Every year, Riverdale does a musical episode and they use the episodes to add some big twists which make everyone want to keep watching, even if they aren’t a big musical fan!
This episode starts off with the cast singing “Wicked Little Town” as they watch the third round of videotapes that were delivered to their doorstep. Betty has talked to all of Jughead’s teachers and prepared a colour-coordinated binder for him so he can catch up and graduate with his friends. However, apparently Jughead’s near death experience changed him and homework is too boring for him. So, naturally, he asks Charles if he can help crack the videotape mystery in his spare time. (Why is the FBI letting teenagers handle this?)
Elsewhere, Hiram keeps skipping his doctor’s appointments in order to go to the gym. When he is nearly crushed during a bench press, Archie lets it slip that he knows about Hiram’s ‘condition’. Hiram swears him to secrecy as he doesn’t want Veronica to know.
At school, Kevin is organising a variety show when Mr. Honey sweeps in and bans his song. Kevin wanted to sing a song from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and when Honey says no, Kevin decides to rebel. Fangs then gives Kevin a weird pep talk and advises him to ‘go rogue’ in order to ‘stick it to the man’. Great advice Fangs, why don’t we risk getting Kevin expelled?
Meanwhile, Archie also signs up for the variety show, but signs the core four up as well as The Archies. When he tells them, Jughead is not down for the name but Veronica approves of the name and they agree to rehearse later. For now, they have to head to the music room, where Kevin (in full Hedwig costume) is performing “Tear Me Down” (which is my favourite musical number from the episode).
Naturally, Mr. Honey hates it, unplugs the speaker, and kicks Kevin out of the variety show. But thankfully, Kevin has a sleepover with the girls planned and they know how to cheer him up. How you might ask? Why with singing and wigs, of course! By the end of the number, they have a plan: Everyone agrees to perform songs from Hedwig at the variety show.
However, when Cheryl brings the idea to Mr Honey the following day, by adding a performance of “Sugar Daddy” (my second favourite number from the episode), he refuses. Then, he promises to ban everyone who performs a song from Hedwig at the talent show, from the senior prom (which is the worst punishment for high school seniors). So, when they all show up to protest by wearing Hedwig wigs in the hallway of Riverdale High, Mr. Honey cancels the variety show completely.
And then we head into couple drama. When Hiram collapses, Archie tells Veronica that her dad’s been working out at the gym, and she goes off on him for keeping this from her. Betty then finds Jughead blowing off his homework in order to watch videotapes and help Charles and he shoots back with: “death changes a person.” At the same time they are all singing “Exquisite Corpse”.
After both couple’s fight, Jughead and Veronica blow off rehearsal and only Betty and Archie show up. The two sing “The Origin of Love,” and we get flashbacks of Betty and Archie’s relationship, dating all the way back to the pilot of the show. And by the time the song is over, they kiss.
The next scene shows them appearing to feel guilty as both Jughead and Veronica return with excellent apologies, but as soon as they’re alone, they’re looking at each other longingly through their bedroom windows. Then they reprise “Wicked Little Town” as they reenact the school dance from the pilot, and it’s clear that these feelings are not going away (and I don’t know about you, but I am not down for this relationship if it’s created because of cheating).
When the variety show is cancelled, Kevin gets the idea to put it on at La Bonne Nuit, and we end the night with The Archies performing “Midnight Radio” as the core fore exchange a lot of longing glances. Then, as The Archies (plus Kevin) perform on the roof of Pop’s, Jughead notices everyone recording them, and gets paranoid about the videotapes.
The episode then ends with Jughead going back to the bunker, where he watches a videotape of someone in a Jughead mask getting hit over the head with a rock by someone in a Betty mask. So, someone is watching them.
Final Thoughts?
The musical episodes on Riverdale are always my favourite even if the singing isn’t always perfect. As I said earlier, I am not a fan of Archie and Betty becoming a couple because it started out with them cheating on their significant others. A show aimed at teens and young adults should not be condoning cheating!
