With Riverdale’s return comes a darker season with promises of the supernatural, cults, and plenty of mystery. Last season of Riverdale was focused on the Black Hood and we finally found out his identity at the end of the season. The last few minutes of season two however, helped set up this season’s premiere with Archie being accused of murder.
On Trial
As the summer before junior year ends, we find out how their summers went: Veronica worked at Pop’s, Betty was interning for Archie’s mother and Mrs. McCoy, and Archie has been spending his time in court. Now it’s time for the closing arguments of the trial. The prosecutor throws Archie’s bad choices back in his face: his assault on Nick St. Clair, threatening Sweet Pea, and starting two masked vigilante groups. Of course, no one is a fan of Archie’s excuse: that his girlfriend’s father’s doorman did it. Instead, they want to send Archie to jail.
Then, it’s his mother’s turn to speak because she’s his attorney (which is a terrible idea, but whatever). She tells the judge and jury everything good that Archie has done: help solve Jason’s murder, and saving Cheryl from death. According to Archie’s mother: there is “nothing here that proves that Archie is anything less than an innocent boy”. (Well….)
With the closing arguments done, the jury leaves to try to reach a verdict, but when they can’t the judge dismisses the court to reconvene on Tuesday (the day after Labor Day). He advises Archie to spend the weekend with his family and loved ones because he thinks Archie is going to jail.
On the way out of the courthouse, Hiram tells Archie to “have a terrific weekend,” which gets him punched in the face by Fred. As for Archie, he goes to Pop’s with Jughead, Betty, and Veronica, where the girls discuss ways to prove Archie’s innocence except Archie just wants a fun and normal Labor Day weekend. Then Cheryl walks in as she’s just returned from a road trip with Toni and she invites them to a pool party at her place.
Making A Splash
Before the party, Betty goes over to help Archie and Fred finish up Archie’s car but before she can, she is stopped by her mother and Polly who are doing whatever the leader of the Farm tells them to. Creepy right! Betty claims she’s going to therapy and leaves for Archie’s who makes Betty promise to look after Fred if Archie gets taken away. Betty promises.
Hiram tells his daughter that the Archie situation is ‘beyond his control’ which obviously makes Veronica upset. Meanwhile, Jughead, Fangs, and Sweet Pea are coming up with a plan to keep an eye on the Ghoulies. FP is finishing a Serpent tattoo for Archie so that he can have protection behind bars.
At the pool party, we discover that Josie and Sweet Pea have been enjoying a summer fling that Josie claims is ending. Then Kevin and Moose are making a pact to lose their virginity by Halloween. Reggie agrees to help keep the peace between the Serpents and Bulldogs if Archie leaves. Meanwhile, Cheryl is sad as Archie saved her life and she can’t do anything to help him. Veronica has a plan and Josie tells her that the jury is staying at the Five Seasons, and Veronica has to get one of them to hear her out. Because, obviously, jury tampering is a great idea.
Another problem arises as the Ghoulies have taken Hot Dog and based on the “no Serpent left behind” principle, Jughead makes a plan to get their spirit animal back. And Betty insists on going with him along with Cheryl, Toni, and some others.
Neither plan goes perfectly, but one goes better than the other. Veronica is caught by Sheriff Minetta and he calls her mother, but Jughead does get Hot Dog back. However, there is a catch as Penny and the Ghoulies get a little too intense causing Cheryl to put an arrow in one of their shoulders. Before they can move in on the Serpents, Cheryl aims her next arrow for Penny’s head. The Ghoulies back down, but Jughead just made the North Side fair game.
Time With Friends
The next day, Jughead, Archie, Betty and Veronica head to the Sweetwater watering hole (despite Archie just getting a tattoo). Before he picks everyone up in his new car, Polly and Alice call Betty out for lying. Betty has been lying about going to a therapist. Instead, Betty has been writing herself prescriptions for Adderall. Betty is struggling with the fact that her father murdered four people and her mother and sister have joined a cult. Who can blame her?
The core four didn’t bring a bathing suit which makes no sense whatsoever so they swim in their underwear. When they dry off next to a fire, Jughead suggests Archie makes a break for it. He says that there are Serpents in Quebec who can help him (why are there Southside Serpents in Quebec?). Archie says he can’t. He says, “I didn’t kill anyone but I could’ve. I have to take responsibility for that.” Well, that was a dumb comment.
As the day ends, the couples separate. Jughead promises to be there for Betty as she works through all her family drama. Also, he gives her his beanie which was adorable. Archie and Veronica have sex (of course) and Veronica stops Archie from breaking up with her and says she’s not letting her dad take away the one thing she loves.
The Verdict Is In
Then, we get to verdict day. It starts with Dilton coming to Jughead’s trailer claiming that his favourite role-playing game is real with something named The Gargoyle King being real. Jughead tells Dilton to wait for him in the trailer as he has to get to the courthouse. The jury is deadlocked, six votes to six and the state is prepared to offer Archie a deal: Time served plus two years in juvenile detention, which Archie accepts. He says he doesn’t want to put anyone through another trial. All his friends and family are upset and Veronica cries in Betty’s arms.
Archie gets taken away, and his mother says she has to go to Chicago, but she’s already written the appeal. Fred tells her not to worry and that he, FP, and Sheriff Keller will handle it. Also, they are all hanging out in Fred’s living room and are determined to prove Hiram was behind everything.
Things Get Dark
Hiram tells Veronica that he didn’t do this to hurt Archie. He says he did it because Veronica betrayed him. He tells her, “This is your punishment. You chose that boy over blood. My own daughter.” Veronica responds with: “You don’t have a daughter anymore.”
Then when Jughead returns home, he doesn’t see Dilton and instead finds a creepy drawing and a weird map that leads him deep into the woods. He finds Dilton and Ben bowing at the foot of some creepy Gargoyle King altar. They both have carvings in their backs and look totally dead.
Then, when Betty goes home, she finds members of the Farm in her backyard. They are all clothed in weird white robes and she watches as Polly and Alice lift Polly’s twins above a fire and let them go. The weird thing is, the babies levitate instead of falling. Betty collapses and starts seizing causing Alice to run over to her and that is when the episode ends.
Final Thoughts?
Phew! I was definitely exhausted after this episode’s craziness. I really liked it but I’m not sure about the cult aspect. Also, Archie needs to learn to stop being so dumb as now he’s in big trouble.
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