Toni Topaz Archives - TV Fanatic Girl

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 5 Episode 8: “Lock & Key”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 5 episode 8, I learned that the “more things change, the more they stay EXACTLY the same.”

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In episode, “Chapter Eighty-Four: Lock & Key,” Cheryl decides to throw a key party to throw a little chaos at the drama brewing between the group. Meanwhile, Kev and Fangs contemplate the future of their relationship, Veronica wants a change, and Betty and Alice get a disturbing phone call.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 5 episode 8 are:

“I lost a lot of time.”

The extreme weirdness continues with Jughead’s plot as he begins to hallucinate. He thinks he is seeing the alien specimen lurking around, but is it all in his head?

Jughead even joins a support group to talk about it, but he decides to walk away from it when things get to be too much.

Just like I predicted, Tabitha clearly likes Jughead and even suggests that they go out on a normal date, but Jughead is too much in his head to even really hear her and decides to get drunk instead.

Tabitha actually may be the right choice for Jughead, but he has to get his addiction under control before he screws up this opportunity for good.

Or I guess some alien will take him away and probe him…

“What in the actual….”

Yep. You took the words right out of my mouth, Cheryl. Another theory of mine came true when we learned that Toni is actually the surrogate for Kev and Fangs. Cheryl is floored by the news, but Toni tries to tell her that she still cares about her deeply.

Cheryl’s stubbornness shines through; however, as she decides to throw a key party instead to shake things up. Everyone has to pick someone’s key in a bowl and have at it with their wildest dreams and fantasies.

Images courtesy of The CW

Parties don’t go so well at Cheryl’s house so I already could see the chaos swirling around everyone. Cheryl and Toni do end up picking one another, but Toni is upset by Cheryl’s behavior. Cheryl tries to surprise her with a nursery at Thornhill, but Toni reminds her that she doesn’t want her and her baby to stay locked away from everything and apologizes for leading her on.

Even though the Choni fan in me is rooting for these two to get together, things take time and it looks like Cheryl will be busy with Minerva. If Minerva looks familiar, it’s because she played Agatha on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina so I’m always happy to see a familiar face pop up in the Archie universe.

“A window of light in the dark.”

Even though the beginning of the episode presented us with some hot and steamy scenes between Barchie, these two are having mixed feelings once again. Archie tells Betty that he does still have lingering feelings for Veronica (really?) and Betty tells him that she needs to focus on Polly’s disappearance and she doesn’t want to bring Archie into her darkness.

It’s clear that these two will still remain friends, but I can’t say that I’m not disappointed. I don’t think we were given enough time to actually explore this relationship after seven years and now it seems like we’re right back where we started again…

“I will be fighting fire with fire.”

Veronica wants a change and she starts by having her entire apartment redone to really spark this change. But the real change Veronica is looking for is within her marriage. After Chadwick forces them to leave the party early, Veronica asks for a divorce because she is also not over Archie and these two are back together again?

Images courtesy of The CW

I’m sure the Varchie fan is excited for this, but I honestly thought this felt extremely rushed and out of place. Whether Archie has feelings for Veronica or not, he was just with Betty and I appreciate that he told Veronica about that, which shows that he has matured in some ways.

But on the other hand, Veronica is still married. She didn’t get divorced overnight and I have a feeling that Chadwick is going to team up with Hiram somehow to bring forth more drama and destruction.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you Varchie…

“She’s alive.”

Betty continues to deal with nightmares surrounding TBK, but we still have some time before we explore that plot fully. Meanwhile, Alice tells Betty that she received a call from Polly, but Betty is not so sure.

Images courtesy of The CW

Later in the episode, Betty actually picks up the call and Polly asks for their help, claiming she is on the side of the Lost Highway. Betty and Alice rush out to help her (with no back-up). This is when FP would really come in handy…

Only they don’t find Polly, but the phone booth she was in is broken and filled with blood.

We know that Polly was alive, but is this really it for her or is there still a chance that Betty can catch this roadside killer before it’s too late?

I’m ready to find out and next week’s episode looks fantastic already. We need a Betty-centric episode now!

Stay tuned, Riverdale fans!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 5 Episode 6: “Back to School”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 5 episode 6, I learned that high school offers hope, but is that enough to bring a town back to life?

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In episode, “Chapter Eighty-Two: Back to School,” the Barchie time jump continues to provide us with some passionate moments. Meanwhile, Veronica sings karaoke with her husband, Hiram eats a bag of Doritos in the most sinister way, and Betty investigates Polly’s disappearance.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 5 episode 6 are:

“What do you want to know?”

