Need to catch up? Check out our previous Riverdale recap here.
Archie was torn between two father figures as Riverdale‘s mayoral race heated up — while Betty started having grave doubts about her own dad.
Archie goes door-to-door campaigning for Fred, but really, he’s just looking into everyone’s eyes to see if they’re the Black Hood. Hiram advises him to reform his Dark Circle vigilante squad to give him some muscle, but really, Hiram just wants them to stir up trouble so Riverdale will look lawless, making Hermione’s tough-on-crime campaign more appealing. Meanwhile, Betty eyes her dad Hal suspiciously across the breakfast table, worrying that he might actually be the Black Hood. She confesses her fears to Cheryl — because of course, Cheryl already knows what it’s like to have a killer for a dad.
After Archie reforms the Dark Circle, Moose confesses that he had a fight with Midge right before she died when he found out she was fooling around with a Serpent. That sets off Reggie, who interrupts Jughead’s Serpent meeting and starts shoving people around, reigniting the Northside vs. Southside feud. Later, Fangs confesses to Jughead he was hooking up with Midge (remember that “going over lines” moment Jughead caught on camera?), and he was too scared to tell the cops. And he should have been: There’s a new sheriff in town — Hiram’s old pal Sheriff Minetta — and when Jughead’s footage of Midge and Fangs together gets leaked, the sheriff hauls Fangs away in handcuffs. Reggie and his goons get revenge by slashing tires at the Serpents’ biker bar… and Archie finds out Hiram is actually paying them to cause chaos.
Betty, looking to prove that Hal is the Black Hood, breaks into his desk and sees that his day planner indicates he was always “busy at work” or “on a business trip” every time the Black Hood struck. (The coroner calls her down to the morgue to identify a body, and even though it’s not Chic’s, Betty still feels guilty for serving him up to the Black Hood.) Then when she finds Hal is still paying rent on the bachelor pad he crashed in after Alice kicked him out, she and Cheryl break into there (man, Betty is good at picking locks, isn’t she?) and find… that old Nancy Drew code book the Black Hood used to make his encoded messages. Hal claims it was meant to be a birthday present for her, but Betty doesn’t buy it. That’s it, call off the search: Hal has to be the Black Hood, right?
Well, maybe not. Because on debate night, just as Hermione calls the Dark Circle a “dangerous radical group” and accuses Archie of running it, a shadowy figure appears in the balcony. It’s the Black Hood! He takes aim with a sniper rifle, firing at the stage as everyone in the crowd ducks for cover. (Including Hal… so it can’t be him.) No one is hit, but Hermione is badly shaken up, and the Black Hood somehow escapes into the night. Fangs was in a prison cell when all this happened, so clearly, he didn’t kill Midge. The cops agree to let him go — but there’s still an angry mob of protestors outside, thirsty for blood. And they’ll get it.
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As Jughead and the Serpents form a human shield to protect Fangs as he walks out of prison, Reggie marches up to them, gun in hand. Archie tackles him to the ground, knocking the gun loose, but as they struggle, the gun goes off… and Fangs ends up with a bullet in his gut. And Betty, still not convinced her dad isn’t the Black Hood, calls Hal and tells him to meet her “where this all started,” at the town hall where she made her speech. But he doesn’t show up — and when Cheryl answers a knock at the front door of Thistle House, the Black Hood is standing there waiting for her. For the love of all that is holy, Riverdale writers, do not take Cheryl “Bombshell” Blossom away from us.
Yearbook Notes:
* Veronica tried to play Miss Mob Boss this week, partnering up with a handsome young devil named Elio to finance a new casino in Riverdale. (Was Elio a redhead, too? I couldn’t tell in the neon lighting at Pop’s.) But when Hiram said no — and stashed her ransom money from the St. Clairs in a trust so she couldn’t touch it — Ronnie ditched her dad and threw her support behind Fred for mayor. Hiram will probably just calmly accept this betrayal with a shrug, right?
* Fred’s threatening note from the Black Hood said, “You’re next sinner!” — with no comma. Sigh… the Black Hood is not only murdering people, he’s murdering proper English as well.
* This new sheriff is definitely under Hiram’s thumb, right? Guess we’ll see how he uses Minetta to make sure Hermione ends up in the mayor’s office.
* Anyone else notice the weird look that Midge’s mom gave to Jughead in the protest crowd outside the prison? I sure did. What was that about, hmmm?
* I thought nothing would be funnier than the name Poppa Poutine, but now Elio has revealed that the late Mr. Poutine has a son known as… Small Fry.
* After last week, I officially have a new theory about who the Black Hood is. I will let you know by season’s end if I’m right. (I am probably not!)
Got thoughts on tonight’s Riverdale? Grab a booth in the comments below.
Cheryl won’t die. It’s tv rule number 1. Unless you see someone being killed they’re not dead.
Not sure why the Black Hood would go after Cheryl, unless it’s her “Uncle” who’s my latest theory. Also seems too easy that the Hood got away from the debate. I’m guessing that was a ploy by Hiram since the Hood didn’t actually hit anyone there.
