Tag: pop’s diner

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” season 2 episode 14: “The Last House on the Left”

Happy Thursday TV fans!  After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 2 episode 14 last night, I am left with Mr. Lodge’s words of wisdom:  “you never ever hesitate” when it comes to protecting the ones you love.  While his words hold true for Archie especially, it’s often difficult for some of our other favorite characters to let their walls down and open up to one another, especially if they have a “ponytail and a secret.”  A dangerous combination for sure of sweetness and scandal, but what happens when we finally let others into our inner most thoughts?  Can we really trust them or are we in for a dangerous road of lies and deception?  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, “Chapter Twenty-Seven:  The Hills Have Eyes,” Veronica, Archie, Betty, and Jughead are off to a weekend getaway at Veroncia’s family cabin on the lake, which leads to an eventful night where buried secrets reach the surface and dangerous threats lurk behind the corner.  Meanwhile, Cheryl deals with her own feelings of insecurity and leans on an unexpected new friend, Josie learns the truth about her mother, and Jughead gets a weird vibe from Chic.  My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 2 episode 14 are:

5

Weekend getaway.

Veronica is absolutely thrilled when her father suggests that she go to their family cabin for a relaxing weekend with her boyfriend and friends.  However, what Veronica doesn’t know is that her father, Mr. Lodge is trying to keep her away from Riverdale, as he begins some important business transactions.  Mr. Lodge does fill Archie in on the plan and lets him know that his right hand man, Andre will be there in case anything goes wrong.  Mr. Lodge is trusting Archie not to spill the beans to Veronica, which shows that Archie really has passed the test of loyalty with flying colors.  Is he up for lying to Veronica to win Mr. Lodge’s approval, however?  Our favorite couple, Bughead happily joins in on the fun and poor Cheryl is left out, as they aren’t really looking for a fifth wheel to spoil the weekend.  It seems like romance and relaxation is in the air, but not for long, as Mr. Lodge’s plan backfires when Veronica catches Archie talking to Andre in the woods.  Veronica is clearly hurt and angered by this betrayal, expecting much more from her boyfriend and father.

4

Josie learns about her mother’s relationship with Sheriff Keller.

After the Lodge family threatened to expose Mayor McCoy, she needed to make quick and sudden moves to protect her reputation and her family.  She comes clean to her daughter, Josie about her relationship with Kevin’s father, Sheriff Keller and gently explains that she will be getting a divorce.  Josie is completely crushed by this news and feels hurt and betrayed by her mother’s actions.  Not thinking clearly about consequences, Josie shares the news with Kevin who doesn’t know anything about his father’s affair.  Josie’s mother is upset by Josie’s cruelty as it was not her news to spread, but they come to an understanding when Josie reveals how hurt she was by this revelation.  At the end of the episode, the four sit down at Pop’s diner and it looks like they will be able to get through this after all, with some heartache along the way for sure, but at least it’s all out in the open now.

3

Jalapeno margaritas and hot tubs.

Veronica realizes that their weekend getaway will need some spicing up, especially after some dangerous secrets are revealed.  She whips up a batch of her margaritas and suggests “step 1:  clothes off, swimsuits on.”  While it seems like this love rhombus can relax somewhat, Veronica suggests that her and Jughead kiss to “level the playing field.”  While Archie and Betty are clearly not thrilled with this idea, they sit by quietly and let it happen because they do still feel guilty about their own secret kiss.  Even though Betty initially kept the kiss from Jughead, he is willing to forgive her and explains that he’s “not intimidated by a black hood prompted kiss.”  Betty shows her gratitude later on by bringing out her favorite black wig and her sexy side as a distraction, leading to some “aggressive hand holding” as Veronica would say.  While it seems like Bughead is ok for now, will the couple be able to survive more secrets and betrayal?  After all, Jughead still doesn’t know about Betty’s new and dangerous obsession with “webcamming.”

2

“Cheryl Bombshell.”