Images courtesy of The CW

Jughead wants to know more about the town for his next book and asks Tabitha if he can interview her. Tabitha Tate is the newest addition to the show played by Erinn Westbrook. Jughead starts to learn more about the “Mothman Mystery,” but I have a feeling that we may see a romantic story-line thrown our way between these two.

“What the hell?”

The Barchie time jump scenes do not disappoint in this episode. Betty and Archie realize that they need to be creative about where they get together and we witness a steamy make-out session in the car.

Images courtesy of The CW

Only, this is interrupted when some of the Stonewall Prep students decide to light a fire in Riverdale High.

Fear not because we do get some more Barchie action later on in the episode and I think that it’s safe to say that these two may actually be end game after all.

More please!

“Let’s see what you can do.”

Reggie continues to be annoying, but I actually really laughed out loud when Archie punched him in the face. You had it coming, Reggie. Archie decides to try and get the football team going at school, but he needs more funding and Cheryl has already done her part.

Images courtesy of The CW

Meanwhile, Toni re-ignites the Vixens and Cheryl is far from pleased. She takes a break from her counterfeit painting scam to tell Toni that she is not going to let her take the Vixens away and I think this is the spark we have been looking for.

Welcome back, Queen Cheryl!

Luckily Archie does get the funding from Veronica so it looks like the school spirit can continue, but I’m not sure if this will really resolve the Hiram Lodge problem just yet. Just keep eating those Doritos, Hiram.

“Have you and my father been talking behind my back?”

Chad is my least favorite character right now. It feels like Veronica just married a younger version of her father. I don’t trust him and I think she can do so much better.

Images courtesy of The CW

Sure, they put on a show-stopping karaoke number, but it’s all an act and I was proud of Veronica for telling him that they need some time apart at the end.

Although I can’t keep her name straight with all of these changes over the seasons…

“Polly’s missing.”

Betty and Kev start investigating Polly’s disappearance which was the most interesting part of the episode. Apparently Polly was selling Jingle Jangle and hooking up with truckers and Toni points Betty in the right direction on the highway.

Betty messages one of the truckers and asks him to meet, but it’s clear that he didn’t have anything to do with Polly’s disappearance. Betty enlists the help of Alice and they go looking for clues in Swedlow Swamp.

I didn’t even know that Riverdale had a swamp, but at the end of the episode we hear a cell ringing and see a corpse hand in a shallow grave.

Is it Polly?

I’m thinking it’s the body of Lynette Fields and they are going to connect this to Polly, but we’ll have to wait until March 10th for a new episode.

In the meantime, check out my feature for Mystery & Suspense Magazine on why the Riverdale time jump is exactly what we need here!

Stay tuned, Riverdale fans!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 5 Episode 5: “The Homecoming”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 5 episode 5, I learned that coming home may seem difficult at first, but the more things change…the more they stay the same.

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In episode, “Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming,” our core four adjust to life back in Riverdale. Meanwhile, Hiram attempts to destroy Riverdale for good, Veronica’s husband is proving to be a nuisance, and the potential truck killer returns.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 5 episode 5 are:

“It’s good to see you…”

In the beginning of the episode, we get a somewhat awkward reunion between Betty and Jughead. They both agree that it is good to see one another, but it’s clear that they haven’t really talked much in years. I think that the reunion went well, but I didn’t really see any sparks flying between these two anymore…

Is the love triangle over? We’ll have to wait and see…

“When do we kick their asses?”

Archie is determined to get the Ghoulies out of his house and even goes to Reggie for help. Only Reggie seems more interested in testing out his latest hair gel product and he is loyal to Hiram Lodge now…but why? Does Hiram have something over him?

Images courtesy of The CW

It’s clear that someone warned the Ghoulies and they got all of the drugs out of the house, but Betty is not about to sit by and let this happen…especially when she finds out that Polly is hanging around with them.

Yep, Polly is back and Betty discovers that she is lying about her waitress job, but where is she getting all of that cash?

Images courtesy of The CW

Betty and the others form a raid and find what they are looking for and I loved seeing the team-up between Betty and Archie here…talk about sparks…

“Would you do it for me?”

Meanwhile, the school administrators are concerned because Hiram Lodge is trying to dissolve the town. That means that funding would be cut and it would basically be “the death of Riverdale.”

Toni is determined to stop him and they come up with a plan to make the school private, which would allow them to hire their own teachers.

Toni goes to Cheryl and even though she initially doesn’t want to get involved, she ends up putting up the money to help Toni.

I still believe in Choni and I hope that Cheryl can see that she can still do good in this town…

“What just happened?”

What just happened is, we got the hot and steamy Barchie scene we have been waiting for…wow!

Images courtesy of The CW

Afterwards, Betty and Archie seem just as confused and say that they are friends, but I think this is the start of a beautiful romance.

