She finds Kevin and Fangs and tells them what is going on.  Kevin and Fangs are too far gone on the doctrine of Edgar (the Kool-Aid promise of being sane) and don’t believe her.  She tries to prove it but instead finds empty rooms until the last door.  When she pulls it open, she finds a person in a wheelchair and then goes on the hunt for Edgar (of course we don’t find out who until she gets to Edgar).

Edgar and Alice are talking.  Alice is worried about Betty’s disappearance and the rumors of organs.  Cheryl burst in asking why Edgar has dug Jason up and put him in a wheelchair (yeah – we have the grave robber tagged now).  Alice looks shocked but Edgar has it all under control.  He tells Alice to go gather the devoted and the guards to take Cheryl and lock her in her room.  Again, Cheryl should have foreseen this from old movies and had a duplicate key.

Have no fear Riverdale fans.  This isn’t the end for Cheryl.  Alice comes to her rescue carrying Polly’s daughter (and no I’m not using the name here because I think it is ridiculous!).  Alice rescues Cheryl and shows her a way into Fox Woods. Cheryl’s to take the child and go.  Alice refuses to leave because she must stay with Polly.  Of course, we find out it is a little more later about this plot later.

Meanwhile, Toni is awoken by Cheryl’s aunt who tells her what the game master is doing in the Blossoms’ game park.  Toni is supposed to rescue the core four but first she is going to get Cheryl out.  As she rallies the Pretty Poison, Cheryl appears with the baby.  Auntie takes the child and Cheryl and the Poisons head out.

The Great Hunt Ends

Okay, now I will reveal the game master.  The game master is none other than Penelope Blossom.  She has held a grudge against the evil town of Riverdale and our core four parents from their high school days.  It seems they knew what was happening to her and didn’t do anything to rescue her from becoming the bride of Blossoms’ son.  She is the one who bought Betty from Edgar.  Penelope is the one who had an affair with Hal who has been brought back as the Black Hood for the hunt.  I don’t think he was happy but what could he do?  She saved Chic and remade him into Jason (sick right).  Penelope, to get her revenge, is staging the great hunt.

At the end, when Hal is first hurt then killed, it was Penelope who pulls the trigger.  While the core four have survived, she will not let them live.  As she tells the minions to kill the core four, Cheryl in her Chrisom Hood, Toni and the Pink Poisons show up to take the minions out.  Cheryl sure does love to use her bow and arrows and her aim is true.

The Wrap-Up

The wrap-up begins with a voice over by Jughead about how the town is back to normal and show the Serpents painting over all signs of the gargoyle.  Question for Jughead:  Is Riverdale ever normal?  We learn that when the group reached The Farm, everyone has vanished except Kevin.  He has been left behind to tell them what had happened.   Penelope escapes and hasn’t been seen since.  Of course, she is waiting.  We have to have a villain for next year.

In other cases, Hermione and Ron think all is well (they got their property back) only to have the FBI arrive and arrest Hermione for trying to kill Hiram.  (Show of hands please.  How many now wish she had).  Hiram tells us that Ron has no idea what is coming while Smithers is Ron’s guardian.  (Another move that reeks of Hiram).  Archie has been given El Royale and he plans to turn it away from just being just a boxing gym to a community center with Mad Dog’s help.  Jughead opens his door to a FBI agent hunting for Betty.  Betty and Jughead are asked to help the FBI who have been trying to get the goods on The Farm.  Alice has been working with them.  This shocks both Jughead and Betty but the FBI’s identity shocks them more.  A round of applause to everyone who thought Betty’s real brother, Charles, would arrive.  He’s in charge of everything.  Not only that, Charles is also a brother to Jughead.  Yes, FP and Alice had a child.

And what about Cheryl?  Cheryl is going off the deep-end folks.  She has taken Jason’s body back to the mansion and it appears that she has created a shrine for him.  Gross!  I don’t think that is sanitary much less sane.

As the gang meets at Pop’s to update each other, they pledge themselves to have a nice, quiet, normal senior year in school.  Again, we all know that won’t happen.   All of a sudden, we get the words “Spring Break” and Betty, Ron, and Archie with blood on them and burning their clothes and Jughead’s beanie.  Where is Jughead, we ask, but Archie comes out of the trance.  Was it a foretelling  or the writers’ messing with us or both.  I’m saying both.

So – where do we go next year?  The things we know are:

Hiram is still scheming.

Penelope is still free.

Is there any truth to Archie’s trance?

Can Riverdale ever be normal?

How many myths/fables do I need to do for homework this summer?

Hope to see all next year!  We’re out for the season!

 

Riverdale, I have a headache.  Guess what!  It’s not Edgar induced.  It’s storyline induced.  That’s why I’m calling this pop culture hell.  Not only do we get “Coma” (a great movie by the way), but we get “Scream,” a hint of “Lord of the Flies,” more “Fight Club,” and a new take on any “Revenge” series that ever ran.  Oh, and let’s not forget the salute to my take on Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” Lost Boys (Peter Pan), and so many others it’s hard to keep them straight.  I don’t know how you will top this in the season finale, but I have a big fear that Cheryl  and Betty may have “bought the farm.”

Archie, Veronica, and Reggie

Okay, let’s start with the less crazy story.  Remember on Riverdale last week Ronnie swore revenge on her daddy.  Well, her plan got some steam this week when Hiram tells Hermione that he is taking over Riverdale and the governor has agreed to let him.  Hiram’s going to buy up the whole town and remake it in his image.  Now isn’t that a scary thought.  I guarantee it won’t be Disney World.  Hiram will want to be extremely wealthy with big hotels, tax evasion – wait!  I think I am mirroring the news that I watched before the show so back on track.

Ronnie has a scheme.  She needs Archie’s help and ends up talking to the FBI.  Ron isn’t a dummy.  She tells them everything that has been going on at the speakeasy but she’s covered.  The business and Pop Tate’s belong to Hiram, oh my.  FBI cannot do anything until they catch him in the act.  Enter Archie.  He must challenge Hiram to a fight.  And of course, we get the bare chest scene with Archie and Hiram for good measure in the steam room.  Archie challenges Hiram.  If Archie wins, Hiram drops his plan.  If Hiram wins, the gets town is left alone.

On the night of the fight, Martha shows up in support of Archie.  At the speakeasy, Reggie is back in Ron’s good graces and helping her with that end of the scheme.  As the fight gets ugly (and illegal), Hiram goes in for the kill.  The FBI and FP is on the move but Reggie tells Ronnie they’re getting bets that Hiram kills Archie.  Just as it looks like Hiram is going to deliver that blow, Ronnie arrives and stops the fight.  FP and the FBI come in.  Hiram is arrested and carted off to jail.

Ronnie does have a heart (she is a Lodge after all).  She goes and sees dear old dad in Riverdale jail and tells him that she took him down because he took her club and Pop Tate’s.  He sees her as a chip off the old block and tries to convince her to help.  He really doesn’t get the words out because Ronnie shows her true colors.  I did mention that she was a chip off the old block, didn’t I.  She smiles and says:  “I win.”  Well, Hiram isn’t happy and looks like he’s like to rip the bars out of the cell.

