S01.E06: Chapter Six: Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill!

[ketose]

The real Geraldine Grundy killed Jason!

[dippydee]

1 hour ago, imakicola said:

In my opinion it definitely isn't a cooper.

Yeah. It's definitely not the them (though Alice has probably killed someone at some point) and I guess Polly is out thanks to the men in white (but there's still something not quite right with her- maybe just a consequence of being raise by Mama Cooper). 

Im leaning towards it being the Blossom parents. Or Fred Andrews, there's no way he's the only normal one of that graduating class. Seeing how effed up everyone else is there was definitely a little bit too much maple syrup in the Riverdale water back in the old days.

Edited March 4, 2017 by dippydee

[Bruinsfan]

Jason was BMOC and resembled Archie, right? Maybe fake young Miss Grundy has a type and did him in after finding out he'd faked his death/knocked up Polly/been going all Dollanganger with Cheryl.

[Maximum Taco]

The problem with Archie I think is he's clearly supposed to be a (if not the) main character, I mean the show is based on "Archie Comics" his name is in the company.

However they haven't characterized him as a main character, cause a main character needs problems and flaws and rivals to deal with. He's great at everything, so far the only thing he's lost out on is the football team captaincy, that he actually won and graciously handed to Reggie. He has a stable home life, and all his problems are solved by simply sitting down with the person he has a beef with and talking it out, because he's a nice guy who everyone genuinely likes. Even people who are naturally combative like Reggie, Cheryl and Josie seem to cut Archie a whole lot of slack. This isn't a main character, this is like the main character's best friend who has everything come easily, so he afford to spend time worrying about the main characters problems. But Archie doesn't do that either, he just worries about himself and then succeeds harder then ever. Where's the drama?

Edited March 4, 2017 by Maximum Taco

[SeanC]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I think Archie's dad did, what with him macking on his kid's new friend's mom who is married while he's also married, but he just severely underestimated just how straight-up horrible and/or crazy all the other parents are.

Archie's parents seem to be permanently separated, so I don't think Fred pursuing a new relationship is a problem on his end.  It's not unusual for a relationship to be over without getting divorced; I have two aunts in that situation, one of whom has been in a new relationship for almost 20 years.  Now, maybe wanting to get with Hermione while she's still married (if, evidently, not in a great place with Mr. Lodge) isn't optimal, but you're right, on this show that barely registers.

[Anna Yolei]

11 hours ago, xqueenfrostine said:

I'm convinced that Good Dad Fred is at least half the reason Archie is the most boring person on the show.  Struggle builds character both in real life and in fiction, and Archie doesn't seem to have much of that in his life.  

They've mentioned his parents being separated more than once, so I'm sure he's gonna get his set of crazy mama issues in due time.

[feverfew]

3 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

The problem with Archie I think is he's clearly supposed to be a (if not the) main character, I mean the show is based on "Archie Comics" his name is in the company.

However they haven't characterized him as a main character, cause a main character needs problems and flaws and rivals to deal with. He's great at everything, so far the only thing he's lost out on is the football team captaincy, that he actually won and graciously handed to Reggie. He has a stable home life, and all his problems are solved by simply sitting down with the person he has a beef with and talking it out, because he's a nice guy who everyone genuinely likes. Even people who are naturally combative like Reggie, Cheryl and Josie seem to cut Archie a whole lot of slack. This isn't a main character, this is like the main character's best friend who has everything come easily, so he afford to spend time worrying about the main characters problems. But Archie doesn't do that either, he just worries about himself and then succeeds harder then ever. Where's the drama?

This. If I go on only what I see on screen, Betty's the main character. The mystery is intricately connected to her, she's got the flaws and obstacles, whenever Veronica, Jughead, Kevin and Cheryl has been in contact with the main plot (Who Killed Jason Blossom?) it's through her, she's the one who's actually driving most of the mystery plot forward - and she gets all the important character beats. One of the reasons could be that the writers are human like us, and has their favourites to write for themselves - or it could be on purpose. A sort of circumvention of the comics (Betty could even get her own Betty & Veronica in the form of Archie and Jughead), underlined by the fact the show's called "Riverdale" and not "Archie". Or I could just be grabbing this out of (wishful) thin air.

The show could swerve back to being all about Archie* - this season, the next - but I actually hope the showrunner knows what they have in Lili Reinhart, and will be more Veronica Mars, less every other show out there.

*I'm guessing Veronica will get her time in the sun when Hiram Lodge inevitably will be released from prison. There's a mystery there as well - maybe the focus for next season, with Jughead's father as the other main player to tie the teenagers together?

