[narrator] Previously on Riverdale:
-I'm Charles, your brother. -You have the serial killer gene?
I joined the FBI to control those impulses.
In all your plotting, you didn't kill me.
So, after graduation, we go our separate ways, Archie.
No big drama.
-[Veronica crying] -It's okay.
-They found him. -[Archie] The guy who killed my dad?
-[FP] His name's George Augustine. -Fred Andrews. That's the man you killed!
You left him there to die. Coward!
[Charles] FBI. David, can we ask you questions?
You know about the videotapes being delivered around town?
[intense music playing]
[Mary] Archie.
What's going on?
-It's the middle of the night. -Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.
-I'm still wired from prom. -It's okay.
Why don't I make you chamomile tea?
Don't worry about it. I'm going for a run.
[phone ringing]
-Hello? -Sorry to wake you, Ponytail. It's urgent.
Bret?
It's 3 in the morning.
I don't have much time so listen up.
I've come across privileged information
that you and Slughead would be very interested in.
And I'm ready to talk in exchange for a favor.
It's Bret?
Okay, what do you want?
Your friend's father owns this prison, right?
Get me transferred to solitary immediately.
And then I'll spill.
And, trust me, you'll wanna know about this.
I'll talk to Veronica. When do visiting hours start?
[sad music playing]
Doesn't make any sense.
You loved this town.
You tried to make it better every day.
And even now it finds ways to insult you.
To degrade you.
It's not right, Dad.
-[cell door closes] -[indistinct radio chatter]
[buzzer sounds]
Hi. We're here to see Bret Weston Wallis.
Um, he's no longer here.
What do you mean? Where is he?
Earlier this morning, he was found dead in his cell with multiple wounds.
An ambulance took his body to the morgue.
[dramatic music playing]
[Cheryl] Prom was a bust,
Highsmith College disbanded its cheerleading squad,
and now you expect me to wear some hideous blue hue at graduation.
I specifically ordered crimson.
Fix this or perish.
Yoo-hoo. Archiekins. Over here, lover.
Play along.
Look who decided to show up.
We're in the middle of a murder investigation and we still had the time.
I didn't think a gown was as important since I'm not graduating.
We don't know that.
Surely Mr. Weatherbee will let you walk with us at the ceremony?
I'm not doing that.
Arch, is something wrong?
Are you kidding me? What isn't wrong?
Now, now, Archie. Let's get you some water to cool off.
Ronnie, what are you doing?
I am trying to keep our last week of high school from imploding.
If people find out we broke up, they'd start asking questions.
We'd be forced to tell Jughead about what you and Betty did. Or lie.
Neither of those sound good. Agreed?
So, we're gonna pretend. At least until graduation.
-That's really our only option. -For you, maybe.
-I'm getting the hell out of here. -Archie!
Hey, babe. I heard you getting into it with Miss Bell. Are you okay?
Tee-Tee, my love, all will be fine.
I just wanted to say I'm sorry I didn't go home with you after prom.
It's not what either of us wanted.
Especially me. But it's family and--
Of course, mon amour.
Since your family made it abundantly clear how they feel about my ancestral lineage,
there is some Blossom family business I need to attend to.
Well, in the meantime, I'll keep working on Nana.
I promise.
Do you always get bodies from Hiram's prison?
Indeed, I do.
But Mr. Weston Wallis is a curious case.
Curious how?
There were multiple stab wounds to his abdomen, but that's not all.
[shocking music playing]
His eyes...
Were gouged out. Yes.
Did you think there wouldn't be any consequences
to breaking my daughter's heart, huh? Huh?
[intense music playing]
Just stay away from me.
She's the best thing that ever happened to you. And you spat on that.
You're a disgrace. Stepping out on my daughter with her best friend?
-What kind of man does that? -What do you want? A rematch?
What am I saying?
I know exactly what kind of man does that.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Huh?
-Come on! -[Keller] Stop, Red!
