[Jughead] Everything has shifted.
There was an explosion at Archie's house and I lost my ability to hear.
Some things I could do as before.
Read,
eat hamburgers, kiss Tabitha.
But there are other things I may never be able to do again.
The fact of the matter is my world's shattered.
The question now was...
how do I rebuild?
All right, guys, listen up.
Frank and I have reinforced the infrastructure of the house
so it's safe to work, but keep your helmets on.
Let's have a good, productive shift, okay?
-[Betty] So much for your safety meeting. -Keep going.
-I'm already going. -Well, go harder.
I'm pressing as hard as I can.
My God, you don't feel it at all?
Nope, nothing.
Not one bit.
Okay, well, it's confirmed.
You're still invulnerable.
Betty, I don't know what happened in that explosion
but all of my childhood dreams about becoming a superhero are somehow...
coming true.
Mm-hm.
Have you talked to Jughead about any of this?
-He was third closest to the explosion. -Fourth closest.
-Don't forget Bingo. -Who's driving my mother crazy.
No, yeah, I just left Jughead a couple messages. He hasn't answered.
I'll check up on him.
A little later.
Okay.
Grand Mistress Rose,
I just had the strangest encounter with Mistress Cheryl upstairs.
She seems less like herself than usual.
That's because I transferred Abigail's soul
from your body into my granddaughter's
via an arcane ritual.
Where did Mistress Cheryl's soul go?
Once untethered, it dissipated into the ether.
Into nothingness.
There is no more Cheryl Blossom.
There is only...
-Oh. -[footsteps approaching]
Abigail.
[ominous music playing]
Roseanne.
Do all the ladies dress like harlots these days?
Indeed.
We live in fallen times.
That is why I brought you back, Abigail.
To lift us up.
To restore the Blossom family to our former glory.
And how, pray tell, am I meant to do that?
Riverdale once belonged to the Blossoms.
I think it's time we took it back.
-Don't you? -Of course.
I should like to get a lay of the land first.
Well, the town is governed, ineptly, I might add,
by a council of four.
We'll start there.
[Jughead] Archie just found out I lost my ability to hear.
Then he asked me a curious question.
He wants to know if anything weird happened to me after the explosion.
"You mean besides losing my hearing?" I say.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," he says.
I'm not sure I believe him.
[Veronica] Reggie, I need to tell you something.
Okay.
Three days ago,
my father's body was found in a shallow grave
in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
What? How did he die?
His hands were zip-tied.
And he'd been shot...
four times in the back of the head.
His body was then burned.
-Could it be a fake-out? -No, Reggie.
He's dead.
I'm sure he's dead.
Wait. You lied to me.
You told me you called off the hit.
I didn't wanna be judged.
In what universe am I not supposed to judge?
Well, brace yourself because there's more.
We are hosting a memorial service for my father
right here at the casino.
My grandmother is coming,
some of my father's associates, my mom.
-Does your mom and grandma know the truth? -No.
I may tell my mom, but...
not abuelita, she'd never forgive me.
Copy. So should I...
say, "I'm sorry for your loss," or, "Congratulations"?
I don't know, Reggie.
I just don't know.
The long and short of it is I'm staying to take care of Baby Anthony.
And I was thinking, if I'm gonna be in town for a while longer...
maybe I'll be your deputy.
I'd love that.
-You sure that's something you wanna do? -Yeah, I do.
Well, in that case, I would be honored.
Yeah.
All right. Thanks, Dad. Hey, cheers.
To my new deputy.
[Betty] Poor Jug.
Yeah.
-At least he's got Tabitha. -[cell phone ringing]
Yeah.
Hello?
[Lin] Agent Cooper, I wanted to let you know ASAP,
Glen's car was found outside Pop's diner.
And where's Glen?
No one's heard from him since he was supposed to be leaving Riverdale.
Okay, thanks for letting me know, Agent Lin.
I'll be in soon.
That's weird.
Glen's MIA.
[Veronica] Abuelita,
how are you holding up?
[speaking in Spanish]
[in English] What a tragedy about your papa.
I know. It's awful.
Your father and his business.
I knew it would end up this way.
In bloodshed, one dark night.
Veronica, I would like to introduce you to Geraldo, my godson.
