S01.E12: Chapter Twelve: Anatomy Of A Murder

[The Crazed Spruce]

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Shocked to learn of the arrest, Archie and Veronica realize they need to tell their parents about what they uncovered; Jughead reluctantly joins his friends in a quest for truth; Cheryl confronts her mother.

[WhosThatGirl]

Wow, Fred, way to turn on your friend. But whatever. 

But holy wow.. this show went full incest with the cousin couple Polly and Jason  and cousin babies. Wow. They were flirting with the idea before but they fully went there. 

Poor Jughead. I know some people don't like him but this episode. And poor Kevin with the whole Joaquin thing too. 

Also I have to say, even though we are so far into the first season I still have no idea what kind of show this show is and that's not a big thing. Its so crazy. It's gritty at times, a teen drama sometimes, a dark comedy, etc. And it's not just from episode to episode, it's scene to scene.

Alice Cooper is my favorite adult. Her pulling out a gun at the sound of an intruder and calling Sheriff Keller "Sheriff Clueless" Love her.  Not as awesome as when she picked up a brick and threw it through a window to get to her husband but she still finds a way to win the episode. 

I don't know how I feel about The killer reveal. Kind of disappointed? Having it be Mama Blossom or Daddy's Blossom seems like a easy cop out. Along with him killing himself. 

I can't believe it's over next week. It's going to be a long break.

[Advance35]

I honestly can't event find the words.  That's episode was ABSOLUTELY bonkers.  

Everyone on this show is guilty as hell in one way or another.  At least most of the grown-ups.

So The Coopers really are House Lannister in a way.   The Showdown in the middle of the night was surreal.   And I felt VERY bad for Cheryl.  She never had a shot at being a fully functional person with those two as parents.  When Jason was murdered she really lost the only person in the world she was close too.   And VERY scared of what she's going to do moving forward.  All of the Blossoms are so deeply disturbed.

And I'm seeing more and more that Veronica and Hermione's relationship is equal parts Mother/Daughter and Girlfriends.  I was surprised that Hermione wasn't able to hold herself together when she had that break down.  I think maybe Hermione realized that if Hiram went away permanently, then The Lodges are finished.  The closest Hermione or Veronica will ever come to the Met Gala again, is the Riverdale Jubilee.   Kind of surprised and a little disappointed that Veronica didn't connect those dots as well.

(Shallow Note: Veronica's wardrobe is a gift from heaven.  I don't think I've seen one dress, skirt, blouse or boa that I haven't loved)

I'll have to type more later.

[SeanC]

Just now, WhosThatGirl said:

But holy wow.. this show went full incest with the cousin couple Polly and Jason  and cousin babies. Wow. They were flirting with the idea before but they fully went there. 

Honestly, I was with Clifford on that point.  Being third cousins isn't really that notable.

So I gather from the final shot that the maple syrup casks were full of drugs?

That was a remarkably high-tension episode throughout.  One of the show's best, and had a lot of the show's most effective character drama.

The shot of the kids trooping up the motel staircase to find Mustang just called attention to Veronica wearing heels.  This might have been the time for more practical footwear, Ms. Lodge.

[memememe76]

Anyone know what was in the maple syrup? Drugs? 

Good episode. I like FP was not totally innocent and I like the cousin reveal. That connection may be the cause of Bad Betty.

The saddest scene was Jughead sleeping in the garage, losing the opportunity to sleep next to a shirtless Archie.

Edited May 5, 2017 by memememe76

[dippydee]

21 minutes ago, WhosThatGirl said:

Alice Cooper is my favorite adult. Her pulling out a gun at the sound of an intruder and calling Sheriff Keller "Sheriff Clueless" Love her.  Not as awesome as when she picked up a brick and threw it through a window to get to her husband but she still finds a way to win the episode. 

She's so awesome, she's displaced Betty as my favourite character on the show. She's still got issues but darn if she just isn't the most fun.

Those poor Pure Blossom babies. Maybe they'll have blonde hair and get disowned otherwise those babies are already going to need a boatload therapy. 

[Jeddah]

This show is just bonkers. I thought the episode would end on the kids' shocked faces, and I was surprised that they did finally solve the case in this episode.

Why did Betty make Archie put Jason's jacket on? Because the show cannot pass up a chance to be as weird as possible. 