Edited March 4, 2017 by feverfew

[Oscirus]

2 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

The problem with Archie I think is he's clearly supposed to be a (if not the) main character, I mean the show is based on "Archie Comics" his name is in the company.

However they haven't characterized him as a main character, cause a main character needs problems and flaws and rivals to deal with. He's great at everything, so far the only thing he's lost out on is the football team captaincy, that he actually won and graciously handed to Reggie. He has a stable home life, and all his problems are solved by simply sitting down with the person he has a beef with and talking it out, because he's a nice guy who everyone genuinely likes. Even people who are naturally combative like Reggie, Cheryl and Josie seem to cut Archie a whole lot of slack. This isn't a main character, this is like the main character's best friend who has everything come easily, so he afford to spend time worrying about the main characters problems. But Archie doesn't do that either, he just worries about himself and then succeeds harder then ever. Where's the drama?

Is he great at everything? Because for all the gruff he gets for being great at everything, he's been shown to be good at two things football and singing and he's been shown working on both. He suffered the embarrassment of stage fright and repeated rejection for his singing and suffered broken bones for his football.  Not to mention on this show, he's suffered heartbreak, gotten his ass whipped and has even gotten unwarranted hate from Mrs. Cooper. If you compare his accomplishments to others on this show, I'd say his has been comparable. 

I suspect a lot of the Archie hate comes from the fact that people fear that he will ultimately come between Betty and Veronica or other such relationships which he didn't even do in the comics.  

[ZoloftBlob]

Quote

I suspect a lot of the Archie hate comes from the fact that people fear that he will ultimately come between Betty and Veronica or other such relationships which he didn't even do in the comics.  

I certainly don't hate Archie, but I don't fear the triangle that is bound to happen. Right now, I just don't know why he's on the screen. His angst over his music and whether or not he'll be captain of the team... compared to the murder investigation and the batshit antics of the Blossoms and Coopers and Lodges.... really, who the fuck cares? There's cars burning in the woods and crazy pregnant girls running about!

[MarkHB]

To be honest, in every article I've ever seen about Archie comics going way back before the reboot, the writer said they had no idea what B&V saw in Archie. His blandness (or, essentially, his fate of being the straight man to the entire town) has been the elephant in the room for decades.

[Mabinogia]

The only thing I hate about Archie is that terrible dye job. I know that the characters is a redhead, so they had to do it, but OMG it is soooo distracting. I had to go look up the actor because everyone keeps talking about how good looking he is and I just couldn't see it with that hair. Other than that, his storyline is just boring to me. Not him, necessarily, but his storyline of football vs music. Screwing a teacher should probably have been interesting, but IM the actress sucked and I felt nothing between them so that was boring too. They need to get Archie involved in something more interesting. The main mystery would be nice, but I've grown so fond of the Betty/Juggy Mystery Show that I fear he would screw that dynamic up. So either get him involved more in Veronica's family crap, have him be a shoulder she can cry on, or get him involved somehow with Cheryl. People are always saying how he looks so much like Jason, even Jason's mother said it in the creepiest way possible, that I could see Cheryl kind of latching onto him as a Jason substitute. I have liked him better with Val than I have so far, so he's got potential. They just need to give him better stories.

[Avatar19]

Since I've started watching, I can't really decide if I actually like it or not.  When it started, it seemed like the mystery was what would tie everyone together.  Instead, each character seems like they're in their own show for this episode - Betty & Jughead are on Twin Peaks, Veronica is on Dynasty, and Archie is on Friday Night Lights.

The reason I'm having a hard time rooting for the characters is that there isn't enough time spent developing them cohesively, and when stuff does happen like Veronica and Josie bonding, Betty and Jughead's kiss, or the romance between Archie and Valerie, it doesn't feel genuine.  I get this vibe that the writing is out pacing the story.

[peachmangosteen]

34 minutes ago, Avatar19 said:

Archie is on Friday Night Lights.

He wishes!

Quote

The reason I'm having a hard time rooting for the characters is that there isn't enough time spent developing them cohesively, and when stuff does happen like Veronica and Josie bonding, Betty and Jughead's kiss, or the romance between Archie and Valerie, it doesn't feel genuine.  I get this vibe that the writing is out pacing the story.

I really loved all of the things you've mentioned here, but they did all happen way too quickly. They're trying to do too much imo. Although I think that quick sorta manic-ness kinda contributes to how much I love this show tbh.

[Avatar19]

I don't need the story to go at a snail's pace, but I think there's a lot of story and character development missing to get me fully immersed in the show.

[AdorkableSars]

On 3/3/2017 at 1:13 PM, pagooey said:

This made me LOL at MY grown-ass-lady office job.

11 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I'm glad there are over-30's who are as obsessed with this show as I am! It makes me feel slightly less embarrassed.

