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I’m beginning to feel like each week’s new episode of Riverdale is like watching just a live action version of an issue of the comic books, except instead of telling each of the issue’s stories in its own segment, all of the stories are just intercut with each other to make it more visually interesting for the viewer. It’s the usual way TV series operate but it feels different from past seasons that had overarching storylines that wove through the season. There obviously is a traditional Riverdale arc happening here — The Milkman — but it’s taken a long time to get there. I’ve noticed that, of late, it seems like Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica have been off on their own little stories, barely interacting with each other. This week gave us some different dynamics with Archie, Betty, Veronica and Reggie having their storyline, Cheryl and Toni having one of their own, and Jughead and Tabitha teaming up for an adventure. So let’s break them all down.
Archie, Betty, Veronica and Reggie
It looks like Archie and Reggie are quickly becoming fast friends, especially now that Uncle Frank is pleased enough with Archie’s grades to give him back his jalopy. Reggie is just as much of a car fan as Archie so the new Dynamic Duo hit the road so Reggie can see what the car can do on the open road … on their way to school. While Betty and Veronica celebrate their newfound independence from their parents and are about to swear off boys too, they spot the jalopy pulling up and think that maybe boys aren’t so bad after all. Especially if they have a car. The two conspire to get dates with the boys and Ronnie snags Reggie first. Reg asks Archie if he can borrow the car, and Archie has nothing on his plate so he gives the okay. And then Betty asks for a date, and Archie nearly turns her down because he gave the car to Reggie. Betty suggests the bus (gasp!) or even walking (yikes!), and Archie reluctantly agrees that a walk might be romantic. But once they get to Pop’s all he can think about is what Reggie might be doing to his baby. Betty is a bit put off by Archie’s distraction and the date is a bit of a bust. Even worse, Archie becomes an overbearing dad when Reggie finally comes home later that night, Archie giving him the classic ‘you could have been dead in a ditch’ speech, and taking the keys from Reggie, promising he’d never get to drive the car again.
The girls both talk about their disastrous dates and think maybe they should swap boys and try again. But news spreads that Fangs and his band are going to be playing a concert in Centerville, opening for Buddy Holly, so perhaps the girls can entice the boys to go on a double date, with dinner and the concert. The boys agree but while dining at Pop’s the girls realize they made a huge mistake by letting them stop at the newsstand beforehand where the boys picked up the latest hot rod magazine, drooling over the photos as if it were a girlie magazine. Putting a stop to the distraction, Veronica says they’re going to be late to the show if they don’t leave and exiting the booth both boys grab the keys. Since Reggie drove to Pop’s, and it’s Archie’s car, it’s Archie’s turn to drive. Somewhere between Riverdale and Centerville … the car breaks down and it turns out Reggie didn’t put gas in the car so they have to hoof it five miles back to Riverdale while the girls huddle for warmth. The boys make it back to Pop’s and as Pop pumps the gas for them, even he’s fed up with their bickering about the car and he offers Reggie an old jalopy he’s got stashed in a garage collecting dust. Seems that problem is solved. On the way back to the car, Reggie admist that he wasn’t just out driving around after his date with Veronica, he actually went to his parents’ house because he was missing them. Archie felt bad about how he treated Reggie and told him since his own dad passed, even he has a feeling of homesickness without him. It was a nice bonding moment for the boys but when they got back to the car the girls were gone. While they waited, Toni, Cheryl and Midge happened by and invited them to hop in their car to go to the concert. Now Reggie has his own jalopy to restore, and Archie is all hepped up to help … but is a bit surprised when it’s Betty who is already there to lend a hand.
Cheryl & Toni
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The girls’ relationship is becoming a bit strained as Cheryl is always busy with the Vixens and Toni is busy launching her new book club, Black Athena with Clay and Tabitha among its members (and two other Black Riverdale High students we’ve never seen until now). Cheryl passes by one of the group meetings and is impressed by what she hears, so in an effort to spend more quality time with her girlfriend she asks Toni if she could just sit in with the group, promising not to say a word. Toni isn’t sure about allowing Cheryl to join them, saying that it’s a very new group and she isn’t sure how the others would react, but maybe later in the year after the club is more established. Cheryl, not wanting any friction, accepts the decision but it’s clear she isn’t happy. Making matters more complicated, she comes upon Kevin later in the day looking completely blissful and he tells her he was just at a Black Athena meeting and he got to hear Clay read one of his poems. Cheryl is happy for Kevin’s happiness but she has to confront Toni about this breach of etiquette. Toni explains that Clay invited Kevin, but if she really wants to join them she can read their next book, Native Son. Cheryl does and she joins the group (Kevin is there as well) and when Clay asks for her thoughts on the book she declines to answer, not wanting to step on any toes. But it’s clear Clay wants an answer and she gives a very thoughtful and insightful reaction to what she had read, admitting that she could see some of her family’s terrible traits in the white characters in the book. Toni is both relieved and pleased by Cheryl’s thoughtful comments and invites her to be a regular member of the group. Cheryl, while she felt privileged to be accepted, didn’t really feel it was her place to be in Toni’s group but she promised to continue to read the books the club was reading and that they could discuss them in private. That’s a compromise Toni can live with.