I hope Archie's mother lined up another lawyer for FP since she's leaving town. He's going to need it!

[jay741982]

Awesome Episode and I totally called who killed Jason! No wonder Archie Betty Jughead Kevin and Veronica were that upset after watching that video that is an asboulety horrible way to die. Tied up to a chair and by your own father. I really don't know what to feel about Betty and her Family being Blossoms. Some of the writers like GOT I take it. For who was wondering that was drugs in the barrels when they found Cliffords body. I loved seeing my girl Betty showing off her sleuth brain. 

1 minute ago, Jeddah said:

This show is just bonkers. I thought the episode would end on the kids' shocked faces, and I was surprised that they did finally solve the case in this episode.

Why did Betty make Archie put Jason's jacket on? Because the show cannot pass up a chance to be as weird as possible. 

I hope Archie's mother lined up another lawyer for FP since she's leaving town. He's going to need it!

Cause Archie looks somewhat similar to Jason I figured and she did it to find out if something was in the pockets if it had a hole 

Next week looks action packed and we are getting focus on the core four I hear 

Edited May 5, 2017 by jay741982

[catrice2]

I figured it was one of the parents long ago, but getting there was fun unlike some of the other CW shows this year.  I hate there were not that many episodes.  I hope father Blossom's death is not the new mystery because really, who cares? 

Does this mean Jughead has forgiven his friends?   So now Kevin does not have a "real boyfriend?" 

Veronica's mom needs to teach her not to pop off about her father. 

Although I think in this instance Fred could have shown more compassion towards FP, I totally get being tired if he has been with him through mess after mess. 

I really hope that is the last that we see of Molly Ringwald. 

[Jeddah]

7 minutes ago, jay741982 said:

Cause Archie looks somewhat similar to Jason I figured and she did it to find out if something was in the pockets if it had a hole 

I know that was her explanation, but she could have checked the pockets without him putting the jacket on. It just jumped out at me as being a random thing to do after finding a clue to a murder case.

Edited May 5, 2017 by Jeddah

[ybrik]

Wow that was an episode. I think after Clifford's speech to Archie in ep 9 about how Jason would never stand up for Clifford the same way Archie was for Fred was kind of big sign pointing at Clifford being the killer. Despite it being obvious, I still think it is a good selection.

Damn they went with the incest angle. But what the hell Hal? How many times could you have told Polly that Jason was her 3rd cousin before they had sex? Also when trying to convince your daughter to have an abortion, the fact the child is a product is a good reason that she should know about!

Oh Alice batshit crazy Alice, never change.

So are we to assume based on the one sided phone call that Jughead's mom didn't want him coming over? Also could this also mean that it may not have been his choice to stay in Riverdale?

Cheryl ask Polly for the room number of the place she was locked in. After all this I think you could use a summer locked up walking in the tranquil garden.

What kind of operation are you running down there Sheriff Keller? I mean you let Betty just walk in and visit with Jughead a few eps back and now Clifford is able to have a private conversation with a prime murder suspect. Also you let a woman claiming to be FP's lawyer in to see him despite her not really being his lawyer.

Mary may have been on to something. Had one murder and now all of sudden people are dropping like flies in Riverdale.

I do wonder if the new mystery starting next episode and leading to next season was kind of teased with Betty in the preview saying something like something wicked comes this way.

[Chaos Theory]

Wait the Blossoms don't really look like they'd mind a little incest.  Plus Jason and Polly are like 2nd cousins. That barely counts.

I doubt that was the reason daddy Blossom killed Jadon.  Mommy Blossom said something about the syrup being bad.  I think that is a better reason.  It maybe Daddy did realize ze Cheryl was the better Blossom and you know how Blossoms deal with betrayal. 

[ZoloftBlob]

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Honestly, I was with Clifford on that point.  Being third cousins isn't really that notable.

This is exactly the concept that Downton Abbey ran with.

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Anyone know what was in the maple syrup? Drugs? 

I *think* so but it wasn't clear. It's also not clear to me - perhaps because I am not drunk or high - WHY did Cliff kill Jason?

[Dobian]

So what was that in the maple syrup barrels, cocaine?  No wonder why Blossoms' syrup is outselling Aunt Jemima!