Solidarity!! 

On 3/3/2017 at 6:38 PM, Miss Dee said:

To those admitting they've been into Betty/Jughead since they were a kid/teen reading the comics: MY PEOPLE! I'M NOT ALONE ANYMORE! *weeps*

Interestingly, I was kind of digging how Archie was leading this normal teen drama storyline in the middle of our Gothic Sleuthing Plot; I do like that juxtaposition and get a kick out of it. Until Jughead kissed Betty. I like you, Archie, but if you break up Betty and Jughead I'm gonna have to go all Jason's killer on your ass. 

Ahhh, that's awesome! I think those of us who were actually into Betty/Jughead in the comics are a rare breed.

7 hours ago, Anna Yolei said:

They've mentioned his parents being separated more than once, so I'm sure he's gonna get his set of crazy mama issues in due time.

Spoiler

Well Molly Ringwald has been cast as Archie's mom...so looks like you are very right!!

5 hours ago, Avatar19 said:

Since I've started watching, I can't really decide if I actually like it or not.  When it started, it seemed like the mystery was what would tie everyone together.  Instead, each character seems like they're in their own show for this episode - Betty & Jughead are on Twin Peaks, Veronica is on Dynasty, and Archie is on Friday Night Lights.

The reason I'm having a hard time rooting for the characters is that there isn't enough time spent developing them cohesively, and when stuff does happen like Veronica and Josie bonding, Betty and Jughead's kiss, or the romance between Archie and Valerie, it doesn't feel genuine.  I get this vibe that the writing is out pacing the story.

That's so mean to Friday Night Lights! Fred Andrews is no Coach Chandler...no one is <3

[abhi]

I think removing Archie from the mystery for the first half of the season is a deliberate ploy. They are going to ease Archie into the mystery and main story in the second half of the season.  We know that the mystery really unfolds from episode 9 onward with everyone getting involved and episodes 7 and 8 will mostly deal with the polly issue and the resultant family dynamics. The side story of Betty and Jughead sleuthing on their own is apparently over.

Besides we have these tidbits that indicates that Archie will be involved in the mystery aspect. (Future episode spoilers)

Spoiler

1. Somebody gets stabbed in the neck and the body is shoved in a barrel with Archie getting his hand on the murder weapon somehow.
2. Archie will be spending some time with the Blossoms in an episode.
3. KJ Apa got his hand injured on set performing a stunt.

Regarding this episode

The two different story lines that the show is following is not doing the show any favors. It feels like there are two different shows and its pretty jarring. Hopefully, this issue will be solved in the coming episodes. I also didn't like Josie's attitude. This character is simply abrasive. Her attitude towards her own friend and band mate, Valerie, didn't do the character any favor and I don't think she treats Melody any better just by looking at the reactions of Melody. Just because one is focused and ambitious doesn't give one the license to be so diva to one's own friends. 

I have no idea who the killer is. It may be anyone at this point of time. But I hope it will be a main character and not someone from the left field. I do believe that there are separate characters involved. The one who tortured him and the one who killed him may not necessarily be the same person. Polly doesn't seem to be a reliable narrator and came off as a bit unhinged.  The sheriff need to up his game. He doesn't seem to be doing anything about the  murder. he needs to be more actively involved.

Archie and Valerie do have a nice connection but unfortunately it doesn't appear that it will last long. I do think that Betty and Jughead relationship will get stronger and stronger as the season progresses and maybe they will remain together at least for the first season. Achie and Veronica dynamic is being built up and it appears that the relationship will be developed gradually which I like. Archie's performance was nice and hopefully we will see the band being formed if not this season than by the next season. 

Overall a nice episode with more badly needed focus on pussycats.

Edited March 5, 2017 by abhi

[Free]

9 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

The problem with Archie I think is he's clearly supposed to be a (if not the) main character, I mean the show is based on "Archie Comics" his name is in the company.

However they haven't characterized him as a main character, cause a main character needs problems and flaws and rivals to deal with. He's great at everything, so far the only thing he's lost out on is the football team captaincy, that he actually won and graciously handed to Reggie. He has a stable home life, and all his problems are solved by simply sitting down with the person he has a beef with and talking it out, because he's a nice guy who everyone genuinely likes. Even people who are naturally combative like Reggie, Cheryl and Josie seem to cut Archie a whole lot of slack. This isn't a main character, this is like the main character's best friend who has everything come easily, so he afford to spend time worrying about the main characters problems. But Archie doesn't do that either, he just worries about himself and then succeeds harder then ever. Where's the drama?