Jughead & Tabitha
As we saw at the end of the previous episode, Sheriff Keller asked Jughead to help with the investigation into Brad Rayberry’s death. Jughead was more than happy to assist, hoping to find evidence to dispute Keller’s belief that Rayberry took his own life. Keller asked Jughead if he knew of any family members that might be able to help, but all he knew was that Rayberry might have been married and perhaps there would be some record of a beneficiary in the paperwork Rayberry signed with Pep Comics. Questioning Mr. Fieldstone, all Jughead learned was that Rayberry requested that half of his earnings were to be sent to a P.O. Box in South Carolina. Perhaps that was to the presumed wife. Jughead asks Tabitha if she’d like to help with his investigation and the two return to the apartment to see what they can find in Rayberry’s belongings. While Jughead was coming up empty, Tabitha discovered a cache of love letters from a woman in South Caroline named June, and Tabitha even found a photo of the women … a Black woman. Finding a June in South Carolina in Bradberry’s address book, Jughead places a call to the woman to deliver the terrible news. It’s clear she is distressed by the news and she says she will get to town as soon as she can. Jughead tells her that he will meet her at the apartment. Bringing this new evidence to the sheriff, Keller isn’t buying any of it because he’s got dirt on Rayberry. He was a card-carrying Communist, he was a draft dodger, and so on. Anything that could prove that Rayberry did himself in because maybe his conscience was eating at him, or maybe someone was after him. Jughead is stunned but he seems to feel that this is all a distraction.
When they do meet, June reads them the last letter she received from ‘Bradley’, as she called him, speaking of his excitement to have his novel (‘The Jupiter Journals’) published. It turns out Rayberry and June were married, but faced a very difficult time in South Carolina where interracial marriages were not accepted. Bradley moved up north and was hoping to earn enough money to buy June’s parents a new home while the couple moved to Paris where they would have an easier life. None of this sounds like a man who would kill himself. She also confirms that what the sheriff has is true, but it’s long from Bradley’s past, when he was younger and trying to find his way in the world. None of that had any bearing on Bradley’s life in the present. Jughead vows to June that he will do all he can to find out the truth, which June appreciates deeply. Before she leaves, she asks Jughead and Tabitha if they’re dating and the two get very awkward when faced with that question. They obviously have chemistry — perhaps it’s some residual or subconscious memories of their lives in their actual timeline — but they say they’re just friends. ‘Chums’, Jughead adds. After June leaves, Tabitha begins to question her decision to leave the Civil Rights tour with Emmett Till’s family and decides she is going to hit the road again … and maybe this time Jughead will actually send her homework to her. He promises he will. Returning to Rayberry’s apartment alone, Jughead is still sorting through papers when there’s a knock at the door. It’s a neighbor and her cat. She’s very sorry about Mr. Rayberry’s death but she was wondering if there was any leftover milk in his refrigerator since she’s run out. Opening the fridge, all that’s inside is a bottle of ketchup and a box of baking soda. That’s odd, says the neighbor, since she heard the milkman making an unusually late delivery the night before Rayberry died. This pique’s Juggie’s interest but how did she know it was the milkman if she didn’t see him? The distinct clinging of the bottles, of course. The sound drives her kitty mad with excitement. She finds it odd that there is no milk to be found but Jughead may have finally gotten a break in the case to prove Rayberry didn’t kill himself … and he may be able to save Ethel in the process.
And there was one more minor plot point this week concerning Fangs and Midge. Yes, Fangs was performing in Centerville but he asked Midge not to come since it was a bad part of town and he was worried a fight or something would happen and she and their baby would get injured. Of course she did go, and he was actually thrilled she was there saying she must have been his good luck charm because after the gig he got the business card of someone in the music industry. He could finally be on his way to becoming a rich, famous, respectable rock star who Midge’s parents can’t say no to when they ask to get married. But the clock is ticking, and Midge’s condition isn’t going to be a secret for too much longer.
Next week, it’s … Halloween!
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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