‘Riverdale’: 9 Teases For “Chapter Fifty-Five: Prom Night”

Last episode, Jellybean was seemingly unharmed — somehow — after meeting The Gargoyle King himself. This week, Jughead finds out, and information snagged from his sister leads him back down the mysterious stick monster’s rabbit hole. Unlike previous episodes that have split up Betty and Jughead’s investigations, they team up this episode as a few threads start to pull together. But even as things seem like they’re becoming clearer, a few surprises thrown their way might make ol’ Bughead, er, head back to the drawing board.

One of those threads? Edgar Evernever, who revealed himself as a weirdo creep last week by luring Betty into a room and then having his whole cult chant “join us” at her in an effort to break her down. Or is he a weirdo creep? Every episode of this show seems to present either extremely compelling evidence for, or against the One Tree Hill veteran, and this hour is no different.

Look, I’m not going to argue that a dude who gets his much younger wife to pretend to be a teenager in order to recruit people into his cult has the best intentions. But what are his intentions, exactly? We’ll definitely get more of a sense this episode, leading to a big decision by Betty that changes everything.

Though Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) have officially drank The Farm’s Kool-Aid, they’re not giving up on school activities — including selling tickets to the Fire & Ice themed prom (shades of The Battle of Winterfell, anyone?). Choni is solid this week, but Cheryl finds herself on rockier ground running for Prom Queen, leading to an unenviable choice for Riverdale High’s favorite redhead. Don’t worry, though, you’ll still get to see some cute slow dancing for the couple later on, regardless of what happens. We know what you all really care about.

Ah yes, the Fire & Ice themed prom. Yes, everyone is dressed in medieval costumes, mostly due to some last minute strategizing by Betty and Jughead. Does it seem like a good idea to theme your prom around fantasy, when a fantasy role playing game has led to multiple teenager deaths in the past year? As Veronica said a few episodes back: forget it Jughead, it’s Riverdale.

The theme is delightful, complete with nods to Labyrinth and other fantasy favorites. Yes, you’ll see one couple take a cute pic, and two doing some cute slow dancing. There are even two (no frills) promposals in the episode. That said, despite some sweet moments, the prom is not the focus of the prom, it’s all a plan on Bughead’s part to finish this thing, once and for all. Will they finally get the upper hand on The Gargoyle King?

Meanwhile, Veronica is dealing with some issues of her own — as usual. A surprising bit of information she learns late in the episode changes a lot about what we knew about her arc this season, and leads directly into a showdown next episode. Luckily, she looks great in her dress. Oh, and…

Wait a second, is Varchie (a.k.a. Veronica and Archie) back on??? That’s what everyone is wondering, as the two former lovers get back together to work on Archie’s boxing career. Everyone has questions about their relationship status (or sometimes statements, in the case of Cheryl Blossom), and fans may be wondering by episode’s end as well. With Veronica fresh off her relationship with Reggie (Charles Melton) and Archie and Josie’s (Ashleigh Murray) ship having sailed last episode, is romance in the offing for Mr. Andrews and Ms. Lodge?

Okay, quick break from the teases for some real world talk. As fans know, Riverdale star Luke Perry rather shockingly passed away on March 4 after suffering a stroke the previous week. Last week’s unfortunately named “Fear the Reaper” was the last episode he filmed, so Molly Ringwald steps in for him in these final few episodes as Archie’s mother, Mary Andrews.

Though Fred is definitively placed off-screen for the moment, and Mary’s presence is given the proper setup, do look for a tribute to the late, great Perry about halfway through the episode. It’s small, but it’s there.

As for Mary, she’s far less supportive of Archie’s burgeoning boxing career than Fred was, leading to a great montage sequence to a piece of music I’m shocked they haven’t used so far; and an incredibly dangerous situation for Riverdale High’s second favorite redhead.

If you’re wondering about things like who will win Prom King and Queen… Guys, this is a Riverdale High prom. I highly suggest that you’re looking in the wrong direction for the thrust of the episode. You will get a sense of this by the end, but I’d be much more worried about what’s happening elsewhere.

The Gryphons & Gargoyles game that has plagued the town of Riverdale got its start decades earlier when the parents of the town formed a group called The Midnight Club. As of “Prom Night,” that game comes full circle, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Someone knows what Betty did last summer, leading to a taut, terrifying sequence in Riverdale High that will make you question everything you’ve learned about the season so far.

Where to stream Riverdale