Riverdale is finally back after being on hiatus for a few months, and the premiere was anything but normal. Following the explosion at the end of the previous episode, Archie, Betty, and Jughead start experiencing some strange side effects. Meanwhile, something is going on at Thornhill, the Serpents and Ghoulies are at it once again, and a manhunt to find Hiram commences with a devastating end.
Keep reading to find out what happened in the spring premiere of Riverdale, “Chapter One Hundred and One: Unbelievable.”
The Aftermath
Following the explosion from the previous episode, Archie, Betty, and Jughead are sitting in the Cooper’s kitchen with Alice and Frank, telling them what happened. After getting the call, Archie and Betty hid underneath the kitchen table right when the bomb went off and Jughead was in the garage.
“This is unbelievable.”
Archie and Frank go back to the house to check out the damage and Archie walks Frank through the events. They hear a whimper and notice Bingo is trapped under debris. They take him to the vet and while he is alive, he broke all four of his legs so they have to keep them there for a week so they can monitor his healing.
Changes Within
Due to the explosion, Archie, Betty, and Jughead seem to be experiencing some side effects. Archie realizes he is not only gaining weight at an exponential rate and getting denser, but he is practically invulnerable after walking right past a nail that rips part of his shirt but not his shoulder. He tests it on wood, punching out walls and even a knife. All of which doesn’t pierce his skin.
Betty, meanwhile, can now see people’s energy when they’re threatening, sensing their auras. She can see red coming off of someone if they are not good. For example, at the hospital she saw an orderly, Trevor, staring at her and saw red around him. Not long after, a nurse is found dead behind the hospital. And the obvious choice: Glen, whom she punches in the FBI office.
With the help of Archie, Betty confronts Trevor about the murder that took place, and his old job that he was fired from. They later admit their respective powers to each other, and Archie confesses he’s afraid he’ll hurt people, hurt her. But Betty isn’t afraid.
Jughead, on the other hand, finds that his hearing is messed up. He can barely hear anything, and it takes a while for someone to get his attention. After seeing a doctor, he finds out that he is 98% deaf in his left ear, and 87% deaf in his right.
Someone else has also experienced a side effect: Archie’s dog, Bingo. He broke all four legs in the explosion, and within a few days they healed right up.
Serpents vs. Ghouls
Fangs is tired of the Ghoulies and wants to go nuclear. Though because of Baby Anthony, Toni says they have to play it safe. Evidently, the Ghoulies have a new leader: Twyla Twist. Toni suggests they call her in for a sit down to try to de-escalate things.
Toni, Fangs, and two Serpents sit down with Twyla and her Ghoulies, and she reveals that Hiram paid them a pretty penny to kill Archie. Fangs and Toni go to the Andrews house and tell Archie about Twyla and the Ghoulies. While Toni suggests he get out of Riverdale as soon as he can for his protection, Archie has other ideas that involve testing his new powers with the gang.
Twyla calls Toni about Archie, telling her that nothing is off the table now. Twyla Twist has declared war on the Serpents. Toni and Fangs leave Baby Anthony with Kevin, as they deal with the Serpents and Ghoulies.
A Curse Upon Riverdale
As news spreads around Riverdale about the explosion and it reaches Thornhill, Cheryl figures it’s because of Abigail’s curse. She wants to study the curse so she can undo it, but Nana Rose burned it. Cheryl does not take that lightly, so she goes to the Blossom Library to study up.
Using a ritual, Cheryl is able to reverse the curse she cast upon her friends within 24 hours. However, not long after Cheryl finds the candles for the ritual no longer lit, meaning it can’t continue. She tries the ritual again, and the same thing happens.
Cheryl wakes up in the middle of the night to find Britta blowing out the candles. Though, it’s not Britta. It’s Abigail. Cheryl finds Nana Rose and tells her about Britta and Nana Rose figures that Abigail’s spirit was brought back when she invoked the curse. And now Abigail controls Britta at night. To get rid of Abigail, they must perform a banishment.
Following the banishment, Cheryl goes into the chapel and blows out the candles. Nana Rose tells her it’s nice to see her again. It’s Abigail. Nana Rose was saying an incantation during the banishment, which helped guide Abigail to her new vessel, one much more suited for her.
“I am now exactly where I belong. In a body befitting my spirit.”
A Manhunt for Hiram Lodge
Knowing that her father is likely behind the explosion, Veronica meets with Betty. She tells Veronica that it was either Hiram who planted the bomb, or someone hired by Hiram. The FBI has conducted a manhunt, and Veronica is planning on reaching out to Hermosa to get any and all information that will help bring him in.
Hermosa obliges, on the condition to gets immunity for herself. As the FBI office is filled with agents and wanted posters with Hiram’s face plastered on them, Veronica is doing her own investigation to hunt down her father. A more permanent solution needs to happen. She’s putting a bounty on Hiram’s head.
After Reggie’s father has a heart attack and is admitted to the hospital and Veronica has a heart-to-heart with Reggie, she has a change of heart. She calls her bounty hunter to call it off, but he tells her it’s done.
Hermosa calls Veronica, wondering why she did what she did. He was their father. She did what had to be done, Veronica says. Hermosa tells her sister she should watch her back, because blood will have blood. She’s a marked woman.
Another Killer in Riverdale
After getting beat up by Archie, Glen stops at Pop’s for takeout before meeting his untimely death at the hands of the one and only Trash Bag Killer.
“You shouldn’t have disrespected Betty that way.”
What Else Happened?
- Percival Pickens is introduced and tries to buy the Andrews home. However, not wanting to sell it, Archie buys it from his mother.
- Betty is now working with an all-female FBI team, with all the men being sent away and Glen under investigation for sexual harassment… at least until he got murdered.
Riverdale airs on The CW on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Stay tuned for our continued coverage on the series, including episodic recaps and more!