Edited May 5, 2017 by Dobian

[VCRTracking]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn! Who would expect a show based on Archie comics would be this dark?

I wasn't that surprised when they revealed who killed Jason. I was however very shocked how he killed him.

 I thought he may have done it in the heat of an argument and it was an accident. Or maybe he felt he had no choice and was at least sorry about it. But beaten and tied to a chair in some basement of a biker bar and then he just shoots him? His own son? That is cold.

Edited May 5, 2017 by VCRTracking

[Dobian]

23 minutes ago, ZoloftBlob said:

This is exactly the concept that Downton Abbey ran with.

I *think* so but it wasn't clear. It's also not clear to me - perhaps because I am not drunk or high - WHY did Cliff kill Jason?

I think Jason figured out that the family was a little bit too super rich for a maple syrup business, and dad reckoned he was too much of a liability.  Maybe dad was the Walter White of Riverdale, but instead of Blue Sky his product was Maple Log.

[zumpie]

3 hours ago, memememe76 said:

Good episode. I like FP was not totally innocent and I like the cousin reveal. That connection may be the cause of Bad Betty.

The only thing FP is "guilty" of is being Clifford's victim and being coerced into making a false statement to Roscoe to protect his son, all which kinda makes him a saint. How are you missing that? And how do the Blossoms and Coopers being third cousins explain Betty's anxiety disorder?

[VCRTracking]

We still don't know how involved in Jason's murder. I want to believe when Jason was brought to their hideout it was not to be killed and then Clifford arrived FP didn't think he was going to do that to his own son.  FP had no choice to cover it up or be an accessory.

I like that the Coopers were united in their disgust in Penelope saying "Nothing could be more purer Blossoms than those babies!"

Thank you to the person who posted this on Tumblr:

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Guess you could say that was areal CLIFF-hanger...

Edited May 5, 2017 by VCRTracking

[thefreeair]

18 minutes ago, zumpie said:

The only thing FP is "guilty" of is being Clifford's victim and being coerced into making a false statement to Roscoe to protect his son, all which kinda makes him a saint. How are you missing that? And how do the Blossoms and Coopers being third cousins explain Betty's anxiety disorder?

Well, no, he's also guilty of abducting a teenager, holding him against his will, disposing of said teen's body and hiding evidence. He was sitting on that tape all this time for leverage. I like FP too, but he is hardly Clifford's victim. He was so very complicit.

And also, even if he did all of those things to protect Jughead (and from what I gather Jughead only came up later after all the deeds were done and Cliff wanted to control FP) that definitely doesn't make him a saint. So he saves his son and another kid dies instead. You don't get sainthood by doing terrible things for understandable reasons. 

Edited May 5, 2017 by thefreeair
...and ANOTHER thing!

[zumpie]

12 minutes ago, thefreeair said:

Well, no, he's also guilty of abducting a teenager, holding him against his will, disposing of said teen's body and hiding evidence. He was sitting on that tape all this time for leverage. I like FP too, but he is hardly Clifford's victim. He was so very complicit.

He didn't do those things, though----Mustang did. That was made very, very clear. Not sure why he was sitting on the tape, etc. But no he did not abduct or torture Jason. With the body, I'm guessing Clifford pulled those strings all along.

[methodwriter85]

16 minutes ago, Dobian said:

I think Jason figured out that the family was a little bit too super rich for a maple syrup business, and dad reckoned he was too much of a liability.  Maybe dad was the Walter White of Riverdale, but instead of Blue Sky his product was Maple Log.

There's an online soap about a candy company, and it gets revealed that the "candy" they sell are infused with highly addictive drugs. Maybe that's what happened?

[thefreeair]

10 minutes ago, zumpie said:

He didn't do those things, though----Mustang did. That was made very, very clear. Not sure why he was sitting on the tape, etc. But no he did not abduct or torture Jason. With the body, I'm guessing Clifford pulled those strings all along.

We know from Joaquin's version that FP at the very least disposed of Jason's body and cleaned up the murder scene. It wasn't made clear at all that Mustang held Jason captive - what was clear was that FP made damn sure that the tape he had made of it only showed Mustang. Why incriminate himself in his leverage?