As to who gets the girl (Ronnie), Martha tells Archie he is Ronnie’s “endgame.”  I take that to mean that he and Ronnie are meant to be.  Unfortunately that’s not what Archie finds when he arrives at Ronnie’s.  Reggie and Ronnie have reconciled and are a couple.  Of course, Archie plays the good guy and says he will see them at school but is hurt.  Can we say “Bad Romance.”

Jughead Meets the Lost Boys and Princess Ethel

Oh Riverdale, I have one plea.  Get Jughead and Betty together in the story, please.  This phone tag isn’t working.  And that rant is done.

Jughead is at the high school as FP and the police are trying to figure out what Prom Hell was.  The coroner has checked the hand and it was amputated and not lost from the explosion.  Jughead now is aware that Hal is back as the Black Hood.  At the high school, Jug starts the investigation into who gave Betty the message.  He tracks the message to a guy named Louie but Louie got the message from none other than Ricky (that Serpent brat).  Would someone get this child under control please?  He’s just as annoying as Edgar.

This starts Jughead looking for Ricky.  Jelly Bean tells Jug where Ricky hides out.  Unfortunately for Jughead, it’s a trap with the “Lost Boys” waiting when Jug gets Ricky.  They attack Jughead planning to kill him with staves (you know makeshift spears) and Jughead ducks into the bunker only to find Ethel waiting.   It seems she is to care for the Lost Boys and they protect her.  Now the reference to Peter Pan comes into play.  Let me say, for the record, if they were protecting Jeilly Bean I might, just might, buy that.  Unfortunately, they’re protecting their mother figure who has been assigned this role by none other than the Gargoyle King.

I knew we wouldn’t be that lucky!  Gargoyle King rears his head.  Ethel tells the kids to leave the woods and head to Riverdale.  Ricky is gone and so is Jack.  They start tracking Jack and get back to an old bus.  As they’re convincing Jack to leave, the Black Hood shows up with murder on his mind.  Now we have “Halloween.”  Just like Jason, nothing can kill the Black Hood.  Jughead, Ethel and Jack escape and head to the sheriff’s office.  FP gets the boys to safety and Ethel still needs to calm down.  She knows who the Gargoyle King is and it seems Jug to be a grave robber.

Should I reveal now who the Gargoyle King is or wait.  I think he’s a take on Frankenstein myself, but  it is the main spoiler of tonight’s show.  It’s someone who died in season one!  That’s right!  Jason Blossom is the Gargoyle King.  Maybe that explains why Cheryl and Polly see him at the farm.  The rest of this Frankenstein theory will be revealed in a moment.

Betty and Inmates of The Farm

If you remember last week’s Riverdale, you know that Betty is at “The Farm” for her safety.  Does she trust Edgar.  No!  Edgar though thinks he has a means to control Betty.  It seems Betty was in the hospital as a child, or so Alice tells.  While there, they for some reason tested Betty’s DNA for the serial killer gene.  I checked.  There are web references to this and they even used some of the DNA genes in the description (so kudos to the writers.  According to Alice and Polly, Betty has shown this tendency from her childhood.  Wait!  Alice, did you know then that Hal was a serial killer (check this please with references).  According to Alice, Betty killed her cat, Caramel,  and pushed Polly down the stairs.  Edgar offers counseling which turns out to be a means to hypnotize Betty.  In her (what I call) trance, Betty sees a shadowy Betty who identifies herself as the true Betty.  Betty is become her true self, a serial killer.

Betty talks to Jughead about what is going on.  In addition, she has seen Evelyn in a room hooked up to an IV.  Betty barges in and finds that Evelyn is on anti-rejection serum.  Betty is beginning to question just what The Farm is.  When she hears that both Kevin and Fang have had an operation to help cure them, she starts Nancy Drew-ing again.  What she discovers is scary.  Edgar is harvesting body parts from the teens but why.  Betty assumption is to sale them on the black market.  I’m beginning to think something different but it’s too early for that.

Betty has tried to talk to Cheryl but it hasn’t worked so, being Betty, she takes a different angle.  She gets into the room, steals a organ, and shows it to Cheryl.  Toni is having her procedure that night so Cheryl goes to save Toni while Betty tries to convince Kevin and Fang about what is happening.  Kevin and Fang have drank the kool-aid too much and grab Betty preventing her escape.  Cheryl does get Toni out and gives Toni the ultimate gift.  She allows herself to be capture so Toni can be free.  True love reigns between those two and Cheryl  has finally bought a clue.

Betty wakes up to find herself chained to a table with Edgar prepping her for surgery.  He’s going to do this operation himself.  As Betty screams she goes under and Edgar starts the procedure as the show fades to black.

My Theory of What May Be Happening

Okay, we have Jason alive and Hal without a hand.  We know Edgar has medical knowledge.  Have we got a modern take on Frankenstein?  Is Hal trying to construct the perfect killer?  And what will happen to the victims when he has finished with them?  Will it be kool-aid for all or will he leave them disillusioned?  My guess is that he’s trying to control the Gargoyle King and used organs from others to help resurrect Jason.  If this is the truth, I guess he didn’t watch that episode of “Once Upon a Time” or read the book.  It doesn’t work, Edgar.

Next Week and Questions:’

Let’s don’t even try to decipher the previews.  Betty seems to be farm-like.  The Black Hood unmasks himself.  Someone has a gun (maybe Hiram).  If Hiram has the gun, you know he wants revenge against his daughter.  Will he turn the gun on Archie instead of Reggie?

Will Hiram get a “get out of jail” card from the governor and try to get even with Veronica?

Just where is Jason hiding?  Is he a lab experiment at The Farm.

Just how twisted is Edgar?  How many people have died at his hands?

Will Betty and Cheryl recover?  Is Kevin and Fangs too far gone?

Who will survive to be in Season Four?

We may get the answers next week on Riverdale!

Hold on to your seats Riverdale fans!  We’ve been promised an exciting finish to tonight’s show and I am at 8:44 PM when I start this.  So what will the exciting finish for prom give us, hmmm?  Will Betty be Prom Queen?  Will the Gargoyle King show up?  Is the Farm connected?  Did Hal really die?  And the prom?  What could happen at a high school prom in Riverdale?  Oh, that’s right, it’s Riverdale where the weird rules.

Archie and Ronnie

Archie’s mom, Martha, shows up.  I guess she’s taking the role of responsible parent tonight.  It will be the first time!  Of course, we all know we lost Fred (played by the late, much missed, Luke Perry).  Martha has shown up on a visit while Fred is out of town working.  While Martha doesn’t seem to say much about Archie’s fighting, Ronnie is ready to promote Archie as a fighter and get him to move up the ranks.

