Riverdale Review : Chapter Five "Heart Of Darkness"

In this week episode of Riverdale, we get to see a new side of a character, a new suspect, and someone more evil than Alice Cooper in  Riverdale. The Blossom family's prepare for Jason's memorial, Archie finds an opportunity for his music but is torn between his focus on football, Veronica befriends with Cheryl in the most unexpected way, Hermione seeks Fred's for help. 

  

- This post below contains spoilers - 

* Archie's Dilemma 

So, Archie is struggling with his passion between football and music. Then we see Archie get help from one of the member of Josie and The Pussycats, Valerie. Meanwhile, Archie and Reggie both up for team captain of the football team, at the end Archie get the captain position but he turns it down and asks Reggie to take his place claiming the team need someone with full passion for football and Archie's can't because his true passion is for music, he basically just use football to get him a scholarship to study music. 

* Uh.. No, Hermione Lodge !

As we know from the last episode, Hermione's in some trouble with The South Side Serpent because Hiram Lodge didn't pay them enough money and he's currently in jail, and it seems that things gonna be taken out on Hermione. 

While she's at work one night really late at Pop's, she hears the door open but when she goes out to the restaurant floor the only thing inside is a box in the middle of the floor and when she opens it, she founds a snake ! And we know its a message from The South Side Serpent and its probably not a good sign. Instead of calling the police, Hermione calls Fred Andrews, who i think its kinda awkward since earlier in the episode Fred thinks their trip to the drive-in was a date and Hermione make it very clear that it wasn't.. Okay now two Andrews' heart are broken. 

Hermione then reveals that she calls Fred because she doesn't trust the police or anyone in Riverdale, i absolutely agree Hermione ! And she begins telling him about everything that happened between The Lodges and The South Side Serpent. Later on, Fred ends up offering Hermione that book keeping job that she wants back in the first episode at his construction business. Then, we see Hermione and Veronica back at their apartment and it seems like Hermione's gonna tell her something, i'm guessing its gonna be about the trouble they're in or the incident, because i'm starting to worry The South Side Serpent gonna go after Veronica too ! 

* Thornhill 

As Jughead narrates in the beginning of the episode, that The Blossoms live in the creepiest house in Riverdale which is called, Thornhill also.. It comes completed with its own family graveyard.. Yup, not creepy at all ! The episode begins with Cheryl having a nightmare and when she wakes up, mama Penelope Blossom is right at the door telling Cheryl not to sleep in Jason's bed

Cheryl told her mom sleeping in Jason's bed, makes it easier for her to write an eulogy for him. But Penelope told Cheryl, there's no need for an eulogy because everything she says will humiliate The Blossoms family. That's just so cruel !! 😡 
The next day at school, Cheryl hands out the invitation for Jason's memorial to everyone 

Cheryl learns later in the episode that everyone in town is a suspect, that's why The Blossoms invited everyone. So they can keep an eye for the murderer. 

* Cheryl and Veronica 

Veronica tells Cheryl that she wants them to bury the hatchet and be friends or at least frenemies. So, Cheryl invites Veronica to her sleepover the night before Jason's memorial. Of course, we all thinking there's gonna be a lot of Cheryl's friend at her sleepover.. Turns out, Veronica's the only one at the sleepover ! She must endure The Blossoms dinner party from hell and as the dinner progresses The Blossoms kinda digs at Veronica's dad, but its Veronica ! She handles it pretty well.. 

Also thanks to Veronica we kinda learn how The Blossoms treat Cheryl at home, we see that Jason is like the golden child while Cheryl is more like a mistake, also Penelope blames Cheryl for basically rowing Jason to his death. Poor Cheryl.. 

After dinner, Veronica and Cheryl have some girl bonding time while looking at Jason's picture and at some point, Veronica asks Cheryl why she's the only one invited to her sleepover. Cheryl points out its because Veronica is the one who help her through her panic attack at the night of the pep relly not her besties. I kinda love this Cheryl and i hope we kinda see her more like this through out the season. She also tells Veronica that even though her mom told her not to say anything at Jason's memorial, she basically wants to cause' its kind of her way of saying she's sorry, Veronica says she will help Cheryl and encourage her. 

* Jason Blossom Memorial 

We already know that Jason's memorial is gonna be so awkward and the first awkward thing is when Archie gives Jason's jersey to Penelope and then she touch his hair and claims he look a lot like Jason. Then, Cheryl walks into the room wearing the same white-themed outfit the day they parted and the last time she sees him. 