FP is the leader of the serpents, and if he had the wherewithal to make the tape, he knew what was going on. Even if he wasn't the one who physically abducted/tortured Jason, it happened under his watch and with his knowledge. So this kid is missing and being tortured and FP is more concerned with getting paid/recording blackmail material than saving his life.

Complicit as hell. I mean, Skeet Ulrich is compelling and FP is charismatic, but let's not pretend he's not shady af. 

Edited May 5, 2017 by thefreeair

[loki567]

I agree with the idea that it was an intense episode that lead to some lame reveals. Oh my god, THEY'RE... third cousins? That's really nothing at all. I wish they had gone full throat with the idea, make Polly or Jason the result of a Hal/Penelope or Alice/Clifford affair and make Jason/Polly full on siblings. I'm wondering if that was the original idea that the network execs put a kibosh on. 

Clifford was a predictable guess but having son restrained for a week and killing him in cold blood, added a savage element to the whole thing. I love the fact that Cheryl so screwed up that she's not willing or capable to walk out of the house. She's a Blossom through and through. 

And this episode kind of proved that Archie is a fairly minor character in the grand scheme of things. The episode centers around the Jughead/JP relationship, the Coopers' blood legacy, the Lodges and Bloosoms' crimes, even Kevin's relationship with Joaquin leads to the final piece of evidence being revealed... and Archie's just sort of there. The Jason/Archie comparison really didn't amount to much.

[zumpie]

3 minutes ago, thefreeair said:

We know from Joaquin's version that FP at the very least disposed of Jason's body and cleaned up the murder scene. It wasn't made clear at all that Mustang held Jason captive

And that's all there is to go on-----plus, that's the uncorroborated statement of another "criminal" who's now fleeing justice, so completely inadmissable hearsay. It's quite apparent this was written to exonerate FP, not the other way around. You're assuming a great deal

The fact that we see FP still moping in a jail cell in the previews tells me he'll be sprung shortly.

[thefreeair]

12 minutes ago, zumpie said:

And that's all there is to go on-----plus, that's the uncorroborated statement of another "criminal" who's now fleeing justice, so completely inadmissable hearsay. It's quite apparent this was written to exonerate FP, not the other way around. You're assuming a great deal

The fact that we see FP still moping in a jail cell in the previews tells me he'll be sprung shortly.

Well, yeah, he didn't kill Jason? And? He still has been shown - narratively, not in a court of law - to be a shady character with dirty hands. I'm not assuming, I'm just going off what we were shown. Presumably, we were meant to believe Joaquin's account of disposing of a body with FP. What did he have to gain by incriminating himself and telling his leader's secrets to his fake boyfriend's pals? 

I'm not quibbling with your assessment of FP as being innocent of the crime for which he was being accused. I was disagreeing with your assessment of FP as some pure, victimized saint who has done no wrong and had no part to play in Jason getting killed and his murderer getting away with it. 

FP is a grown man and a criminal whose been running gross, shady errands for the highest bidder in town. I think there's room for the interpretation that he's actually not a great guy when the show has also explicitly told us that he's a (charismatic, interesting, even likeable) dirtbag. I don't understand why you're making it so black and white? It's okay to like him even if he's not perfect.

Edited May 5, 2017 by thefreeair

[zumpie]

1 minute ago, thefreeair said:

Presumably, we were meant to believe Joaquin's account of disposing of a body with FP.

Which was literally the ONLY thing we're meant to believe. My entire point

2 minutes ago, thefreeair said:

FP is a grown man and a criminal whose been running gross, shady errands for the highest bidder in town. Let's not pretend he's this great guy when the show has explicitly told us that he's actually a (charismatic, interesting, even likeable) dirtbag. 

Errrmmm....I disagree. We've been shown he hung out at the drive in and got rid of the body when he found it (because WTF else was he gonna do?). That's where his "dirty deeds" seem to begin and end. I actually find the show illustrating that the rich people and town officials are waaaay shadier than the poor people and Mustang was an outlier who left FP to clean up his mess.

So two ways of looking at this.

[thefreeair]

3 minutes ago, zumpie said:

So two ways of looking at this.

Yeah, I don't disagree. I just think it's fair to look at this character (negligent of his family, alcoholic, Gang leader, cleaning up murder scenes and sitting on blackmail material rather than seeking justice, etc, etc) and think he's less than a saint. My point was that, based on what we've been shown, saying "Hey, FP isn't entirely innocent here" is a perfectly reasonable position to take. 

