Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 2 episode 11 last night, I’ve realized that there is a very thin line between heroism and villainy. Whether it stems from the need to dive deeper into what lurks beneath the surface or to protect someone we love, our decisions can get us caught up in a web of deception that may not be so easily unraveled. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wrestler,” Betty and Archie fall further and further away from grace, clinging to the hope that they can discover the truth no matter what the cost is. Veronica and Jughead become immersed and blinded by their new worlds, sugarcoating the consequences, and Cheryl learns the wretched truth about her ancestors. Meanwhile, Pickens Day inherits a new tradition, Josie takes a stand against Veronica, and Hal Cooper’s anger gets the best of him. My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 2 episode 11 are:
5
Hal Cooper is pushed to the limit.
Even though Hal helped an injured Chic, he is having second thoughts about letting Betty’s brother stay with them, especially since he is sleeping in Polly’s old room, bringing up some unhealed wounds for Hal. His concerns are dismissed by Alice and Betty who tell Chic that he can stay there as long as he likes. Alice’s need to connect with Chic is the most important thing to her right now and she refuses to let her husband ruin it for her. Hal snoops around the house and discovers that Chic is into “webcamming” and has a unique set of clients, infuriating him beyond reason. He confronts his family at Pickens Day, which Cheryl’s mother takes note of. Does Cheryl’s mother view this as a possible new business opportunity? All signs point to “yes” as she strategically offers to take Hal out for a better dessert, hinting at her intentions. Will Hal throw away his marriage over Chic’s arrival? It’s no secret that Alice and Hal have had their problems in the past, but this may be what ultimately pushes him over the edge to no return.
4
Cheryl learns the truth about her ancestors.
In the beginning of the episode, Cheryl gives a history presentation about Pickens Day and talks about the important part the Blossom family played, even suggesting that they rename the day in history to include the name, Blossom. When the truth comes out that General Pickens was responsible for the massacre of innocent people and stole land, Cheryl is unable to maintain the cool front that her mother does. She sheds a tear, horrified by this revelation. Is this enough to turn her to action, however? At the end of the episode, we learn that someone beheaded the statue of General Pickens and everyone is ready to point fingers at the Serpents, but could this actually be the handy work of Cheryl?
3
Jughead uncovers the real story about General Pickens.
When Jughead is researching his own history presentation, he learns a lot from Toni’s grandfather who is the oldest Serpent still living in Riverdale. Jughead is horrified that the town is honoring General Pickens rather than trying to make amends. While it is clear that Jughead is angry by this, does he cross a line? Toni is clearly upset about his article and explains to Jughead that “it’s not his story to tell.” It certainly gave Jughead the ammunition he was looking for against the town, but he recognizes that Toni is right and the Serpents take on a different approach on Pickens Day to truly make a point. The Serpents show up with protest signs and some have tape over their mouths, representing the dead and silent from that massacre. Toni courageously gets up on stage to talk about the importance of them being honored and remembered, but Mr. Lodge deflects the issue and takes over the microphone with his empty promises. While this may temporarily prevent the town from erupting into chaos, it’s clear that this is not the only secret being covered up.
2
Betty tries to make it right with Chic.
Betty is thrilled that her brother is staying with her family, but he does not warm up to her instantly as she had hoped. Chic is unsure of her motives and Betty tries to win his trust. After Chic is upset that his laptop and web-cam equipment were taken by his landlord/pimp, Betty gives him her old laptop as a peace offering. Chic lets his guard down and begins providing some answers as the two start a real connection. Betty admits that she has a darkness brewing inside her and she desperately wants to get to the root cause. She is hoping that they can both connect to this on some level and she is right. Chic admits that he did spy on her that first night and that “webcamming” provides him with an escape. It’s a way to get away from the darkness, sparking Betty’s immediate interest. Chic is clearly winning Betty’s trust but is she ready for what’s to come next? Sure Betty can put on a wig and pretend to be someone else, but is she really going to be able to compromise her image of goodness and perfection in the process? Is Chic actually manipulating Betty into getting exactly what he wants? Could she become the accomplice to the real Black Hood? Time will tell.
1
Archie vs. Mr. Lodge.
Archie realizes that he needs to get closer to Mr. Lodge if he is going to truly help Agent Adams with his investigation. Veronica explains that her father loves wrestling and was even on the team when he attended Riverdale high. Archie tries out for the team, expecting for it to be a cake-walk since he is somewhat of a jock, but is in for a rude awakening. During the first try-out, Kevin schools him and Archie realizes that this is going to be harder than he thought. Mr. Lodge makes some unnecessary comments about how it is OK to just be a musician, clearly testing Archie’s limits and mocking his manliness. Archie reacts by kissing Veronica in front of her father, which is not the best approach. In the next try out, Mr. Lodge decides to try out his famous wrestling headlock move on a volunteer, however; he ignores all of the volunteers and picks Archie to prove a point that he will always win. He later reveals to Archie that wrestling is about “knowing your opponent.” He tells Archie that he will tolerate him and that “boyfriends come and go while Fathers are forever.” Archie is up to the challenge and does extremely well in his next try-out, but pushes the limits when he asks Mr. Lodge to be his mentor in terms of getting into business. After ignoring a call from Agent Adams, is Archie in over his head or is he initiating a plan to truly outsmart his opponent?
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