He takes good care of me.
-Nice to meet you, Geraldo. -Pleased to meet you.
Abuelita, I'd like you to meet my business partner and...
boyfriend, Reginald Mantle.
It's a pleasure and an honor, ma'am.
[speaking in Spanish]
[in English] It's very good to meet you too.
Can I give this to you? It's a guest list for the funeral.
Is there anything else you want me to do?
Si. Your abuelita has requested that you deliver the eulogy.
No. I--
I wouldn't know what to say.
Who will be better than you, nieta?
Your papi loved you so much.
Please. Do this for me.
[poignant music playing]
[Jughead] I told Tabitha what the ENT doctor said,
that I had to wait at least six months before getting an implant.
Then she asked me about learning ASL.
I told her I wouldn't need ASL once I got the implants.
Then she asked me if I wrote today.
I told her that I always listen to music when I write,
and when I tried to write without it today, I just--
I couldn't hear the clack of my keyboard's keys.
Everything about writing suddenly became alien to me.
I told her there's nothing that she could do.
That somehow we just have to get through this.
[ominous music playing]
Everything all right, Agent Cooper?
Yeah, I'm fine. Just have, like, a brutal headache directly behind my eyes.
Sounds like a migraine.
I've never had migraines before.
Also this came for you today.
Thank you.
[dramatic music playing]
Now we'd like to open up the floor to all members of the community.
Why, that must be some relation to Archibald Andrews.
Can I get an extension on the permit for the dumpsters?
Permission granted, Archie.
Uh, who's next?
I have an announcement.
My father, Hiram Lodge, is dead.
[all clamoring]
He died under mysterious, violent circumstances.
I'm fine.
But please, rejoice.
Riverdale's big bad will be tormenting us no longer.
Any other announcements?
Hello.
Uh, my name is Percival Pickens.
I recently moved to Riverdale and I just wanted you all to know
how excited I am to be joining your community.
Pickens.
In the earliest of early days,
did we Blossoms not have a fellowship with the Pickens family?
Yes. And it did not end well.
Welcome, Percival.
By any chance, are you related to General Augustus Pickens?
Goodness. Yes, but, uh, don't worry.
I'm not here to cause trouble.
I simply believe that with a little bit of luck
and some hard work,
Riverdale could become one of the greatest
and most prosperous communities in America.
I have lots of ideas I'd be happy to share with the council.
Starting with the removal--
Sorry.
So sorry I'm late.
I was busy trying to stop a gang war from erupting,
but what else is new?
Why, that is a spitting image of my beloved Thomasina.
That's Ms. Topaz.
Toni Topaz.
Topaz?
That was my paramour's surname.
You must tell me everything about this Toni Topaz.
[Jughead] Tabitha was at a town hall meeting.
I didn't go.
I couldn't face people's pity.
So I stayed home and I tried to write, but again,
nothing came to me.
And then...
suddenly I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
[Archie] Hey, how you doing?
Really?
I'm okay.
I mean, after all, it wasn't too long ago you and I were in your car...
plotting to take Daddy out in a similarly gruesome manner.
We were angry.
It's not like we actually would've gone through with it.
I guess we'll never know.
All right, Brittania. Wherefore does this Toni spend her days?
Ms. Topaz works at Riverdale High.
She's our guidance counselor
and she teaches the history of social justice.
Fittingly, yes. Thomasina was a teacher as well.
And this Riverdale High, that's a school?
Exactly.
You will take me there tomorrow.
And you, little lamb,
will be my Trojan horse.
But tell me, why were Toni and Cheryl torn asunder?
To be honest?
I don't know.
And they were together as two women out in the open?
Yes.
What a brave new world this is.
[Archie] This is insane, Betty.
Now TBK is in Riverdale and he murdered Glen?
No, I don't think he killed Glen. I think he's keeping him alive somewhere.
And dismembering him piece by piece.
-What makes you think that? -That's his preferred method of killing.
Slowly.
So it takes days, if not weeks.
So they suffer.
You don't think he's gonna come after you?
I don't know.
But if he does, even without a mask,
I should be able to see his aura if it's a threat,
like I did with Glen and the orderly, right?
I'm more worried about everyone else.
I'll have my mom spread the word at RIVW
and I'll have my team out on the streets canvassing the neighborhoods.