-Both of you. -You're done! You're done!
Get out of my gym!
You heard him, Hiram.
["Victim of Circumstance" playing]
♪ I passed your house ♪
♪ I took a glance ♪
Something bothering you, Veronica?
Little trouble with your gingerito?
What? No.
Everything's fine, Hermosa.
I have to take out the trash. You're lucky that doesn't include you.
[ominous music playing]
-You're the Malloys. -Good. You know who we are.
Yes. One of you beat my father to within an inch of his life.
Yeah.
And your daddy killed our daddy as payback.
Guess what I'll do to you.
Wait. He--
Now turn around!
Please, please, don't do this.
-[silenced gunshots] -[men grunt]
Hermosa?
-Oh, my God. -Don't worry.
It's registered and I have a license.
-But you-- -It was self-defense, hermanita.
[sighs]
Were they your enemies?
Not mine.
Daddy's.
Which is a problem.
I'll never get that image out of my head: Bret's disfigured face.
Isn't it weird that the auteur left us a sign that said, "God is watching,"
-then we find Bret with his eyes cut out? -You think it's a coincidence?
Betty's instincts are good. Trust them.
In that case, we already have a connection.
We know that Bret and David crossed paths. Bret was selling him illegal sex vids.
-Who knows what else. -Bret was telling you something.
Reveal a secret.
Maybe he had privileged information that David was the auteur,
and David suspected Bret would rat him out.
Could be what got him killed.
But how would David kill Bret in prison?
With the right connections and money,
you could put a hit on someone in jail with a call.
He was probably trying to tie up loose ends before he left town.
Bret was loose-lipped.
Maybe.
My agents in the field are looking for David now.
The moment he slips up... They always do eventually.
...we'll bring him in.
Thank you all for convening on such short notice.
My agenda for today's board meeting relates to the future of our maple empire.
-Our legacy. -Speak up. I can't hear you.
Earlier today I met with Governor Dooley, who, pending your sign-off,
has agreed to purchase a parcel of our land
to be declared sanctuary grounds for the wronged Uktena people.
We would then take the money from the sale to rebuild
and reopen the factory and rebrand Blossom Maple Syrup.
Once and for all.
And who would run this rebranded business?
Moi, of course.
Cousin Cheryl, we have no interest in reopening the factory.
Or in giving the Uktena anything. In fact--
[mutes speaker]
You can't make a move without our approval, which you will never get.
Why, you hate-monger?
Consider this our revenge for you killing our beloved Bedford.
Mom.
We wanna talk about Daddy.
Do you know that he's back into his old mafioso ways?
-No comment. -He's putting his life in danger, Mom.
More importantly, his behavior is putting our lives in danger.
He has to stop. You know that, right?
[dramatic music playing]
Your father is a fool.
What do I need to do?
Well, first,
sell us your shares of Lodge Industries.
You also need to give us a copy of his little black book.
The one with his underworld contacts.
We know he has one.
Hmph.
Sounds like you two are planning a hostile takeover.
I am so in.
[Charles] Thanks for meeting me. Forensics is on the way.
You were right, Jughead. David was tying up loose ends.
First Bret, then himself.
So much for answers.
[shocking music playing]
Dead men tell no tales.
Did David seem suicidal to you?
Maybe he decided suicide was his only escape.
It's plausible.
I don't know.
It all just feels a little too neat.
-[Archie] What's going on, Mom? -[Mary] Hey.
I wanna talk to you about a call I had
with a defense lawyer for your father's hit-and-run case.
[dramatic music playing]
The judge is getting ready to make his decision,
and the lawyer reached out to me,
to us, as your dad's family,
to see if we would be willing to make a statement in court,
asking the judge for leniency.
For the dad or the son?
Well, George Augustine pled guilty to keep his son out of it.
He's not contesting his role in the accident.
But he might get a lesser sentence if we publicly forgive him.
Forgive him?
Mom, I still have nightmares about how Dad died.