Mad Dog and Archie are going to team up.  Ron can only take one boxer to this match and she wants it to be Archie .  At school, they learn about the prom and seem surprised.  I’m surprised.  I thought these kids were seniors but the talk is of the junior prom?  Really?  How many years will they be juniors?  I know Riverrdale has a two year renewal which will take it to season five.

Martha is worried and has a friend with the Naval Academy?  I guess Martha doesn’t know about Archie’s grades because she thinks she can get Archie in to the Naval Academy.  Not with his grades?    Her friend, the recruiter, will stop by to see Archie fight on Friday. Wait a minute, that’s the date of the tournament that Archie is supposed to fight.  So what does Archie do?  Well, he’s not much on smarts right now so he decides to do both fights after forging Martha’s signature.

Oh, did I mention there is a problem with him fighting.  Archie is six pounds overweight so he exercises, fights Mad Dog, and starves himself to lose those extra pounds.  He gets down to weight but loses the fight.  Ron thinks she has talked him out of the fight for the recruiter, but Archie shows up anyway and promptly passes out on entering the ring.  Martha is beside him when he wakes up and very upset  that he lied to her.  I think, though, that after this talk, she is beginning to understand but you have to wait for that!

As if Archie’s lost isn’t bad enough, Ron gets more bad news.  It seems her dear old dad, Hiram Lodge gave Veronica a fake deed and she’s been working for him this whole time.  I mean who want to work for their dad?  Ron doesn’t approve of her dad and didn’t the annulment with the marriage that never was make Ron illegitimate?  But you know Ron.  As she tells Archie, she has a plan to take dear daddy down and needs his help like the old days!

Betty and Jughead – the Prom and Gargoyles and Gryphons (or “Why I Am Tired of G & G)

Okay, with Kurtz death and the explosion of the vehicle explosion, who thought that Jughead and Betty would have a nice episode with no drama?  For Riverdale, drama reigns and you quickly can see that it will be based on Betty and Jughead.  From finding out that the vehicle Hal was in exploded and not much is left to identify the remains and that Jelly Bean has a clue that they are supposed to find the “Gospel” of the Gargoyle King, all looks well.  Well, it would be well if Betty bought that Hal was dead.  She won’t even believe the Coroner on this.  When Betty tells Jughead her suspicions, Jug tries to keep her calm but his main goal is to protect Betty.

Betty isn’t convinced with the evidence that Hal is dead.  She’s convinced that the Black Hood is back.  There are other issues though that Betty’s worried about.  Alice has gotten a tattoo to show her loyalty/love for Edgar.  Betty believes that the tattoo on Kurtz resembles what she has seen on Alice.  She and Jughead track the tattoo artist who remembers giving a man that sounds like a tattoo a year ago (when the Farm arrived).  Now isn’t that suspicious.  Not that the tattoo was a year ago but that the tattoo artist remembered it?  Of course, Rierdale wouldn’t be setting anything up would it?

While FP and Jughead were out checking the place where Kurtz lived, Jughead (conveniently) finds the Gospel of G & G.  As he reads, he’s convinced the Betty’s Gryphon Queen is really the Gargoyle Queen and has to arrive on prom night.  Visiting Cheryl at the prom table (in a short stint), Cheryl has gone from wanting to be queen to not caring.  Why?  I thought Cheryl always wanted to be Queen?  Oh, Edgar has convinced her that the Farm didn’t want her to be prom queen.  She needs to give up that dream or lose Jason.  Now isn’t that suspicious considering the prom which I won’t reveal quite yet?

Betty isn’t ready to drop her suspicions of the Farm.  She and Jug go there and she suggest that Edgar was the one who got the tattoo.  She demands to see his back to see if he has tattoos.  Edgar removes his shirt but there are no tattoos.  Guess Betty hasn’t heard of body makeup.  That will make everything disappear.

The Prom

Okay, the scheme for the Prom consists of the Pretty Poisons and Serpents working together to stop anyone from leaving the prom.  Ronnie tells Archie about her scheme to get even with dear old dad.  Betty finds out prom queen voting has been slim.  Betty is a shoe-in for the position. So the Gargoyle King will make his move to get the Gargoyle Queen.  All this comes from the gospel  right.   Well, that’s not what happens.

As Betty is waiting for the crowning, she is standing alone when she receives a message from the Gargoyle King.  She is to come to where the game began.  Oh, good, we just needed a bathroom chalice theme here.  When Betty sees everything, she leaves only to see the Gargoyle King in the hall.  Naturally she walks to the king, and being Betty, she issues a challenge.  Unfortunately, she forgot about her other fear, the Black Hood.  The Black Hood jumps out and tries to kill Betty.  Of course, Betty runs.  Of course, the Black Hood chases her.  Betty is still convinced it is Hal and tries to convince him that she’s his daughter.  She hits the Black Hood with a light and a hockey stick.  Nothing slows him down and I begin to wonder if I am watching Riverdale or a remake of Halloween.  Betty hides in a closet, pulls her phone and texts Jughead.  Just when it looks like the Black Hood is going to get her, Betty’s knigt is shining armour, Jughead, shows up to protect her.

Talking to FP, Bughead realizes that the gospel was a ploy to get Betty to buy into the story.  They now realize that there are two serial killers out there in the wildness of Riverdale.  Here I thought Black Hood ended in season two and we’ve got him teamed up with the Gargoyle King.  Can they please get rid of both by the end of two weeks.

Aftermath

Show of hands!  How many of you wondered how the show would rewrite Fred’s role after Luke Perry’s death.  The answer is simple.  We bring in Martha to play the concerned parent.  Her first act is to accept that Archie wants to box.  While she’s not happy, she basically gives her consent and tells him she is staying around until Fred returns because of the scary things going on in Riverdale.  Yea Martha!  You have stepped up the parent responsibility meter.

Betty meanwhile has gone to the new addition to the Farm to tell Alice what happened and that the Black Hood (which I forgot to mention now has a hook) was on the loose.  Betty thinks he is heading toward the Farm due to Alice and the twins.  Edgar shows up and offers to protect both of them.  Guess who joins the Farm for protection tonight!  That’s right Betty.  Can she have lost all her smarts?  Could this be a ruse?  Or is Betty just desperate for protection.

Next week:

Well, your guess is as good as mine.  I know from the preview that Archie fights Hiram with the loser leaving town.  Also the Black Hood shows up and apparently drags Betty toward the door?  Could this be the end of our heroine?  Of course not!  What is Riverdale without Betty?

So my questions:

Is Hal still alive and trying to be Captain Hook (as in Once Upon a Time).  Forget it Hal.  Hook will always be Colin O’Donoghue.

How involved is Edgar in all of this?  With the mention of tattoos, you have to wonder?

Cheryl learning humility at the Farm?  Well, that will be a cold day in Hades, won’t it!

Oh, and just where has Reggie gone?  Has he gone down the “rabbit hole” to the Farm?