Definitely, and it's more evident when we see other characters' struggles and problems so it pales in comparison to boring subplots like fake Grundy and his music.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Free

[North of Eden]

Time to pass out a few props.

First for keeping Betty 99% segregated from the main cast so I could use my remote to Fast Foreward through "Betty Fest". I said it before and I will say it again..way to much Betty.

Second prop for using Sebastian's outline form the cartoon on the show! It makes me SO want for them to introduce Alexandra Cabot! Anyone who ever watched the cartoon will tell you Josie was the blandest character on the show and the TRUE star was Alexandra. Please bring her on....not much hope though for a show that has Reggie Mantle as a bit player.

Third...I am SO loving Val. She has singlehandily renewed my interest in the show. She is so mesmerizing and beautiful when she is on the screen I can't get enough of her. It makes me overlook the movie/tv trope that with the rare exception (Michonne and Rick I"m looking at you) the powers always play it safe having the love interest if she's black be mulatto or light skinned to make it more "acceptable" I suppose. Irregardless Val is awesome and I hope she doesn't play out an arc and then drop off the Riverdale radar...ala Miss Grundy, Dilton and Ethel.

Snap! I just realized no Cheryl on this episode. Hopefully she'll return soon.

[jay741982]

29 minutes ago, North of Eden said:

Time to pass out a few props.

First for keeping Betty 99% segregated from the main cast so I could use my remote to Fast Foreward through "Betty Fest". I said it before and I will say it again..way to much Betty.

Second prop for using Sebastian's outline form the cartoon on the show! It makes me SO want for them to introduce Alexandra Cabot! Anyone who ever watched the cartoon will tell you Josie was the blandest character on the show and the TRUE star was Alexandra. Please bring her on....not much hope though for a show that has Reggie Mantle as a bit player.

Third...I am SO loving Val. She has singlehandily renewed my interest in the show. She is so mesmerizing and beautiful when she is on the screen I can't get enough of her. It makes me overlook the movie/tv trope that with the rare exception (Michonne and Rick I"m looking at you) the powers always play it safe having the love interest if she's black be mulatto or light skinned to make it more "acceptable" I suppose. Irregardless Val is awesome and I hope she doesn't play out an arc and then drop off the Riverdale radar...ala Miss Grundy, Dilton and Ethel.

Snap! I just realized no Cheryl on this episode. Hopefully she'll return soon.

Um Jughead is part of the main cast and Betty was with him a lot of the episode. For Me though they are two of the best charcters. Archie and Val are cute. I'm trying to get into Josie so Veronica hanging with her helped and finding out thwg Josies dad as well as her mom sucks helped me feel bad for her. And like you I was missing Cheryl 

[shapeshifter]

On March 3, 2017 at 11:39 AM, AdorkableSars said:

. . . So I’m more than happy to NOT have a Betty/Archie/Veronica triangle. Let Valerie be the new Betty of the triangle.

Ok, now to get back to my adult office job because I am an over-30 adult who shouldn’t be so consumed by this, dammit.

This reminds me of how my daughters felt about me obsessing over Roswell in the 90s. Heh. There was a FanForum group with a thread titled something like AWCSOTB for "At Work and Can't Stay Off the Boards."

Maybe the Betty-Archie-Veronica triangle in the first episodes was as far as the homage is going to go? Nah, who am I kidding, with Betty mooning at the sounds of Archie coming over the speaker just moments after kissing Juggie, and Veronica being the source of Archie's ability to conquer his stage fright? But is Jughead swapped in for comic book Reggie's role? 

Near the beginning of the episode, I thought I heard a bit of the actual Twin Peaks theme song. Anyone else?

Am I the only one who thought that after Josie's dad seemingly got up to walk out on her too-low brow disco song that he was going to surprise everyone by showing up backstage beaming with pride and clapping? I still want it to turn out that the real reason he left was a text about some misbehaving band mate, and that his look of disappointment was not about Josie after all.

[Shorty186]

I had no idea why Betty was staring up at that speaker, but why does everyone think they were at the school? I thought that was the Sheriff's Department, since why would Sheriff Keller be at the variety show?

I agree with others who said they felt a scene was missing between Betty and Jughead. I've seen (and liked) the chemistry between them, but didn't really get the sense that either had realized they had feelings for the other, especially in this episode. Lili Reinhart did say in an interview that some dialogue had been cut for time as well as say what Betty thought of the kiss.

Spoiler

Betty tells him their moment is "to be continued" and she does have real feelings for Jughead.

[angora]

12 minutes ago, Shorty186 said:

I had no idea why Betty was staring up at that speaker, but why does everyone think they were at the school? I thought that was the Sheriff's Department, since why would Sheriff Keller be at the variety show?

