Welcome back all you Riverdale fans! A little over a month ago, we learned some major reveals about Betty. Now we’re learning just how far the rot goes and it is DEEP and entrenched. Can Betty prove it before Jug supposedly bites the big one? We’ve got 12 more episodes to go so who knows. What I do know is — you can’t trust anyone in this show.
And as always, spoilers ahead.
1. Football? More like drugsball
Yeah, I don’t really know what the message was meant to be here. Monroe being given “pills” from Frank, the soldier suffering from PTSD (presumably) isn’t my idea of a positive. The show frames this as the correct move, as if it was like Frank had high strength ibuprofen instead of mystery drugs, and I dunno how I feel about that.
Not every piece of media requires a moral or message underneath, nor are those messages always supposed to be positive, that isn’t the point of fiction, but when you create a frame where there’s a revelation of a main character, with the music and the camera work pointing towards the acceptance of this action rather than the rejection of it being correct, things get dicey. In an otherwise earnest show, if this were meant to be a moment of Archie buying into something wrong ala Hiram’s bullshit, there should be more indications from the construction of the shots, the music cues, etc. That’s how you build a compelling dramatic plot instead of a murky, confused one.
Plus, really? “You must accept someone’s choices.” Sure, but not with mystery pills that might get Monroe seriously injured. What Archie did was being a good friend, a good captain, and someone who cared. I think what’s getting me is that, this isn’t a doctor saying here’s something for the pain, don’t go out on it or your knee may be fucked irrevocably, it’s rando uncle with, might I remind you, mystery pills from the VA. This better come back as a plot point or I will be real annoyed.
2. Apple and Honey
So. . .uh. . .was there a point to bringing in Ms. Appleyard at this point in the season? She serves little purpose other than to sneer at Cheryl in the same way as literally every other teacher figure in the show and to pad out her plot. It’s a payoff, I guess, of Mr. Honey’s threats from earlier in the season but, like, as Cheryl says, this is her last game. There will be no point in Ms. Appleyard after this. Plus, she was boring and stock. What a waste.
But you know who isn’t a waste? Mr. Honey, surprisingly enough. After his multiple episode crusade against the students, including against Betty for her article, it seems like he’s opening up. True, it took an asswhooping by the Stonewall Hooligans at football to get him to acquiesce to Betty’s suspicions and let her try to bring in a win. It’s the first bit of a twist we’ve seen to him. At first, I thought he may be tied to Stonewall Prep but that scene makes me think he’s just a real, real stickler for rules and procedures. Not a bad character but it does get me to ask, again: why is he needed?
I guess so we can have scenes like him almost orgasaming over the idea of beating Stonewall Prep & Brett Easton Ellis Weston Wallace at a quiz game. Now, I love a quiz game as much as the next guy, Jeopardy watcher and former Quiz Bowl player right here, but that may be a bit of an extreme reaction. . . I love it though.
3. Drown Me, Drown Me in the Drink
Veronica is back at it again, falling into the same pattern as every fucking episode. It’s getting real tiring to see her go, “I have a plan,” execute said plan, either gloat to her father or feel self-satisfied only for Hiram to out maneuver her. Is it realistic? 100%. She’s still in high school and he’s been at this for a long, long time. It’d be weird if she were to be outsmarting him at every turn. Does it make for good TV? No. It’s boring and annoying and please god, why won’t she learn from her mistakes?
Continued belowLike, she’s spiced her rum. Great. It was still patent infringement and she clearly didn’t do her research on what can be a legally distinct product. With the additional of Blossom maple, would that change anything or is it still too close to the original? All she’s adding is maple syrup and the spices she put in. The formula has not changed. I guess we’ll find out next week or so. I don’t hold out hope.
4. I’m Going to ~~yALe~~
Yale is not a bad place. It’s reputation is well earned. I know a lot of people who have gone to Yale who deserved it. But Yale is a stand-in this week for, and example of, all those storied institutions who put up a front of respectability, prestige and openness when underneath they’re a den of nepotism, privilege, and abuse. Much as Jug found out when he entered Stonewall Prep in full, power begets power and fuck anyone and everyone who wants to take even the slightest bit from them. Stonewall’s education may be top notch, but at what cost?
Jughead is a talented writer but it is only because he is at Stonewall, with his connections that he gets accepted. He does almost everything in his power to brush off Yale, shy of actually brushing them off, but he is still accepted, thanks in no small part to his secret society. It’s kind of sickening to consider because, as ridiculous as Riverdale gets, this is too true to life. Sure, these big institutions accept based on smarts but they accept more on connections and funds, reserving spots for a specific class of student who has been given every opportunity to meet their “criteria.”
Also, Yale hasn’t rejected Betty, just put her on the regular acceptance track, right? That’s not a rejection and the ending seems to imply she gets into Yale on regular acceptance.
5. Reality is a Fiction and Fiction is Reality
So. . .I find myself in a pickle with regards to Brett. On the one hand, he’s the most manipulative son of a bag of half-eaten monkey scrotums on the show, rivaling Hiram in that. On the other, he seemed oddly serious about his confrontation of Betty at the end, like he was actually mourning Jug’s loss. Is that a front? I don’t know. At this point, Jug might have changed from “peasant” to “peer” in his eyes and thus, is no longer of the “underclass,” unfit to bask in his majesty privilege. It could be a ruse. It could be a mixture. But at this point, it’s hard to trust anything from him or his fellow Skull & Quill members.
That scene in the basement is a great example of how the show sews this doubt but makes the multiple readings satisfying. If we believe that Brett and the others are actually opening up to Jughead, it brings some added depth to these characters (though I wonder why they only did Brett & Donna’s.) But, much as a villain having a tragic origin doesn’t make them less of a villain, so true is that here. It simply highlights the ways privilege harms the privileged and perpetuates a cycle of abuse and violence.
If they’re lying, then it shows how fucked up these characters are and is another piece of evidence for their sociopathy. At this point, we have enough reason to doubt them but, reading the context clues, also enough to believe they aren’t lying. And, fuck, if they are lying about these things, that’s messed up.
Added to this is whether or not Jug was being truthful! I think he was but there’s always the chance he made that story up so that they don’t actually have anything to blackmail him with later because that’s clearly what these videos are for. Either way, Jug is getting in deep and the fated day of his “death” approaches.
What new twists will we encounter? Will Jug actually be killed and if so, will the Stonewall people team up with Charles to hypnotize Betty into doing it so they can get rid of two thorns in their side? We’ve got plenty of episodes left to speculate and, for my money, that’s the best thing this season has done.
Continued belowThat about does it for now! What did you all think of the return? Not the strongest episode, but it was solidly constructed and had its moments, like the Vixens singing Cherry Bomb for some reason. Let me know what your Jug theories are in the comments, then join me again in a week for Quiz Show! Family Feud, eat your heart out. Until then, stay safe, stay sane, and remember, Charles is always listening and watching.
Best Line of the Night:
Yale Recruiter: “At Yale, everyone earns their spot.” (At which point I burst out laughing.)
