Following some shocking discoveries last week, the newest episode of Riverdale saw the aftermath of Hiram’s murder as Veronica slowly comes to terms with what she did. Elsewhere, Jughead struggles with his hearing loss while Betty and Archie discover their kryptonite, and Abigail makes herself known. Of course, you can’t forget about the Trash Bag Killer and what he did, or is doing, to Glen.
Keep reading to find out everything that happened in “Chapter One Hundred and Two: Death at a Funeral.”
Struggles With (Loss Of) Power
Jughead can no longer hear, but he can still read and write, among other things, but there are things he’ll never be able to do ever again.
“The fact of the matter is my world shattered. The question now was how do I rebuild?”
Jughead Jones
Jughead is still finding it difficult to write, as he’s so used to writing with music on and hearing the keys on the typewriter.
Trying to help Jughead, Tabitha found a therapist, Daniel, who also experienced late-life deafness and learned to understand people through reading lips and sign language. After some reluctantness, Jughead decides to go to his office. When he shows up and tells Daniel that his biggest worry is that he won’t be able to write again, Daniel gives him some paper and a pencil and leaves him for five hours to write down his thoughts so he can get comfortable with the silence.
Five hours later and Jughead had yet to write something. Daniel gives Jughead a graphic novel he wrote about navigating deafness, and Jughead promises him he’ll read it. And it seems to have worked since he makes his own graphic novel. He used to write by hearing words, but seeing words in action can also help.
As Jughead is working on his graphic novel, he hears Tabitha talking about whether or not she turned the oven off at Pop’s. When Jughead asks if she said something, Tabitha shakes her head. She keeps talking about things she may or may not have done as Jughead is still turned around but her lips never moved. He asks if she’s wondering about leaving the door unlocked, and Tabitha slowly nods her head. Both of them not believing what’s happening.
Archie’s Kryptonite
While doing construction on the house, Archie falls through a broken floorboard on the second level. Unfortunately, his invulnerability seems to be out of whack, because he is bleeding. He’s not the only one to experience a loss of power, as Betty had a run-in with TBK (more on that below), and she couldn’t sense his aura unless he’s in her blindspot. She keeps getting these headaches as well.
TBK may be Betty’s blindspot, so what’s Archie’s weakness? What is his Kryptonite? Archie remembers the piece of Palladium one of the construction workers found and gave to him. He’s been carrying it on him ever since. Archie gives it to Betty to see if that will help him get his vulnerability back.
Hello Abigail, Goodbye Cheryl
We can’t possibly forget about the soul transference that Nana Rose did last week that made Abigail, who was possessing Britta, overtake Cheryl. Nana Rose explains everything to Britta, noting that once Cheryl’s soul was untethered, it dissipated to the ether. There is no more Cheryl Blossom. Only Abigail. As if on cue, she walks in, and Nana Rose tells her why she brought her back: to lift them up, restore them to their former glory, and take back Riverdale.
At the town counsel meeting, Toni runs in late, and Abigail’s eyes light up, taking in the spitting image of her beloved Thomasina. She has Britta tell her everything there is about this Toni Topaz. Britta later tells Abigail that Toni is the guidance counselor at Riverdale High and also teaches the History of Social Justice. Abigail tells Britta that she will take her there tomorrow and act as her trojan horse. She then wonders why Cheryl and Toni were no longer together and also loves the fact that they were together, out in the open.
“What a brave new world this is.”
Abigail’s Game
Abigail (as Cheryl) and Britta meet with Toni in the guidance counselor’s office, and Abigail says she wants to formally adopt Britta. After Toni says there’s a bunch of hoops to jump through, Abigail suggests she come to Thornhill that “eventide” and help her go through it but Toni’s going to be bartending at the Whyte Wyrm. Perhaps Abigail will pay her a visit then.
At the Whyte Wyrm, Abigail brings up the past and Thomasina to Toni, who Toni didn’t know too much about. Fangs comes up behind her, and Abigail gets flashbacks to when his ancestor killed Thomasina. To make matters worse, Toni and Fangs tell her they are now together. The news crushes her, and she leaves. Toni can tell that something is wrong, since Cheryl does not seem like Cheryl.
Back at Thornhill, Abigail is heartbroken. Nana Rose is thrilled since she brought her back so she can get Riverdale back. However, after she refers to Toni as “Serpent trash,” Abigail throws her in the dungeon.
“I will have Riverdale back in my thrawl. 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.”
A banging can be heard, and it’s revealed that Cheryl is trapped inside a mirror, and Abigail smashes it as Britta overhears.
Dancing With Death
Veronica tells Reggie about her father’s death, that he had been shot four times in the back of the head and then his body was burned. Reggie wonders if this could be fake, but when Veronica says she’s sure, he knows that he lied to her. And that’s not all. Veronica says they are hosting a memorial service at the casino with her grandmother, some of her father’s associates, and her mom. No one knows the truth, but Veronica may tell her mom.
“Should I say sorry for your loss or congratulations?”
