Riverdale S2 E2

So a killer is loose in Riverdale- and he's not done killing. Archie's dad is out of the hospital while Archie agonizes over how to protect his home. And Veronica struggles with forgiveness towards her dad, who is clearly a bad apple as we see in this episode, but in true Riverdale fashion he manages to win her over just as we, the viewers, see him for who he truly is. Jughead meanwhile is fighting to win leniency for his dad, who's about to be sentenced and go to prison. Oh, and apparently the diner is going to close.
   

Spoilers for this episode.

I love Jughead's little intros for this show. This time he's talking about the town and its continuing fight against darkness- fairly melodramatic stuff except it kind of almost works, given the atmosphere they manage to capture. The vibe is maybe the best thing about this show, the sense that beneath the veneer there is definitely something not right about Riverdale. Archie's not sleeping since he took it upon himself to guard the house at night, while Jughead is trying to help FP and Betty is trying to help... everyone. She's kind of a force for nature in this one, almost willing the town to come together to save Pop's diner. And sweet, all- American Betty decides to get a little dirty with Cheryl when push comes to shove.

Cheryl, as it happens, is not interested in loaning the Vixens to help with Retro Night, the little benefit that Betty organizes to try and help Pop. No one's coming to the diner after the shooting, and he's looking at having to sell. So Betty blackmails her. Turns out she has the video of Cheryl's dad killing his son Jason- and wouldn't that be inconvenient if it got out? In exchange Cheryl lies under oath to help FP, and the Vixens are in for the Retro Night. Their exchange is my favorite part of the episode. Cheryl asks Betty if she's threatening her, and Betty says they're just having "fun girl talk." To which Cheryl replies, 

"You're a stone cold bitch, Betty Cooper."

We were told we were going to see more of an edge to Betty this season, and I'm all for it. Nice to see her and Cheryl tangle. Oh and can we talk about Archie for a minute, since we haven't really? He's basically pretty dumb. He asks sheriff Keller if he can go out with the police looking for the killer- like the sheriff's going to go for that. Then he gets a gun on the down low from Dilton Doiley so he can protect the house. Does anyone think that's a good idea? Jughead meanwhile is not much better- he actually suggests to Tall Boy (these names) that they break FP out of jail. Seriously? And then goes to see Penny Peabody, the Serpents' resident lawyer who works out of a tattoo parlor. She gives Jugs some silly advice as a favor, and no one is surprised later when FP warns him that she's bad news. 

Oh and Reggie deals drugs. He can get "jingle jangle" for Midge Klump, and apparently for Archie too, who needs it to, you know, stay up all night guarding. And when he brings some by for Archie, he wears a hood as a prank- you know, after a hooded man shot Archie's dad. Are these people classy or what? I just think the writing in this episode was bad. At least Retro Night goes well. And Pop's is saved when Hiram Lodge generously makes a contribution to keep the diner afloat (actually what happens is Hiram buys the diner, but doesn't tell Veronica, and Alice thinks the Serpents now have a place to sell drugs, or whatever they do). Even happy endings turn out bad in this town. 

To cap off a fairly sordid episode, Midge and her boyfriend are killed while making out in the woods. By the guy who shot Archie's dad. So we have a lunatic running around. Any theories yet on who the villain is? 

Random Thoughts

"The answer is a double-cherry-on-top no," says Cheryl when Betty and Veronica ask to use the Vixens for save the diner night. 

Speaking of no, why is it up to Cheryl? They're a freaking cheerleading squad, not her personal group. Why doesn't Betty just put it to the whole group? 

"Hobo. Bride of Hobo." Cheryl greets Jughead and Betty when they come over to plead their case for leniency in the matter of FP. Charming, that Cheryl. And no one is presumably surprised when that doesn't go well? 

Archie took Ms. Grundy's death hard, understandably. And she was killed with the cello bow he bought her? Ouch. 

Do high school girls really say "daddy" when talking to their fathers??? 

Alice catches Reggie on her phone delivering drugs to Midge. 

Turns out Hiram did write the threatening letter to Hermione, and Herm covered for him. They both look pretty bad at this point (and last season Herm seemed... not so bad?) but this won't go well- just as V tries to forgive, her parents are revealed as assholes.