Jughead has been out of the picture for years and Veronica is married, but things might get a bit complicated if Jughead actually decides to move in with Archie…

Betty and Archie have grown up a lot and they finally get a chance to explore the feelings between them, but I have a feeling that the drama will never leave them alone completely…

“Bulldogs forever.”

After getting the funding, Hiram does still dissolve the town, but we learn that life continues anyway. Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead will be staying in town as temporary teachers and perhaps they can really bring this town back to life.

Meanwhile, Pop retires and we get a heartfelt speech about his influence over the town.

Images courtesy of The CW

The mystery isn’t over just yet; however, as we now see Polly running from the mysterious trucker that followed Lynette Fields at the end of episode 4.

So, who is this trucker?

Is Polly alive or dead?

In the meantime, check out my feature for Mystery & Suspense Magazine on why the Riverdale time jump is exactly what we need here!

I’m invested and I can’t wait to find out more. Stay tuned, Riverdale fans!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 5 Episode 1: “Climax”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 5 episode 1 season premiere, we were reminded how quickly life on Riverdale can turn into a Jamie Lee Curtis movie…

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In last night’s episode, “Chapter Seventy-Seven: Climax,” everyone gets ready to attend the prom, but is this the end for some of our favorite couples? Meanwhile, the videotape killers continue to wreak havoc while Betty and Jughead try to get to the bottom of everything.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 5 episode 1 are:

“I’m beating it.”

I think it’s worth mentioning that Hiram Lodge is now suddenly getting better because he is beating up everyone in town. Veronica calls the doctors to confirm, but we know it’s only a matter of time before Hiram sinks his teeth into some other dark scandal.

“So you’re my competition.”

After the cancellation of Katy Keene, we knew we would be seeing some of the characters from that spin-off show pop up in Riverdale and K.O. Kelly is the first one. Veronica suggests that they have an exhibition boxing match so that Archie can prove his worth to the navy scout.

Images courtesy of The CW

Archie really puts up a fight and he may have actually been the winner in my book, but K.O. takes the victory and Archie has a fit, saying he won’t apply in the future.

I think Archie needs to find his true calling before he spins out of control…

“This one’s for you Archiekins.”

Poor Veronica. After finding a song that Archie wrote, he throws it in the trash and tells her that it is no good, but of course we know that she is going to get up on stage and perform the song that he actually wrote for Betty to make things extremely awkward for everyone.

Images courtesy of The CW

Betty and Archie exchange a few glances and ultimately, Archie breaks up with Veronica at prom. He tells her about the kiss, but they decide not to tell Jughead, but it looks like Varchie will be heading in different directions after graduation.

I have a feeling that Hiram is going to take away that “deputy mayor” offer pretty quickly…watch out, Archie!

While I’m sad about this break-up, I think that Archie really needs to find out who he is without someone. Maybe he needs another spiritual road-trip or something…

“Was there ever any doubt?”

Varchie is not the only couple to have some major obstacles to get through during prom. We start off with some cute and hilarious moments with Choni, as they petition to be co-queens of prom.

They have my vote for sure!

Later on, Cheryl asks about meeting Toni’s grandmother and is upset to find out that she has to pretend that she is not her girlfriend. Cheryl takes things into her own hands and goes to see Toni’s grandmother, which leads to more drama.

We find out that Toni’s grandmother doesn’t want her dating Cheryl because she is a Blossom and they have wronged their family for too many years.

Images courtesy of The CW

Toni is able to show up to prom with Cheryl and we watch them become prom queens, but the moment is short-lived.

Toni tells Cheryl to give her some time, but Cheryl broke my heart when she was crying in Nana Rose’s lap, explaining that she is destined to be alone.

I really hope that Cheryl and Toni find a way back together, but if I’m being honest, they needed this. There hasn’t really been a lot going on in their relationship lately and perhaps this will allow them both to grow as characters and I’m hoping that they can find a way back to each other.

All hail, Choni!

“To surviving this town…”

While all this drama is going on, we also get Betty and Jughead teaming up to bring down the videotape killer or killers. They even go to visit Bret in jail to get some intel and are told to make a snuff movie, allowing us to witness Cheryl and Reggie show off some of their acting skills. Loved the wig, Cheryl!

Images courtesy of The CW

David at Blue Velvet Video knows that it is a fake, but Betty turns over the tape of her father when he was a young boy and says he is the Black Hood. They get the invite they have been looking for and end up crossing paths with Jellybean (what?) while trying to figure out who the director behind the curtain is.

During prom, the music is cut short and we witness another film where masked strangers are murdering Dave, proving it is not him. I have to say that these killers have been giving me some Purge vibes and I want to know more.

Archie gets a video at his doorstep and it looks like this is going to unlock even more rage inside of him so we’ll have to see how this plays out.