I know it's a lot to ask.
So, I thought that maybe we could write a letter and send it.
And you don't have to relive seeing him again.
I see him every day.
-Ten, 20 times a day. -I can only imagine.
Well, do you wanna consider it, at least?
[Hiram] Are you both insane?
Scaring off my associates with false threats about the FBI?
Taking control over Lodge Industries' board?
-What do you think you're doing? -We're shutting you down, Daddy.
You need to retire. For our safety and yours.
Papi,
your reign is done.
It's time for you to let the next generation take over.
You don't understand.
Reverting back to my true nature has given me back my strength, my stamina.
That's not how medical science works.
-We've cut you off at the knees. -The hell you have.
[dramatic music playing]
Girls, all I need to do business are my fists and a gun.
Get the hell out of my study before I throw you both out.
Get out!
[cell phone buzzing]
Holy crap.
-Jug, what is it? What's wrong? -Uh, nothing's wrong.
I was accepted to the University of Iowa's writer's workshop.
Are you serious?
It's no Ivy League and it's in the Midwest,
but it's one of the greatest creative-writing programs in the country.
Hot damn! My boy's going to college.
-I'm so proud of you. -[Alice laughs]
-[Betty] Mm. -[Alice] This calls for a celebration.
Let's get in the car, go to Pop's.
All the cheeseburgers and banana splits that we can eat, huh?
[Jughead] Come on.
[tender music playing]
Mumzie.
I've begun to think I've got work to do here in Riverdale.
Important work.
Our family's redemption.
I tried to reanimate the maple business, but the Blossom board shut me down.
Out of spite.
They have always been a bunch of hateful bitches. All of them.
Make yourself scarce, Cheryl.
Go away. But don't go alone.
You'll need an alibi.
Tee-Tee, I know things have been somewhat strained
since "Prom Night, Interrupted,"
so what do you say you and I take
a mini vacation away from both of our families?
I say, "Let's get this weekend started."
[tender music playing]
[scribbling noises]
[dramatic music playing]
No! Shut up!
[Jeffrey] Stop!
He didn't do it.
-What? -It was me.
It was my fault. I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
[cell phone buzzing]
-Hello? -[girl] You have to help me, Betty.
[thunder rumbles]
Donna? What the hell?
Somebody's killing us.
What are you talking about?
First Bret, then Joan, and I think I'm next.
My life is at stake. I'm going into hiding.
Oh, God. Give me a break, you narcissistic psycho.
There's no murder conspiracy against your preppy cabal.
We know who killed Bret, and now he's dead, too.
Then what about Joan?
[suspenseful music playing]
Sorry. I'm not being drawn into your twisted reindeer games again.
Whoever's doing this, it has to be related to--
Oh, to when you tried to kill my boyfriend with a rock?
Yeah. Never call me again.
Bye, Donna.
[Betty] Hi, can I speak to Joan Berkeley, please?
[woman] No, I'm afraid not. Joan's passed away. Who is this?
Oh, my God. Um...
I'm a classmate of hers from Stonewall Prep.
Donna?
Yes, it's Donna.
I don't mean to upset you further, but how did it happen?
Joan was murdered.
She was walking home from school through the woods,
someone came up behind her and hit her on the head with a rock.
I'm so sorry to hear that. Please accept my condolences.
Okay, Donna may not have been lying.
Now we have a preppy murderer on the loose?
Apparently.
Hope Donna's somewhere safe.
I've been thinking about Papi's stubbornness.
I may have a way of breaking him of it. It's a one-two punch.
I deliver the first blow, you deliver the second.
-What are you talking about? -Papi's delusions.
He thinks that acting like a street brawler
is what's keeping him healthy.
But you told me the last time he got roughed up, he called you for help.
Which you gave.
So, it's time we burst his bubble
and show him that you in no way condone his behavior.
What would you have me do instead?
The exact opposite.
-[door opens] -[George] Archie Andrews?
