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Well, it’s the middle of June, almost, and thanks to The CW’s crazy scheduling decisions we’re getting a bit of Autumn now with Riverdale‘s Halloween episode. Grab yourself some pumpkin spice goodies and get ready for a ride because they have pulled out all the stops this week! There’s even a very anachronistic musical number! This week’s episode really gives all of the main cast something to do, includes brief appearances by some of our favorite supporting cast members including a surprise photographic cameo appearance by … well, we’ll get to that.
This week we learn that in this timeline in Riverdale, it’s a bit like Footloose but instead of dancing being banned it’s Halloween — at least for anyone over the age of 12. Teenagers and adults are not allowed to participate in any Halloween festivities because of a tragedy that occurred long ago when a car full of teenagers — two Bulldogs and two Vixens — went joyriding (or ‘wilding’ as Coach Andrews calls it) and ended up plunging into the Sweetwater River. The tragedy has haunted the town ever since resulting in the edict that only children can dress up and go trick-or-treating. The teens and adults have to stay home (well, adults can accompany their children but not in costume) and watch the Halloween special on RIVW hosted by Hal and Alice Cooper.
This whole concept of Halloween only for children is very foreign to Veronica, who insists that teenagers need Halloween so if they can’t go out and party in the streets she will have them come party at the Babylonium with a classic midnight Ghost Show, complete with a classic horror movie and a burlesque-style floor show. No one can object to them all being in one place having a good time, right? Of course Alice gets wind of the plan and makes it known to Ronnie that she isn’t happy about it — adding that the event certainly won’t hurt the ratings for her show — but she will allow it.
Veronica begins promoting the event at school, but there may be some notable no-shows. Betty’s hormones are raging and her close proximity to Reggie as she helps him rebuild his jalopy, and her long-standing attraction to Archie, have her in a real pickle. Veronica suggests she engage in an evening of frivolity with the both of them to decide which one she really wants. It’s a plan and she cooks up an excuse to introduce Reggie to Halloween — which was never celebrated at all in his hometown — by walking through the cemetery and visiting a real haunted house. The boys are in but as they are getting dresses in some costumes sewn up by Archie’s mom — including a skin-tight leather jumpsuit for Reggie! — it dawns on them that maybe Betty is trying to decide who she fancies. They make a pact that if either of them gets the vibe that she’s more sweet on one, the other will make a graceful exit. They do venture to the cemetery and Reggie is alone with Betty after Archie disappears. It seems that things are heating up but Betty suddenly wonders where Archie is. She finds him at his father’s grave, feeling guilty over not even considering it might be hard for Archie to be there but he was actually at peace with it so they all ventured to the haunted house. Well, recently haunted because it was the Muggs house. When Betty went to the kitchen to see if she could find some beverages, Reggie told Archie he could see she clearly had feelings for him so he was going to cut out. Archie didn’t argue the point, and when Betty returned he said Reggie was tired and went home. As the two lovebirds started making out, Betty saw a figure outside the window — The Milkman! Archie sprang into action but he didn’t see anyone, but it spooked Betty enough for them to make a retreat back to their homes. By the time they got home, Halloween was long over and just as they were about to lock lips at Betty’s doorstep, the door flew open and Alice berated them for being out so late, and even though she’s no longer Betty’s mother she still insisted her not-daughter get in the house and Archie shoos it back to his house.