Overall, the season 5 premiere felt slightly chaotic and all over the place. I realize this episode was actually supposed to be part of season 4 before shooting was put on hold because of the pandemic, but I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and I’m hoping we can put some of the drama aside and focus on the mystery at hand.

I did love seeing everyone dressed up for prom and Betty’s dress was my favorite! But, do you think Jughead could have taken off his hat just this once?

Stay tuned, Riverdale fans!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

My Ship of the week ending 2/8/20 on TV goes to…

Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz on The CW’s Riverdale, also known as Choni!

Ever since Toni told Cheryl that she thought she was sensational, I fell in love with these two. Over the seasons, they have had their ups and downs, but one thing remains. They are loyal to one another until the end and their love knows no bounds.

Choni The CW 1 — Images courtesy of The CW

**Please note some spoilers are ahead if you are not caught up on the series.**

While Choni doesn’t always get enough screen time, their relationship has truly grown and developed over the seasons. While I enjoy seeing some of the passionate and steamy moments between them, the reason why I ship them so much is because of their friendship and understanding.

Cheryl and Toni open up to one another, truly letting their walls down, as they reveal their past, fears, and desires. If anyone tries to mess with the other, they are right there to stand up for their love, bringing us timeless epic moments again and again.

Choni The CW 3 — Images courtesy of The CW

In season 4, episode 12, Cheryl crosses paths with Nick Sinclair once again, bringing up some traumatizing memories. After sharing everything with Toni, Toni tells Cheryl that she has also been there before and wants to help her get through things one step at a time. This gesture is so real and honest, as Toni wears her heart on her sleeve, proving to be Cheryl’s rock.

Even though this is a heartwarming moment, Toni takes things up a notch to remind Nick Sinclair that no one should ever mess with Cheryl, proving to be the world’s best girlfriend. She lures Nick into a trap and teaches him a lesson, which had me standing up and applauding.

Cheryl may never be able to completely recover from what happened, but Toni is there to support her every step of the way, making each day that much brighter.

The transformation and growth of Choni is contagious. They always find a way to make me smile, reminding me what real love is all about.

What’s next for Choni?

Choni The CW 4 — Images courtesy of The CW

We’ll have to see how their new business venture at The Maple Club goes, but I have a feeling that Penelope may try to make some waves, but it’s nothing that our power couple can’t handle.

Choni gives us so many incredible moments week after week on the show. They have both changed and grown as characters, but they have also both learned to finally be themselves.

Both of them shine so much in their relationship and I know that they are end game for certain! I can’t wait to see more incredible moments showcasing these two and they will continue to be one of my favorite ships of all time!

What are YOUR thoughts on Choni?

Stay tuned for a recognized Ship on TV each week!

Have a Ship that you think is absolutely swoon-worthy? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 4 Episode 12: “True Honor”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 4 episode 12, I learned that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but it’s usually a draw. When it comes to true honor, winning isn’t always the answer.

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In last night’s episode, “Chapter Sixty-Nine: Men of Honor,” Jughead and Bret prepare for a duel, but Betty and Alice have a side mission of their own that may be more important. Meanwhile, Archie gets caught in the middle of Uncle Frank’s past, an old nemesis returns, and Veronica heads out to New York to catch up with Katy Keene.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 4 episode 12 are:

“New York is my town.”

Veronica takes a trip out to New York for a college interview and spends some quality time with her old friend, Katy Keene, presenting us with a fun crossover to prepare us for the premiere of the spin-off series.

Riverdale The CW 7 — Images courtesy of The CW

After witnessing a super fun shopping spree with these two, Katy reveals that her mother is very ill, causing Veronica to have her own moment of self-reflection.

After Hermione reveals that Hiram is also very sick, Veronica decides to change her name back to Lodge. It may seem like a small gesture, but Hiram is clearly pleased with this.

Veronica was missing something, but will she find it in New York next year or will she stick around in Riverdale? We’ll have to wait and see, but it looks like we will get some serious Varchie screen time in next week’s episode.

“Bret is afraid of me?”

I mean, you are pretty intimidating, Betty, especially after smashing that headstone to pieces, but I am loving the rivalry between our girl and annoying Bret. In this episode, we get the team-up we fell in love with before, as Alice decides to tag along for Betty’s mission.

Riverdale The CW 5 — Images courtesy of The CW

Betty and Alice meet with Mrs. Chipping, trying to piece together what happened to her husband and we finally discover that Moose left because Bret threatened him with a sex scandal video tape.

Betty fears that there may be a tape of her and Jughead as well and is determined to find his collection, but Bret is not making things easy with his secret alarms.

“And may the best man win…”

The duel between Jughead and Bret is quite eventful, as we get three rounds to determine who the best man truly is.

