*Warning: This article contains spoilers about a TV show that recently aired*
After weeks of anticipation, Riverdale finally aired their Heathers: The Musical episode, and following the madness of last year’s Carrie, fans had no idea what to expect. But whatever the show had planned, Riverdale High was expected to put the drama in drama club, and they certainly did.
The show opens with Mayor Lodge fighting Principal Weatherbee over the school’s decision to do Heathers, a show that many believe glorifies violence and binge drinking. Student director Kevin Keller fights back, saying that the show’s bigger message- overcoming trauma and teenage alienation is perfect for the Riverdale community. Kevin defends his case by somehow getting all of Riverdale High to sing the opening song Beautiful and magically Mayor Lodge approves of the show, which is also sponsored by Riverdale’s totally just a club and NOT AT ALL a cult The Farm… Because a musical about a mysterious dude convincing his girlfriend to murder all their classmates being sponsored by a cult run by a pretty mysterious dude who definitely has killed person or two isn’t suspicious AT ALL.
Things get even weirder when co-director and junior cult leader Evelyn Evernever suggest a pre-show cast party (seriously who does that) at The Farm’s HQ. What’s even weirder is that she tells everyone to show up in costume (because teenagers, binge drinking and borrowed costumes is a great combination). On top of all that craziness she also drugs Kevin into seeing Midge’s ghost, probably to manipulate him even deeper into The Farm.
But things don’t end there, the next day Evelyn calls a “select” number of cast members to a private rehearsal IN THE GARGOYLE ROOM at The Farm’s HQ/ Former Sisters of Quiet Mercy building. Betty, being one of the only rational people left in this town, sneaks in and takes pictures of a definite cult ritual and not at all a musical rehearsal (even if they are singing Our Love Is God, the creepiest song in the show). Betty even shows these photos to Principal Weatherbee and he’s not the slightest bit concerned, WTF.
Frustrated that there isn’t much else to do, Betty suggest to Jughead that they should take a break from investigating this cult and just be kids, leading them (yes including Jughead) to sing the iconic number Seventeen, which is when Veronica begs J.D to be “normal” by sneaking some beer and going to prom… Then, about a minute later, Betty and Jughead plot to burn down Jughead’s childhood home/ newly created mobile drug lab… So much for being normal.
The episode ends with the closing number Seventeen (Repreise), which like the other version, begs everyone to be normal for once. The cast takes their final bows and are then met with one slow ominous clap lead by none other than cult leader (and #zaddy) Edgar Evernever. Suddenly more adults, who are all dressed in white, join in for the creepy slow clap and basically out themselves as members of The Farm, leading the viewer to wonder how all these adults, the drug ring and The Farm are all connected.
While this episode tied up a lot loose ends, it also left the viewer with a ton of questions. What are your predictions for the rest of the season?