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Leading up to the Ghost Show, Toni agreed to be part of Veronica’s floor show and asked Cheryl to join them (Kevin and Clay were also performing). Unfortunately that was the night of the annual Vixens sleepover at Thorn Hill so she possibly could not attend. But when Midge asked Cheryl for permission to skip the sleepover so she could go to the Ghost Show and watch Fangs perform, Cheryl agreed and then cooked up her own excuse to not have the party at her house — both girls have suddenly come down with an illness. The perfect excuse to not be around the other Vixens, with another girl asked to host. The Babylonium is packed with Riverdale’s teens and Veronica promises them that as part of the show they will resurrect the four dead teenagers right there on the stage (okay, that seems a little tasteless, no?). As the show began with four wooden coffins standing upright on the stage, the music began and anyone who’s ever been to a particularly famous midnight movie will recognize that tune immediately as a zombiefied Clay bursts out of his coffin singing the first verse of ‘Rose Tint My World’ from The Rocky Horror Picture Show — nearly 20 years before the song was even written. He’s in the Rocky role, with Toni as Columbia, Kevin as Brad, Cheryl as Janet and Veronica as Frank-n-Furter. It was hilarious and awesome all at the same time, and they brought down the house. What no one knew was that Alice had snuck into the theater and peeped through the curtains to see the debauchery on stage, which ended with a major kiss between Toni and Cheryl. Right there in front of everyone. After the show, the girls and Midge and Fangs went to Pop’s, their secrets shared with each other, but they were unaware that Evelyn Evernever was at the counter overhearing everything. What kind of mayhem will she cause? Back at the Babylonium, Kevin and Clay confront Veronica about her taking up residence in her office. Veronica assures them that everything is fine, there are just some renovations going on back at her apartment, and her living conditions there are temporary. And the only reason the boys knew she was staying there was because they were there after hours, thinking the place was empty, the perfect time to make out without any prying eyes … and getting almost caught in the act by their boss and friend. Of course Veronica is okay with it and let’s them carry on but her secret has been exposed. Earlier she had told her friends about their family tradition of honoring their loved ones who had passed after the Halloween festivities, the only time she and her parents really bonded over anything. After the Ghost Show, Veronica carried on the tradition of Día de los Muertos with a shrine in her office, photos of her departed loved one, lighting candles in remembrance. And she has one more special photo of herself … and her parents in happier times. Well hello, Marisol and Mark! Long time, no see. Even if it was just in a picture.
Meanwhile, Jughead is still on the case trying to put together the pieces of Brad Rayberry’s death. He gets a call from Ethel at the convent and he tells her about the neighbor hearing the milkman the night of Rayberry’s death. Ethel suggests he find out who wrote the milkman comic to see if he could get any more information, and that’s what Juggie plans to do at the publisher’s Halloween party. He also tries to convince Sheriff Keller that Rayberry’s death was not a suicide but Tom is not re-opening the case. It was a suicide, plan and simple … which begs the question — does Tom Keller know something and that’s why he’s intent on this cover-up? Jughead isn’t letting it go and asks around at the party if anyone knows who wrote the comic, and while he is pointed in the right direction he still comes up empty. By this point, Jughead is convinced the mysterious milkman may be tampering with Riverdale’s milk supply and starts slapping milk out of his friends’ hands and tells them to drink powdered milk. He stocks up on the powdered stuff himself at his train car and then hears someone outside the door. Is it the milkman? Nope, it’s Ethel who has escaped from the convent. She could not stand the mental torture there and had to get out, and she’ll be 18 soon so if she can lay low until then, she’ll be out of their clutches. Jughead knows it isn’t safe for her to stay with him — and upon the news of her escape, the sheriff and school administrators question Jughead and ask if they search his play they won’t find her there, right (and he says they can do what they want but try not to destroy the play again since it’s basically the Waldorf now) — so he puts her up in Rayberry’s apartment since rent is paid up for the rest of the year. She agrees, and Jughead even takes her to the Halloween party at Pep Comics. Returning her back to the apartment, Ethel asks if he wants to come in but he makes an excuse that he needs to get home to feed Hot Dog. Ethel enters the apartment and Jughead is met in the hallway by the neighbor lady who thought he was the milkman. She’d heard the bottles earlier and thought maybe he’d come back. Jughead panics internally as it dawns on him that Ethel may be in danger and he runs back to the apartment, breaking down the door. Inside he finds the milkman, dead on the floor, Ethel clutching a bloody knife, saying, ‘I told everyone it was a milkman.’ Well, she was right but now that he’s dead, it’s going to make things even more difficult for Jughead to explain.
Let me add that this week’s episode featured some exception behind-the-scenes work under the direction of Ronald Paul Richard, who made his Season 3 Episode 2 debut as a cinematographer, progressing to a director of photography, and director with Season 5’s 18th episode ‘Next to Normal’. The classic Hollywood lighting on Betty as she fantasized about Archie and Reggie, the camerawork — especially the movement as Jughead realized Ethel was in danger and tried to break down the door at the apartment — was brilliant. I know the Emmys don’t look at Riverdale — or many shows on The CW for that matter — as award-worthy, but Richard’s work certainly deserves some recognition.
And with that we are now officially halfway through the final season with a week off until the second half commences. So what are your theories as to where all of this is going, and do you think Riverdale’s Guardian Angel will find a timeline in which Bailey’s Comet doesn’t destroy the world? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 9:00 PM.
What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments section below.
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