Riverdale Season 2 Episode 2
Oh man. That ending. Wow. Before I tackle that shocking final scene, let’s go back to the beginning. The start of this week’s installment is a seemingly simpler (though still kind of shitty) time for Archie and the gang compared to where we are when the credits roll. As the episode opens, Jughead’s narration informs us that Pop Tate’s Chok’lit Shoppe is the “heart of Riverdale.” And indeed it may very well be. In fact, the main reason that Betty makes saving Pop’s into her crusade du jour is that the restaurant seems to be a thread that runs through the tapestry of the lives of all longtime Riverdale residents. To her it is a place that represents warmth and comfort. Archie, not so much. Given the horrendous shooting of Fred Andrews– who doesn’t really do much this week other than to exude some Dylan McKay-worthy sulking — at Pop’s, Archie contemplates never returning there. He’s not alone. All of Pop’s employees have quit, and someone spraypainted the words “death diner” on the establishment. The Chok’lit Shoppe is in trouble, and Betty is determined to save it. Assisting her in this mission is Veronica, who finds herself increasingly frustrated with her parents’ secrets and lies. “The blindfold’s off daddy, I just can’t put it back on,” she coldly tells Hiram after he arrives at Riverdale High with a floral bouquet peace offering. Aside: Did anyone else think those flowers looked subpar given Hiram’s fabled wealth? At this point, the Lodge family scenes are the weakest part of Riverdale, especially how obvious both Hiram and Hermione’s dark sides seem to be. Hermione’s spontaneous covering for Hiram regarding the letter he wrote to Veronica while he was in jail was a nice touch, but the couple’s true intentions will doubtlessly take weeks to be revealed. It’s understandable that the writers want to establish the mystery behind the elder Lodges, but there are so many other interesting things happening elsewhere on the show that these scenes presently feel like wheel-spinning. The Blossoms had a similiar problem last year which paid off, so I’m willing to be patient with the Lodge storyline here. Over in Feckless Gingerville, Archie’s various plans for stopping the masked man who shot his dad and killed Ms. Grundy involve the following: Going on ridealongs with the Riverdale F.P. to play junior crimefighter, consuming energy drinks/taking uppers, and, most notably buying a gun. Solid plans all, well done Arch. Someone make sure this kid doesn’t watch Death Wish anytime soon, because he is on the edge. Over at the big Retro Night soiree at Pop’s that Betty and Veronica have organized through some well-intentioned bullying , Josie and the Pussycats (minus Valerie but plus Cheryl) do a deliciously on-the-nose performance of Kelis’ “Milkshake” before the obvious secret that Mr. Lodge bought the Chok’lit Shoppe is revealed to the audience. Another dose of “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” realness is subsequently dealt to Betty when her mother informs her that several drug deals have gone down at Pop’s, and that the young Ms. Cooper has given “crime a haven in Riverdale.” Families! Then comes the big shocker. Moose and Midge Klump (Emilia Baranac, in the series’ debut of the character) are getting high on Jingle Jangle and fooling around when the masked gunman who left Fred for dead and killed Ms. Grundy shoots them both. As blood splashes across the dashboard of Moose’s car it seems like Riverdale officially has a serial killer on the loose. We have to wait another week to see the immediate aftermath of this brutal attack, but something tells me that Alice Cooper’s declaration that the town’s teens have “come a long way from dances at the gym and varsity football tryouts” is more true than ever. Next week: Join the Archie Club!
Riverdale Rundown
We need to talk about Jingle Jangle, but there’s a whole article about it for you right here. – Can we talk about the creepy flyer Archie designed to catch his father’s shooter? Whenever The Archies become a thing on this show, their gig posters are going to be next-level weird. – Best line of the night once again goes to Cheryl for the following: “I did not emerge from the frozen depths of Sweetwater River nor the flames of Thornhill to allow my Vixens to sling milkshakes at some death curse diner.” Bravo. – Mr. Weatherbee telling Archie’s class of the death of Ms. Grundy is already the best plot contrivance of the new fall season. – Although life in Riverdale is full of maple syrup blood feuds, second-degree incest, and an appaling amount of milkshake consumption, it is still comforting to know that Archie still finds time to be shirtless at random intervals during any given day. – Alice Cooper refers to Hiram Lodge as “Riverdale’s answer to Scarface.” Sick burn! – Like the Southside Serpents she represents, the character of Penny Peabody (Brit Morgan) made her debut in the pages of Bob Bolling’s Little Archie comic. Can we get a round of applause for the writing staff’s commitment to incorporating even the most obscure characters from the Archieverse into the show? – Jughead’s takedown of new Blossom residence Thistlehouse — “not exactly downsizing, is it?” — is perfection. – Every episode to date has taken its name from a film, echoing narrator Jughead’s love of cinema. As much as I love the 1981 Sylvester Stallone/Billy Dee Williams cop drama Nighthawks (really, you should see it), I can’t help but feel like this installment takes its moniker from Edward Hopper’s famed 1942 painting instead. – FYI: The creepy medical examiner Betty Cooper visited in this episode (and one time last year) is named Dr. Curdle. Because this is Riverdale, after all. – “Another B&V team-up? They really should make a videogame about you guys.” Jughead said it, now game designers MAKE IT HAPPEN! – Reggie wearing a black hood to screw with Archie is most definitely something his comic book counterpart would do. – The award for creepiest shot of the night goes to this one of a Chok’litt Shoppe employee roller-skating through Fred’s blood, as envisioned by an increasingly unhinged Archie. – It’s worth mentioning that the just-released seventh issue of the excellent Riverdale tie-in comic gives some backstory as to what is up with Dilton Doiley. Spoiler alert: His parents made him extremely paranoid. This comic is in canon with the series, making a previous issue in which Pop Tate encountered an ageless man, probably the devil, who was passing through on his way to meet two women in Greendale (i.e. Sabrina’s aunts) very noteworthy in terms of how weird things may get in upcoming episodes.