Mr. Augustine?
What are you doing here?
Look, if this is about the letter, I haven't written it yet.
There's been a change in the proceedings.
My son took it upon himself to confess to the hit-and-run.
They're charging him as an adult.
[dramatic music playing]
Would you write the letter for him and not me?
It could mean the difference
between months or years of jail time for Jeffrey.
Mr. Augustine, I've...
I've thought about what your son did over the last few months.
He hit my dad.
And that was an accident, yeah. Something I might have done.
But I'll tell you one thing I never would have done:
I never would have kept driving.
I never would have left him or anyone.
Okay, that wasn't an accident.
-He was so scared. -And what do you think my dad was?
[shocking music playing]
So, David wasn't the auteur?
Or maybe this is one of his accomplices.
[gasps] Oh, my God.
He did it. He's finally got in the house.
Wait, that's me.
That's it. We're getting out of here.
-We have to leave. -Everybody pack a bag.
We'll check into the Five Seasons.
[cell phone buzzing]
[Veronica sighs] Here we go.
Oh, my God. Daddy, what happened?
I got jumped outside the mayor's office. Some hoods were waiting for me.
Hey, can you get the first aid kit?
[dramatic music playing]
No.
Your astrological sign might be the scorpion, Daddy,
but, in fact, you're like a dog.
A dog who needs to be trained.
When a dog soils a carpet, you know what you do?
You rub his nose in it.
How many times is this going to happen?
How many times are you gonna be attacked and beaten by younger, stronger men?
What's the point of battling a disease
if you're just gonna get yourself killed on the street like some mangy dog?
Be smarter than that.
Go out on top. Exit gracefully.
And with dignity.
Better that than to die on the street...
blood flowing into the gutter.
Think about that
as you lick your own wounds tonight, perrito.
[Hermosa] Good job.
Looks like you are a Lodge after all.
What did you have your men do to him?
He's worse than last time.
Papi needed to be taught a lesson. That's exactly what we did.
Nana?
Pray tell, who are you mourning?
The entire Blossom family has sailed into the underworld, Cheryl.
It's just us now.
What? What happened?
They poisoned themselves.
[dramatic music playing]
A, um, suicide note in Cricket's pocket stated
that our extended family wanted to sacrifice themselves
to atone for all the ancient Blossom sins.
Hmph.
How timely.
And, Mumzie, I'm sure you had nothing to do with this?
Consider it an early graduation gift, Cheryl.
With the Blossom board no more, you now have full control
of all Blossom holdings to do with as you please.
So, our parents have calmed down, Jellybean's asleep,
-and I'm filled with dread. -Yeah, me, too.
Jug, if the auteur got into the house,
he's probably been inside many times before.
Definitely.
Given the supposedly privileged information he seems to have
about us and our friends,
maybe he's been doing more than just watching.
Like what, listening?
You don't think...?
Who likes to bug phones?
Who else would have the resources to kill Joan in the outside world
and the connections to kill Bret inside prison?
-We have to go back to the house. -Fun times, Cooper.
[suspenseful music playing]
[door opens]
[door closes]
I got your message.
Thanks for coming, Charles.
Found your bug.
On the phone.
Same kind you gave me to use on the Stonies.
You got sloppy.
Or overconfident.
Or maybe I wanted to be caught.
Just waiting for you to catch up.
You've been listening to our phone conversations since Halloween.
If not before.
Yes. But only to protect you, Betty.
You killed Joan and Bret. Don't lie to me.
I'll know.
I did. Yes.
And you tried to kill Donna, but she slipped away. Why?
Donna and her friends committed a heinous crime and got away with it.
-It didn't sit well with me. -Bret didn't. He was in prison.
Bret was odious.
[Jughead] Yes, he was.
It took us a second to figure out how you did it.
Killing Bret in prison. But then it made so much sense.
Your boyfriend, Chic, killed him.
I love you, babe.
I love you, too.