♪ Just when I thought That I'd broken free... ♪
[Jughead] I couldn't hear what Tabitha was saying
but I knew she was pissed at me, as well as she should've been.
I took my motorcycle out for a ride,
and sure enough, I wiped out.
[inaudible dialogue]
But how could I tell Tabitha
that for those brief moments when I was cruising,
all was right in the world?
[Betty] We're getting the word out through local media and social,
but more than 50% of TBK's victims
are from historically disenfranchised, vulnerable communities.
He preys on the unhoused because no one misses them.
So we're gonna focus on those neighborhoods with these fliers.
To anyone you come in contact with, tell them if they see TBK,
do not approach him.
Call us and we'll take it from there.
I'll hit Sketch Alley. Agent Lin's got your assignments.
[Lin] Okay, Holland, come with me. Raider--
-Veronica Lodge? -Yes. How can I help you?
This is a release that states you're okay with us filming you
-and using your likeness on television. -Oh, right.
Sure.
All right.
[whimsical music playing]
-Okay. -Okay.
If you can just take a step towards me. Find your light.
Perfect.
All right, let's bring her in.
[gasps]
Baby.
It's okay. I'm here. Let it out.
Mommy is here.
Hi, Mom.
[Dennis] Hey, boss.
Found this when I was clearing out the basement.
Holy crap.
-You know what this is, right? -No.
Palladium.
I got to keep a couple pieces after I did all that mining for Cheryl.
It's worth a chunk of change.
Hey, as a reward for finding it, I'll split it with you.
No, I couldn't. It's yours.
If you find the other piece, you can keep that one.
-Okay. -Break time.
Alice has coffee brewing next door.
Ah. Freshly brewed coffee.
Bingo, down.
Get down. Get down.
Mm.
Oh. How are you drinking that? Isn't that too hot?
Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
It's hot. It's really hot.
So talk to me, Cheryl.
You said that you need some help with Britta?
I'd like to formally adopt her.
Well, great.
Um, but, Cheryl,
there's a bunch of hoops we'll have to jump through.
Well, Antoinette,
why don't you come by Thornhill this eventide
and walk me through those steps,
slowly and methodically?
Actually, I'm gonna be bartending at the Whyte Wyrm tonight.
In that case,
perchance I will pay you a visit instead.
[pensive music playing]
By the way, thank you so much for inviting me, Hermione.
Oh, not at all, Kevin.
I know you're a super fan.
And this is going to be an extra special episode of reality TV.
All about how Veronica and I are dealing
with the emotional fallout of Hiram's tragic death.
Wait, is that what we're doing here?
Don't worry, honey. I'll guide you through it.
Do you remember where you were
when you first heard the news of Hiram's tragic death?
Mom, I'm not gonna reduce my feelings to soundbites for your show.
How did you feel? Did you cry?
Nope.
Because the man I loved died many years ago.
I cried when I mourned the death of my marriage.
But I am through shedding tears for that man.
All right.
Kevin, Abuelita,
Geraldo, camera crew,
please clear the room.
I need to talk to my mom alone.
[Hermione] Veronica, what is it, sweetheart?
It was me.
I put a bounty on Daddy's dead.
I'm the reason he died.
You know what?
I sort of suspected.
When I heard how your father was found, I thought,
"What if Veronica was the one who finally did it?"
-His favorite partner. -What do you mean?
I don't like admitting this, but, um...
sometimes...
I was a little jealous of you two.
With the special relationship that you two had?
I always knew that he loved you more than he loved me.
I was afraid that the same was true of you.
That you loved him more than you loved me.
No.
After all he did, Daddy infuriated me.
Yeah, exactly.
He got all of your attention.
Do you know the happiest I ever was
was when it was just us living here?
Us Lodge women together against the world.
Then your father came home.
And it was Hiram and his best girl.
That was you, Veronica.
Not me.
Never me.
I'm so sorry, Mom.
I was so caught up in drama with Daddy that I wasn't a good daughter to you.
But I want to be one now.
Honey.
I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear you say that.
There's nothing I want more.
[tender music playing]
[floor creaking]
[ominous music playing]
[Jughead] Tabitha found him.