Kevin was directing/hosting the variety show.  As one of the only non-terrible/crazy parents in Riverdale (so far!  :fingers crossed:), Sheriff Keller only walks out in the middle of his son's thing when new evidence as been found in a murder investigation.

[Affogato]

I watched this on the CW app, so late to the party.

One moment that struck me was Jughead and Betty, fresh faced, both of them, innocent, hair pulled back, looking up at the looming, dark asylum.

Betty's pulling away from the kiss would be the kind of thing that might put Jughead off for a year or two, romantically speaking. I wonder where he is sleeping now? Just as an aside. He certainly seemed to need to be invited to breakfast.

Josie's YA rant is explained, in part, by her narcissistic and abusive father, but she is still not very nice. Maybe later.

Angel still has the worst parents, remember the show where Fred's parents come to see her and everyone tries to protect her from them. These parents aren't good, though.

It isn't, for me, so much that Archie is a dullard or a dud, it is that so far he is supposed to be friends with Betty and Jughead, long time friends, but appears to know nothing about their lives or challenges. He doesn't even seem to have any sympathy for his dad. He seems totally self absorbed, and teenagers can be self absorbed, but everyone except Archie and Josie is concerned about what happens to other people. We've seen Josie's issues, but Archie's haven't surfaced yet.

Still enjoying this show, but a real surfacing of the classic love triangle could threaten my enjoyment.

[feverfew]

11 hours ago, abhi said:

I think removing Archie from the mystery for the first half of the season is a deliberate ploy. They are going to ease Archie into the mystery and main story in the second half of the season.  We know that the mystery really unfolds from episode 9 onward with everyone getting involved and episodes 7 and 8 will mostly deal with the polly issue and the resultant family dynamics. The side story of Betty and Jughead sleuthing on their own is apparently over.

My first thought was buh to the Betty/Jughead sleuthing being over - but I'm thinking it'll be a good thing in the end; lots of posters have expressed concern over the fact that the show seems fractured and I'll probably like Archie infinitely more if he's actually part of the storyline I'm interested in. Also, I'm really into the theory of the murder being a case of mistaken identities; that the Blossom-Cooper feud, the drugs, Polly is a red herring, and it was actually Archie who was the intended party. I don't know how to align that theory with the fact that Jason Blossom was held in captivity for a week before he was shot - that screams personal to me - but I think that'll bring Archie firmly into the center of the mystery. The drugs can be a thread that connect this mystery to the next (Hiram Lodge and the Southside Serpents).

Like @Mabinogia I think the dye job on both Jason and Archie is horrendous. It makes them look like those icky wampires from Twilight. Maybe we'll get a crossover with Supernatural, where the Winchesters show up to kill off all the creepy, fake redheads? ;)

 

10 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

This reminds me of how my daughters felt about me obsessing over Roswell in the 90s. Heh. There was a FanForum group with a thread titled something like AWCSOTB for "At Work and Can't Stay Off the Boards."

[...]

Am I the only one who thought that after Josie's dad seemingly got up to walk out on her too-low brow disco song that he was going to surprise everyone by showing up backstage beaming with pride and clapping? I still want it to turn out that the real reason he left was a text about some misbehaving band mate, and that his look of disappointment was not about Josie after all.

Heh. I'm rapidly approching my mid-thirties, and I still love a good teenage-mystery. I've mellowed on the crazy shipper tendencies (luckily. I think Smallville broke both my heart and my brain) and have become more discerning in my old age, I hope, in regards to writing and plot, but still I can't help it. I'm all in with Riverdale (for now. Until they screw so much with my favourite elements that I can't. #stillbitter over season 3 of Veronica Mars)

As for Josie and her father, I'm actually happy it happened like it did. Because I've been a little worried Josie, Valerie and Melody were there as tokens, and if Josie's father had done a Heel-Face Turn in this episode, it would mean her personal storyline was basically over. This way, it'll continue (same way Cheryl and Betty's batshit parents-storyline will) and that gives me hope Josie won't just be a side character.

Edited March 5, 2017 by feverfew
Beecause apparently there's a difference between a "Face-Heel Turn" and a "Heel-Face Turn". I meant the latter :)

[ketose]

4 hours ago, Affogato said:

It isn't, for me, so much that Archie is a dullard or a dud, it is that so far he is supposed to be friends with Betty and Jughead, long time friends, but appears to know nothing about their lives or challenges. He doesn't even seem to have any sympathy for his dad. He seems totally self absorbed, and teenagers can be self absorbed, but everyone except Archie and Josie is concerned about what happens to other people. We've seen Josie's issues, but Archie's haven't surfaced yet.