 

Tonight’s episode of Riverdale appears to be very aptly named.  We have references throughout this episode that the “reapers” are everywhere but who is the real reaper?  I’m betting Kurtz but we’ve seen Archie and Gladys in that role too.  And let’s add Edgar as a reaper of souls.  Sheesh – I hate Edgar.  Anyway, there are surprises galore tonight.  Some of these touched my heart and others gave me a little smile (actually laugh until Edgar arrives).  Why should I spoil any of this now.  Just wait for it.  I’m not even going to rant tonight (or at least not much).

Archie and the Title of “Riverdale Reaper”

Okay, Archie isn’t really a reaper but that title was given to him by Elio.  Elio is up to dirty tricks again.  He blames Archie with Randy’s death.  Elio sets Archie up to take the fall by accusing him of giving Randy the “juice.”  Elio sends the cops to get the drug that he left at Archie’s gym which gets Archie arrested.  The one thing Elio didn’t count on was Ronnie.

Ronnie has teamed up with Archie.   Ron is the only one who can get through to Archie after Randy’s death.  She’s the one who bails Archie and Mad Dog out of jail plus figures out a way to clear their names.  Ronnie even does a benefit for Randy’s parents when they learn that Elio won’t pay the insurance.  Yet, nothing stops Elio.  Let’s call him Hiram Lodge, Junior from now on shall we?  Elio takes the money to Archie but he refuses because he doesn’t want the blood money.  Yet, Archie finally goes to see Elio and catches him alone.  He gets the money and gives it to Randy’s family along with the donations and benefit money from Ron.  This changes Randy’s mom mind but will  it change the sister who slapped Archie.

Meanwhile, Hiram Lodge, Junior clone mets with the real Hiram.  Elio tells Hiram that he could make a bundle off of the Riverdale Reaper.  Hiram tells him that Archie has two sides to his personality – the good guy and the guy who would have shot him.  Hiram, my dear man, everyone has those two sides.  It comes down to which persona is more in control.  Meanwhile Mad Dog wants Archie to spar with him.  Archie doesn’t want to and it is Ron who gets him into the ring.

Now which to do next?  Let’s go with the lesser of the main evils (did I say that?) and do the new version of Gryphons and Gargoyles.

The Jones’ Family Game to Save Jelly Bean

Okay, what does the Jones’ family do?  Guess what Kurtz wants to play with them?  That’s right we get the old hateful game of Dungeons – er – I mean Gryphons and Gargoyles.  Let me state here now.  I never played Dungeons and Dragons.  The guys I knew who played thought it wasn’t “girl appropriate.”  I watched it and realized that unless you know mythology, you don’t get it.

But let’s get back to the Jones’ game.  There are four quests they must complete.  The first one falls to Gladys who must tell her darkest secret.  She admits to FP about being the Fizzle Rock dealer.  This sets FP off especially when he learns that Jughead knows.  Gladys though finally takes the blame for something.   She should have done this a long, long time ago but it sets up the later story so wait.

The second quests involves robbing Pop Tate’s and giving the money to Kurtz.  They all put masks on and enter the restaurant with empty guns and masks.  Unfortunately, Pop has a loaded gun and gets FP in the arm (shadows of Fred Andrews here).  Guess Fred is the reason for the gun.  FP falls but tells Gladys and Jughead to go ahead and get Jelly Beans.

The next task is to take on the Cyclops.  Turns out the Cyclops is Penny Peabody who Gladys wounded when Archie and Jughead was on the run.  They fight with martial arts swords.  While Penny does  hit Gladys in the stomach/ribs, Gladys survives and has Penny at the throat.  Jughead tells her no, so Gladys cuts Penny’s leg.  Another quest won but another one down and in the hospital.

The final quest falls to Jughead (of course).  We all know that Jug has to be the final one to play because Kurtz hates him so much.  For Jughead, it is the game of “Lady and the Tiger.”  Again, another myth comes into play.  In this story, the knight must guess which door hides the lady.  Jughead is no dummy.  This is Kurtz and there’s a good chance that Jilly Bean isn’t there.  He opens the first door and quickly follows with the second.  Kurtz is going to freeze Jughead to death in a “freezer box.”  Well it is snowing.  Kurtz calls and Jelly Bean has been taken home by Ricky.  (In case you don’t remember, Ricky tried to kill Archie, the Red Paladian).  Kurtz locks Jughead in but Jug slams the door until it opens.  He goes out to find a dead Kurtz lying on the ground and the (we’re supposed to shudder) Gargoyle King in the background.

Jughead returns home to find Jelly Bean safe.  Ricky had just left.  He visits Gladys and tells her that Jelly Bean needs to stop running.  Jug also wants Gladys to stay with him, Jelly Bean and FP.  FP is going to get out of jail free on the robbery due to being coerced into it (yes I know I made a rhyme). Gladys can’t stay and face things.  She leaves but Jelly Bean stays.  FP will take care of her and maybe one day Gladys will return.

Betty and the Cult of the Farm

Betty is on her own for this story.  She knows that something is up with the farm but what.  She and Ronnie has managed to get Hiram to agree to transfer Hal to his prison.  Betty goes and tells her father.  She also drops the bomb that Alice plans to marry Edgar and adopt Polly’s twins.  This upsets Hal who tells her to go talk to her aunt Penepole.

Penelope Blossom knows what is going on.  After all, her daughter is now part of the Farm.  Is she worried?  Does anything worry Penelope?  It isn’t until Betty tells her about the twins that she decides to get into action.  Penelope meets with Edgar and manages to get the boy (I think they called him Dagwood, ugh) and immediately calls him Jason, Jr. Edgar keeps the girl.

To say Betty is upset is an understatement but she’s not through yet.  At school, she overhears that the Farm doesn’t believe in vaccinations.  When they tell Evelyn she needs the meningitis shot, Evelyn lets that drop.  It also gives Betty a clue.  She sneaks into the school that night and finds out that Evelyn is a liar.  Didn’t I tell you something was funny there.  It seems Evelyn is really 26 years old and has been going from school to school.  Ms. Weiss provides this information. So Betty calls Toni for help.  Unfortunately, Toni has bought into the farm and belonging.  (I call it drinking the kool-aid.)  She sets Betty up for a meeting with Edgar who tries to convince Betty to stay. When Betty tells Alice that Evelyn is really Edgar’s wife (the other secret I didn’t mention),  It sounds like a Gregorian chant with all the people Betty knows telling her to stay.  Betty flashes back to the twins over the fire and runs.  Why does Edgar want her so badly?  He has plenty of women to worship him, but I digress.  Betty gets to the car and flees.

When Betty gets to Ronnie’s, Ron is waiting.  Hiram did get Hal transferred with several other inmates.  In the process of the transfer there was a wreck that killed all of the people in the van.  Hal and the others didn’t survive.  You know where I place that blame, don’t you?  Squarely on Edgar’s shoulders!

Other Notes:

Josie and her father have some tender scenes with him seeing her perform.  He asks her to join him on tour in Asheville and Josie leaves for the tour.  So, we no longer have Josie and Archie.  And Josie now heads off to the new spinoff of Katy Keene.