Riverdale The CW 6 — Images courtesy of The CW

Round one is fencing and Bret takes the point, but Jughead literally knocks Bret out in round two, which was quite entertaining to see.

The final round is a chess match, but Jughead ultimately decides to throw the match, explaining that he is done playing this game. Even though Jughead doesn’t win the match, he is a winner in our books as he takes the moral high ground here.

However, it’s only a matter of time before we discover how Jughead meets his untimely demise (or not) and it’s hard to pinpoint the exact motive, but it looks like the Baxter Brothers book series may still be at the center of it.

“I will ruin you…”

Cheryl and Toni (Choni) seem to be quite the hit with their new Maple Club, but things get complicated when Nick Sinclair shows up. Cheryl spots him from behind the curtain and this brings up a lot of horrible memories for her. In case you forgot, Cheryl was drugged by Nick during her sophomore year and Veronica and the Pussycats came to her rescue.

Riverdale The CW 4 — Images courtesy of The CW

Cheryl really opens up to Toni about what happened and we also learn that Toni went through something similar in her past as well. She shows her love and support for her girlfriend, but she also takes things one step further and decides to teach Nick Sinclair a lesson.

Toni teams up with Kevin and Fangs with their side hustle and videos Nick being tickled. Toni tells Nick that she will ruin him and saves the day, proving once again why Choni is such an incredible couple. I love these two so much! Go Toni!

“I think we need to be more worried about Donna.”

Even though Bret stops Betty and Alice from taking his precious collection, Betty does manage to slip Donna’s tape by him. Betty discovers Donna’s confession, which is an identical speech about a teacher she had an affair with.

Betty recognizes that she is lying and has done this speech before, but what is Donna’s end game here?

Betty is right about suspecting Donna as the greater threat, but what does she want with Jughead?

Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 4 Episode 9: “Tangerine Tangerine Tangerine”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 4 episode 9, I learned that sometimes it’s necessary to shatter the darkest parts of ourselves, but are they ever truly gone or have we just unleashed something even more dangerous in the process? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.

In last night’s episode, “Chapter Sixty-Six: Tangerine,” Betty’s life is put in danger after discovering that the Farm is using a trigger word to try and destroy her. Meanwhile, Cheryl confronts her intruder, Jughead finds his grandfather, and Archie and FP team up to clean up the streets.

My top 5 moments from the Riverdale season 4 episode 9 Mid-Season finale are:

“It’s on.”

Veronica vs. Hiram…place your bets now! Hiram shows off his maturity in this episode by trying to mess with everything his daughter cares about. He revokes her liquor license and even starts calling some college recruiters behind her back, but Veronica is not about to let him stand in her way.

She lets her grandmother know what is going on, but it doesn’t look like Hiram has learned his lesson yet. All hope is not lost; however, as the admissions rep from Columbia seems very interested in Veronica’s story.

“Let’s see how you do against someone your own size.”

FP has a talk with Archie and promises to help him send a message to stop these drug dealers from hurting kids, but he wants Archie to put down the vigilante mask for good. Archie and FP actually make quite the team, as FP even takes out his Serpent jacket for the occasion.

After FP is shot, Archie continues to react on instinct and almost beats Dodger to death. Luckily, FP will be OK, but it looks like Archie is in desperate need of a male role model.

And in walks Fred’s brother, Frank…

“You seize the opportunities you are given.”

Jughead wins the writing contest, so it looks like he will be the next ghost writer for the Baxter Brothers series. Congrats Jughead!

Mr. DuPont reminds Jughead that he needs to play by the rules, but Jughead is still not letting go of the past, as he decides to track down his grandfather to get some answers. After discovering that his grandfather sold the book over to DuPont, he starts to see the full picture, but it doesn’t look like the drama is over for Jughead just yet.

Jughead is now officially initiated into the Quill and Skull society, but it looks like he is going to be found dead four weeks later…

And so the plot thickens!

“I’m the Red Queen.”

I was so excited that Cheryl decided to tie in my favorite book of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and of course she is our Red Queen. After pretending to poison herself, Penelope Blossom reveals herself, confirming one of my theories.

Penelope explains that she is jealous that Cheryl has been able to find happiness with dead Jason, but you would think she would try and salvage her own relationship with her daughter.

Cheryl is not about to let her mother walk away from this and decides to keep her captive in the bunker. Cheryl finally realizes that it is time to say goodbye to Jason and gives him a Viking funeral down at Sweet River with all of her friends.

I thought this was an important and vulnerable moment for Cheryl and I’m glad that Toni and her friends could be there for her. Even though Cheryl has a softer side, one should never cross the Red Queen, however.

“What did you do Betty?”