Everyone is self-absorbed. Jughead wants a juicy mystery to write about. Betty wants to know what's going on with her sister. Veronica wants her family back together. Ironically, Cheryl is less self-absorbed, vacillating between caring about her brother and trying to cope with having a messed up family.

The problem is that the writers don't want Archie to be the protagonist and so they have to keep him directly out of the mystery. That makes him boring. In a larger sense, though, Archie seems to represent the facade of Riverdale as a mostly all-American town while everyone else is exposing the underbelly.

[shapeshifter]

22 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Jason was BMOC and resembled Archie, right? Maybe fake young Miss Grundy has a type and did him in after finding out he'd faked his death/knocked up Polly/been going all Dollanganger with Cheryl.

And/or fake young Miss Grundy killed Jason because he saw her and Archie steaming up the windows of her car on the 4th of July and, in a fit of jealousy, threatened to report Miss G to the authorities. This would provide a simple explanation for why the Archie-Grundy thing was introduced into the series at all. I had been thinking it was to make Archie appear as more sexually mature than Betty and Veronica, since IRL teen girls generally mature earlier and so often are attracted to older guys.

[DigitalCount]

5 hours ago, Affogato said:

It isn't, for me, so much that Archie is a dullard or a dud, it is that so far he is supposed to be friends with Betty and Jughead, long time friends, but appears to know nothing about their lives or challenges. He doesn't even seem to have any sympathy for his dad. He seems totally self absorbed, and teenagers can be self absorbed, but everyone except Archie and Josie is concerned about what happens to other people. We've seen Josie's issues, but Archie's haven't surfaced yet.

Archie is startlingly self-absorbed. Not in an obtrusive way, but his casual entitlement made me pause this episode out of second-hand embarrassment. His flip-flopping between Veronica and Valarie was not his best look. He didn't even know Josie's full name (though I suppose it could have been Josette, thanks TVD) and he seems incapable of reading a room. Though maybe we can forgive him, since he's got a deep and abiding fear of werewolves, apparently. Maybe that has something to do with the mystery, and we'll find out that Jason was hazing him or something with a werewolf mask.

Loved everything Bughead in this episode. 

[ketose]

47 minutes ago, DigitalCount said:

Archie is startlingly self-absorbed. Not in an obtrusive way, but his casual entitlement made me pause this episode out of second-hand embarrassment. His flip-flopping between Veronica and Valarie was not his best look. He didn't even know Josie's full name (though I suppose it could have been Josette, thanks TVD) and he seems incapable of reading a room. Though maybe we can forgive him, since he's got a deep and abiding fear of werewolves, apparently. Maybe that has something to do with the mystery, and we'll find out that Jason was hazing him or something with a werewolf mask.

Loved everything Bughead in this episode. 

Or maybe he carries a werewolf gene. Then again, a teen wolf is cliche now, so it wouldn't make Archie more interesting.

[ZoloftBlob]

Quote

Maybe that has something to do with the mystery, and we'll find out that Jason was hazing him or something with a werewolf mask.

Seriously, have we not considered that Archie killed Jason? For hazing, or because Archie found out his mom had an affair with Papa Blossom and he's insanely jealous that he's not acknowledged as one of the wealthy red haired family?

[methodwriter85]

23 minutes ago, ZoloftBlob said:

Seriously, have we not considered that Archie killed Jason? For hazing, or because Archie found out his mom had an affair with Papa Blossom and he's insanely jealous that he's not acknowledged as one of the wealthy red haired family?

I would actually fucking love it if this show went for a Scream 4-type twist, where the supposed protagonist turns out to have been the villain after all.

I feel like there's something here, and I feel like if this show could get someone that would give the show a more focused feel and tone, it could really take off. I keep wondering what Rob Thomas could have done with this.

[dippydee]

3 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Other than Betty, is anyone in that family emotionally stable?

I don't think Betty's escaped unscathed either. Dark Betty is not the product of a healthy mind. Not to mention the way she told Cheryl to get out of her house before she killed her.....I think I'm putting her back on my suspect list.

1 hour ago, ZoloftBlob said:

Seriously, have we not considered that Archie killed Jason? For hazing, or because Archie found out his mom had an affair with Papa Blossom and he's insanely jealous that he's not acknowledged as one of the wealthy red haired family?

I would love this! It would certainly make Archie more interesting than he's been so far. Im glad the show is going for an ensemble vibe instead of a clear main character thing because as charming as KJ Apa seems in interviews a show with this version Archie front and centre would not have been good.

[peachmangosteen]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I keep wondering what Rob Thomas could have done with this.

Well, for one, he'd probably add a lot more rape to it.

I love the idea of Archie being the killer, but I don't remotely think they'd go there. But man it would be amazing!

