It’s sock hop time on this week’s Riverdale! As the gang tries to find their perfect dates, Jughead finds a new job at Pep Comics and brings Ethel along for the ride. And because it is Riverdale, the sock hop ends in a bloody way that is only reminiscent of the town in the 21st century.
Keep reading to find out what happens in “Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: Skip, Hop, and Thump!”
All About Pep
After reading a comic book, Jughead is outraged, telling his friends at school that the story he submitted to Pep Comics that was rejected was stolen and published. Ben Button suggests Jughead give them a call, but he isn’t fond of the idea.
“Oh, shucks to that!”
Since Pep Comics is right in town, Jughead goes there himself. He shows up at Pep Comics, which is the future FBI field office, and confronts the editor. The editor says that there are no original ideas, and to prove it, he has cabinets of stories filled with every single story idea ever, basically, and he’s looking for a writer that can pull together a decent story. The statement intrigues Jughead, and the editor gives him a log line to turn into a seven-page story by tomorrow.
Jughead talks to Ethel about illustrating at Pep Comics, and if all goes well with his story, he promises he’ll talk to the editor-in-chief, Mr. Fieldstone.
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Despite clunky dialogue, Mr. Fieldstone hires Jughead, and Jughead sticks to his word: he talks to Fieldstone about an artist he knows and Fieldstone gives him until tomorrow. Jughead later meets with Ethel and is impressed by her artwork. But after asking Jughead to the sock hop, Ethel’s mom opens her bedroom door, and Jughead leaves.
Ethel gets in trouble for her drawings, and Featherhead and DuPont talk to her about it. Featherhead gives her a week of detention starting today. She ends up missing detention, however, and Ethel and Jughead instead go to Pep Comics to turn in the illustrations. Mr. Fieldstone congratulates her on a job well done and praises their teamwork.
When Ethel gets home, her parents are upset with her for her behavior. She locks herself in her room to get ready for the sock hop, against her parents’ wishes.
The Veronica-Archie-Betty Love Triangle
It’s not Riverdale without the classic Barchie/Varchie love triangle. Wanting to take Veronica to the dance, Archie goes to Betty to help with dancing, and he’s not the best. They get to slow dancing, and it’s like the Barchie love story is also beginning. Alice interrupts, not liking the idea of a boy being in her daughter’s room.
In a very Bachelor-esque way, decades before The Bachelor, Veronica auditions and entertains potential suitors for the dance, including Archie, who doesn’t necessarily know how to wear a suit. Thanks to Mary, he wears one of his dad’s suits, but she’s not happy to hear what Veronica’s intentions are.
Before going to Veronica’s, Archie stops by Betty’s house to show her a poem he wrote for Veronica. She thinks he has a poet’s soul. Archie shows up at the Pembrooke, and among the potential suitors is Julian Blossom.
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Archie is relatively quiet throughout the night as Veronica keeps talking to the others, as Archie doesn’t have the same taste in conversation or even suits. He and Julian get into a fight after Julian brings up Fred, so Veronica quickly changes the subject. Unfortunately, Archie leaves, not wanting to escalate things. He trashes the poem before getting on the elevator.
The next day, Veronica stops by the Andrews household and is greeted by Mary, who isn’t happy about what she did. To put it lightly, Mary gives Veronica a reality check.
Archie apologizes to Veronica for rushing out, still asking her to the sockhop. Veronica has chosen to go alone, though. Archie doesn’t like that Veronica has made him jump through hoops if she was just going to go by herself. Veronica just saw it all as a game, but she later confesses to Betty how bad she feels. Betty brings up the poem, realizing that Veronica never got it. Smithers later brings her the poem that he found in the trash can.
Choni, 1955 Edition
While selling tickets for the sock hop, Cheryl is greeted by Toni and Fangs, and already, sparks are flying between Cheryl and Toni. Cheryl is flustered when Toni brings up the sock hop, but it’s really just about asking if Fangs can perform at the dance. Unfortunately, Kevin is already set to perform.
After discovering that the Serpents were threatening to egg anyone who planned on going to the dance, Cheryl takes matters into her own hands. She meets Toni at the Whyte Wyrm (or is it the Whyte Wyrm in this era), and Toni pitches Fangs performing once again. Since Fangs is about to perform at the bar, she offers Cheryl to stick around and see for herself. Meanwhile, the two of them can get acquainted with each other.
Cheryl and Toni try to sell sock hop tickets, as Cheryl has agreed to let Fangs perform and has yet to break the news to Kevin.
Destined for Love?
Betty and Kevin are on a date, but Kevin has other things on his mind. After Betty kisses him, he pushes her away, using performing and not wanting to catch a cold as an excuse. Betty’s upset that they’ve been dating for months and they haven’t gone steady yet, and he hasn’t pinned her. Kevin calls Betty a sex maniac, and the name doesn’t go over well for Betty. She leaves.
Kevin comes across Clay Walker in the music room, and the two hit it off. Of course, with Kevin dating Betty, he tells Clay that a lot of people go stag to the sock hop.
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Betty tries to get advice from Veronica since she has the boys fawning over her. Veronica suggests she invite another guy to the sock hop to make Kevin jealous. Betty seeks advice from her mother, who later talks to Kevin. She gives him a pin, telling him that Betty wants to feel appreciated. A pin takes off the pressure.
“A pin is a promise, Kevin.”
Just as Betty’s about to make her move on Archie, Kevin interrupts and asks to speak to her. The two go into the music room, and Kevin tells her about Cheryl bumping the Crooners from the dance. He apologizes and tells her she’s the “most ginchiest” girl ever. He gives her the pin Alice gave him, asking her to go steady, and she agrees.
Sock Hop Jitters
It’s sock hop time, and Clay finds Kevin, apologizing for him not being able to play. He asks if he could give him a private concert soon, and instead of answering, Kevin says he needs to find Betty.
Cheryl and Toni end up dancing together. Later, Cheryl watches her classmates dance and sees Toni sitting in the bleachers, clearly smitten.
Veronica finds Archie, telling him she found his poem, and asks for a do-over and a dance. Archie declines, however, instead going over to dance with his mom. Julian walks up to Veronica, having waited for his moment. The two of them dance.
Something Terrible
Ethel barges through the gym doors during the sock hop, bloody. Jughead runs over, and she tells him that something terrible’s happened. But we don’t know what.
The seventh and final season of Riverdale airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Stay tuned for our continued coverage on the series, including episodic recaps and more!
