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After last week’s episode of Riverdale, I thought that maybe this week would be a bit more light-hearted. Watching poor Kevin dealing with his sexuality was hard, but this week’s episode went even harder on another sensitive subject: racism. And with that we got the return of Tabitha Tate and the long-awaited appearance of Reggie, who’s been MIA since the season started with questions swirling as to why he didn’t make the transition to 1955. Turns out he was just in a different town. Working on his dad’s farm. We learn that he had been playing basketball for Stonewall Prep but he dropped out to help with the farm. At least that’s what his story was upon his arrival at Riverdale High.
Reggie ended up in Riverdale, bunking in the Andrews home, because the school’s basketball team was sucking big time, no longer having those glory days when Fred Andrews was on the team, which Julian is all too happy to rub in Archie’s face. So Coach Uncle Frank had to take matters into his own hands (probably as much to keep his job as it was to get some wins for the team) and recruited Reggie based on his Stonewall record. The young man seemed less than thrilled to be heading to a new school, but it seems promises were made by Mayor Blossom to help the Mantle family as long as Reggie won some games.
Poor clueless Archie (and I have to marvel at how well KJ Apa is performing as a teenager through his facial expressions, body language and gee whiz attitude), try as he might, finds Reggie a very tough nut to crack, doing all he can to help Reggie fit in and feel more comfortable. When he found out the Mantle family wasn’t eligible for GI Bill assistance, he just didn’t get it when Reggie rhetorically asked him why he thought they weren’t eligible. For a little historical context, Reggie is half Korean and this is set in the Korean War era, so like Japanese Americans during WWII, Korean Americans were not looked upon kindly. Frank and Mary understood and that’s when Frank mentioned the mayor taking care of the Mantles.
Reggie, however, was not exactly welcomed onto the team with open arms, the thinly veiled racism spearheaded by the abhorrent Julian Blossom. During training, Julian purposely fouled Reggie a few times and even refused to pass the ball to him. When coach divided the boys into two teams, everyone but Archie and Fangs joined Reggie. Reggie also took waterboy Dilton Doily as a teammate, four to seven now, and while it was a tight game, it was a pass from Reggie to Dilton that won the game. Julian was not happy.
Things came to a head and the light finally shined for Archie at a mixer held at Thorn Hill — the Blossom family sponsored the team — where it became clear to Archie what was going on and he was very upset. Back at home, he didn’t tell Reggie what he’d heard, but at the next practice he was still boiling. And when Julian was again openly racist — and Reggie finally telling Archie that he left Stonewall (well hello there Bret Weston Wallis) because of the racism including a locker full of rice — Archie hauled off and punched Julian in the face, reminding the team that whoever they are outside of school is up to them, but while they’re in school and playing basketball, they are not just a team but a family and they have each other’s backs. Archie’s rage and a little humiliation for Julian just might have done the trick.
Elsewhere Toni was starting to find it difficult to maintain her relationship with Cheryl, especially when she asked Toni to go steady. How would that work? They can’t hold hands in the hallway, Cheryl can’t ‘pin’ Toni, so what’s there point of putting a label on it? Cheryl tried to brush it off, but when she revealed to the Vixens that they each were going to be assigned a basketball player to serve — like finding out their player’s favorite cookie so she could bake a batch for him — Toni had to draw the line, not only quitting the Vixens but their relationship as well.
When Toni wanted to start a Black writers group at school, she knew she’d need Cheryl’s help with Principal Featherhead to get the funding. Cheryl was more than supportive, and even when Featherhead didn’t grant approval Cheryl pulled money earmarked for something else (which she did not reveal) and gave it to Toni. And then she asked Toni point black if she broke it off because Cheryl is white. Toni admitted that was part of it, they’re from opposite worlds so it just wouldn’t work, and Cheryl uncharacteristically accepted the answer but remained as kind as she could with Toni. It finally took a chat with Kevin, who talked about his difference with Clay, that it could work depending on how much you love the other person. Toni took that to heart, looked within her heart, and asked Cheryl to join her at the Dark Room for a talk, to see if they could start over. Cheryl happily accepted, trying to contain her enthusiasm.
What Cheryl wasn’t thrilled about was Dr. Werthers recommending Betty join the Vixens to help curb her ‘unnatural urges’. And to keep her from showing off her panties on TV (but as a cheerleader it’s okay, apparently). Meanwhile, Veronica seems to have set her sights on Clay, and when Kevin came to the Babylonium for a job, she saw his friendship with Clay as a way to get closer to him, pressing Kevin into service to let Clay know how she felt. Poor Kevin had to watch Ronnie try to sink her claws into Clay, and finally told her that Clay isn’t interested in her. Or any other girl, and neither was he. Ronnie was elated, saying she was testing them, and thrilled to have two new ‘friends of Dorothy’. Kevin mentioned Cheryl and Toni as well and Veronica was happy to see that Riverdale was more like Hollywood than she thought.
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This week saw the return of Tabitha from the Civil Rights tour she was on with her parents, but she saw the toll the bitterness and hatred toward them was taking and that’s why they returned to Riverdale. Tabitha was quick to rekindle her friendship with Jughead, bonding more over their love of science fiction. Jughead invited Tabitha to his train car — she said it was like the Orient Express — and they even went on a movie date. She was gobsmacked that Jughead was friends with Brad Rayberry, and he offered to introduce her. They went to the apartment but there was no answer so Juggie left a note and they left.
Tabitha also introduced Jughead to the writings of W.E.B. DuBois, particularly a story titled ‘The Comet’, which was about a comet that hit New York City, killing everyone but one Black man and one white woman. It was clear that Jughead was becoming more and more enamored with Tabitha, so it kind of feels like things are starting to fall into place as they were in the present. But when Jughead went back to Rayberry’s apartment, he find the door ajar, Sheriff Keller and some officers on site, Rayberry dead, an apparent suicide. Jughead is destroyed but how long before he finds out it was actually the mysterious milkman who also murdered Ethel’s parents?
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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