Edited March 5, 2017 by peachmangosteen

[Last Time Lord]

Finally got around to watching this.

I absolutely loved this episode. So many twists, turns, and , well... felonies

[Chas411]

I loved the developments with the mystery part this week.

The side plot with Archie and the Pussycats was like something out of High School Musical. Awful.

[Bruinsfan]

Archie as a stone cold killer whose psychopathy somehow presents as oblivious teenage self-absorption would be fantastic! If we take all his moanings of concern about talking to the police and sparing Betty's feelings as manipulative camouflage, we'd have someone who:

• has football stardom/team captaincy fall into his lap when the former quarterback disappears from a location we know Archie was present at in the same timeframe
• Shows no interest in the mystery his best friends are trying to solve until it looks like they may have stumbled across some clues
• jumps headfirst (well, one of them anyway) into a secret affair with an adult teacher
• drops one of his closest friends like a hot potato to pursue said affair
• thinks nothing of offering his songwriting "services" to successful professional musicians despite his own lack of qualifications—requiring either a ridiculously inflated ego or opportunistic assessment of who could offer the most potential help in pursuing musical ambitions
• treats Veronica and Valerie like accessories, taking up with whoever will be most useful and then dropping her without a hint of remorse when he no longer needs her
• doesn't hesitate to make out with Veronica despite being aware of how it will hurt Betty, and
• offers two vastly different explanations of why he's not into Betty romantically, each tailor-made to absolve him of any blame from the listener

[ZoloftBlob]

So... Archie is a sociopath! :)

[Last Time Lord]

2 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Archie as a stone cold killer whose psychopathy somehow presents as oblivious teenage self-absorption would be fantastic! If we take all his moanings of concern about talking to the police and sparing Betty's feelings as manipulative camouflage, we'd have someone who:

• has football stardom/team captaincy fall into his lap when the former quarterback disappears from a location we know Archie was present at in the same timeframe
• Shows no interest in the mystery his best friends are trying to solve until it looks like they may have stumbled across some clues
• jumps headfirst (well, one of them anyway) into a secret affair with an adult teacher
• drops one of his closest friends like a hot potato to pursue said affair
• thinks nothing of offering his songwriting "services" to successful professional musicians despite his own lack of qualifications—requiring either a ridiculously inflated ego or opportunistic assessment of who could offer the most potential help in pursuing musical ambitions
• treats Veronica and Valerie like accessories, taking up with whoever will be most useful and then dropping her without a hint of remorse when he no longer needs her
• doesn't hesitate to make out with Veronica despite being aware of how it will hurt Betty, and
• offers two vastly different explanations of why he's not into Betty romantically, each tailor-made to absolve him of any blame from the listener

It's kinda crazy how plausible this seems

[loki567]

It'd be a good twist but essentially all of Archie's actions fall under the umbrella of, "clueless high school student." 

Pretty much the only evidence supporting it is the fact the show called attention to whoever wasn't at the drive-in, destroyed the Sheriff's evidence board. Fred, Hermione, Kevin, Cheryl, and Veronica were all there. Alice came later, although maybe she had enough time to destroy the board first and then zip over. So unaccounted for was Archie, Betty, Jughead (running the projector I assume, but not actually in the scenes), Papa Cooper, Polly, and Grundy. 

Edited March 6, 2017 by loki567

[imakicola]

I really like Betty but sometimes I think her facial expressions are a bit overdone. And when she was "crying" with Polly...well that just looked silly. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Riverdale Presents: Veronica And The Pussycats

While the school variety show keeps Archie and Veronica as self-obsessed as ever, Betty and Jughead continue solving mysteries and being cute and UM, YES, MORE.

[Free]

19 hours ago, ZoloftBlob said:

So... Archie is a sociopath! :)

At least his character would finally be interesting.

[susan vance]

Personally I hate all teacher/student supposed love stories, so I took everything Miss Grundy said with a grain of salt. However, one possibility I've been considering is if Jason may have been mistaken for Archie by her abusive ex-husband after seeing Archie and Miss Grundy together in the woods that morning. I can't help thinking that the mention of Jason being one of Miss Grundy's students is important, as well as Archie's resemblance to Jason. 

[Snookums]

I've been watching this on On Demand so very late but could no longer keep from posting!

