‘Riverdale’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 17 “Chapter One Hundred and Twelve: American Psychos”

Megan
16 Min Read
Colin Bentley/The CW

The annual musical episode of Riverdale is here, and the cast left no crumbs! Slaughter Con has come to Riverdale in the hopes of catching the Trash Bag Killer, but at the same time, Betty is dealing with her newfound feelings for Agent Drake. Meanwhile, as Cheryl struggles with Toni’s wedding announcement, Archie and Tabitha continue to deal with Percival and the worker’s strike. All while the characters sing songs from American Psycho: The Musical.

Keep reading to find out what happened in “Chapter One Hundred and Twelve: American Psychos.”

Slaughter Con

The CW

Betty, Veronica, Archie, Agent Drake, and Charles gather to discuss Slaughter Con. There will be a crowd, though Charles doesn’t think that will keep TBK away. And it’s unlikely he will kill at the convention, considering, according to Charles, there’s an unwritten rule for serial killers: Don’t kill where you eat.

“Plus, we love our fans. We don’t want to murder them.”

There will also be an agent stationed outside the Cooper house for protection, and Archie will also be around. Betty figures she’ll be able to pick TBK out in the crowd. The schedule for the convention is full, complete with Kevin performing numbers from the holy grail of serial killer musicals, American Psycho.

The doors of the casino open, welcoming fans dressed as serial killers, officially starting Slaughter Con.

Kevin’s “Not a Common Man”

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Kevin delivers on his promise to keep things “’80s club glam fab” and performs “Not a Common Man” as investment killer by day, serial killer by night Patrick Bateman. Even though it’s not who we thought would be Patrick, he goes all out with the performance, with props and choreography. Casey Cott definitely … killed it.

As the performance happens, Betty and Archie keep an eye on the crowd, trying to pick out TBK. Betty spots someone dressed like the Black Hood with a knife, and they take him to a back room. The guy tells them he bought Black Hood’s knife on “eSlay,” hoping to get Betty to sign it. She’s his hero, and he would be honored to be her first official kill.

TBK Comes Out to Play

Alice interviews Betty at Slaughter Con about the well and TBK, with Archie out in the crowd keeping an eye on everything. A fan asks Betty why serial killers wear masks, and after she answers, the phone rings. The man asks her why she wears a mask, telling her he’s seen what’s underneath. Of course, it’s TBK on the line, playing with her, asking her what the convention is that she’s putting on. He asks her what she’ll do after she traps him, saying it will end with the two of them and a kiss in the dark. TBK hangs up.

Workers on Strike

Percival needs the railway done by the time Bailey’s Comet passes over since it possesses unique, celestial energies that will benefit him in his plans. Uncle Frank suggests mind control, which Percival can still do.

Meanwhile, the union delegate supports the crew’s strike, meaning there will be a relief fund for them. Tabitha tells them they and their families can eat at Pop’s for free until the work fund is activated.

“We’re in this together.”

The workers’ meal at Pop’s is interrupted by Percival, who tells them to go back to the railroad and return to work. Because of his mind control, they all obey against their will and leave Pop’s. Percival’s nose starts bleeding. Archie later gets a call from Tabitha, who tells him what happened.

“Bread and Roses” to Break Through Control

Colin Bentley/The CW

Archie, Tabitha, and Toni devise a plan to get the workers back and break them from Percival’s control. Tabitha suggests it’s harder for Percival to control larger groups of people at the same time, meaning it might be easier to break the hold he has on the crew. All they have to do, Tabitha says, is remind them what they’re striking for. And there’s no better way than by song to bring people together.

The trio, along with the crew’s families, show up at the railroad site and perform “Bread and Roses” to remind everyone what they’re really doing. And it works. First Fangs breaks free of the spell, and the rest of the workers follow, going back to their families. Uncle Frank is not very happy.

Frank tells Percival what happened with the crew and Percival promises something truly biblical will be coming their way.

Old Feelings and Revenge

Toni meets with Cheryl and tells her the news of the engagement. Cheryl hides her disappointment, but luckily Heather comes in, and she introduces the two. Toni is surprised to see her after hearing about her back in the day and tells Cheryl she’s happy for her. Before Toni leaves, she tells them about her bachelorette girls’ night out at the Babylonium, crashing the after-hours dance event at the convention. She invites them both.

Cheryl later visits Kevin, who is all up to speed on the super fun update about Fangs and Toni. She asks him if he would like to join her for a “cursing in their unholy union.” They perform a spell to drive a wedge between the happy couple, but it has some unfortunate side effects.

Cheryl brings cherry muffins for Fangs and Toni, wanting to check up on them. She discovers that Baby Anthony has been up crying for hours, and it might be colic. Toni tells Cheryl she may have to cancel the bachelorette dance party, at least until they know what’s wrong with Anthony. Cheryl tells her to let her know if there’s anything she can do and leaves. She later tells Kevin what happened, not knowing what went wrong. Kevin blames it on her, not being able to forgive himself if they hurt Baby Anthony. Cheryl figures there is one person they can call for help.

Heather cures Baby Anthony’s colic, and Toni is forever grateful. When Cheryl tells Toni that it was something she concocted in the greenhouse, a Rivervale flash happens to when Anthony had colic and Cheryl cured him.