Bret was gonna tell us that you and Chic were still in deep.
True love knows no boundaries.
I'll guess that Joan and Bret aren't the only people you've killed.
That's correct. How'd you guess?
Because you taught me everything I know about serial killers.
Because that's what you are, isn't it?
You're so good at identifying us.
But I was your blind spot.
And I only kill people who deserve it.
Horrible people who hurt those that I love. [sighs]
Betty, I'm putting myself in your hands.
You're going to prison for the rest of your life.
You'll come with us and you'll confess
to all of your crimes, including the videotapes.
Oh, no. I'm not the auteur.
Yes, you are.
You killed David, made it look like a suicide
and then framed him as the auteur because we were getting too close.
[snickers]
Well, yes, I... I killed David.
But he was a degenerate, who helped scumbags like Bret.
-I'm not behind the videotapes. -Who is?
What kind of teacher would I be if I just gave you the answer?
You'll figure it out.
I have no doubt.
[Hiram] I've given some thought
to what the two of you have been saying about me...
retiring.
And as much as I hate to admit it, maybe you have a point.
Though, if I do choose to step down,
what would that even look like?
You would take a break
while I go to Barnard and Hermosa handles business affairs.
[Hiram] After graduation,
I'll take a long, nice sabbatical to the Caymans.
How's that sound, mi amor?
Sounds wonderful.
But I won't be joining you.
I've also decided to make a life change.
To do what?
Three years ago, Andy Cohen asked me to be a Real Housewife of New York.
I turned him down to focus on my family. Remember?
But really, Veronica,
I did it to protect you.
The only reason I got back together with your father in the first place
was to keep you safe.
But now you're going off to college.
Hermosa's back in the picture,
so I don't see any reason to put my ambitions on hold.
So, Hiram, I'm divorcing you.
I am moving back to the city, and I am becoming a Real Housewife.
And, yes, for real.
Wow, Mom.
You win.
But do take that trip to the Caymans. You need a break from Riverdale.
And Riverdale most definitely needs a break from you.
[Mary sobbing]
[dramatic music playing]
-Mom, what the hell are you doing? -Is that what it was like for you?
Is that what the Black Hood did to your father? Did to you?
I was a coward.
-No! -Yes. Mom, I let him down.
No. Archie, just listen to me.
I called your Uncle Frank after George Augustine came to see you.
-Wait. How did you know about that? -He came to see me, too.
Archie, please, just talk to me. I need to know what's going on inside you.
Nothing, Mom!
I wish you hadn't called Uncle Frank and you hadn't watched this.
Send that to the sheriff. Or to Betty and Jughead--
So more people can see it?
I got a better idea.
No one will watch this crap again.
Archie, no! No! No--! [screams]
Archie! Archie, please stop!
You're scaring me.
[sobbing]
[door opens]
They're getting their stuff and coming home.
Jeez. Your poor mother.
First Chic and now Charles?
Two sons, one real, one fake, both psychos.
How are you doing?
Are you okay?
[tender music playing]
Fine? I don't-- I don't know.
Like, of course, my brother's a serial killer.
-I can't stop thinking about-- -The videotapes. Yeah.
Yeah, it just made perfect sense that Charles was the auteur.
I mean, he bugged the house.
He would have overheard everything he needed to make those recreations.
I don't know who else had access to all that information.
What?
What is it, Jug?
-[intense music playing] -[door opens]
What are you doing here?
Your mom called. She's worried about you. So am I.
I'm sorry, but you don't get to worry about me. You left.
-You have no idea what I'm going through. -You're wrong, kid.
I know it better than most. That hopelessness, the pain...
We have both seen people die.
And we survived. The guilt that you carry with you?
-You can't just fight-- -I don't want your advice.
I don't want anything from you. You're a fraud! You're a coward!
Is that all you got?!
I know you wanna hit me so do it. Give me your best shot.
Pathetic.
If you wanna take me down, take me down!
