Welcome back all you Riverdale fans! Did you miss me? Did you miss your weekly dose of weird, pulpy fun that manages to tread that fine line between true batshit insanity (ala Gotham) and actual good TV? I sure did and Chapter 36 “Labor Day” certainly delivers. Oh BOY does it deliver. And as always, remember, spoilers ahead.
1. Pulp Fiction
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Riverdale is at its strongest when it embraces horror, in all its many forms. I don’t care what Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa says about it being a crime show — dark gothic scenes, cabins in the woods, a slasher hunting those it deems “impure;” these are the things that really work well for Riverdale. Something with mystery and the possibility that at least one explanation is that something supernatural is going on. While much of this episode doesn’t lean on that, instead treating us to Archie’s slow breakdown and guilt trip during his trial, when it does bring in Dilton Doiley’s strange D&D campaign come to life, it livens up considerably.
I’m invested in this season 100% more than I was at the start because, well, 1) I’m a sucker for this kind of nonsense and 2) The Wire this is not. Riverdale isn’t constructed for genuine, heartfelt drama — it has its moments, yes, but it’s clumsy when it comes to complex issues and the melodrama takes over more often than not. Still, I think they’ve realized this and are trying to strike a balance between the two so we can still keep Veronica’s struggle against her father and Archie in prison while keeping the WILD INSANITY that is going to be whatever the hell Betty and Jughead are dealing with.
2. Punch Hiram: Volume 1
Oh man was that a cathartic moment. Seeing Hiram get decked in his smug face might have been the wrong move on Mr. Andrews’ part but it was something that was very deserved, even after the long break. Beyond that, I want to dig a little into the Lodge plot line because I have a feeling it’s going to be one of the more interesting ones. . .or it can be if they play it right.
Veronica is now on the outs with her father. We learn that this whole stunt was to punish her and not Archie, which, fine I can believe that. If he wanted to fuck with Archie, there were much better ways. Hell, he would’ve just planted the gun or some other evidence. It’s a nice twist on the classic “Mr. Lodge hates Archie” routine from the comics and sets us up for a more direct confrontation and tension between Veronica and Archie. For much of season 2, Veronica was playing along with him, hoping to do. . .something. I never quite figured out why she was helping him. I think there was a reason? Whatever. Now it’s all rage, all the time.
But what really intrigues me is the small scene we had with Penelope Lodge. Mrs. Lodge has had very little to do since Hiram returned and I think the writers took that to heart after last season. While there was very little indication of what was going on in her head then, now we know how she views her situation and where her priorities are. We also know how little Hiram actually cares for her vs Veronica. She’s concerned for her safety, with good reason. Now we just need to see more of this going forwards. She can’t just be there. What does she want? How is she going to get that? And will she plot against Hiram behind his back as the mayor? Here’s hoping we find out sooner rather than later.
3. Natural Born Killer
The other thing I appreciated about the plots that continued over from last season was the portrayal of Archie’s trial. Well, not the trail itself, that felt like it was a sham the whole time and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the way Archie was wracked with guilt and having his fears made manifest through his dreams turned what could have been another ‘The Trial of Barry Allen’ (yes, I do think that was a really crappy episode of The Flash) into an extension of his character development from last season.
Continued belowWe’ve seen him go through this before so it’s not like it comes out of nowhere. But instead of rage and frustration, like when his father was shot, he is resigned and takes ownership of all the stupid decisions he made over the course of the last year. Yes, he’s being put away for something he didn’t do but he feels guilty for it and to some extent, he is but only on a moral level, not a legal one. It is something he feels he has to reckon with and so, he is.
The trial was also kept short (thank goodness) and served as a nice way of summing up and recapping some of the bigger events of the two previous seasons. I’m also 100% shocked that they went through with him being arrested. Maybe not 100% because of the branding of the season but it seems like they’re going to stick with it for a while, as opposed to some other CW show, and that kind of status quo shift is what makes me stick with the show. They’re never stagnant, even when the show is stagnant (the FBI storyline, anyone?)