She steals the spotlight, makes everyone in the room jaw drops and starts greeting everyone and begins her eulogy. Penelope wants to stop her but then Veronica defend Cheryl and told Penelope to let Cheryl do her eulogy or she's gonna makes things worse. 

Cheryl begins her eulogy by telling everyone that wearing that dress makes her feel that Jason's right there in the room with her. She then tells everyone that Jason is the best brother ever and that he would do anything to protect her. Cheryl then tells the story of how she always wants to have separate birthday parties but Jason keep insisting for them to keep having joined parties. Until one year later, she learns that it was because no one wants to go to her party and Jason didn't want her to find out and make her upset. Cheryl points out she should've protect Jason in the same way, cause' she and everyone have failed him. 

Penelope isn't happy with Cheryl at all.. 

So, she drags Cheryl to her bedroom and claims everything is over for her.. There will be no more River Vixen and if she could she would sent Cheryl off to a boarding school in Europe that night. However, she points out no one would wants Cheryl, which literally breaks her ! It looks like Alice Cooper just lose her throne to Penelope for the most evil parent in Riverdale..

* Polly and Jason did what ???! 

Thanks to Betty and Jughead, we learn more about Polly and Jason. Speaking of Betty and Jughead, we kinda see sparks starts to fly between them and i totally ship them together !!! The two starts to work together and track down some clues about who murdered Jason Blossom and recreates Jason's murder board with Kevin and we learned evidence and interviews have been stolen. So, Betty starts to investigate by going on a date with Trev who's in the same water polo team with Jason. 

Trev tells Betty that a few months ago, Jason started to act weird and secretive and starts to changes after he started dating Polly. Even, he starts selling his stuff and Trev heard that Jason started selling drugs ! Then Betty asks his dad what actually happened to Polly and why they sent her away.

Her dad explains that Jason and Polly ends up having a fight but he doesn't know what its about but it leaves Polly devastated, and one day when he got home from work. He heard water from the bathroom and when he knocks on the door, he got no answer. So, he kicked the door open and founds Polly attempt to commit suicide ! And that's why The Coopers sent her away, to prevent her from killing herself. Then, he told Betty not to call Polly because her condition worsen after she heard about Jason's death. 

Betty ends up telling Jughead about the information she founds out from Trev and her dad. Meanwhile, Jughead wonders why a rich kid like Jason Blossom sell drugs and his stuff ? Perhaps Jason wasn't running away from his parents but maybe he was running away from drug dealers. But if he was really running away from his parents, what did they do so bad that makes Jason wants to run away ? We see how Penelope treats Cheryl, but we also learn Jason's like the golden child. So, Betty and Jughead decides to investigate during Jason's memorial and break into his bedroom. Once they got there, they got a big surprise from creepy Grandma Blossom a.k.a nana Rose ! 

But as creepy as grandma seems to be, she's actually pretty helpful and reveals some big news. Well she's kinda blind, and thinks Betty is actually Polly ! 

She told Betty to come closer, and clever Betty play along to find out some information. Nana Rose reveals that Jason and Polly were actually engaged !!! She also reveals that she gave Polly, The Blossoms family ring and if Penelope ever find out about it, she's gonna snap it out of her finger. Grandma reveals that Polly and Jason's wedding was actually the only thing she's living for. So.. It seems like Nana Rose is the only one in the family who approved their relationship. 

* Maple Syrup Feud 

When Betty arrives home and told her dad about Polly engagement with Jason, turns out The Coopers already knew about it. Then, her dad reveals that Betty and Polly's great - great grandfather used to had a maple syrup business with Cheryl and Jason's great- great grandfather and one day great-great grandfather Blossom didn't want to share their earnings and decides to killed great-great grandfather Coopers in cold blood ! Betty now knows that her family is full of lies and begins to suspect there's more lies about Jason and Polly, and wonders how far her dad would go to protect Polly. Which lead to her revelation with Jughead, that someone who break into The Kellers' house wasn't at the drive-in that night, she points out her dad wasn't at the drive-in that night. So now, it seems that Mr.Cooper stole the number one place on the suspect list !

It looks like in next episode, we're finally gonna meet with Polly because the episode ends with Jughead telling Betty they have to visit and meet Polly, and they seems to find a car with Jason's stuff inside meanwhile Archie seems to get a stage fright, Let's check out the promo :