*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
Last week’s episode of Riverdale left off with former felon FP Jones (Skeet Ulrich) becoming the new sheriff of Riverdale. And now, his loyalty is put to the test when the teens find themselves in the middle of another mystery: Who shot Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos)?
Here’s what went down in tonight’s episode of Riverdale, titled “Chapter Forty-Six: The Red Dahlia.”
The episode opens on our favorite mopey teen, Jughead (Cole Sprouse), explaining Tall Boy’s (Scott McNeil) death to FP, who’s already in over his head.
“I’m going to pretend like I believe you idiots,” he says before adding, “Next time you see me, you better have a better story.”
Being the amateur detective that Jughead is, Veronica (Camila Mendes) tasks him with solving a mystery that has been plaguing us since Chapter Forty-Five: Who shot her dad and can we give them a medal? (JK…sorta.)
Veronica even gives Jughead his very first suspect: Hermione (Marisol Nichols), who directs him to Hiram’s supposed mistress, Mrs. Mulwray (Kelly Ripa).
With Jughead on the case, Veronica makes the questionable decision of filling in for Hiram (aka the Man in Black) while he’s recovering in the hospital.
Betty (Lili Reinhart), on the other hand, is still playing Silence of the Lambs with her dad, Hal (Lochlyn Munro). The problem? She’s convinced Claudius’s (Barclay Hope) death wasn’t an accident. To top it off, there are a series of murders (including Claudius and Clifford) that lead back to Penelope (Nathalie Boltt).
Later on, Betty meets up with Jughead, who is on a mission to find Mrs. Mulwray. Their search leads them to a motel room that is doubling as a brothel called “The Maple Club.”
“And now there’s apparently a not-so-secret sex club in Riverdale,” Betty says.
When they ask for more information about Mrs. Mulwray, a woman points them to room 311. Just then, Penelope appears out of nowhere, demanding the teens leave immediately.
Despite parting ways with Betty, Jughead is determined to speak to Hiram’s mistress. So, he breaks in to room 311 and finds Mrs. Mulwray pointing a gun at him. Whoops.
Meanwhile, Betty heads to the hospital only to learn that Cliff’s autopsy report says that he died before he hung himself. Dun dun dun.
After sorting through Hiram’s papers, Veronica confronts her mom for her involvement in the Fizzle Rocks distribution. Hermione claims she didn’t know about the drugs until it was too late. She did, however, create a distraction (the quarantine) so Hiram could shut down the factory. Unfortunately, he went behind her back and consolidated everything into the prison.
Veronica suggests they destroy the drugs while he’s still in the hospital, and Hermione devises a better plan: Sell it.
When Betty confronts Penelope for poisoning her husband and his brother, calling her the “Red Dahlia,” Penelope encourages her to look at the bigger picture—all of her victims are men (or “the real poison”). She goes on to explain the mass seizures were caused by a run-off from the factory that was contaminating Riverdale’s water supply with Fizzle Rocks.
Elsewhere, Jughead uncovers the real reason Hermione appointed FP as the new sheriff. Not only is she having an affair with Michael (Henderson Wade), who is supposed to be dead, but she’s also planning on setting up FP. When Jughead tells his dad about her master plan, FP reveals that Hermione asked him to kill Hiram and claimed she would have his back. Savage.
To no surprise, Archie (KJ Apa) is still headed on a downward spiral. ICYMI: He’s now BFFs with his flask, doesn’t think he’s college material and continuously picks fights with his dad, Fred (Luke Perry), who could really use a hug.
At La Bonne Nuit, Archie is drinking himself into oblivion. When Reggie (Charles Melton) cuts him off, Archie nearly gets kicked out of the club. That is until Josie (Ashleigh Murray) swoops in, takes him home and gives him a reality check in the form of a cold shower.
When she encourages him to channel his anger into something constructive, Archie storms out, claiming he needs to face one last demon.
Cut to Archie entering Hiram’s hospital room, holding a gun.
The episode concludes with six important scenes. Here’s what you need to know:
It’s always the quiet ones. Riverdale returns to The CW next Wednesday, February 6, at 8 p.m.
