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First — gotta give a shout out for this week’s episode title ‘Fire Walk With Me’. The episode had nothing even remotely related to Twin Peaks but it did reference a key moment in the episode.
Second — man, this was a tough episode to watch, sitting and waiting to see if Luke Perry was going to be in the episode. For a while there it seemed like he may not show up this week, but there he was at the end coming to Archie’s rescue. It’s heartbreaking, especially since Fred Andrews is pretty much the one good parent of the whole lot. I can’t imagine the show without Fred, and I can’t imagine another actor possibly stepping into the role. The cast and crew have a tough road ahead of them dealing with the absence of, from all reports in the last two days, a really decent human being. Fred Andrews is Riverdale‘s rock so they will have to put a lot of consideration in what happens next. I don’t envy the task ahead.
As for the season itself, it would be nice if they could just finally phase out of this Gryphons & Gargoyles story-line. They’ve taken their sweet time to get to a point this week where Archie’s ‘sacrifice’ brand has come into play. While attending to his new chores at the gym to pay for his boxing training, Archie and Josie discovered a young boy ‘squatting’ in a storage area, with the same brand as Archie, claiming the older boys at the orphanage held him down and branded him because he wouldn’t play their game.
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Being his father’s son, Archie took the boy in and gave him shelter with the hope that a case worker Betty knows will help find the boy, Ricky, a good home. And to keep the boy safe while Archie’s at school, he parks the kid in a booth at Pop’s. But when he returns, Ricky is gone, chased out of the place by a group of older boys. But Ricky left a drawing behind of a Gargoyles ritual. Thinking the kids is really messed up and in need of help, Archie enlists the Serpents (and their new Gargoyle recruits … most of them anyway) into helping find Ricky. Archie and Jughead find Ricky at the old Gargoyles HQ, with his name written on the wall of sacrifices below Archie’s. The rest are ominously crossed out … because they’re all dead (I noted all of the Sisters’ names were on the wall).
Taking Ricky back to his house and enjoying an evening of video games, Archie gets a call from the case worker with some startling news — Ricky is Joachin’s brother, and he has some violent tendencies. Ricky disappears while Archie’s on the phone and then the episode gets a bit Halloween-ish as Archie slowly walks from room to room looking for Ricky. Look out, he’s behind you! With a knife. And he’s not poor, innocent Ricky … he branded himself and he’s actually on a quest to kill the Red Paladin so he can play G&G with the older boys. He manages to slash Archie, adding to the scars he already has on his left side, and Fred arrives just in time to patch Archie up. And prop him up too, not letting him take the blame for showing a kid some kindness. But where does Archie go from here knowing that his target will grow even larger as more game players attempt their own quest to kill him?
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Veronica had her own issues to deal with as first Hiram and then Gladys decided that her speakeasy was now their home away from home. And with Ronnie owing each of them a lot of money, it was hard to put the kibosh on their antics like helping themselves to the bar and the stage (Gladys claimed to have been Riverdale’s Joan Jett so Ronnie let her perform — to shave 5% off what she owes Gladys — but Hiram’s new client wasn’t impressed and almost got himself shanked). I’m still confused as to how and when the speakeasy went from a place where the teens could come, hang out and have ‘mocktails’ to an actual speakeasy serving actual booze. And if it’s supposed to be such a secret, it seems the entire town knows of its existence. And I may have missed the part where the Serpents were no longer in Veronica’s employ so this week she hired the Pretty Poisons to be the club’s new muscle, specifically to keep Gladys and Hiram out. And Ronnie thinks that’s really going to work? Especially now that she’s installed a secret casino into her ‘secret’ speakeasy? And while she still owes her father and Gladys a ton of money? Girl, please.
Jughead had to find a way to make the Serpents and the Gargoyles work as one, especially after the leader of the ‘goyles almost dropped Fangs on his head. With Sheriff FP’s help, Jughead has decided that the group can work more cohesively — as the did while searching for Ricky — as sheriff’s deputies. All were in except for the Gargoyle leader, who is sure to cause more trouble with the rogue ‘goyles still roaming Riverdale. Best part of the whole deputizing thing was when Sweet Pea asked if they got to carry guns.
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And poor Betty is just watching her world crumble, attempting to do her best to sabotage the sale of her family home — chirping up to prospective buyers about the serial killer who used to live there — while also dealing with Kevin Keller’s new attitude. He is completely all in with The Farm, participating in rituals that require new recruits to hold their hand above a Bunsen burner flame, and literally walk through fire (or hot coals). Betty witnessed the firewalking ritual and threatened to expose the whole cultish behavior she’s seen by her mother, sister and now Kevin but … Kevin and Evelyn have a little bit of blackmail to keep her from doing anything thanks to Alice unburdening herself to the group. So if Betty publishes any article about The Farm, Kevin will go to the authorities and tell them about the guy Alice killed and Betty and Jughead attempted to cover-up while FP poured lye on the body to get rid of it. That is one tangled web Betty’s gotten herself into, and it seems there’s only one way out at this point …
Burn down the house.
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM.
What did you think of this episode? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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