Cheryl is clearly disappointed and feeling left out when she is not invited along to the weekend getaway and is desperately trying to avoid her own home that her mother has “turned into a sex playground.”  While Cheryl makes some rash decisions as a result of this, it’s hard not to feel sympathetic towards her.  Cheryl calls Jughead and reveals the truth about Betty’s kiss with Archie that she thought was “like with tongue serious,” desperately trying to spoil their weekend since she is hurt.  Toni walks in on this and calls her out on it, but Cheryl puts her guard up immediately and reminds her exactly who she is:  “Hi I’m Cheryl Blossom, aka Cheryl Bombshell which means I need no reasons.  Feel free to tremble.”  Toni is not scared off by this, however; and continues to reach out to her, recognizing that she is in pain and in need of a friend.  After seeing Cheryl alone at the movies, Toni offers to sit with her.  Cheryl later admits to Toni that she “never cries at movies because real life is tragic enough.”  In this moment, Cheryl finally lets her guard down, revealing her vulnerability and past secrets to Toni.  Toni sympathetically listens to her and a budding friendship or relationship is forming at this point for sure.  In a beautiful moment, Toni simply tells Cheryl:  “you’re not loveless.  You’re not deviant.  You’re sensational.”  Toni’s uncomplicated honesty is getting through to Cheryl and it looks like their relationship will grow even further based on the previews revealed for next week’s episode.  Will Cheryl’s mother come between their relationship, however?

1

“It really was the last house on the left.”

While I initially caught the film reference from Jughead, I never guessed that this comparison would actually not be far off by the end of the episode.  Tensions begin to run high when Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Jughead learn that Mr. Lodge has bought Sunnyside Trailer Park, clearing the debt and evictions of everyone who lives there along with the Riverdale Register.  Jughead initially jumps to the conclusion that Mr. Lodge is buying their silence along with the free press in this action and underlying animosity comes screeching to the surface, as this puts a clear divide between Archie and Veronica and Betty and Jughead.  This argument is put on hold, however; when armed robbers break into the cabin, putting their lives in immediate danger.  Veronica doesn’t lose her cool and carefully presses the panic button when she reaches for her purse, signaling to Andre and the rest of her father’s security company that they are in desperate need of some assistance.  The robbers run off, but not before grabbing Veronica’s necklace, which prompts Archie to irrationally run after them.  Andre lets him know that he’ll take it from there and Archie walks away, but not before hearing a deafening gun shot that lets him know the threat is over for good.  While Archie clearly has mixed feelings about what happened because of his moral compass, Mr. Lodge reminds him that “you never ever hesitate,” which causes the memories of the Black Hood to come flooding back, invading his conscience and pulling at his unresolved guilt.  Will Archie be able to come to terms with what happened?  It looks like he will need to put his own feelings on hold for now, while Mr. Lodge continues to make strategic moves in Riverdale.   Of course this begs the question, what is his end game in all of this?

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

You can now follow me on Twitter as well! https://twitter.com/TV_Fanatic_Girl

 

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” season 2 episode 9 mid-season finale: Is the Black Hood truly revealed?

Happy Thursday TV fans!  After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 2 episode 9 last night, I am left wondering if the mystery of the Black Hood’s identity has actually been solved?  While it all adds up and makes sense, there was something almost anticlimactic about the reveal.  The end of the episode suggests that Betty’s not entirely sure it’s all over either.  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, Betty and Archie once again take matters into their own hands to track down Mr. Svenson and deal with the Black Hood’s threats.  Meanwhile, Veronica makes a bold decision and Cheryl refuses to give up on the fancy Christmas tradition she has become accustomed to.  The group participates in secret Santa and more than just gifts are exchanged, as unresolved feelings re-surface.  My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 2 episode 9 are:

5

The group participates in Secret Santa.

Even though there is a killer running loose, that doesn’t stop our Riverdale favorites from participating in some Christmas traditions.  However, gift giving becomes slightly complicated when recent exes are involved.  For example, Veronica receives a “couple’s massage” gift certificate and Betty obtains the “Swiss Family Robinson” album that she and Archie used to sing to as children.  Later, Veronica and Betty present their gifts to their exes, revealing how much they still care.  As if this couldn’t get any more confusing, the Black Hood decides to get in on the Secret Santa action and leaves Betty a gift-wrapped finger.  I guess it’s the thought that counts.