Cheryl later admits to Heather that she once thought she and Toni were fated to reunite. Not only was she devastated when she realized it wasn’t happening, she also realized that she’s drawn to Heather. But she doesn’t want to get hurt again. Heather understands, but they are getting a second chance. Cheryl suggests they go to Toni’s bachelorette party.

Following the party, Cheryl shows Heather a painting she created a while back of the two of them when they first met. She admits to Heather she had more fun that night than she had in a really long time. The two kiss and move things over to the bed.

“You Are What You Wear” at Toni’s Bachelorette

Colin Bentley/The CW

The girls gather at the Babylonium to make the night all about Toni Topaz and do a stunning rendition of “You Are What You Wear,” bringing the performance to the stage in the casino.

Kevin’s On a “Killing Spree”

Colin Bentley/The CW

As Kevin performs “Killing Spree” for the crowd and the bachelorette party, Betty believes she sees TBK. Soon, someone comes up behind Kevin and puts a bag over his face. Betty knocks down TBK, though Kevin tells her it’s part of his act and Dr. Curdle is underneath the mask. She spots TBK in the crowd, and he gets away.

New Feelings

Betty and Agent Drake prepare for the next day of the convention, and Agent Drake directly tells Betty she’s attracted to her. Betty is surprised and flattered, but she’s with Archie. Agent Drake thought that since she and Archie are so different, whereas she and Agent Drake have so much in common … Agent Drake stops herself to say that maybe she was reading things differently, but she swore she’s been picking up vibes from Betty.

“Tell me, am I wrong about that, Betty?”

Agent Drake may not be wrong, considering Betty has a dream about her being by her bedside when she wakes up. In the morning, Archie offers to go to the Babylonium with Betty, but she tells him she’ll be fine since there will be tons of security.

Betty tells Veronica what happened with Agent Drake and how she compartmentalizes with Archie, but she doesn’t feel the need to censor herself with Drake. She just doesn’t know what to do about Drake, so Veronica tells her to not go there with her and talk to Archie. At the convention, Veronica tells Agent Drake to cool it with Betty and focus on her work.

Betty tells Archie about how she saw TBK during the party, and since Kevin is bailing on his final performance since she stepped in on his “vision,” she’s volunteering to perform as a way to lure in the killer. Archie wants to tell her it’s dangerous and crazy, but he knows she’ll do it anyway.

“This is who I am, Arch. This is what I do. And you have to be okay with that. Or not.”

She confesses she’s been thinking about what TBK said on the phone. She doesn’t know if she wants a white picket fence and a family, but she knows Archie does. Archie suggests they talk about it after she catches TBK.

Betty tells Veronica she and Archie had that talk but she doesn’t know what to do. She may be too dark for him. But Veronica doesn’t think so.

“By my count, I’ve killed more people than you. My husband and my father, both in cold blood. Geraldo accidentally…”

Veronica tells her they are all dark in Riverdale and Archie’s a big boy. It should be his decision anyway.

Betty’s Just “A Girl Before”

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TBK ends up not coming to Slaughter Con for Betty’s performance of “A Girl Before.” Flashbacks of Archie and Betty pop up during it, going through their relationship. At the same time, when Betty gets to Archie’s house, she texts him, but notices TBK in her bedroom. She rushes over, grabbing her dad’s gun that she got from the Black Hood fanatic, and searches the house. Betty finds Charles and Alice tied up, with tape on their mouths and their heads covered. Alice tells her he killed the guard and is waiting for her in the garage.

TBK’s Reign Comes to an End

Candles fill the garage as TBK finishes setting up. Betty tells him to take off his mask, but he tells her to put hers on and to stop denying who she truly is.

“One of us. An American psycho.”

TBK brings up plenty of (psychotic) options that the two of them can do together, telling her they are soulmates. He tries to get Betty to put on the mask and tells her she is just like him. Betty says she is nothing like him and shoots him.

Betty comes back into the house, telling her brother and mother that TBK’s dead while setting them free. She even sits down at the candlelit table as TBK’s dead body lays on the ground just to make sure he’s dead. Is it really over?

“I hope so.”

Realizations

Betty brings Archie up to speed on TBK, including the bit that she used the gun her dad used to shoot his dad. She fears whatever was inside her dad is inside her. She’s afraid one day she might not be able to resist it and that Archie will be a victim to that darkness or fearful of it, and that Archie will be scared of her. He promises that won’t happen because he trusts her. Her dad or TBK didn’t make her a killer. He brings up how the two of them nursed a baby bird back to health. Archie sees someone who is still fighting, and the fact that she’s worried about her hurting anyone is what’s in her heart.

Riverdale: Special Episode: American Psycho the Musical (Original Television Soundtrack) is currently streaming if you want to listen to all the songs from the episode sung by the cast!

Riverdale is off next week but will be back on Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on The CW! Stay tuned for our continued coverage on the series, including episodic recaps and more!

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By Megan
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Megan has been passionate about writing since she was little and has been passionate about all things pop culture and nerdy since almost as long. Joining Nerds and Beyond in 2019, she also graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism. Megan is constantly binge-watching shows and finding new things to obsess over. 9-1-1 and Marvel currently reign as the top obsessions. You can find her on Twitter @marvels911s if you ever want to discuss some certain firefighters.
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