Riverdale returns after a month long hiatus. Do you need a crash course to remind you what happened so far? Well you are in luck because here it is.
2×01, ‘A Kiss Before Dying’
Fred is rushed to the hospital after being shot by a stranger. By the end, Fred survives.
A powerful moment happens between Archie and Veronica when Archie sobs into Veronica’s arms after she refuses to leave him knowing he needed her the most.
Cheryl, on the other hand, is taking control of her life (after setting her own house on fire). She tells her mother, who is in the hospital for injuries she suffered from the fire, that she is now the Queen Bee of her own life and she is not messing around.
And then the first head-spinner of the season: Ms. Grundy being suffocated with a cello bow by a mysterious killer. The first clue that Archie’s dad getting shot was not a random act.
2×02, ‘Nighthawks’
Dark Betty makes a brief appearance to blackmail Cheryl into testifying on FP’s behalf.
It is revealed Hiram wrote the letter threatening Hermione’s life if Veronica didn’t testify for him back in Season 1.
Midge and Moose are shot (they survive) while high on the popular drug ‘Jingle Jangle’.
2×03, ‘The Watcher in the Woods’
Archie takes it upon himself to protect the town and creates The Red Circle, which entails men to patrol the streets, and to be ready to hunt down The Black Hood. He declares war against the killer, and his dad and Hiram Lodge do not approve.
Meanwhile, Kevin is struggling with hiding his sexuality by meeting up with guys in the woods in the middle of the night. Betty disapproves and ends up spilling Kevin’s secret to his father, Sheriff Keller.
Betty’s sister Polly flees town since she’s currently an unwed to-be-mother, and the father of her twins is her cousin. Understandably, she doesn’t want to risk being a possible target.
Jughead has his first day at Southside High and made friends with Toni Topaz. She works with him on the school paper, plus she is a nice serpent, as opposed to the scary-looking gang members
2×04, ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’
After a full-on brawl with the Southside Serpents, which ends with Dilton Doiley getting stabbed in the leg and Veronica firing off a gun into the sky to get everyone to scram before anyone got seriously hurt, Archie realizes this vigilante life of danger is not what he should be doing. Archie and Veronica throw the gun into the river.
Meanwhile, Betty gets a personalized letter in code from The Black Hood and at the end of the episode, The Black Hood calls Betty on her phone.
2×05, ‘When a Stranger Calls’
Betty keeps getting phone calls from The Black Hood, with the ‘Lollipop’ song ringtone in all its glory. He essentially starts making her turn against everyone she cares about and if she doesn’t do what he says, he’s going to kill her sister and go after her entire family and friends.
Jughead officially becomes a Southside Serpent after an initiation process that included dog-sitting Hot Dog and getting bit by a snake in order to retrieve a knife from a tank.
Toni makes it clear to Jughead that she is bisexual and prefers dating girls and nothing will transpire between the two.
Veronica gets a visit from her old boyfriend Nick St. Clair. Nick is trouble and tries to force himself onto Veronica, which she, of course, does not take lightly. Later he drugs Cheryl’s drink and tries to take advantage of her while she’s barely conscious, but thanks to Veronica and the Pussycats, they intervene before Nick could physically assaults Cheryl.
2×06, ‘Death Proof’
The illegal drug that is Jingle Jangle is becoming a serious problem in the town and it’s all thanks to another gang, the Ghoulies, not the Serpents.
2×07, ‘Tales From the Darkside’
The Black Hood sends a message that if the town could stay pure and sin-free for 48 hours, he will stop this cleansing/killing spree he’s been on and will be on his merry way.
Josie keeps getting creepy love notes and gifts. After wondering if it’s Chuck who is creepily stalking her, it is revealed that it was in fact Cheryl.
Betty has a feeling Sheriff Keller could be The Black Hood, while Veronica is convinced he’s just having an affair. Veronica goes over to have a slumber party with Kevin, who very adorably enjoys playing board games and drinking milk during his sleepovers. She ends up running into a shirtless Sheriff working out in the basement and leaving suddenly in the middle of the night.
2×08, ‘House of the Devi’
Jughead’s dad FP was released from jail, thanks to some overcrowding and Cheryl’s testimony.
FP announces he isn’t retiring after all. He tells Jughead that he knows all about Jughead’s favor he had to do for Penny Peabody and in exchange for Jughead’s freedom, FP is now back in the gang and will be working for the snake charmer herself. FP sacrificed himself for his son to allow Jughead to have a life outside of Riverdale and be able to go to college.
2×09, ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’
Kevin has a Secret Santa party with his friends and Archie gives Betty a sentimental gift from their childhood, which really starts to kick-off the infamous Betty/Archie/Veronica triangle yet again.
Betty and Archie share a kiss in the car before going to confront The Black Hood (they suspect the school’s custodian Mr. Svenson).
Sheriff Keller shoots and kills The Black Hood… who ends up being Mr. Svenson, the custodian.
Veronica makes a deal to help her parents out and now is officially a member of the Lodge family business, whatever that entails.
2×10, ‘The Blackboard Jungle’
Southside High is officially closing, so that means Jughead, Toni, Sweet Pea, Fangs and the other Serpents are heading over to Riverdale High.
Polly surprises Betty by coming home, only to pack up her things and drop the bomb that she has given birth to her twins and never told Betty nor their mom. Polly gave the twins the names Juniper and Dagwood and Betty had the best reaction. But… Betty? Did you forget who you have an on/off relationship with? A Mr. Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, that they all call ‘Jughead’.
Betty decides to finally contact her long lost brother and with Jughead’s social worker’s help she finds Charles, or ‘Chic’.
A man who claims he’s from the FBI meets up with Archie and asks for help when it comes to getting incriminating evidence about Veronica’s dad, Hiram Lodge.
2×11, ‘The Wrestler’
Archie tries out for the wrestling team to try and impress Hiram.
Jughead discovers the dark an awful truth of Riverdale’s origin story (because, of course. Riverdale isn’t allowed to have a happy origin story). General Pickens led a raid under the order of Cheryl’s grandfather, which, in turn, led to many people being killed. The Uktena tribe lived in the town and it’s the Serpents who are carrying on their traditions.
Meanwhile, Betty tries to get to know her newly found brother, Chic. Betty and Chic both share a dark side, and Chic reveals the way he deals with his darkness is creating racy videos online.
2×12, ‘The Wicked and the Divine’
Archie is working hard to be Hiram’s right-hand man and he’s starting to find out that Hiram is an actual crime boss.
Betty takes out her Dark Betty wig again while bonding with her brother Chic.
2×13, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’