[inaudible dialogue]
Like me, Daniel experienced late-life deafness.
He learned to sign and read lips in his 20s.
Now he helps people on journeys similar to his own.
He wanted to help me.
I nodded yes.
And we made an appointment for me to go to his office.
[TBK] Hello, pretty Betty.
[gasps]
Working late, I see.
How did you get in here?
[TBK] Glen's access card.
Glen.
-Is he still--? -Yes.
He's proven extremely hardy.
Why are you here?
I came after reading you were nearly killed in an explosion.
[cell phone ringing]
You and Archie are getting close.
Don't make me go after him next.
[Betty] Try it.
He'll kick your ass.
And so will I when I get out of here.
Betty. I've missed this.
[dramatic music playing]
It's a tad tart.
Might I have some more butter in it?
I don't have any butter, Cheryl.
And since when do you drink beer, anyways?
Quite right.
And, in truth, I didn't come to drink.
Lately, I've been thinking about the past.
My past,
this town's past.
Your past.
My past? What about it?
How much do you know about your ancestor Thomasina?
She was a great-great-aunt of mine,
and from what I remember, a spinster schoolmarm.
That is falsehood.
Thomasina lived her life passionately
and drank deeply from the juices of the world.
Till she was murdered by a warlock pirate.
What are you talking about? There's no such thing as warlock pirates.
Hey, Cheryl.
-Hey, babe. -Hey.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Cheryl, we told Kevin,
but we just haven't got around to telling you yet.
Fangs and I are together now.
Together?
And how did that transpire?
We've known each other since we were kids,
-and after having a baby together-- -A baby?
Yeah. Baby Anthony, our son.
Of course.
And quite the cherub he is.
I have to get back to fair Brittania.
A mother's work is never done, after all.
[pensive music playing]
What was that about?
I have no idea.
But Cheryl doesn't even seem like Cheryl to me.
[Archie] I can't believe TBK came to see you at the FBI office.
Well, what's scaring me most right now is I couldn't see his aura.
How could he not be a threat to me?
Unless he's in my blind spot somehow?
I don't know.
I keep getting these headaches too,
it feels like someone's taking a pickax to my brain.
Something has been happening to me too.
I fell through the landing earlier,
and I got hurt, Betty.
-Like my invulnerability's fading. -But what's changed?
TBK might be my blind spot,
but what's your weakness, Superman?
What's your kryptonite?
Oh, my God.
One of my guys found this piece of palladium
and I've been carrying it on me ever since.
What if this is my kryptonite?
-You take it. -Okay.
Keep it away from me.
Let's see what happens if it's not near me.
Maybe I'll go back to being indestructible.
Either way, you really need to be super careful right now, Arch.
TBK is a jealous serial killer.
You don't need to be a hero right now.
At least not until your powers come back.
[dramatic music playing]
[Jughead] So I went to Daniel's office.
I told him that one of my biggest worries was that I'd never be able to write again.
And he said that I should sit in his office alone for five hours,
start writing down my thoughts.
That it would help me get comfortable with the silence.
I said that I'd do my best and then he left me alone.
-Wow, Mom, you really went all out. -Mm-hm.
Is this food I can actually eat or are we filming?
That's what I wanted to talk to you about.
How would you feel about recreating a version
of our conversation that we had last night?
On camera today? I mean, not the part about you killing your father,
but the emotional part,
you know, our core wound about you taking me for granted.
But, Mom, I--
I mean, all of that was real for me.
That's why I want it on camera. It was just so raw.
What do you think?
Of course. Let's do it.
-Really? -Yeah.
Wonderful.
Mistress Abigail, are you all right?
No, Brittania. Clearly I'm not all right.
[sobbing] I cannot fathom that my beloved Thomasina
is in love with a descendant of...
Fenn Fogarty.
Her very murderer.
I am positively bereft.
Ms. Topaz is dating Fangs Fogarty?
Well, I, for one, am relieved.
I reincarnated you to get back what is ours. Riverdale.
Not so you can consort with some Serpent trash.
[dramatic music playing]
Did you just refer to my beloved Thomasina as Serpent trash?
I did.
You forget yourself, old woman.
But don't worry, Abigail is here to remind you.
I will have Riverdale back in my thrall.
I will have my revenge on the offspring of my enemies.
But first,
I will have Thomasina back by my side.
And death to anyone who stands in my way.
[door locks]
[pensive music playing]
[Jughead] Five hours later, Daniel came back.
I hadn't written a word.
"It takes time," he said.
Without any trace of judgment.
Then he gave me a graphic novel to read.
One that he'd written and drawn
about his experiences navigating deafness.
He said it might help me.
I said I'd read it.
[Anatol] Good evening, Miss Lodge.
Did I startle you?
Anatol, what the hell do you want? I paid you your blood money.
Yes, you did.
But I'm here on another job.
What, to kill me?
Right before my father's funeral? Seriously?
You American women, you think you're so tough,
but you don't have the slightest idea what you're doing.
And in the end, you just turn on each other like rats,
and kill each other.
-Wait, who hired you? Was it--? -[glass breaks]
Clean up the body tonight, and dispose of it tomorrow.
-Who sent the Russian, you think? -If I had to guess...
my sister, Hermosa.
She's pretty pissed at me, I think.
For ordering the hit on your father?
You know about that?
-Oh, my God. Does Abuelita know? -No. She doesn't.
Look, I make it my business to know about everything that happens in this family.
I make sure none of it touches your abuelita.
How do you do what you do, and then...
sit down to dinner with Abuelita like nothing happened?
Are you just a really good actor?
Yes, but it also helps that I don't see the world in black and white.
It's all just shades of gray.
No person is just one thing.
[poignant music playing]
[pensive music playing]
[Jughead] When Tabitha came home from Pop's,
I surprised her by showing her the pages I had written that day.
I explained that Daniel's graphic novel had been the key.
I used to write by hearing words, auditory.
But Daniel's graphic novel showed me a workaround.
I could write from a visual space, seeing words and actions,
and then describing them.
And then I kissed her.
For not giving up on me.
For never giving up on me.
[Archie] Dennis, what's going on?
Hey. Guess what I found.
Holy crap.
You must have done some digging. Where'd you find this?
[dramatic music playing]
[bell jingling]
[cell phone ringing]
Hello?
[man] Agent Cooper, I'm calling the number you listed on the fliers,
I think the Trash Bag Killer is at the end of Sketch Alley.
I'm on my way.
-He's there, at the end of the alley. -Okay. Keep everyone back.
Hey! Put your hands up.
On your knees.
-Don't move. -[man] Please, don't shoot me.
Take off your mask.
I'm not TBK. I'm just a guy.
-Who gave you that mask? -Some man came by earlier,
gave me 50 bucks and told me to wear the mask
and to deliver a message to a blond woman when she showed up.
What's the message?
"Check the trash cans," he said.
[Betty] Glen.
[speaking in Latin]
-Amen. -[all] Amen.
[Veronica] Thank you, all, for being here.
I won't stand here and wax sentimental about my father.
He did horrible, unspeakable things to my mother, to my sister,
to my lover at the time, Archie Andrews,
to my friends, to this town...
and to me.
[poignant music playing]
But I'm also making room for the fact that, on occasion,
he did a few not-so-horrible things too.
He was a proud state champion wrestler for Riverdale High.
He donated money to the research of rare diseases.
He covered the funeral expense of Fred Andrews,
with whom he did not see eye to eye,
without hesitation.
And he was a dutiful son to my abuelita.
The truth is...
I loved him till the end.
Make no mistake, I wish my father hadn't done those awful things,
and I wish I could sort my feelings more cleanly,
but I can't.
And maybe there's something to be said about a child's willingness
to forgive their fathers for the terrible things they might have done.
But for what Hiram Lodge did to all of you,
I apologize.
And I also apologize for the fact that...
That I will always...
always love...
my Daddykins.
I wish I didn't.
But I do.
Thank you.
[ominous music playing]
[TBK] Good.
You're awake.
-Hey. Hey, who are you? -[shushing]
I'm the bogeyman.
I'm Betty's blind spot.
I've heard every one of your secret whispered conversations.
And I'm not sure why, but I know that piece of rock there
makes your flesh weak and vulnerable.
So I'm gonna get ready,
and then we're gonna have a grand old time
chopping you up into little chunks.
[grunting]
-[knocking on door] -Archie?