I mentioned earlier that the crime genre isn’t where Riverdale is strongest but that’s a bit disingenuous. True crime really is the genre of the show — the whole conceit is that it’s Jughead’s true crime novel from the future. It’s just that those elements only work when they lean into the darker, creepier elements of it. Real horror is rarely supernatural but there are moments, when you first hear the tales, that the corners become just a little bit darker and the shadows grow a little more populated.
4. Forest Foxes
Dilton Doiley, where have you been since Season 1? You popped up once or twice last season, mostly to give Archie a gun and then vanished. Almost like Midge. . .poor Midge. Or Ethel. Or Moose and Kevin (they’re here, they just don’t have much to do). Now you’re back and acting creepy as all get out! This is another moment where the pacing of the show, and their desire to get to the dropping shoe, really hurts the steps to the reveal. Much like Cheryl in season 2, they lost the subtle version of this setup.
It starts off promising. Dilton is playing D&D with his friend in Pops’. It’s set up so that something seems off but it’s impossible to tell what. It could just be that the game isn’t going well and, well, it’s a one person campaign, that can’t be fun. But then they start to blow it, with Dilton acting like he’s going through withdrawal or like he’s being hunted (which he might be) while trying to get the attention of Jughead at Cheryl’s party. THEN he shows up at Jughead’s house and WHY IS HE DOING THIS? We don’t know he all that well in the show so we don’t know why he thinks Jughead is the right person to go to. It works out in the end, and maybe we can assume it’s because he is the resident investigator, but he never vocalizes his concerns in a way that wouldn’t work for any of the other characters. A little more reason for why it’s Jughead he goes to would’ve been appreciated.
Moreover, he’s absurdly cryptic and before he said anything, I was absolutely convinced that Hiram had approached him to hid the gun or plant it or something. I’m so glad I was wrong. This is much better, although, again, more setup would’ve been nice. More interactions, showing his slow descent into paranoia. Why’s he paranoid anyway? What is it about the Gargoyle King that has him so spooked and yet completely enthralled. I dunno but I can’t wait to find out.
Also, Jughead, don’t you have a phone? Why are you screaming at the sky? CALL 911 OR POISON CONTROL!
5. Mrs. Cooper Unchained
There were too many things to talk about this week so let me get a couple quick thoughts out of the way. The ghoulies storyline is stupid and I hope it resolves itself without taking too much more of our time. Cheryl is awesome and extra and super conceited but very confident, which is a nice starting point for a deeper, complicated character. Give her more creepy scenes you cowards! Also give Toni (and the rest of the secondary cast) more to do dammit.
Continued belowOK, now that that’s out of the way, the final thought for the night is the Coopers storyline. I hated this one. It was everything I disliked about the family dynamic from last season turned up to 11 and felt really off but not in the right way. I’m sure they’ll play it off like it’s a result of the farm cult brainwashing (which was very heavy handed until the reveal) but every time they cut back to Betty in the house, I wanted to change the channel. It doesn’t help that there’s been a three month timeskip and we never got to see any of those things develop. It’s just POOF! Suddenly Mrs. Cooper and Polly are 21st century hippies and the farm is sinister? It’s poorly set up and when did Polly become such a giant shit? Like, I know she was woefully underdeveloped last season but where did this come from?
Also, Betty’s addicted to pills?! When’d that happen? When was that EVER mentioned? It’s just a lot of contrivances and is easily the worst part of the episode. But it leads to a fantastic ending with floating babies and Betty having a seizure. I really hope they don’t do the “oh honey, you must’ve hallucinated” route and play it earnestly. We need to be assured something fishy is up so we can dial the weird back to 11.
That about wraps things up! What did you think of the season premiere? Did it come back in form or was it a bit of disappointment? Let me know in the comments and thank you for getting this far down. Join me here again next week! Or if you’re feeling brave, join me Monday morning for my ongoing coverage of Supergirl. I doubt it’ll be as wild as this but, hey, you never know. Until then, stay classy Riverdale.
