For a show that typically leaves me saying “What?!,” the Riverdale season two finale was surprisingly tame. The twists were few and far between, and most of the episode’s action focused on the political happenings in town. But, as with any finale, there were still a few shocking moments. Here are some of the most gasp-worthy moments from last night’s Riverdale season finale.
1. Jughead was *not* dead—something we learned early on.
After last week’s cliffhanger, it looked like Jughead might be done for, which would have certainly made for a shocking season finale. But Riverdale just isn’t ready to let Jughead go (neither are we!), and about a minute into the episode, we knew Jughead was going to be just fine.
2. Cheryl found out that her mother is up to something with Hiram Lodge.
Mama Blossom is probably one of the scariest characters on Riverdale. Throughout this season, we just had a sense that she was up to something (more than simply serving as Riverdale’s resident madam). So, when Cheryl saw her mother in cahoots with Hiram and the rest of his squad, she—along with the rest of us—was shocked but, let’s be real, not really all the way surprised.
3. Archie became school president, but Fred Andrews lost the mayoral race.
Both elections were held on the same day (yay for democracy!), and while Archie won (an easy feat since Ethel was his only competition), Fred Andrews lost the mayoral race to Hermione Lodge by a narrow margin. And while it stinks that wholesome™ Fred Andrews lost, what’s even more frightening is that the Lodges are one step closer to making their evil plans come true.
4. Moose and Kevin (briefly) make out.
With Midge gone (RIP Midge), this gave Kevin a chance to comfort Moose in the men’s room. Here’s to hoping that this couple spends more time together next season.
5. Tall Boy was the one that broke into Archie’s house…
The new sheriff has been “diligently” investigating the copy-cat Black Hood attacks and trying to determine who broke into the Andrews home. Sheriff Manetta tells Archie that it was Tall Boy who broke into his home, and that Tall Boy is now deceased following a police shoot-out. This seems like an awfully convenient way to tie up loose ends, and I don’t believe it for a minute.
6. Betty confronts her father but TBH, none of us believe that he is the Black Hood.
Betty heads to prison to talk to her father, and attempt to get some closure. They have the sort of tense conversation you would expect to have if your father was accused of murdering multiple people. It seems to make Betty feel a little bit better, but it does little to comfort me as I’m still not 100% convinced that Hal Cooper was the sole mastermind.
7. Archie gets arrested right before he is sworn in as class president, as Hiram Lodge watches from the background.
As the episode was winding down, I was waiting for the cliffhanger that would leave us counting down the days until Riverdale’s return. And we certainly got one—though it was a twist I can almost guarantee that no one was expecting. Archie was arrested, right before he became class president. Now, Archie can’t even handle the simplest of tasks, so I find it hard to believe that he committed any sort of crime. But, since Sheriff Manetta is in Hiram Lodge’s back pocket, Archie could be looking at some serious time behind bars.
Riverdale returns for season 3 on the CW this fall.