4

No Serpent stands alone.

What is the first law?  “No Serpent stands alone!” Jughead refuses to let his father deal with the consequences of his actions and enlists the help of his fellow Serpents to go after Penny and drive her out of Riverdale.  This might backfire, however; as Penny doesn’t seem like the type to give up so easily.  Jughead means business when he takes out a knife to get his pound of flesh…literally.  While it’s nice to see Jughead boost morale and try and help out his father, it seems like he keeps involving himself deeper and deeper, jeopardizing his own future in the process.  Time will tell if Penny attempts to take revenge on him but all signs point to yes.

3

Cheryl saves Christmas.

When Cheryl’s mother explains they will need to cut back around the holidays because they are broke, Cheryl refuses to accept this.  She marches off to purchase the grandest Christmas tree and decorates her house with glitz and glamour galore.  She demands that her mother figure out a way to make ends meet, refusing to apologize for her actions.  Nana Rose comically adds in to Cheryl’s mother that “she should have drowned them at birth like a basket of kittens.”  Later in the episode, Cheryl walks in on her mother kissing a stranger with a Santa hat.  Is this a new boyfriend or has her mother lowered herself to a new profession?

2

Veronica is no longer Daddy’s little girl.

Veronica desperately wants to help Archie and Fred.  When she learns that Fred is facing a medical bill of 86,000 dollars she asks her family for help but is turned down.  Much like Cheryl, Veronica refuses to back down.  She breaks into her father’s office and finds out that he owns Pop’s diner.  As if her actions weren’t bad enough, she then uses her mother’s black amex card to pay off Fred’s bill.  When her parents later confront her about this, she proves that she is ready to grow up quickly and learn all there is to know about the Lodge family business.  Veronica has some ground rules which include keeping the charge to help Fred and staying away from doing anything illegal.  Veronica liked the way it felt to sit in her father’s chair and is ready to play boss.  But can she handle it?

1

The Black Hood is revealed.

Betty and Archie are not giving up until they discover the truth and they do just that in this mid-season finale.  When Mr. Svenson hasn’t shown up to work, Betty and Archie head over to his house, but all they find is a lonely bowl of soup left on the front porch.  They visit the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to find out more about Mr. Svenson’s involvement and learn what his sin is.  After his family was brutally murdered, he took a group of people to punish the culprit, only to kill an innocent man by mistake.  Betty and Archie discover that Nana Rose Blossom was around for this and that Betty’s grandfather was involved as well.  They are horrified to learn that the innocent man was buried alive, bringing them that much closer to discovering the sin that the Black Hood wants them to.  Before they go any further, Archie confesses “I need you with me” to Betty and they share a kiss.  This seems like a fleeting moment in the midst of all of this chaos and danger, but what if it’s not?  Cheryl has witnessed the kiss and later Veronica tells Archie that she does love him as a mysterious photographer captures their embrace on camera, which has fans wondering when this will all unravel.  Will Betty and Veronica’s friendship be able to survive this? Who will Archie ultimately choose?

Archie and Betty’s feelings are forced to be put on hold, however; when they dig up the coffin in Pickens Park.  They find that it’s empty, but the Black Hood shows up and forces Archie inside.  Betty turns the tables on him and Archie makes a bold decision to shoot him, killing him instantly.  Sheriff Keller shows up just in the nick of time which seems suspicious, but Betty and Archie are happy to have some back-up.  Mr. Svenson is revealed as the Black Hood, down one finger and his life.  It seems like the mystery has been solved, but the gang is later sitting in the diner trying to find the words to uncover the why to no avail.  At the end of the episode, Betty is unable to burn her black hood, which shows that her own darkness is still lurking inside her and that this isn’t over just yet.  Is Mr. Svenson the only Black Hood killer or was this a set up?  We will have to wait for new episodes to find out, but I’m not closing the book on the Black Hood mystery just yet.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

My top 5 questions from “Riverdale” season 2 episode 7. Theories and spoilers ahead. Bobby pins required.