Tonight marks the last episode that Luke Perry filmed as Fred Andrews.  He played the usual role of understanding father.  How will they write him off?  It will be a huge loss.

Next three weeks:

We only have three more weeks of Riverdale season three.  While we know Betty fires a gun and Archie fights, we don’t get any more clues which lead me to wonder:

Can Elio convince Archie to be the Riverdale Reaper?  If so, what is in it for Hiram?

Jelly Bean is now a full-fledged member of the Jones’s family.  Will Gladys ever return for good?

With Gladys and Kurtz gone, does that end Fizzle Rock?  Please, please let it end that storyline?

The Gargoyle King is back AGAIN!  Does he have ties to Edgar like I suspect?  Which one of the good guys will take him out?

Edgar is charismatic but he is breaking the law?  Will he get caught for bigamy?  Just which cult does his group resemble?  Has he formed an army of the undead?  And why does he seem intent on getting to Betty?

Any ideas?  Please post!

 

Riverdale, I sometimes hate you!  While I love the characters there are things this year that are driving me crazy!  First of all, The Farm!  How am I to believe that Alice would give up everything (well maybe not everything) for the love of a son she’s never known!  Let’s don’t even go into Cheryl.  We spent the whole first season with the Jason is dead and who killed him storyline.  I also hate the Gargoyle King.  How many more of these incarnations/copy cats/real things are there going to be?  Lastly, Fizzle Rock – and I won’t go there at all.  Riverdale please, get this over with before the season ends.

Now that the rant is over, let’s get into this week’s episode of Riverdale.  You notice that I changed the episode title to “Jawbreakers for All?”  I mean it.  I feel like everyone has been left with their jaw wide open after this episode.  People are using “juice”.  I thought I saw this during the Olympics.  Betty finds out that her mother doesn’t love her?  Well, we’ve speculated about that all year.  And let’s not get into Jellybean and the threat she faces.  So where do we go first?

Archie and Veronica versus Elio’s Fight Club

Archie feels guilty over Baby Teeth but it doesn’t seem to be his fault.  While talking to his people at the gym, Mad Dog shows up and tells them about the El Royal tournament.  Turns out Archie’s club isn’t good enough to be invited.  Archie wants in but learns from Mad Dog that Elio is feeding his key fighter, Ron, some juice.  Ron and Archie have a grudge but Archie decides to take him on in the fight.

Enter Veronica who goes to Elio in a steam room to ensure Archie gets in.  Well, it Veronica arranges Archie’s entry  through a sponsorship  — Archie’s club against Elio’s club.  For Archie to fight Ron, he must gain weight so Veronica feeds him burgers at the club.

Mad Dog stops by and tells Archie that Ron is on something that feeds his rage (more Fizzle Rock but who knows yet).   Ron has changed and Mad Dog tells Archie he only sees “rage” in Ron’s eyes.  Mad Dog gives him some of the “juice” and tells Archie that it’s his only way to win.  Will our dear boy take it?  Of course not!

Before the fight Veronica stops by with a gift of trunks and robe for Archie to wear sponsoring Pop Tates.  We get a Luke Perry sighting tonight when Fred walks in and asks if something is building there.  Later at the fight, Ron is fed more “juice” by Elio and comes out mad.  Archie takes many hits and tells Coach Kline what is going on.  When Kline tries to stop the fight due to illegal drugs, Elio won’t do it unless Archie forfeits and Archie refuses.  Archie delivers a knock out blow to Ron which makes Elio mad.  After the ten count, Archie walks over to Ron who seems to be foaming at the mouth.  Just what did Elio give him?  Archie can’t rouse Ron and yells for a doctor.  Did Ron die?  This is Riverdale folks.  We won’t know for a while.

How the Farm Destroys Families

Betty is on a vendetta to get the goods on the Riverdale farm.  Edgar spends a story that he was a lost teenager and looking for something.  He wanders into a “farm” in the desert and is saved and finds his purpose in life by growing food and helping people.  Now, where have I heard this before?  It’s Easter week so I won’t go there.  Let me just say that I join Betty in her lack of faith in “Saint Edgar.”

At school, Cheryl has joined the fight to bring “The Farm” to Riverdale High.  While Toni tries to reason with her,  Cheryl  won’t be denied her vision of Jason that is helping her.  Jason was a part of her.  At the same time, Alice is giving her life (and maybe her hand) to Edgar in support of the farm.

While Toni tries to woes Cheryl back to her, Betty has to go a different route.  After a visit to Hal, Betty decides on a plan  She takes Alice to see “Charlie’s” grave.  When Alice denies it, Betty chloroforms her  and leaves her in the bunker to hopefully deprogram Alice.  Betty has sense but she’s up against a help house (cough, cult) who has Alice so wrapped up the vision that she just can’t see anything but the false Charlie.  When Betty shows her photo albums, Alice denies that life.  In fact Betty finds Alice burning the pictures after she returns to school.  Alice had the divorce and apparently is set to marry Edgar.

Betty goes to see Edgar about this and Edgar realizes he can’t draw Betty into the cult.  He tells her that she’s different from Alice and doesn’t need what he is offering.  I never thought I’d say this but Betty throws in the towel (boxing reference intended).  She takes Alice to Evelyn.  Is this the end of the Cooper family?  Well, Betty takes the papers to Hal who signs them but he wants out of prison and Betty to help him achieve that.

The Jones Men Versus the Gargoyle King

As FP and Jughead investigate Baby Teeth’s death, they realize that Kurtz is to blame.  The corner finds that this killing was more vicious in that Baby Teeth bled to death due to his teeth being pulled.  Add to that Baby Teeth had a match box from the Maple Club lodged in his throat.  Say what?  Wasn’t Baby Teeth too young to go there.  According to Penelope Blossom, he wasn’t.  While interviewing Penelope, a fight breaks out in the next week.  One the girls has a knife wielding guy in there.  He’s on Fizzle Rocks and having a bad reaction.  No, Penelope doesn’t give her guests Fizzle Rocks but this guy took it on his own.

FP and Jughead lead and go on the hunt for Kurtz to find out his supplier.  While this is going on, there are at least two more people who have an ugly reaction to the Fizzle Rock.  As they bring all to the prison, the Maple Club client is coming off the drug.  He admits Kurtz gave it to him.  Penelope calls with a clue. Some of Kurtz clients have been at the club and left a flyer about the fight.

FP and Jughead arrive with back up at the yard prior to the fight.  Kurtz is there doing a deal and he is cornered and captured.  As FP questions him, Kurtz admits that it is part of the Gargoyle King’s plan.  There is one final quest going on.  It’s the ultimate quest and is called Hell Catcher.  The Little Princess is in play.  Any guesses on who the Little Princess is?  That’s right!  It’s Jellybean who has been playing G and G.  While FP and Jughead look for her, her game master takes her out to the wood to meet the Gargoyle King.  What will happen?  Did you really expect that to be revealed in the promo for next week’s show.