[zumpie]

1 minute ago, thefreeair said:

Yeah, I don't disagree. I just think it's fair to look at this character (negligent of his family, alcoholic, Gang leader, cleaning up murder scenes and sitting on blackmail material rather than seeking justice, etc, etc) and think he's less than a saint. My point was that, based on what we've been shown, saying "Hey, FP isn't entirely innocent here" is a perfectly reasonable position to take. 

And my point is all we've been shown (previously and tonite) is he's a guy who had problems, was working to fix them, cleaned up a dead body---because he lives in a town where you're guilty until proven innocent and even then not given a pass (because the show certainly made THAT clear) and then was willing to sacrifice his own life to protect his son. IDK, seems like someone who at heart is actually a pretty good person. You actually stated:

22 minutes ago, thefreeair said:

a criminal whose been running gross, shady errands for the highest bidder in town

Again, none of which we have any canon proof of.  I don't see why you're so hellbent on him being evil and inserting your headcanon, TBH. You sound a lot like both Vermin and Kevin did tonight. Actual show canon, again, shows him waaaay less shady than the other adults in town. Which is the point the show is trying to make

[UsernameFatigue]

Though of course this is a fictional show, and the writers can and do make up anything they want, I thought it was a stretch that no one would have known that the Coopers were once Blossoms. It wasn't that long ago, and it isn't that big of a town. It isn't like one family moved away. They are all been there living in the same town, with the successive generations all knowing each other. I am sure there are many in the town that knew, and find it hard to believe this was kept a secret from Betty/Cheryl's generation.

It was obvious that when Jughead visited his father in jail that FP was lying, and that the most likely reason was to protect Jughead. So not a surprise in the least that it turned out to be the case. 

[Dee]

I'm so over Jughead, the tremendous chip on his shoulder and his constant whining. He needs to go ASAP.

[thefreeair]

42 minutes ago, zumpie said:

Again, none of which we have any canon proof of.  I don't see why you're so hellbent on him being evil and inserting your headcanon, TBH. You sound a lot like both Vermin and Kevin did tonight. Actual show canon, again, shows him waaaay less shady than the other adults in town. Which is the point the show is trying to make

I don't know who Vermin and Kevin are but I'm not hellbent on making him evil. When did I say he was evil? I've also said several times that I actually like him - I have no motive to hate him. I'm just not trying to bend over backwards to excuse actions of his that we have seen. Again, he can be a shady character and also be enjoyable to watch. Both of these things can be true at the same time. 

He is a criminal, in canon. We do have canon proof of him running errands for Hiram Lodge (taking that big bag of money from Hermione - which later wound up alongside Mustang's dead body, so....). We also know that he burned Jason's car because he took the jacket from it. Now, that could be because Cliff paid him or it could be to cover up his own crime with the drugs.

We also know that he (criminally) gave this kid drugs to sell - is that evil? I would say no, but it certainly isn't righteous. And he had no motive but financial there, so definitely craven.

I don't think you can say with such authority what point the show is trying to make. We weren't shown at all what FP's motives for cleaning up the body were. That's your speculation. 

What we do know is that he cleaned up the body, covered up the murder, and had a tape of the crime being committed for leverage. His motives are up in the air. If Mustang went entirely off script, then why did FP have the tape? How would have known about it? 

I'm not saying FP is evil, I'm not saying there aren't worse folks in Riverdale. I'm just pointing out that he's not that innocent, and I'm really confused by this sanitized version of him you're presenting as though it's show gospel when we've seen otherwise.

Anyway, agree to disagree, I guess. 

Edited May 5, 2017 by thefreeair

[PeekaBoo]

Is mustang apparent OD the second death they were talking about or is he just a victim of circumstances? 

[Grandmother Olivia]

Incest babies! The show has gone full V C Andrews, and I couldn't love it more. 

Also, is it possible Cheryl and Mummy Blossom helped shuffle Daddy Blossom off the mortal coil? The synchronised direction giving to the Sherriff was very ritualistic.

Edited May 5, 2017 by Grandmother Olivia
Added ?