Let it out, Archie. Let it all out!
Let go of that anger, son.
[sobbing]
I'm sorry.
[Jughead] Jellybean.
I need to ask you something. Be honest.
[suspenseful music playing]
Are you making those videotapes?
Yes.
Why?
[tender music playing]
I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't showed up.
It's a long road you're on.
Takes years to heal.
Maybe even your entire life.
-I really appreciate you being here. -Any time, Archie.
But if I'm being honest,
you're not the only reason I came back.
I'm finally ready to turn myself in.
Answer for the things I did when I was a mercenary.
Really?
-Are you sure? -The only thing I need is representation.
-You know any good lawyers in town? -I might be able to think of one.
[Mary chuckles]
What's this about, Jug?
We should do this over drinks.
Betty and I found out who's filming those videotapes.
[dramatic music playing]
It's Jellybean.
What? What, is this a joke?
No. Do you remember that first video we were sent?
It was right after I went to Stonewall Prep.
That wasn't a coincidence.
What? What is this?
[Jughead] Fast-forward.
It's literally six hours of our house.
You better start making sense.
The videos had the intended effect: To unsettle us.
But that wasn't the reason why Jellybean made the videos.
-What? What was it? -She wanted me to stay.
The big brother she just got to know was already leaving
to Stonewall and then to college?
She had figured the best way to keep me in town was a mystery.
How--? How'd she even get the idea to make videotapes?
Do you remember that weird kid she hung out with and played G&G?
Ricky?
-Yeah. -Well, they started hanging out again.
He introduced her to Blue Velvet Video.
After watching their weirder videos, she got the idea.
To film all those houses. Jellybean and Ricky did that?
At first it was just the two of them, but...
I guess they roped in some of their friends.
Some kids from Archie's community center.
Once the simple, voyeur footage wasn't making an impact,
especially to me, she decided to up the game.
Guys?
I have an idea. Let's make a movie.
A real movie.
[Jughead] That first recreation? You remember it? It was Betty and I.
She wanted to get my attention, and it worked.
Then she moved on to the Jason Blossom recreation
and Midge's murder.
Her and Ricky just rented the original videos from Blue Velvet.
She and those kids made all the masks and the props and the sets.
It's actually pretty impressive.
-Didn't they realize what they were doing? -I don't think so. It was a game to them.
Like make-believe. So much so that they ended up
breaking into Riverdale High to recreate that "Killing Mr. Honey" video,
after she snuck on to my laptop to read the story I was working on.
-[FP] Where did they do all this? -All over town.
Their hideout was the Lodge's cabin in the woods. The murder cabin.
And then David, before he was killed by Charles,
gave them permission to shoot the prom massacre video
inside the Scarlet Suite.
That one was bad but not as bad as the one of Mr. Andrews
being shot by the Black Hood.
-And the video inside our house? -That was her and Ricky, too.
She did all this to keep you in Riverdale?
That's what she told me.
I don't think she understands the enormity and the darkness of what she did.
Sorry.
[dramatic music playing]
It's okay, JB.
It's okay, honey.
[FP sighs]
Uncle Frank and I will visit Dad's grave.
But I wanted to give you the letter for the Augustines.
I'll make sure the judge gets it. Thank you, Archie.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[Archie] "To the Honorable Judge Britton:
Losing my dad has been the hardest thing I've ever dealt with in my life.
I miss him every day.
It hurts me and my mom
and anyone who was ever lucky enough to have known him.
But I know it also hurts Jeffrey Augustine and his father.
When my dad passed, I made a vow to honor his memory every single day.
My dad didn't believe in an eye for an eye.
He believed in forgiveness and kindness and compassion.
What happened was a terrible accident.
But Jeffrey's life doesn't need to be ruined.
That's not what my dad would have wanted. It's not what me or my mom want.
Fred Andrews believed in lifting up those around him and in second chances.
And I'm asking you to do the same.
[theme music playing] do the same.