Next Week’s Show

Riverdale next week looks to be full of action, threats, murder attempts and maybe some resolutions.  It went so quick, I’ll leave details at that.

So here are the items to ponder:

Will Jug and FP be too late to rescue the Little Princess Jellybean?

How does Jug’s mom play into this and does she have any idea of what is going on?

What retaliation is being planned and against whom?  It looks like gunfire will be there?

In the end, who will be left standing:  Jones family and friends or the Gargoyle King’s crew (that should be easy to guess since Riverdale has been renewed).

Is there any hope for the Coopers?  Has Betty lost her family forever?

Can The Farm be tied to the Gargoyle King and is Edgar the King?

Give me some idea on my twitter feed or at this article!

Okay Riverdale, you did it to me again.  I had a great opening but the ending of the episode changed everything.  I’m going to open with this with a simple question:  Just what cult is The Farm based on?  I thought I had it pegged only to get thrown for a loop.  Let’s just say I thought it would take at least one episode to bring that question up!  Riverdale, I was hoping for some resolution for Jughead and Veronica.  And you did the same thing there!  Threw me for more loops.  Okay where to start?  I guess we’ll hold off on The Farm to the end.  So, let’s go for the other half of Bughead – er – Jughead.

Jughead’s Big Confrontation

Jughead and his mom, Gladys, are just not seeing eye to eye.  He’s fed up with her for her drug dealing and she’s not happy about the destruction of the old hom trailer.  While Jellybean distracts FP, mom and Jug have a discussion about the drugs.  She tells him not to cross her.  Doesn’t Gladys show concern for her son, Jughead?  Right, she’s really never been a mom to him!  Why does she care?

Next up, the Serpents take the old haunts as the way to track the Fizzle Rock.  At a comic store, they get their first break and learn that the signal is Gargoyle’s sneakers over the telephone wires.    As the Serpents start their task the accidentally stop one of FP’s stake outs.  Jughead sure does suffer a tongue lashing from that.  When FP confronts Jug in front of Gladys, Gladys agrees with FP that it is too dangerous and tells Jughead after FP leaves to drop the search.  Like Jug is going to do that.

While Archie’s story will come later, I have to note that Archie and Mad Dog go on a hunt with the Serpents for the Gargoyles.  It’s personal for Mad Dog but it becomes personal for all the Serpents.  As the group closes in, they are – well let’s just call it – sucker punched who knew they were coming.  The Gargoyles attack and it literally becomes a fight for Jughead’s life when Kurtz attacks and fires at Jug.  When Jug grabs him, Kurtz forces them out the window and they fall to the ground.  Ah, good, Jughead lives but Kurtz is free.

Back at home, Jughead confronts Gladys about this.  Shouldn’t a mom worry about her son?  A good mom would but did I ever say Gladys was a good mom.  She threatens Jughead AGAIN.  Jughead is expendable to Gladys to keep her business going.  Jughead is now determined to shut her down.  And poor old FP has found another dead body (was it Kurtz) kneeling to the Gargoyle King.  Kurtz did say he was ascending.  And Gladys — I knew she had the need to be  – oh – a mob boss which brings us to Hiram Lodge and Veronica.

Veronica

Veronica is upset over the divorce as we saw last week but she is also determined to get her parents together.   Hermione isn’t stupid.  She has realized that her life isn’t worth anything since Hiram and she has split.  After learnin this, Veronica tries to reason with her dad and mom again.  Veronica reminds her dad that to him family means everything.  Wait, where have I heard that before?  Oh, right, Gladys’ pitch to Jughead upon her return.  Back to Ron and her problem!  Veronica reminds her dead that the family angle cost her a boyfriend with his many attempts on Archie’s life. Later, mom finds a dead fish on her desk.  What, no horse’s head.  I thought that was what the mafia used.   Evidently, she makes an impression as the whole family are present when the Hiram Lodge Prison opens  with the governor present.  Hey, governor, I have a couple of suggestions to go there and two are on the podium with you.

Later, Veronica finds her dad with the priest who has had the Lodge marriage annulled.  Hiram tells Ron that he figured out she sent the dead fish to her mom and she confessed.  I’ll say one thing for Ron – she’s a chip off Hiram’s block but maybe with a good heart.

Archie and the Gym

Archie gets a call at Pop’s from Mad Dog and goes to talk with him.  Mad Dog doesn’t want to go to Hiram’s jail which is where he is slated to go.  Ron and Archie managed to threaten the governor with the old “fight club” and Archie.  Seems Archie saw the governor at the fight.  I knew there was some stupid reason for that whole story line but isn’t this just a convoluted reason for that?

The Governor springs both Mad Dog and Baby Teeth out of jail.  Archie takes both to the guy and they meet former sheriff Keller and Archie seems to offer them a place to stay at the gym and a job.  As all this goes down, who should appear but good old Elio, the skunk.  Yeah, I’m calling him that and I believe he’s a full fledge mobster now.  He wants Mad Dog to come and fight with him.  Archie convinced Mad Dog not to do it but I have to wonder at the time if this will work.

Archie and Mad Dog go on the raid I mentioned earlier.  Mad Dog had found his grandmother and younger brother in the Gargoyle’s drug den.  While no one got hurt, Mad Dog realizes he has to get them out.  Elio gives him the opportunity and the ability to provide a safer place for Mad Dog’s family.  Thus Mad Dog says goodbye to Archie.

Betty and Cheryl’s Not So Excellent Adventure

At the start of this saga, Veronica and Betty take a tour of the new addition to The Farm – the school where Betty was held.  Betty found a locked door and was told that it was a janitor’s space.  Of course, Betty believed that, right.  Well, I wouldn’t and neither did she.

After getting nowhere on her own, Betty asks Cheryl to help in the investigation.  Cheryl convinces Evelyn that she’s still upset over her brother, Jason, death.  Evelyn offers her help and Cheryl agrees to go to the chapel where she submits to recording of a session with Evelyn.  Betty has wired Cheryl up.  What Betty didn’t count on was that Edgar would show up to do the session with Cheryl.  This Edgar is one spooky guy.  This who cult Is spooky.  Hey!  I’ve watched some shows on cults and I can’t figure out (for sure) which one this is based on.  Cheryl, if he offers you kool-aid, turn it down (old 90s reference folks).

The next day, Cheryl tell Betty she’s not helping her anymore.  We know Betty won’t accept this answer and she doesn’t. After offering Cheryl her recording which Betty stole (along with her mom’s), Betty tries to convince Cheryl not to return but Cheryl refuses.  Little by little (an d I mean it seemed to take forever), we learn that Cheryl was taken by Edgar to a room where she saw Jason and talked to him.  Raise your hand, please if you remember  a dead boy of Jason pulled from the river!  Raise your hand if you remember that his dad killed him?  Don’t ask me how Cheryl could see, touch and talk with her dead brother.  I have my suspicions but I don’t think that Riverdale would go there!