Greetings TV Fans!  I have to say I am absolutely thrilled to have a new episode of the CW’s Riverdale back after the break from last week.  After last night’s episode, so many new questions and mysteries have emerged.  Secrets and lies are creeping to the surface, Archie is at a crossroads…literally, and Betty might be pushing things out into the open too far.  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  The episode is split into three parts from the perspectives of Archie & Jughead, Josie, and Betty & Veronica.  All three parts are occurring at the same time and intertwine along the way.  My biggest takeaway is to always have a bobby pin handy!  You never know what locked doors need opening, but will you like what you discover?  My top 5 questions from Riverdale season 2 episode 7 are:

5) Has Chuck truly turned over a new leaf?  When we get to Josie’s storyline, we find out that she has a secret admirer, which sounds harmless enough, but starts escalating into stalker territory.  Chuck is introduced back into the mix and Josie questions whether or not he has changed.  He offers to give her a ride home and they grab a quick bite at Pop’s diner.  Not only does Chuck reveal that he goes to church, but he is not a bad dancer either.  Just as we are starting to think that perhaps he really has changed, Josie’s mother bursts in and Josie receives a threatening note the next day.  She accuses Chuck of being her stalker, but this seems farfetched.  Is Chuck a good guy now?  I’m not sure I am buying the charming act either especially because we know the black hood targets sinners.  Is his new found religion a clue that he could be the black hood?  You never know but I’ve got my eye on Chuck for now.

4) Is Sheriff Keller off the hook?  When we get to Betty and Veronica’s storyline, both girls are anxious to get to the truth about Sheriff Keller.  Betty is convinced that he is the black hood and Veronica thinks that he is having an affair.  Veronica strategically plans a sleep over at Kevin’s but only ends up discovering Sheriff Keller’s secret of working out in the basement.  Betty has a little more luck when she breaks into his office, but he catches her in the act.  All of the information he has on the black hood relates to the case, which makes sense, but perhaps that is so he could easily be ruled out.  Betty is not buying it and spies on him with Veronica outside a motel.  They discover that he is in fact having an affair with…Josie’s mom!  It seems that we have discovered his scandalous secret, but is he hiding anything else?

3) Is the black hood connected to the Riverdale reaper?  When we are involved in Archie & Jughead’s story, Jughead leaves his better judgment behind and takes a ride from a stranger so he can move his illegal crate to his destination in time.  The stranger is certainly mysterious and has a creepy vibe going for him with his hidden dead animals in his truck, but does reveal some important information.  He informs Jughead that Riverdale once saw a killer like the black hood before and talks about what happened with the Riverdale reaper.  However, how has no one in the town heard about this before?  What are they covering up?  What else does this stranger know?  The questions are endless, but it looks like the boys will need to get caught up their town’s history pretty fast if they want to stop the black hood.

2) Is Cheryl Josie’s stalker?  When the stalker threatens Josie and sends her a portrait, we can quickly rule Chuck out.  It just seems too easy that it is him so who else could it be?  Cheryl has been clinging to Josie lately and is clearly very thankful that she helped stop her attacker, but has this gratitude gone too far?  Cheryl is shown drawing a very similar sketch of her and Josie, which seems like all signs are pointing to yes that she is the one threatening Josie.  Has Cheryl hit a breaking point?  Is there any chance it’s not her?  Just as Cheryl has been starting to display some redeeming qualities, she is being dragged back down by obsession.

1) What are the consequences of failing the black hood’s test?  At the end of the episode, all of the intertwining stories have caught up to one another and all parties are present at Pop’s diner.  Pop receives a phone call and reveals that it is the black hood and he said that they all failed his test and that the day of reckoning is upon them.  What exactly was the test and what is going to happen now as a result?  We know that the black hood is capable of murder, but does he or she have something else in mind?  We will have to stay tuned for more answers, but it doesn’t look like the black hood is finished with Riverdale just yet.

I hope you enjoyed my top 5 questions and please feel free to post your own theories and questions from Riverdale below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl