True to its name, this week’s episode of Riverdale features wedding plans. But whose? Read on to find out. Because before we get to anything involving love or marriage, we have to deal with Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) big cause of concern: getting Ethel out of prison.
Jughead gets help from his will-they won’t-they partner this season: Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes). Veronica says all the things to get to film obsessed Jughead’s heart. She makes a Thin Man reference that he immediately picks up on. Riverdale’s unlikeliest couple has off the charts chemistry, people! That said, I miss Tabitha. It’s been four episodes, but it feels like she’s been gone for an eternity.
It turns out that Ethel couldn’t have killed her parents: she had an alibi for where she was at her parents’ time of death. She was making out with Julian Blossom. One problem though, Julian doesn’t want people to know that he hooked up with Ethel. He would rather have her sit in jail than admit they got together. Fortunately, Jughead and Veronica are able to convince him otherwise.
Julian is involved in two plots on this episode of Riverdale. The other being the impetus of this week’s title: Love and Marriage. It’s not just a Frank Sinatra song. It’s also what Archie and Cheryl’s (Madelaine Petsch) parents are proposing those two do after Julian ratted them out for going all the way. As far as Cheryl’s dad, Clifford Blossom, is concerned, now that Cheryl’s virginity has been sullied, her marriage prospects are out the window. Archie’s mom, Mary (Molly Ringwald), is fully on board with this. To keep Cheryl’s secrets, Archie agrees to marry the girl he didn’t have sex with, just because people think they did.
The engagement news deflates Betty (Lili Reinhart), who recently developed feelings for Archie. Betty gets a one-two punch this week, finding out that Archie is set to marry Cheryl, and that her boyfriend, Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) is gay. She spots him slow dancing with Clay Walker (Karl Walcott) at the dark room. To her credit, Betty doesn’t rage at Kevin or out him to their classmates. She confronts him, but not in a mean or even angry way. She wants him to know that she’s there for him. I’m glad the writers didn’t go the other route with Betty, making her vindictively out Kevin or berate him. It’s nice that the trueness of her character spans across timelines and pocket dimensions.
Cheryl isn’t sure about marrying Archie, but Archie is surprisingly all in on keeping Cheryl’s secrets a secret, and fully willing to marry her. He convinces her that they’ll grow to love each other and to leave town together. They make plans to meet up at the bus stop. Cheryl agrees, until she talks to Toni (Vanessa Morgan), who makes her realize that running away with Archie wouldn’t be living her truth. It would just be another lie to hide her true self from the world. Cheryl meets Archie at the bus stop. Seeing Cheryl excites Archie. Not only did she show up, but it looks like his bus ride just got upgraded to a red convertible sports car. That’s when Cheryl breaks the news to him that she can’t run away with him. I think Cheryl realized she’d be running from one lie to another. Her heart knows what it wants, and that’s Toni, not Archie.
Archie’s woes only continue when he returns home. A houseguest waits for him there. It’s Uncle Frank, back in Riverdale sporting a new mustache. He greets his nephew by saying he wants to beat some sense into him. Oh boy.
Jughead fares better than Archie this episode. Someone trashed the abandoned railcar he’s been living out of. Veronica hired some people to fix it up and then some, transforming it into a luxury studio apartment. Jughead is thankful, so thankful that he kisses Veronica to end the episode! #Verhead is here! New Riverdale power couple!