While at a town counsel meeting, Veronica announces her father’s death, giving everyone permission to rejoice. Following the meeting, Archie catches up with her, and Veronica reminds him it wasn’t too long ago the two of them were in his car, plotting to take down Hiram in a similarly gruesome matter. Archie says they were angry, it’s not like they actually would have gone through with it.
Veronica’s bounty hunter shows up on another job, to kill her. Before he has a chance to finish the job, cousin Heraldo (who Degrassi and Degrassi: Next Class fans may recognize as Zig Novak!) shoots him in the head. Veronica figures it’s Hermosa that did it since she’s pissed at her. Heraldo knows why, as he makes it his business to know everything that goes on in the family. Zig has changed a lot since graduating from Degrassi Community School.
The Magic of Reality
Veronica opens the door to find a guy standing with a filming release, and Veronica isn’t too surprised. She gets in position, and Hermione comes in, consoling her daughter and looking fit for television.
It’s a family dinner at the Pembrooke, plus Kevin and Hermoine’s camerapeople for her reality series. Veronica, however, does not like the idea of using her father’s death for reality TV. Hemione doesn’t seem too heartbroken over this loss.
“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.”
The room clears of Kevin, Abuelita, Heraldo, and the camera crew, leaving just Veronica and Hemione. Veronica confesses about the bounty on her father’s head, and Hermione admits she suspected she had something to do with it. She also admitted to being jealous of the relationship and bond Veronica and Hiram had, that she loved him more. She missed when it was just the two of them, and then Hiram showed up and got all of Veronica’s attention. Veronica apologizes for not being a good daughter but she wants to be one now. There is nothing Hermione wants more. Hemione later asks Veronica if they can recreate it for the show, excluding the murder, and Veronica obliges.
Saying Goodbye
Veronica delivers a eulogy at Hiram’s memorial. While he did unspeakable crimes to everyone she loves, everyone in town, Veronica made sure to mention some not-so-horrible things as well. Veronica loved him to the end, no matter what he did. She apologizes on behalf of her father for what he did, and for the fact that she will always love her “Daddykins.” She wishes she didn’t, but she does.
After Veronica says goodbye to Hermione, Reggie apologizes to Veronica since he doesn’t really know what happened to her and Hiram. What he did doesn’t matter because he loves her. Heraldo comes in with a recording that Hiram made during his final moments.
Veronica plays the recording, and Hiram tells her how she became his treasure, and despite their troubles, she’s always been the apple of his eye. Everything he’s ever done was for her. He leaves her his rum business as well, and Veronica has flashbacks of their moments together.
“I always wanted to be a good father to you, Veronica. I love you so much.”
TBK Out for Revenge
While there was a lot that happened last week, it’s a little hard to forget that at the end of the episode, Glen fell victim to the Trash Bag Killer as revenge for how he treated Betty. Betty gets a phone call about Glen’s car being found outside of Pop’s, but no one has heard from him since he was supposed to be leaving Riverdale.
Betty looks through photos of Glen’s car when she gets a package. She opens it up to find a bloody, and severed, foot. Betty later tells Archie about TBK and how she thinks Glen wasn’t killed, but rather, TBK is keeping him somewhere and dismembering him piece by piece. It’s his preferred method of killing so the victims suffer. Even without a mask, Betty should be able to see his aura.
Betty has TBK posters made up and gives them to the FBI agents to scatter across town and to try to find him. Later, TBK shows up at the office, having used Glen’s access card. He brings a present for Betty, Glen’s hand, and mentions he wanted to come after reading about the explosion. Betty gets a call from Archie, and TBK threatens to go after him.
The Next Victim
One of the construction guys working on the house, Dennis, gives Archie another piece of Palladium. Sure enough, Dennis turns out to be the bad guy and knocks Archie out. Betty, meanwhile, gets a call about the Trash Bag Killer being in Sketch Alley, though it’s just a guy with the TBK mask who has a message for Betty: to check the trash can. She knocks over one and it’s Glen’s bloody and severed hand.
Archie wakes up in the attic of the house, tied to a pole, with TBK getting ready to chop him up. Alice comes through the door with Bingo, and TBK has him get rid of her. She leaves but lets Bingo stay. Bingo goes upstairs and on Archie’s command, attacks TBK, pushing him out the window.
Archie and Betty later discuss TBK and Dennis, if that is his real name. He asks about Glen and Betty admits she’s found most of him, including his head. RIP Glen! She needs to get out of Riverdale since she brought TBK there. If Betty leaves, he will follow her. She’ll lead TBK out of Riverdale, and then she’ll circle back.
Who is Percival Pickens?
Also at the town counsel meeting, Percival Pickens makes his introduction, and Alice draws the comparison between General Augustus Pickens. Percival promises he’s not there to cause trouble, but with luck and hard work, Riverdale could become one of the greatest and most prosperous towns in America. Considering the synopsis for next week’s episode, I highly doubt he believes that.
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!
