The season two premiere of the CW’s Riverdale aired Oct. 11, and the word ‘shocking’ is an understatement. According to deadline.com, the show hit rating highs with its amassed 2.3 million viewers. This episode alone left its audiences speechless and wanting more. Let’s look at the events of the season two premiere of Riverdale.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE EPISODE YET.
The episode continues right after Fred Andrews is shot the morning after the Jubilee at Pop’s. We see Archie, who still doesn’t have his license, speeding through the streets of Riverdale to get his father to the hospital in time. While Fred is being taken care of at the hospital, he has hallucinations to events later on in Archie’s life. The first one is the day of graduation at Riverdale High. The Core Four are in their graduation gowns. Fred is about to take a picture, and he says he can’t believe he lived to see this day in Archie’s life. Jughead, Veronica, and Betty all whisper about how he didn’t live to see this day. The shooter appears and points his gun. Fred yells for everyone to get down and then returns to reality.
Sheriff Keller arrives and asks for Archie. Jughead tags along for ‘moral support.’ Archie describes the shooter’s mask and the man’s green eyes. Betty and Veronica are having a conversation about Veronica’s past relationships. Veronica says something she doesn’t do well in a relationship is comfort.
Fred’s next hallucination takes place at Andrews Construction. Fred is about to leave for a trip, but he says that something doesn’t feel right. Archie keeps reassuring him that everything will be okay and that he needs a break. Archie says they’re waiting for him. Fred asks who, and Archie replies with Uncle Oscar and Grandpa. The door to the trailer starts slamming and Archie tells his dad that it’s their dead relatives. Then, it flashes back to the present.
Jughead meets with a few of the Serpents and explains Mr. Andrew’s situation to them. They tell him that they’ll ask around for any information. Back at Archie’s, Veronica (in her pearls) and Archie take a shower together, and it’s steamy (no pun intended). Kevin and Betty are talking about what happened with Jughead last night after the Jubilee, and reveals that they are officially a couple, and that Jughead confessed his love to her.
Cheryl also happens to be at the hospital. She tells Betty and Kevin that Thornhill caught on fire the night before, and that her mother saved her life. At Archie’s, he yells at Veronica to leave, but she refuses and comforts Archie. In Mrs. Blossom’s hospital room, Cheryl cuts off her oxygen and threatens her, saying that things will be different now. Fred’s next hallucination takes place at Pop’s. He’s sitting in a booth with Archie, and Archie is telling him his plans to propose to Veronica. Fred excitedly tells Pop, to which he replies, “Time dies.” Pop points at Fred’s stomach, which starts bleeding.
Archie is sitting with the gang, and he reveals a secret about the shooting with the rest of the Core Four. The shooter held the gun to Archie’s head, so he closed his eyes. He was paralyzed with fear, and he didn’t open his eyes until he heard the bell, which meant that the shooter left. Archie is finally able to see his dad, but when he makes his way into the room, he sees Cheryl, already there. Cheryl kisses Fred’s forehead, and as she is walking out, she says, “You gave me the kiss of life, Archie Andrews. Now, I’ve given it to your dad” (because that’s not creepy at all). We finally get to see Hiram Lodge. Hiram tells Veronica that he is not happy with her behavior. Veronica is finally questioning his power.
Fred’s final hallucination is what we’ve been waiting for, especially if you’ve seen the ‘Varchie’ wedding pictures all over Instagram. Fred is trying to cross over to the other side. He knows something’s wrong when he sees the late Jason Blossom and Clifford Blossom. The shooter walks down the aisle and points the gun at Archie. Fred dives in front of him and wakes up. Archie tells him that he wants to protect him. Fred tells him that he came back to protect him.
We briefly see Ms. Grundy (ew). She is tutoring another teenaged boy in her house. After he leaves, we see the shooter in her house. He chokes her to death.
As you can see, this season is just getting started, and we can’t wait for more.
Sources:
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a12819218/riverdale-season-2-episode-1-review/
http://riverdale.wikia.com/wiki/Chapter_Fourteen:_A_Kiss_Before_Dying