Betty meets her mom as the episode ends and asks Alice if the reason she believes in the farm has something to do with Chuck.  Guess what!  That’s how they got Alice under their thumb.  She sees and talks to Chuck.  And that leads to the momentous meeting as the show ends of Betty and Edgar.  For some reason, he knows he can’t snow our Betty.  He wants to know what she wants to know and Betty states the obvious.  Betty wants Edgar to tell her the story from the beginning.  Do I believe we will get this?  Heck no!  They have to build toward a season finale and set up for season four (yes, it’s been renewed).  Unfortunately, we have to wait until around April 17^th (please tell me I heard wrong) for anymore answers.

So where does that leave us?

As previews ran, we heard Betty threaten to kill Evelyn?  What would leave to this?

Could Hiram let anyone hurt Veronica?  Is she really his daughter if the marriage was annulled?

Can Archie really run a boxing center with his limited business skills?

Can Jughead take down his mom?  If so, at what cost?

Just what does the dead body that FP found and the Gargoyle King mean?  Has Gladys brought this back?  Hiram?  Edgar?

And who is the biggest villain:  Hiram, Gladys, Edgar or a player to be named later?

I’m out of here for tonight.  See you in April.

Riverdale takes on the Heathers tonight.  Now, in itself, you may go, “Oh a musical.  How nice!”  For us who remember the 80s version, we know Heathers is a dark and sinister movie that takes high school to an extreme.  When the top clique starts to get infiltrated by the bad boy, strange things start happening. Deaths start racking up.  Now would Riverdale kill anyone this year after the murder of Midge at last year’s musical?  Of course, they could but the question remains:  will they kill someone tonight?

It’s going to be hard to sort the story out tonight in regard to characters so I’ll do it by song.  Since I’m not familiar with titles, I’m going to identify them by their location in the show.  I think it ties it together better because I do believe they are already changing the words and meanings behind the song.

Big Production #1

Kevin is trying to convince Hermione and Mr. Weatherbee that the play, Heathers , is not as dark as they fear.  Riverdale will be safe if it is performed.  Besides, “The Farm” Is sponsoring it.  Oh, no!  I didn’t need “The Farm” tonight.  It’s been a hard day at my real job.  Kevin hits the music and starts to sing.  As he does, Hermione gets worried that the things the students are singing about (you know depression, popularity, teen angst) is really how they feel.  Of course, Hermione, it is.  This is Riverdale after all where murder happens all the time.  Oh my!  Cole is singing – whoops, Jughead is singing and is good.

Evelyn arrives on the scene as co-director.  Kevin needs her due to his guilt over Midge’s death last year (remember Carrie).  Evelyn is spreading the love of “The Farm” in her pre-rehearsal pep talks which doesn’t set well with Betty.  Hey, I’m with Betty.  Evelyn creeps me out!   Cheryl, of course, is more accepting until Evelyn mentions that Toni is doing the choreography for the show. Somehow I think Evelyn plans to cause trouble the two.

Production Number #2

As the Heathers introduce themselves, we actually get a great performance of a sing/dance off.  Cheryl and Toni have their own squads which square off.  This production is better than if it was only one set of Heathers.  Of course, Evelyn feels pride in this.  Betty immediately lets her know that she is trying to convert people to “The Farm.”  Evelyn tells her she only wants to have fun (yeah, right).  In fact, she’s throwing an early cast party that night at her place and all must wear their costumes.

FP meanwhile has a new Riverdale problem.  His trailer has disappeared and the drug stores have had drugs stolen.  Jughead decides the Serpents can investigate.  And let’s not forget the Lodge family.  Veronica comes home to change and learns that Hiram and Hermione are divorcing because he knows what happened while he was in the hospital.  Does Hiram mean that Hermione tried to sale his drug business or that she attempted to kill him twice?

Production Number #3

Evelyn has really gone all out of the cast party.  She’s having it with no parent supervision but the interesting thing is what she is serving.  Just what is that drink in the cups?  Has she laced those brownies with some kind of drug?  While the production number continues, poor Kevin has “a vision” of Midge on the wall (like last year).  The next day, we learn Sweet Pea is seeing her in his nightmares.  The night had other strange things happen.  Reggie and Ron appear to get back together but it is “divorce driven” and Reg isn’t happy.  Well, he thought he had the girl, didn’t he?

Production Numbers #4 and #5

As the rehearsals go on, we learn a few more things.  Archie is taking full advantage of his new gym and Josie arrives to talk to Archie.  They make up while singing about fighting for each other.  When Ron and Reggie talk, it is he that wants to wait (say what)?  When Betty shows the pictures to Mr. Weatherbee, he doesn’t see anything wrong with the way the location looks and the cult feel.  Has he gone to “The Farm” and been converted?  Later, Toni talks about her relationship with Cheryl in song and ends up getting back with her in a scene reminiscent of the “death” scene of Heather Chandler.  At least the drink Toni gives her wasn’t poison.

Production Number #6 (first version of “Seventeen”)

The big production number in this musical is “Seventeen.”  In rehearsals, Sweet Pea and Josie are to sing it but we never see their version.  Instead, we get Jughead and Betty and yes, Cole (Jughead) sings!  I don’t know why he wouldn’t last year.  His voice is good.  We also see that the song has meaning for Toni and Cheryl as the scenes cut between the two couples.

Maybe inspired by the song, Betty and Jughead try to figure out what to do about their drug lab problem and Veronica tries to convince her dad to come home.  While Betty and Jug appear to put it on hold, Ronnie learns that Hiram knows that Hermione tried to kill him twice and suspects that Ronnie knew about it.  He has lost faith in his family.   (Wow!  Hiram must be planning something big to get even.)  When the action switches back to Jughead and Betty at the Cooper/Jones’s home, FP arrives showing signs of a fight.  G and G is back and Fizzle Rock is worse than ever.   Jughead realizes he has to do something and in a scene reminiscent of the movie, he and Betty go to the trailer.  This time Jug does what JD wants to do in the movie, he destroys the trailer and Jug and Betty have an interlude before heading for the play.  Now, I can see Jughead as a non-destructive rebel, JD.

Production Number #7  (“Seventeen” reprise)

When Betty and Jug arrive at the theater, everyone is getting ready for the show.  Veronica checks and sees her parents sitting together.  Toni and Cheryl and Archie and Josie are back together.   When Jug  learns that Kevin wants all of them out there for the big  production number, he tries to get out of it but Betty tells him to follow her lead.  I’ll be honest, this number was superb.  The voices blended well and the way it was performed made us see that being “Seventeen” can be hard.  We do see parents in the audience.  Wonder if Gladys knew the trailer was burning?  As the song ends, the audience seems stunned and suddenly someone starts to clap.  It’s none other than the head of “the Farm”, Evelyn’s dad.  Could we finally be getting some information on that soon.

The musical episodes are always questionable as to whether it advances the story or not.  Congratulations to the writers of Riverdale who managed to do this with this episode featuring the music of Heathers.  I can’t wait for the next musical episode but I fear we will not have Josie as she is scheduled to star in a new spin off called Katy Keene.