A good question for sure and of course we have to wait until January 22^nd for new episodes to find out more! During this episode, both Polly and Alice are hypnotized by a trigger word, tangerine. If the word is said three times, they try to eliminate “Evil Betty” or “Dark Betty” and we discover that Evelyn Evernever is the one making the calls.

Betty decides to have a little chat with Evelyn at Shankshaw Prison, but it looks like her greatest threat might be herself. Charles works with Betty and uses the word trigger, as Betty tries to go back in her memories to stop her childhood self from ever hurting her cat, Caramel.

It seems like everything works just fine, but when Betty turns to the mirror and says the trigger words again, she shatters it. Betty tells her mother that the darkness is gone, but now we discover that she may have been the one to kill Jughead.

Personally, I can’t believe that Betty would ever intentionally harm Jughead, but this is definitely a twist I did not see coming. Betty has been trying to stifle her dark side for a while now, but has she just unleashed something even more deadly in the process? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” season 3 episode 19: “Fear the Reaper”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 3 episode 19, I realized that keeping secrets can be a dangerous game on its own. However, when you also mix in playing G&G, things are going to get crazy. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Chapter Fifty-Four: Fear the Reaper,” Jughead teams up with FP and Gladys to try and rescue Jellybean. Meanwhile, Betty checks up on Evelyn, Archie contemplates giving up boxing, and Josie makes a big decision. My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 3 episode 19 are:

“We’re not end game.”

During the episode, Josie is excited that her father has come to town and she really begins to contemplate her own future. Josie says, “I want to broaden my musical horizons,” but it looks like she has been searching for something of her own for a while. After giving a dazzling performance, Josie’s father agrees to let her accompany him on tour and it looks like she could be heading off to NYC.

Josie tells Archie that they are not end game and that’s OK, but it looks like this is the end for Archosie. Josie’s return to Riverdale is uncertain and it probably has something to do with her joining another Archie Comic spin-off series called, “Katy Keene,” which will also star Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars. While we don’t know when or if the series will get picked up, it looks like Josie has the opportunity to really step into the spotlight now and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

“Check my file…I think I just might.”

I love when Betty gets her Nancy Drew on and this episode was no exception. Betty may not have found out much about Edgar, but she does discover a lot of interesting information on Evelyn. We discover that Evelyn has been pretending to be a seventeen-year-old Junior for over a decade at numerous schools and that she is actually 26. If that’s not shocking enough for you, we also learn that she is not Edgar’s daughter, she’s his wife. Still with me? Betty is concerned because her mother is about to marry Edgar and he also wants to adopt Polly’s twins.

Betty goes to Hal for help and he suggests someone who is “uniquely motivated” to help her, leading her to Penelope Blossom. However, it seems like Penelope is more interested in taking the boy twin and naming him Jason Junior, which doesn’t help Betty all that much. As the secrets begin to unravel, it’s interesting to see how much of an impact Evelyn can have on the teenagers around her. But what will happen when everyone finds out that she has been lying? Are the members of the Farm too far gone or is there anything that Betty can do?

“Still wanna call me the reaper?”

After the dramatic boxing match in last week’s episode, Randy is pronounced dead and the guilt immediately begins to overwhelm Archie. Fred gives Archie a heartwarming talk and tells him that he’s innocent and I just recently learned that this was actually Luke Perry’s final scene, which makes this talk that much more meaningful. This is not the first time that Archie has blamed himself, but he is far from a reaper. Archie thinks about giving up boxing, but ultimately decides to use his prize money to give to Randy’s family, which is a very generous gesture.

Elio continued to get on my nerves, pretending that he didn’t juice Randy, but it’s all starting to make sense, as we see later in the episode that he is working for Hiram Lodge. It was only a matter of time before this “truce” came crashing down between Hiram and Archie. Now that Josie is making her exit, there is an even greater potential for a reunion between Archie and Veronica, but will that sever this truce for good? Hiram is very dangerous and a master manipulator, but there’s something about Archie that brings out the worst in him and it looks like this is only going to escalate further.

“Join us.”

After getting nowhere with Penelope, Betty reaches out to Toni, hoping that she can sneak her into the Farm so that she can get the other twin out of there safely. Only Toni has now crossed over to the other side. Et tu, Toni? Toni talks about how she always wanted a family and has now found one with the Farm and leads Betty right to the heart of it. Was Toni brainwashed or is something else going on here? I find it hard to believe that she was so against the Farm previously and now has become one of its puppets.

Betty asks the Farm why they are all smiling and her mother reveals that she already knows that Edgar is married to Evelyn, which makes their union that much creepier. Betty seems like she is falling under the thrall of the Farm for a moment, but she snaps out of it. Betty remembers seeing the babies thrown into the fire before she had a seizure earlier in the season and she makes a run for it. Even though we are learning a lot more about the Farm, there are still so many unanswered questions and I hope we get to the bottom of it before the end of the season, as we only have three episodes left!