Archie, where are you?
Get rid of her, or I'll hack her up too.
Do it now.
Alice?
I'm just cleaning.
I'll come by later.
Well, you can, but your dog can't.
He got into my closet again and ruined my favorite kitten heels.
It's fine. Just go, please.
I'm leaving him here.
We'll talk about compensation later.
Well done.
But don't worry,
I'll be visiting Alice later.
[growling]
[barking]
Bingo.
Bingo, kill!
Good boy.
Bingo, Bingo, come here, boy.
Hey, come here. Come here.
Yes, good boy.
Good boy, good boy.
Yes, good boy.
It was great seeing you, Mom.
Circumstances notwithstanding.
I love you, honey.
I'm so, so proud of you.
Okay, Thanksgiving at the Barefoot Contessa's, huh?
Anderson and Andy will be there.
That sounds nice, Mom.
I can take your abuelita to the airport if you want.
Thanks, Reggie.
Thanks for coming to the funeral.
You're the only one from the gang who did.
I'm sure everyone else was busy.
I really enjoyed your eulogy.
It resonated with me.
I don't think I really ever understood what you had with your dad.
If I didn't understand it, what gives me the right to judge it in the first place?
What you did doesn't matter, because I love you.
Thank you, Reggie.
[Geraldo] Sorry to ruin the moment.
Damn, dude's super quiet.
I have something for you, Miss Lodge.
Found it among the Russian's personal effects.
-What is it? -It's a recording
that Hiram made during his final moments.
Give it a listen.
I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that TBK was here
the whole time, right under our noses.
Where did you even hire Dennis, if that's his name?
He saw my ad for a crew in Jug's newspaper.
Must have been trying to keep tabs on you through me.
Well, God knows how long he's been spying on me for.
Long enough to know that Glen was being a dick,
and to know that we were manifesting our powers.
-And weaknesses. -And side effects.
Like my headaches.
Well, at least now we know what he looks like without a mask on.
-Yeah. -Though, he could've really hurt you.
Luckily, Bingo remembers his commands from his old dog fighting days.
He saved my life, pushed TBK right out that window,
and then TBK ran off.
Yeah, he does that.
What about Glen, Betty?
I found most of him.
Including his head.
So now I need to leave.
-I need to get out of Riverdale. -I don't understand. Why?
Because I brought TBK here.
He went after Glen, he went after you.
If I leave, he will follow me. I know he will.
If you're a target--
Better to be a moving target than one standing still.
I'll lead TBK out of Riverdale, and then I'll circle back.
Something will distract him. Something always distracts him.
How about you? Are you gonna be okay?
Yeah, I'll be fine.
Just, uh, keep that palladium away from me.
Mm-hm.
And come back in one piece.
Deal.
["I Should Go" playing]
♪ I don't want to think I'll miss the party ♪
♪ Then I'll go and I'll hate everyone ♪
[Hiram on recording] Mija,
I don't have much time left.
But I need you to know one thing.
Whatever I may have said about wishing I had a son,
all of that changed the moment I first held you in my arms.
You became my treasure instantly.
And I want you know that despite our troubles,
you have always been the apple of my eye.
Everything I did, no matter how heartless or inexplicable or unjustifiable,
was for you.
I think, perhaps, I was testing the limits of a love
a daughter can have for her father,
and you, mija, never faltered, never failed.
I never felt anything less than love for you or from you.
I hope you believe that.
One last thing,
I'm leaving you my rum business,
the crown jewel of my empire.
Heh. I don't think I was ever happier than we were in the middle of our rum war.
Do you remember?
-Those were good times, weren't they? -[Veronica sobbing]
I always wanted to be a good father to you, Veronica.
I love you so much.
[Hiram speaking in Spanish]
[poignant music playing]
[banging on mirror]
[inaudible dialogue]
We'll have no more of that, I think.
[Jughead] So this story hasn't been about things I can't do anymore.
It's about things I've learned to do differently
and what new possibilities lie before me.
Did I leave the oven on at Pop's?
Tabs?
Did you just say something?
[Tabitha] I'm sure I turned the oven off.
But did I lock the door behind me?
Tabby?
Are you wondering if you left the door unlocked?
[ominous music playing]
[theme music playing] ]