So my questions are:

Will Hermione and Hiram reunite and run Gladys out of town?

Will Gladys know that Jughead burned her trailer down?

Has Evelyn managed to make any new cult/members for “The Farm?”  Will we finally get details about this place?

Guess we will have to keep watching to find out.  And with that, I’m out of this long post for the night.  See you next week!

Riverdale tonight is a celebration.  They’re celebrating FP’s 50^th birthday (and the show’s 50th episode).  FP doesn’t look a day over 40,  Anyway, it’s to be a celebration but with all that is going on, can it be?  Will the Gargoyle King story make an appearance?  Will Gladys’s secret become known?  Does Archie strip his shirt off again tonight?  Will we find out about “The Farm?”  Will we see the gang together again?  Maybe some answers will come out but not all.  This is Riverdale after all?

Gladys and Her Plans for a Happy Family

So where to begin with Gladys on tonight’s Riverdale.  We’ve always known that she’s shady (remember Toldeo).  I haven’t trusted her since she arrived in town but hey I’m a cynic anyway.  Even I didn’t suspect she was the buyer of the Cooper’s home!   The Jones’s are going to be one big happy family and it’s at the Coopers to the surprise of all (except Gladys).   Betty and Jug talk about this interesting development with Jughead inviting Betty to move in with them.  Yeah, that would work, right?  Betty feels uncomfortable and I would too,

In addition, Gladys is still running a scam with Fizzle Rocks.  FP and Jug get called to a crime scene at Pop Tate’s and Veronica tells him that a junkie spilled Fizzle Rock over the table causing a scene.  Jug and Ron discuss who has started the redistribution – Jug thinks it is Hiram (of course) but Ron knows the truth.  Good old Gladys is running the drugs as she is trying to take over the town!

Later, after Reggie and Ron have a fight over him being a partner, Gladys shows back up with Reggie in tow.  Veronica sees a potential problem and volunteers to give FP’s 50^th birthday party free at the club.  Gladys appreciates it and Reg admits he needed his car back.  Veronica has already told Betty about Gladys’s dirty deeds?  Can something more be  planned?

Betty, Jughead and Archie End the Quest

Betty, Jughead and Archie discuss the Red Paladian card first at Pop’s and later at the Bunker.  Their final decision is that the quest must end to give Archie some closure.  Jughead and Betty means that the quest has to end and Archie does what idiot would do.  He goes to the source of the quest, Hiram Lodge.  Hiram admits that there were 12 “Kill the Red Paladian” cards made.  On learning this, they decide a new quest has to be given where if the Red Paladian (Archie) can defend a spot, he wins and the quest ends.

Archie goes to Hiram and asks for his help.  Since Hiram has already told him of the drop off site for the quest cards, he is feeling generous.  He gives Archie the keys to a gym for the final phase of the quest.  Is this the Hiram Lodge I have come to love/hate?  Must be but what gives?  Jug gets the Serpents to spread the word and Archie will take on any challenger with the “Kill the Red Paladian” card.

At the gym, Archie is waiting as the contestants arrive.  Archie wins each competition but gets the battle scars to prove it (that beautiful face!).  Betty realizes one card is missing.  Enter Ward Norton’s lap dog, Captain Golightly who plans to kill Archie.  It looks like Golightly may succeed but he gets a little too cocky.  As Golightly delivers a blow for Norton, Archie sees a opening.  With the killing blow, Golightly will kill Archie with a blow from him but Archie is ready and takes him down.  From now on Archie is free of the Red Paladian’s curse (or is he)? On returning the keys, Hiram tells Archie to keep them and the gym as well.  Archie of course doesn’t trust Hiram Lodge (would you?) but Hiram tells him there is no strings attached.  Hey, Archie did save his life!  Guess Hiram decided to be nice, right.  Of course not – this will come back somehow in the future.

Toni and Cheryl’s Love – Is It Done?

Toni is always working at Veronica’s speakeasy with the Pretty Poisons and Cheryl doesn’t like it one bit.  She shows up at the club and finds Veronica and Toni singing.  This makes Cheryl mad and she leaves.  Later, Cheryl goes into the garden looking for Toni only to learn that she gave Cheryl’s grandmother? (or is it aunt) a chunk of change for rent.  This sets Cheryl off and she starts to plot.

Later Cheryl arrives at Veronica’s to gamble.  Toni is suspicious (as I would be) and watches Cheryl.  Cheryl is casing the joint and returns later to steal the money.  Toni is hiding and stops her and during the Archie fight scenes, we get a “hot time in the club that night” for Toni and Cheryl.  Toni tells Cheryl she realizes she is jealous of Toni’s leadership role and Cheryl denies it.  Toni doesn’t live being indebted to Cheryl which makes Cheryl mad.

Cheryl plans revenge.  She calls Kevin to the mansion where she is dressed like a Heather (yes, the movie/musical).  She informs Kevin that the school play will be the musical, Heathers.  Kevin and “The Farm” have other ideas.  Their choice is “Godspell”.  Well, let’s just say that Cheryl gets her way (as she always does).  The “Heathers” it is with Cheryl playing Heather Chandler.  By the way, if you don’t know this 1980’s cult classic, hit Wiki or watch it.  You may be lost with the revenge theme if you don’t.

The Jones Family Troubles

FP has the Serpents first assignment.   He will pair them up with officers and they will go on patrol.  Of course, FP and Jughead are teamed.  Of course their first call is the Fizzle Rock incident at Pop Tate’s,  Do I need to add that suspicious minds consider where the Fizzle Rock came from (oh that’s right I mentioned that above).  Veronica has told Betty about Gladys and she tells Jug.

While Archie’s quest is going on, the Serpents are looking into the Fizzle Rock situation.  They report back to Jug with the bad news that his mom is behind it.  Returning to FP’s, Jughead confronts Gladys.  Gladys has said she wanted a “do over” with FP.  What she wants is the American Dream.  When did the American Dream include a drug ring?  Jughead calls her selfish.  She tells Jughead not to tell FP because it will break him.  My question:  How does a loving mother do this to her only son?

At FP’s birthday party, you can tell FP’s not having a good time.  Then we get our Luke Perry sighting for the night when Fred walks up to wish him a happy birthday and welcome him to the neighborhood.  Gladys gives welcome speech then calls Jughead up to deliver his speech to honor dad.  Betty asks him what he will say and you can see Jughead is struggling.  Jug looks at his family and doesn’t mention mom’s drug ring.  How long can he go without spilling the secret to FP?  Not long, I hope.

So where do we stand:

Next week, we get the Heathers Musical.  Does Cheryl have revenge on her mind?  Will it involve something gross like a bomb?

How can Gladys treat her son the way she does?  Better yet, how long will Jughead take it?

What will FP do when he learns the truth?

Will Reggie and Ronnie get back together or is that love done?

When will Archie open his “fight club”?  Come on, you know that’s coming!