Chapter 15.
The town of Riverdale used to be a wholesome and safe place to live. That is no longer the case. Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and the others now realize there is a deep darkness that is bubbling up to the surface. Archie’s dad getting shot was just the first act from the masked “angel of death” (as Pops referred to him). The Black Hood then killed another person, and it’s not quite clear what the connection is.
With the next chapter in the story, some things might be getting a little clearer.
There will be spoilers for Riverdale, Season 2, Episode 2 below.
They Heard The News Today, Oh Boy
During class, Principal Weatherbee delivers the tragic news of the death of their former music teacher, Ms. Grundy. Archie leaves class and later talks to his dad about it being too much of a coincidence based on his connection to Grundy. He also talks to Betty’s mom to see if she can dig up any information from the coroner about the death. Alice finds out Grundy was strangled in what appeared to be a crime of passion. Because it happened with a different weapon and in another town, they try to convince Archie it’s not connected to his dad’s shooting.
Archie suspects Ms. Grudny’s ex could be the killer. Sheriff Keller informs him they already looked into him, and he has an airtight alibi.
The Fate Of Jughead’s Dad
Jughead’s dad’s lawyer tells them the deal offered to FP–20 years in prison. If he doesn’t take it, he could possibly be sentenced to 40 years. Jughead figures he needs to find a better lawyer for his father. At the suggestion of the Serpents, he talks to a lawyer who used to be part of the crew. She tells him the deal offered is garbage. What Jughead needs to do is convince the victim’s family (the Blossoms) to offer their forgiveness in court. If this happens, FP could get time served, with parole.
Betty and Jughead talk to Cheryl and her mom, but they refuse to help. Betty later talks to Cheryl in the locker room and makes her own deal. In exchange for Cheryl testifying for FP, she’ll give her the copy of Jason’s murder at the hands of her father. If she doesn’t help, the video will be released and they won’t be able to get closure over Jason’s death. Cheryl goes along with this and testifies that her dad threatened to harm Jughead if FP didn’t comply with his orders.
FP calls Jughead and brings up the lawyer. He tells him not to respond to her if she calls. She’s not someone Jughead should be indebted to.
Pop’s Diner Is Saved
Pop’s Diner was going to be shut down. Pop had no choice but to sell to an anonymous buyer after Fred Andrews’ shooting and customers refusing to eat there. Betty insists she’ll fix everything and tells Pop not to sign the papers on the sale.
Betty manages to get the Riverdale cheerleaders, the Vixens, to work at Pop’s while also getting the Pussycats to perform when she lied and spread the word that they would be there. More people start showing up, including the Serpents and Veronica’s parents. Hiram even makes a generous contribution. Pops tells everyone the diner is saved.
What Are Veronica’s Parents Up To?
During dinner, Veronica asks her dad if he was the buy, and Hiram tells her he’s not. She also brings up Fred refusing to sell his shares and then gets shot. Hiram says he also had nothing to do with this. Veronica makes it clear how she feels about her father. She shows her mom the letter she got from her dad, threatening her mom. Hermione jumps in and claims she wrote the letter to get Veronica to testify for him. This turns out to be a lie. Hermione jumped in and took the blame to protect Hiram.
As far as Hiram’s contribution to Pop, it turns out he really bought the place. As part of the deal, he’s allowing Pop to stay on as manager, provided he maintains his silence over the deal.
The Black Hood Strikes Again
It’s seen that there’s a drug problem in Riverdale. Midge goes to Reggie to buy a drug called Jingle Jangle, for her and Moose. After the event at Pop’s, Moose and Midge are parked out in the woods. They start using the drug and making out. They hear someone outside, and it turns out to be the Black Hood. He walks up to the driver’s side and shoots into the car.
This wasn’t the only deal in town as Archie manages to get a gun from Dilton, for protection.
Thoughts
The drama continues to get amped up. It’s clear Veronica’s parents are extremely conniving. It’s no wonder Veronica has little respect for them. It appears that Smithers may be out of a job after he got caught warning Veronica her dad was about to enter the building. Hiram wants to be in control over everything around him. He lied about buying Pop’s. This could have been a gesture to ensure Veronica’s happiness when he found out the place had meaning for her. It could also be a way for him to have something to use against her. If he lied about buying the diner, could he have also lied about being involved in Fred’s shooting?
When Ms. Grundy was killed, it seemed like there could have been a connection. It wasn’t fully clear if Fred or Archie was the actual target in the diner shooting. Now that the Black Hood has decided to kill, or at least shoot, Midge and Moose, there might not be a direct connection to Archie. Ms. Grundy was romantically involved with her underaged students. Midge and Moose were doing illegal drugs. This could mean the Black Hood is trying to “clean things up” in his own way, but this doesn’t explain why Fred or Archie would be his target. Will Reggie face the Black Hood since he’s the one selling drugs at Riverdale?
Betty is also upping her game by showing no mercy in her conversation with Cheryl. The further these characters move away from the wholesomeness of their comic book counterparts, the more they are growing and evolving. We’re seeing more and more what they are, or could be, capable of. Archie getting a gun for protection is unheard of. The fact is, this version of Riverdale is requiring everyone to change. There’s so many secrets and developments, you can’t help but get sucked into the show. Call it must-watch TV or guilty pleasure viewing, Riverdale is a show that shouldn’t be missed.
What the Heck is going on?!? 