[txhorns79]

Quote

Though of course this is a fictional show, and the writers can and do make up anything they want, I thought it was a stretch that no one would have known that the Coopers were once Blossoms. It wasn't that long ago, and it isn't that big of a town. It isn't like one family moved away. They are all been there living in the same town, with the successive generations all knowing each other. I am sure there are many in the town that knew, and find it hard to believe this was kept a secret from Betty/Cheryl's generation.

I agree.  I understand for the purposes of the show it has to be a secret, but it really didn't make much sense to me that it could be. 

[AzureOwl]

5 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Though of course this is a fictional show, and the writers can and do make up anything they want, I thought it was a stretch that no one would have known that the Coopers were once Blossoms. It wasn't that long ago, and it isn't that big of a town. It isn't like one family moved away. They are all been there living in the same town, with the successive generations all knowing each other. I am sure there are many in the town that knew, and find it hard to believe this was kept a secret from Betty/Cheryl's generation.

Them not knowing about the relationship is not that far fetched. Given that the change took place 70+ years ago. And remember, the kids didn't even know about the feud, which was common knowledge in Hermionie's generation. 

[MarkHB]

Enough.

Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation of this or any other show, and if anyone has trouble discussing another's interpretation without resorting to rudeness you should either Ignore that poster, or else walk away.  This episode in particular is subject to many different interpretations as it was told in choppy flashbacks, and all the opinions I have seen in here are equally valid for discussion without being dismissed as "you just made that up."   Going back-and-forth belittling others will not be tolerated.

[Snarkette]

The show still hasn't explained how Archie is a Blossom yet. I am still waiting to get the background of why he was featured so prominently in all those photos when the board visited. However, we now know that maple syrup runs in the veins of not just Cheryl, but also Polly and Betty.

[HunterHunted]

9 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Wait the Blossoms don't really look like they'd mind a little incest.  Plus Jason and Polly are like 2nd cousins. That barely counts.

I doubt that was the reason daddy Blossom killed Jason.  Mommy Blossom said something about the syrup being bad.  I think that is a better reason.  It maybe Daddy did realize ze Cheryl was the better Blossom and you know how Blossoms deal with betrayal. 

Cousins?!?! It worked for Edgar Allen Poe (1st cousin), Jerry Lee Lewis (1st), Rudy Giuliani (2nd), and FDR and Eleanor (5th cousins).

It looked like maple syrup barrels were filled with drugs. Jason was selling drugs to help save money for him and Polly to run away. I'm guessing that he some how figured out that his Dad was a drug kingpin and either tried to blackmail his dad or threatened to go to the cops. It makes me wonder if Hiram's part in this was that he was laundering the drug money, which would explain how Cliff Blossom was in a position to frame Hiram for embezzlement.

3 minutes ago, Snarkette said:

The show still hasn't explained how Archie is a Blossom yet. I am still waiting to get the background of why he was featured so prominently in all those photos when the board visited. However, we now know that maple syrup runs in the veins of not just Cheryl, but also Polly and Betty.

I don't think the show has alleged that Archie is a Blossom. I think he was featured prominently because he's an attractive young man with red hair and good optics. He's been shown being kind, compassionate, and wholesome to others when the Blossoms had a bunch of terrible PR--Jason's murder and Cheryl as the initial suspect.

[maxineofarc]

I am in the camp that does not consider third cousins "incest." There are lots of places that are still okay with marrying your first cousin, and compared to that, third cousins are barely related. Both Alice's righteousness and Penelope's smugness about it were way too much.

Jughead and Betty are the ones directly affected by the Blossom-adjacent events, and both of the actors continue to kill it.

Hoo boy, do I still have some questions though. About the nature of the Blossoms' business, exactly why Cliff shot Jason (and then happily participated in reviling Cheryl for it), why do we assume Joaquin is telling the truth, why doesn't Jughead's mother want him, how did the Serpents get to be so progressive...

Edited May 5, 2017 by maxineofarc
Remembered Ma Blossom's first name.

[AzureOwl]

26 minutes ago, maxineofarc said:

Hoo boy, do I still have some questions though. About the nature of the Blossoms' business, exactly why Cliff shot Jason (and then happily participated in reviling Cheryl for it), why do we assume Joaquin is telling the truth, why doesn't Jughead's mother want him, how did the Serpents get to be so progressive...