“If we play and we win, we can get Jellybean back.”

Jughead has his own family drama to deal with in this jam-packed episode, as he agrees to play the game under creepy Kurtz’s orders. And here are our players:

Deadeye: FP

Hellcaster: Jughead

The Alchemist: Gladys

In the first round, secrets are out and FP learns what Gladys has been up to. It was only a matter of time before he found out, but they need to put this aside to try and save Jellybean. FP says that there will be a reckoning, which reminds us that he will definitely circle back to this anger, however. The next task involves the Jones family robbing Pop’s Diner, which ends with FP getting shot. In the next task, we see a Cyclops card and in walks Penny Peabody, who is definitely looking for some revenge. Gladys and her fight, channeling their inner Elektra and Gladys is victorious, but definitely needs to go to the hospital as well, which means that everything is now up to our hero, Jughead.

Jughead is presented with two doors and is told to choose, as Kurtz mentions “The Lady, or the tiger,” which is a short story written by Frank R. Stockton. The story is set in an ancient country and the king is put through a set of trials, much like Jughead. He ultimately has to choose between two doorways: one leading to the princess and one leading to death. Jughead is faced with this same dilemma and ends up being trapped behind the door, as Kurtz gives the order to eliminate the princess. Jughead is able to break free and saves the day, as I breathed a sigh of relief. Yay Jughead!

Even though Jughead saves the day for now, we are still left with several unopened doors of our own. Jughead came face to face with the Gargoyle King, but he didn’t have time to stay, as he rushed off to make sure that Jellybean was all right. Gladys says that she is leaving town, but Jellybean will be staying behind, but what does this mean for the drug trade in Riverdale?

Also, Hiram is ready to step out of the shadows and it’s been quite a while since we have seen Hermione, which continues to stir my own suspicions. Plus, we learn that while Hal was being transferred to Hiram’s new prison, there was an accident and no survivors. Betty asked Hiram to transfer her father to his prison, but can you ever really make a deal with the devil? Is Hal really dead or have we just released the former Black Hood back into society? I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to find out. Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

**I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available! If you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery, then this might be the book for you or someone you know! Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well. I hope you enjoy!

**Book Two of the Dreaming of Wonderland series is scheduled to come out in June 2019 so stay tuned on that!!!!!

The Search for Alice is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” season 3 episode 18: “She’s her Father’s Daughter”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 3 episode 18, the Invasion of the Body Snatchers drama continued, as some of our favorite characters dove deeper into trouble. Whether they were looking for answers or comfort, darkness is never too far away in Riverdale. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Chapter Fifty-Three: Jawbreaker,” Jughead works with FP to investigate the town’s latest murder. Meanwhile, Betty tries to get through to Alice, Toni worries about Cheryl’s involvement in the Farm, and Archie is up for a rematch with Veronica’s full support. My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 3 episode 18 are:

“I felt reborn.”

In the beginning of the episode, Betty continues her conversation with Edgar Evernever, who begins to reveal more about himself. Edgar explains that he previously felt lost and found himself on a farm, which made him want to recreate that feeling of being reborn with his own farm. Betty recognizes that it sounds like a nice story and all, but she is not buying it whatsoever. Edgar does not reveal anything about how Cheryl and Alice are seeing their dead relatives, as he vaguely explains that they are discovering the best versions of themselves. Betty refuses to let Edgar turn everything around on her and decides to get through to her mother once and for all.

“I’m always in your corner…”

Archie feels very passionate about honoring Baby Teeth’s death and Veronica works with him to get their gym, the El Royale, in the spotlight. Elio agrees to let Archie have a rematch against Randy, but decides to dose him with “G,” which is some kind of bad batch of fizzle rocks that apparently turns people into zombies. Not really, but the foaming at the mouth and the extreme behavior sort of had me thinking along those lines. I mean, they are only a town away from Sabrina and Greendale so anything is possible.

Archie is able to knock Randy out, but the drugs may have actually done a lot of damage, as Randy is not waking up yet. Even though the fight was entertaining, I was more interested in the lingering stare between Archie and Veronica. Is there hope for Varchie? It looks that way and even Josie notices that Veronica certainly didn’t hold back when she purchased Archie some new attire for the fight.

“You’re a daughter who wants her mother back just like I want my girlfriend back.”