Quote

While I'm rooting for Bughead, the execution seemed off; like a crucial intermediary scene was missing

This, to me, is the crucial thing that's keeping this show's orbit wobbly and spiraling--it really feels like every fifth scene or so is cut for time, leaving far too few connective tissues to make even a wacky kind of sense of it all. There's too much tell and not enough show, while simultaneously heaping big sloppy servings of ARCHIE IS TERRIFIC onto everybody's plate. I think the main problem is the show wanted to start off with a bang so they way overloaded the front end--we are six episodes in and Archie is on his fourth romantic pairing! The Miss Grundy Statutory Rape grossness was only semi-excusable when it was all about them hearing the shot on July 4th and then all that got tossed out a side window with Fake Geraldine wearing her Lolita sunglasses and scanning for new pickups while Archie isn't even phased by having his sexual choices hijacked by a lying lunatic. Did anybody at the school ever wonder what happened to the music teacher? File a report with the sheriff? Anything?

Anyhoodle. You know every single parent on this show belongs in prison when Archie has to ask, in all seriousness, if his father will still love him if he goofs up at a high school talent show, and said father doesn't find that question at all extreme or disturbing.  When the sleazy, bribe-taking, unhealthily obsessed with her daughter's success and how it relates to her marriage mother of Josie isn't Josie's worst parent. When the Coopers have no problem shoveling giant mountains of cash into a nunnery to keep their preggo daughter locked up and gaslighted and telling Betty she'll never see her again, while laughing like a hyena on bath salts at the sheer lunacy of the idea that her dad had the nerve to murder a teenager. Where white collar criminals have not the slightest issue with making their minor daughter a cover for their land dealings, while forging her signature the second she shows a moment's shock or rage at being so used. I don't know what's in the maple syrup in Riverdale but it must be some real balls-tripping stuff.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Snookums

[BaskingsharkGTX]

23 hours ago, susan vance said:

Personally I hate all teacher/student supposed love stories, so I took everything Miss Grundy said with a grain of salt. However, one possibility I've been considering is if Jason may have been mistaken for Archie by her abusive ex-husband after seeing Archie and Miss Grundy together in the woods that morning. I can't help thinking that the mention of Jason being one of Miss Grundy's students is important, as well as Archie's resemblance to Jason. 

I was thinking the same thing. Ever since Mrs. Blossom telling Archie he was "so like" Jason at the funeral...

[shapeshifter]

On March 7, 2017 at 10:50 PM, BaskingsharkGTX said:

I was thinking the same thing. Ever since Mrs. Blossom telling Archie he was "so like" Jason at the funeral...

Or Grundy just has a type. IDK. In the last scene of her (with the Lolita, heart-shaped sunglasses) did anyone notice if the boy she was eyeing had even auburn hair?

[Oscirus]

I put too much thought into this crapfest, but I think I figured out what the showrunners were going for in regards to Archie and Jughead and Jughead's secret.

Basically what likely happened is that Archie's dad fired Jug's dad which pissed Jughead off enough to cause tension in his relationship with Archie. Archie either didn't want to deal with Jughead or was his usual oblivious self and blew off their supposed meeting which was the last straw. 

I suppose Jug's father losing the job likely made them unable to make ends meet and they recently became homeless. Jughead being a loner likely made his predicament easy to hide.

[thuganomics85]

So, are Fred and Sheriff Keller the only two parents who don't completely suck?  Because, wow, Josie's dad was... well, not the worse since nothing can top the Blossoms or the Coopers, but there is just something so galling about a dad who be that disrespectful to his daughter's performance, just because he doesn't like her style of music.  I'm sure there are plenty of times where parents secretly do roll their eyes and even bad talk something their children do, but you can at least suck it up for a few minutes in front of them and put on a fake smile.  Asshole.  He is actually making her mom look like the good one, despite her own issues and corruption.

I almost felt bad for Archie when he was trying to insert himself in the main storyline, only for Betty and Jughead to basically be like "Nope, we're cool!  Go back to your music, little buddy!"  I still don't hate him, because I feel like a lot of stuff is him being a dumb teenage boy (I can totally see why it would go over his head that Veronica would be hurt over losing her spot during his act), but the guy really is clueless at almost everything.

Glad we got more Veronica this time, even if she had some obnoxious moments, but at least she apologized for most of it, and I do think it has to be hard accepting that your father is in jail and that there is a good chance your mom will move on.  Granted, it's hard to feel bad for Heromine since she goes and forges her daughter's signature, so her new squeeze can get a contract.  Again, parents mainly suck on this show.

When we only saw Polly from behind at first, I really thought it was going to be revealed that Lili Reinhart was playing her as well, and they would end up being twins.  Instead, she is pregnant with Jason's child and were planning on running off together.  Betty now suspects her dad is the killer, but Alice laughs it off, and for what it is worth, I do doubt it will end up being any of the Coopers.  Still, they are the worst.

And to end things on a shallow note: Camila Mendes in the Pussycat outfit?  Why, yes, more of that please.  Either that or the black swimsuit from episode three.