I actually thought the “Black Hood” at the debate was FP attempting to get Fangs out of jail; not anticipating that there would be an angry mob. Hiram actually wanted Fangs in jail, and sent Reggie as a plan B when that didn’t work out. If Hal is the Black Hood, it’s sad that as a reporter he doesn’t know proper grammar. At least he used the proper “you’re.” Unless it was an attempt to throw suspicion off him. I actually thought Hal was the Black Hood for a long time, but now that they have Betty suspecting him, it feels like a red herring. Was that confirmation tonight or not? I don’t know what is going on. Unless there are multiple Black Hoods.
I don’t think they’re are multiple Black Hoods, but didn’t they say Blossoms have twins? Could it be Hal’s twin or is that to many twins escapes for the show?
Given the fact that we had Clifford’s never before mentioned twin brother Shoaib I think how having an unknown unspoken have twin brother would just be a bit too much over the top for this season
Well the black hood goes after sinners and she has definitely done some evil things it’s implied she may or may not have murdered her father and staged it as a suicide she has burn down the house she has threatened her mother’s life on multiple occasions
However she attacked them for their sins, not unlike the Black Hood.
Yes I don’t think that cherylls dad actually killed himself, i think that he killed claudius and he is still alive and is the black hood. but i previously thought that bettys dad was…now i think clifford is using him. OMG WILL ARCHIE GO TO PRISON NOOOOO
1. If you have seen Scream 4, you know what can happen to Deputies outside your house.
B. I’m sooooo tired of Archie being a lap dog for Hiram. In fact, can Hiram just go away?
3. It’s good to see that they are using more of the supporting cast.
And if you’ve seen Scream 2, you know that deputies are just dead meat for a resourceful serial killer. I had nightmares about the one on the windshield for years.
This show has gone too far. In what universe does a high school girl think that she can build a casino, and do it with only a million dollars? AAnd “monsters
Riverdale really needs lighten up next season and let these kids have fun. There can all be some dark elements, but I’d be happy without any mob and serial killer storylines.
So…What was the point earlier in the season that revealed that Hermione was the real “boss”. Nothing has come from that and she’s not in charge; Hiram is.
Everyone in that town is bananas.
I think Hal is the black hood but he has someone else like Tall Boy doing some of the dirty work
All of these clues that are conveniently pointing to Hal as the BH makes me think that it’s not him. Just like with Svenson, it’s a distraction.
Also, when did the Red Circle become the Dark Circle?
When Hermione made that comment about Archie starting the Red/Dark Circle, Archie should have run out there with the information that they are being paid by Hiram. Sure, it’s against debate rules and he probably couldn’t prove it as no one would back him up, but at least put the info out there. I actually thought he might until all hell broke loose.
So Veronica comes to tell Fred she’s supporting his campaign and then just has sex with Archie right after….? Is Fred that cool of a dad?
We needed our token shirtless Archie scene this episode.
I’m not completely convinced that was the real black shooting up the Mayorial debate I don’t put it past Hiram to have hired somebody just to cause panic
Ditto
Am I the only other person has a problem with this whole thing is midge and gang were supposedly hooking up plot twist given the fact that it was established earlier this season that fang was gay and that during the episode promoting the movie love Simon where Kevin is a third wheel in the booth at Pops with Midge and Moose They actually suggest that Kevin date that cute new serpent that just transferred in and KeVin states he doesn’t think he could date somebody named fangs not to mention fangs was Joaquin’s ex you know Kevin’s bf for like 2 episodes in season 1
Kevin and Joaquin were actually together through most of the 1st season. They hooked up at the drive in and were together until Joaquin skipped town after FP was arrested for Jason’s murder. And maybe Fangs is bi? That’s not too much of a stretch.
Then midge really did have a type didn’t she lol
I need to re-watch that scene where fangs get shot I don’t believe that Reggie’s gun went off let alone would’ve fired and landed where fangs was shot i’m thinking someone else murdered fangs
We don’t know yet if Fangs died. Maybe they get him to the hospital in time.
Of course the new sheriff is in Hiram’s pocket how else did that footage it leaked the only one that had access to it was the sheriff
This season has gone off the rails but I am along for the ride. Thinking Hiram hired someone to shoot up the debate. Possibly creepy Uncle Cornelius is the Black Hood, which could explain him showing up at Cheryl’s. But still unclear on the connection to Betty. Still hoping for an Alice/FP romance…
I guess the Sheriff is in Hiram’s pocket, but still he has to be the worst sheriff and worse police force ever. He promised the debate would be safe. The hood gets in and out without being caught?
AND
He releases Fangs into an angry crowd and has ZERO police protection. Even if the Sheriff is corrupt there has to be other police that would have helped. I hope Fangs doesn’t die. Are we sure it was Reggie’s gun? Seems to be the angle and the dead centre shot was fired from further away, not just an accidental shot.
Reggie is a regular next season I hope it wasn’t his gun.
Last note: I know the debate was interrupted, but Archie could have told Fred that Hiram PAID the Black circle to attack the serpents. That would kill Hermione’s campaign. The lodges are ENCOURAGING Violence. Not saving Riverdale from it.
I really don’t think that forgetting to add a comma in a 3 word sentence could be called “murdering proper English”.