Finally someone else notices what is going on with the Farm! After Cheryl trades in her signature red for a white ensemble, Toni is beyond concerned about her. Toni approaches Betty, who fills her in on what she knows so far. Toni continues to try and get through to Cheryl, but Evelyn has other plans. Evelyn confronts Toni and Toni tells her, “Bitch I love her and she loves me.” Seriously Evelyn, you better watch out. Evelyn proves to be manipulative and conniving, as she tells Cheryl that she needs to choose between Toni and Jason. Toni says that there has to be another way and begins her own runway walk down the halls sporting some white attire.

I was a little worried that we had lost our girl Toni to the Farm as well, but she is undercover, still working with Betty. I have to say that I really enjoyed the interactions between Betty and Toni in this episode. We don’t typically see too much between these two, but they both have a common goal now and I’m interested to see them continue to work together to bring down the Farm for good.

“I will kill you…”

After crossing Toni, Evelyn makes the mistake of confronting Betty. Betty has had enough and slams Evelyn against a locker and threatens her. Go Betty! She tells her that she sees right through her and wants her to stop messing with her and her family. Betty doesn’t want to give up on her mother and even resorts to kidnapping her and keeping her in Dilton’s bunker. It seems a bit extreme, but Betty will do anything for her mother. Betty tells Alice, “The past is part of who you are,” but Alice doesn’t seem to want to remember the pain. Alice even begins burning the old photos that Betty shows her and Betty comes to the realization that she may need to let her mother go after all.

After listening to one of the tapes, Betty hears her mother’s thoughts on her, recognizing the same darkness in Betty that she saw in Hal. Betty continues to confide in her father about everything, but now he wants a favor in return. He’s ready to return home, but I’m not really sure how that would work. I mean, you don’t just get to leave prison and all. Betty is continuously pushed again and again, but will this release the darkness within her or will she channel her love for her friends and family?

“Save the little princess.”

After Jughead and FP catch Kurtz, Kurtz continues to be overly creepy and tells Jughead that “Baby Teeth was only the warm up to the ultimate quest.” He further explains that there is still one final game for Jughead and his family and we cut to Jellybean being brought to the Gargoyle King. I have so many questions here. Now that we have been focusing on the Farm so much, the Gargoyle King has taken a back seat, but it looks like he or she is done hiding in the shadows. However, why is the Gargoyle King so interested in the Jones family? Is there a connection between the Gargoyle King and Gladys? We know that she is controlling the drug trade, but is she somehow pulling the Gargoyle King’s strings as well. I previously thought that Hermione could be the woman behind the mask, but I’m not really sure what she would get out of hurting the Jones family.

There are a lot more players now and it’s difficult to determine who is the true Gargoyle King. Jughead also previously thought that perhaps Baby Teeth was murdered by a copy cat killer. Baby Teeth clearly struggled and he had a matchbook stuck in his throat from the Maple Club, which also potentially incriminates Penelope Blossom. We know that there is a connection between the Gargoyle King and the Midnight club from so many years ago, but what is the real motive here? If the Jones family is at the center of it, we need to carefully look at all of their potential allies and enemies. It looks like no one can really be cleared as innocent, but what is their end goal? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

**Book Two of the Dreaming of Wonderland series is scheduled to come out in June 2019 so stay tuned on that!!!!!

The Search for Alice is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

My Ship of the week ending 3/23/19 on TV goes to…

Cheryl and Toni on Riverdale, better known as Choni! So, lately my heart has been sinking because my favorite couple on the show has been drifting apart and I feared that they might break up forever. Cheryl channeled her rage into the Heathers musical in episode, “BIG FUN,” and Toni has been searching for her own identity for a few episodes now. Cheryl and Toni continued to clash during the musical, which led to some serious tension, as Cheryl began resorting back to her mean girl ways. However, Toni later approached Cheryl to get to the root cause of Cheryl’s anger, revealing a lot about what Cheryl thinks about love. This gave Choni fans the opportunity to see a glimmer of hope and love between these two. It doesn’t always have to be “all or nothing,” as relationships are about compromise as well.

The epic kiss between these two reminded us that the passionate spark has not burned out just yet and hopefully Cheryl and Toni can work together to build back an even stronger relationship. Cheryl and Toni have a love that is passionate and beautiful, but it is much more than the steamy moments together. Toni has been such an important influence on Cheryl’s life, showing her that she does not always need to keep her guard up. In return, Cheryl has provided Toni with the opportunity to truly show off her talent, always seeing the potential and the good in her, which has helped Toni believe in herself.

What’s next for Choni? We’ll have to stay tuned to find out, but I would love to see these two continue to build up their relationship. Cheryl and Toni are both very passionate women and sometimes tempers flare, but I’m hoping that they can talk things out, rather than pushing each other away, because these two are absolutely end game for me!

Stay tuned for a recognized Ship on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a Ship that you think is absolutely swoon-worthy? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

The Search for Alice is available here!

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