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After a hiatus of Olympian proportions, Riverdale is back with the tantalizingly titled ‘The Hills Have Eyes’, another famous movie title. But the episode bears little to the movie which featured a family whose car broke down on a deserted stretch of highway populated by violent savages ready to attack anyone hapless enough to end up there. There is an incident in the episode where our group of friends is attacked, but it’s more of The Strangers style of attack.
The episode really focuses on the main four characters with little bits of plot development for Cheryl, Kevin and Josie. Let’s start with them. Cheryl is still not happy with her mother’s chosen profession, and Penelope is still angry with Cheryl for scaring Hal Cooper away, believing what they shared was the real thing. Now she’s just back to turning tricks for profit. When a new client arrives, Cheryl books it to the movies where everyone in Riverdale, save for the main four, have gone to see the new movie Love, Simon (promotional consideration provided by 20th Century Fox — odd for a Warner Bros. TV show). After previously having words with Toni at school, the two bump into each other at the candy counter and Toni shows Cheryl some real empathy after she learns her mother has told Cheryl she’s basically worthless. And a deviant because of her once close relationship with a girl long ago. It’s Cheryl’s coming out moment and Toni is nothing but supportive.
Kevin is at the movies too. Having previously attempted to ask Moose to be his date but Moose was already going with Midge but he said Kevin could join them because Midge knew all about them and was cool. But Kevin opted to go it alone. Josie was there too after having a little spat with her mother — after catching her just a little too close to Sheriff Keller. Putting two and two together, she took her anger out on Kevin later at Pop’s when she revealed the affair to him. But after being read the riot act by Sierra, Josie apologized to Kevin and the two of them actually sat down to talk with Sierra and Tom. Kevin was also invited to join Moose and Midge in their booth, and even though it felt a bit awkward, he agreed and then quickly realized that Midge had no idea of Moose and Kevin’s past dalliances. Even more awkward.
Chic got a little action too as his presence around the Cooper home was becoming creepier by the minute. When Jughead came to pick up Betty for their weekend getaway, Chic asked if Jughead knew what had happened in the house and when Juggie confirmed he did, Chic casually warned him against ever mentioning the incident to anyone. Or else.
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The weekend in question was one proposed by Hiram Lodge. Claiming he and his wife were going to go to their secluded cabin for the weekend until something came up, he offered the weekend to Ronnie and Archie and even suggested they bring Betty and Jughead along. Pulling Archie aside, Hiram told him they were actually meeting with some of the ‘New York families’ and wanted Veronica at a safe distance but Andre would be nearby but out of sight (the actual ‘eyes’ in the hills of this story).
So the four went on their merry way, despite Cheryl’s best efforts who after being snubbed made sure Jughead knew that Archie had kissed Betty in front of her house. It did cause a little tension but Jughead understood that she didn’t tell him because of his friendship with Archie. They were cool, and Veronica already knew, but she assumed there was still some tension so she offered to diffuse it by kissing Jughead. That only made things more uncomfortable, but Jughead enjoyed watching Archie squirm. Betty later revealed to Juggie that he and Archie are the only two people in the house — or Lodge Lodge as Ronnie has dubbed it — who haven’t kissed (and unfortunately, they still are). And then Betty brought out Dark Betty to ‘punish’ Jughead … and he liked it.
But when Ronnie discovered Archie in the woods talking with Andre, she was not happy and decided that she and Betty would go into town to do a little shopping. Seems the locals put on a happy face when the wealthy denizens who have homes at Shadow Lake come to town, but it’s all a facade. After flirting with the store clerk Cassidy, the four find themselves with three unwanted, masked visitors, one of them obviously Cassidy who demands whatever cash they have on hand. Ronnie takes him to her room to get her purse and secretly pushes a security alarm. Not content to have her wallet and necklace, it seems that Cassidy is prepared to bash their skulls in with a bat but Veronica reveals what she did and said security would be there in 30 seconds.
The guys take off and Archie impulsively chases, tackling Cassidy and about to exact his own justice just when Andre shows up. He tells Archie he will handle things and as Archie heads back to the cabin he hears a gunshot. Back in Riverdale, Hiram said Archie made the right decision to let the intruders have what they wanted but wanted to know if what Andre did bothered him. Archie tells Hiram that he’ll never forgive himself for hesitating after his father was shot, letting the Black Hood get away. Hiram says he must never hesitate when someone he loves is in danger and hands Archie the stolen necklace.
While the weekend getaway seemed a nice gesture, there was apparently an ulterior motive behind Hiram’s offer. While at the cabin, FP called Jughead to tell him all of the back rent at the trailer park had been forgiven and none of the Serpents had to move. Why? Because Hiram just bought the property. Which cause some tension between Juggie and Ronnie. But Betty also got a call from her mother … Hiram had just bought the newspaper too. Both Betty and Jughead accused Hiram of trying to shut Juggie up and control the town’s press, so the question we’re left with at the end is what exactly is Hiram Lodge up to?
What did you think of this episode? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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