I expect that while this episode revealed the "who", the season finale will wrap up the "why".

54 minutes ago, Snarkette said:

The show still hasn't explained how Archie is a Blossom yet. I am still waiting to get the background of why he was featured so prominently in all those photos when the board visited. However, we now know that maple syrup runs in the veins of not just Cheryl, but also Polly and Betty.

The thing is (and this runs into the incest question) in a town as small as Riverdale is supposed to be, it should not be rare for most people to be related to one degree or another. there are only so many people in town so unless Riverdale gets regular infusion of new people regularly, half the people in that place ought to be 3rd, 4th or 5th cousins at least.

Unless both branches of the Blossoms have only been having  sons until the present generation, there also ought to be some daughters who married into other families in town. Archie's mother may very well be Clifford's and Hal's third or fourth cousin as well. 

[Primetimer]

The penultimate episode of Season 1 solves the mystery of who killed Jason Blossom, and...well that's all that matters, really.

View the full article

[AzureOwl]

I just checked, and apparently the degree of consanguinity between Jason and Polly is so far apart that they could even get married in the Catholic Church. 

I'm assuming the Coopers at least are Catholics considering they put Molly in what was basically a convent, so there's a good chance the Blossoms are as well.

[dippydee]

1 hour ago, Snarkette said:

However, we now know that maple syrup runs in the veins of not just Cheryl, but also Polly and Betty.

Lol! Actually it totally makes sense. There's  something not quite right about all of them. The maple syrup has a lot to answer for.

Actually I was kind of disappointed to see the drugs in the barrels at the end. I prefer this show more where it's the maple syrup industry that's the BigBad with shocking dark underbelly etc rather than something as boring as drugs. The show is best when it embraces its own ridiculousness.

[Lady Calypso]

So, from what I understand, Mustang had a hand in kidnapping Jason, and Clifford came and shot his own son? And I assume all FP did was clean up the mess afterwards when he found it and has been trying to protect himself ever since. Honestly, the whole sequence of events here was a little unclear. How long did FP know that Clifford killed Jason? I guess since he had the footage that he knew very early on. So yeah, FP doesn't get off easy because he might not have killed Jason, but he covered it up, dumped the body, and torched the getaway car. But the question is: why? They made it clear that Clifford only threatened Jughead's life the night of FP's arrest. If he had the video the whole time, why didn't he just give it to the police, even anonymously? Was it really just to protect his part with Jason and the drugs? How much of the kidnapping story he told was true? Did he actually initially kidnap Jason but Clifford was tipped off somehow and finished the job? 

Again, way more questions arose since they tried to tie everything together in the last ten minutes after the Big Reveal. Also, did Mustang really just overdose by accident, or did Clifford kill him too? Also, why did Clifford kill himself? Or, the more likely question, did someone hang him to shut him up about the probably season 2 mystery that Clifford was involved in? I'm guessing it's related to the drugs. 

I thought the reveal was decent and it made sense, but the writing didn't make anything that clear. 

The Blossoms are a messed up family, that's for sure. Honestly, the whole thing was a little convoluted. So, Hal stole evidence to....protect this big Cooper/Blossom relation secret? In what way would that ever have gotten out? Who in the world would be looking for that connection now? 

I did laugh at Betty putting Archie in Jason's varsity jacket. The intentional Archie/Jason similarities continue. 

Overall, not the worst episode, but I honestly didn't think it was all that strong. Jughead continues to shine, and Betty is my favourite still, but Alice has shot up in the list of my favourite characters. She truly is wonderful and I love that she's gotten in on the action with her daughter and her friends. 

[Dobian]

I guess the only point of Molly Ringwald was nostalgia cameo.  All they gave her to do before heading back to Chicago was to give some legal pointers to Archie and Jughead.  Snore.

[indiscutable]

7 hours ago, Dee said:

I'm so over Jughead, the tremendous chip on his shoulder and his constant whining. He needs to go ASAP.

I don't see him whining at all. He seems to be handling all of this heartbreak pretty well. He literally has no home and no parental care. 

12 hours ago, Jeddah said:

This show is just bonkers. I thought the episode would end on the kids' shocked faces, and I was surprised that they did finally solve the case in this episode.

