Riverdale Recap: A Night to Remember
Warning: Spoilers for Riverdale season 2, episode 18, "A Night to Remember," ahead.
A good stand-alone episode is always a great way to hit refresh or reset on a series' interpersonal relationships, and sometimes even the entire plot. That's exactly what Riverdale's highly anticipated, much-theorized-about musical episode achieves. In having the characters reenact the fitting, tragically underrated '80s spectacle Carrie: The Musical, Riverdale was able to wipe away some relationship angst and set the stage (so to speak) for the final stretch of season 2.
So many strained relationships were soothed through song: Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Betty (Lili Reinhart) are back to being B & V after a short upset, Josie (Ashleigh Murray) has forgiven Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) for that traumatizing pig's heart incident, Betty and her Mom seem to be in a better place than ever, and Chuck (Jordan Calloway) is back in with, well, everyone. Even Archie (KJ Apa) has mended fences with his father Fred (Luke Perry), who provided the sets for the musical like only the best stage dad would. Sorry, Hiram (Mark Consuelos), daddy didn't take the T-bird away-Archie gave it the hell back.
Unfortunately, this is Riverdale, where the core four can't have nice things, so the writers also hit the reset button on that Black Hood plot. Throughout rehearsals someone had been sending threatening messages to our young director Kevin Keller, which turn out not to be so veiled. By the high school musical's finale, the masked killer has pulled off their most gruesome murder yet, pinning Midge Klump to the set, having suffered multiple stab wounds. Yeah, all those attacked by the Black Hood and survived are not out of the woods just yet (get it?).
Here’s what happened in Chapter 30: “A Night to Remember.”
1. It's not an opening number without shirtless Archie doing pushups. Also that indie pop voice was not made for campy musical theater.
2. Archie plays boy next door Tommy Ross, Betty plays good girl Sue Snell, Veronica plays rich mean girl Chris Hargensen, and Jughead...is tasked to film a documentary about the whole thing. Kevin really didn't hold any sort of audition, did he?
3. Alice Cooper is playing Carrie's wretched mother because there's "nothing more amateur than age inappropriate casting," according to Kevin.
4. Archie and Betty playing the quintessential American boyfriend and girlfriend makes me think that Barchie could be endgame. Don't yell at me, Bugheads.
5. Madelaine Petsch's voice is so much deeper than I thought it would be.
6. The falling sandbag feels very Phantom of the Opera. Also, I'm with Kevin on this one. Why would the Black Hood care about the casting of Carrie? This feels like a red herring, but he should still, you know, call his dad.
7. Lili and Cami are the most natural in this musical theater realm. “Do Me a Favor” is actually such a bop.
8. Yes, Ethel definitely sent those threats, but there's no way she's the Black Hood.
9. Why is FP suddenly so cool towards Alice Cooper? This is your shot, FP!
10. Okay, I get that there are parallels and themes the writers are trying to achieve, but how is Josie not the lead in that damn musical?
11. Hiram and Hermione giggling maniacally to each other is a big mood.
12. I will be watching Camila perform “The World According to Chris” on repeat tomorrow. Don't try to talk to me. As Kevin says, "I'm obsessed with everything that just happened."
13. This is B's second brutal, public takedown of V in one season. She may have valid points, but I wouldn't nearly as forgiving if I were Veronica.
14. "I will not succumb to thespian terrorism and allow myself to be ousted from this production." I missed Cheryl's one liners so much these past few weeks. Unfortunately, Penelope Blossom won't allow her to play Carrie anyway: “This matricidal revenge fantasy is never going to happen."
15. Toni is totally unbothered by Cheryl's crazy. "I'm not the same girl who burned down Thornhill and cut off her oxygen." Toni's unflinching response? "Sure you are."
16. Why would you ever choose Hal Cooper when you can have FP Jones?!
17. I feel betrayed that we did not get one Jughead musical number.
18. "You and uncle Claudius are pig people and should live amongst the pigs." Well, that's one way to get emancipated, Cheryl.
19. The Black Hood is back and going after the victims who survived his previous attacks. Protect Fred Andrews at all costs!
20. As much as it pains me to say this, Chic is for sure the Black Hood.
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