Why did Betty make Archie put Jason's jacket on? Because the show cannot pass up a chance to be as weird as possible. 

I hope Archie's mother lined up another lawyer for FP since she's leaving town. He's going to need it!

Having Archie put the jacket on was just so weird. I thought initially it would be a way to raise jealousies, but it seemed to not have any impact at all. 

[scorp01]

29 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

But the question is: why? They made it clear that Clifford only threatened Jughead's life the night of FP's arrest. If he had the video the whole time, why didn't he just give it to the police, even anonymously? Was it really just to protect his part with Jason and the drugs? How much of the kidnapping story he told was true? Did he actually initially kidnap Jason but Clifford was tipped off somehow and finished the job? 

I'm choosing to believe Clifford must have threatened Jughead when the murder first happened, otherwise why would FP have done all these things to cover it up from the get go?  Also handwaving that he had to visit FP in jail to reiterate his point because Clifford's excuse of "I went there to look Jason's killer in the eye" doesn't make much sense.  Would the (albeit fairly incompetent) sheriff really allow the murder victim's father in a room ALONE with the supposed murderer?

[starri]

Wow. That was a GREAT episode.  It's been a long time since a show with some kind of central mystery plot had the payoff that was as good as what lead up to it, and I don't know if there's one where it's been better.  This show isn't even in the same galaxy as Veronica Mars, but that was super satisfying.

I was so, so happy they let Kevin be part of the gang.  

Also, some hard proof that the younger women on this show far outstrip the talents of the younger men, except for maybe Cole Sprouse.

[CCTC]

10 minutes ago, indiscutable said:

I don't see him whining at all. He seems to be handling all of this heartbreak pretty well. He literally has no home and no parental care. 

There have been episodes that I have gotten tired of the Woeful - no  one knows my pain -Jughead - more so the writing than the acting, but I thought they did a good job with him this episode.  I liked the interactions between the teens in this episode.

Not that they are all future Oscar winners, but for a CW teen drama the acting is not bad.  I thought the reaction  shots of the kids watching the video was effective.  You could see that they were truly shocked and sickened.

I wonder if Mr. Blossom did actually commit suicide or if his wife and/or daughter helped him into the noose.

[truthaboutluv]

31 minutes ago, indiscutable said:

I don't see him whining at all. He seems to be handling all of this heartbreak pretty well. He literally has no home and no parental care. 

This. I thought Jughead seemed remarkably calm this episode, even when he thought his father was a full blown murderer. And he seemed over his anger at Betty and the others or at least didn't have the strength to be angry any more. Betty was the one determined to believe FP was innocent and wanting to prove it. I also thought Cole's work in the phone booth scene was perfect. It wasn't over the top and overly dramatic but you could see how much pain he was in. I do agree that hopefully next season they pull back on the angst with him because there is a risk of it becoming a little over the top. Like just because he's good at pulling it off doesn't mean the writers have to overdo it. 

I'm actually not sure how I feel about the episode as a whole. Mr. Blossom being the murderer wasn't that big of a surprise, since most viewers have been speculating about the family being guilty from the beginning. The Jason/Polly incest thing was kind of a whatever to me to be honest. Probably because Polly and Jason are both complete whatevers to me. I think that's why I'm torn about the episode. I've sort of never really cared that much who killed Jason because they've made the character such a caricature. The whole not having any dialogue, looking like some supernatural/mythical character with the overly pale skin, etc. It's made it hard for me to take the whole thing seriously. 

Like a teenage boy was murdered and there's a mystery around who did it and that stuff is usually right up my alley because there's the tension and drama of figuring out what happened. But because Jason came across as such a caricature, I sort of kept expecting the whole thing to turn out to be an elaborate hoax. I don't know if this is making any sense but I think it ties into exactly what some have said about the show from the beginning - i.e. it's sort of all over the place and you're not really sure what kind of show it's supposed to be. Like on one hand, it's a typical teen angsty/dramatic show with someone like Jughead, then it's very dark with a guy being murdered and his death being made to look like a heroin overdose, complete with visible drug paraphernalia in the scene, but then it's super campy with the whole murder victim who never speaks and then there was Archie earlier in the season with his singing dream. It's just kind of all over the place. But I'll say this, it is entertaining. 

Edited May 5, 2017 by truthaboutluv