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What hero's journey would be complete without a self-imposed exile? Witness Archie Andrews. Just as Luke Skywalker went to planet Dagobah, so, too, has Archie been in the Canadian hinterlands, wondering what dark demons he would have to conquer before being able, finally, to go home. And speaking of home, since Riverdale's quarantine, the crime rate in town had risen. There had been, for instance, a series of daring cat burglaries.{...} It's been five weeks since we were cut off from the rest of the world. The quarantine's been lifted, but the town still hasn't gotten its pep back.{...} And though above ground, Riverdale was a haunted shell of its former self, underground, at Veronica's La Bonne Nuit, life was beautiful.

"Chapter Forty-Four: No Exit" is the ninth episode of the third season of Riverdale, and the forty-fourth episode of the series overall. It is also the mid-season premiere.[1] It premiered on January 16, 2019.

Synopsis[]

A TOWN WITH NO PEP – With Riverdale in disarray following Hiram's takeover, Veronica leads the charge against her father after he takes aim at La Bonne Nuit. Meanwhile, as Betty reluctantly houses the group of patients who escaped the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, Jughead confronts a group of desperate Serpents, who have resorted to drastic measures to make ends meet. Finally, Archie is forced to face his demons.[2]

Plot[]

SPOILERS AHEAD


Five weeks after saying goodbye to his father and crossing the boarder, Archie is held up in a shack in the woods. He makes breakfast for both him and Vegas.

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Toni professes her love for Cheryl

Meanwhile, in Riverdale, since the quarantine, the crime rate has risen. There had been a series of daring cat burglaries; the culprits, none other than Cheryl and Toni. The two return to Thistlehouse with their stolen goods. "Stealing from the rich to give to us", Cheryl remarks. Toni and Cheryl then exchange I love you’s before kissing.

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Cheryl and Toni refuse to abide by the school's new rules

While the quarantine has since been lifted from over Riverdale, the town has yet to regain its pep. As Cheryl and Toni walk through the halls of Riverdale High holding hands, they are instructed to separate by Moose, acting under RROTC command. Kevin informs Cheryl that one of the school’s new rules is to keep physical contact to a minimum. Toni questions this new rule as there hasn’t been any seizures for weeks and everything tested has come back negative. With that being said, Cheryl and Toni completely ignore Moose and Kevin’s order, referring to them as crypto-fascist before proceeding on their way.

Cheryl and Toni arrive at La Bonne Nuit as Josie is performing on stage. Veronica welcomes them before pointing them in the direction of their table. She then convenes with Reggie, who informs her that business is well. Even her mocktails are selling out.

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Betty finds a bag of Fizzle Rocks

At the Cooper house, Betty and Jughead awake to the sound of panicked screaming. It’s Hannah, one of the girls Betty rescued from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Betty wakes Hannah up from her nightmare to comfort her, reminding her that the Gargoyle King is dead. Tyler, another patient, reminds Hannah that Betty, the Gryphon Queen, saved them. Hannah then asks Betty if they can play a game of Gryphons and Gargoyles, to which she hesitantly agrees. However, under the game board box, Betty discovers a bag of Fizzle Rocks. Hannah reveals that it belongs to Tyler. Betty questions where Tyler got Fizzle Rocks, to which he reveals that his dealer is an unnamed Serpent.

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Jughead and Betty discuss the unnamed Serpent dealing Fizzle Rocks

Betty relays this info to Jughead, who blames himself for the Serpents dealing Hiram Lodge’s drugs as he was gone too long. He left both Betty and the Serpents without a leader even though his reason for doing so was to protect Archie. Fizzle Rocks are now everywhere because Jughead wasn’t in Riverdale to stop Hiram when he made his play. On top of all that, they still don’t have a sheriff. Jughead and Betty question the reason behind the quarantine. Betty recalls that Hiram was paying the Sisters to test his drugs on the patients. So, she doesn’t see him getting away with that. However, she and attorney McCoy must first convince Sister Woodhouse and the rest of the nuns to turn on Hiram. In doing so, Archie could finally come back, Betty says.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-24-Archie

Archie radios in

While held up in his cabin in the woods, Archie has apparently joined a park ranger service of sorts, radioing in to the local park rangers to report that everything is quiet and clear. When asked if he’ll be staying for another rotation or moving on, Archie replies that he’s still thinking it over. The park ranger on the other end of the radio then informs him of recent bear sightings. With that, Archie heads out with Vegas.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-26-Reggie

Reggie crosses the boarder with cargo

While returning to Riverdale from his beer run across the border, Reggie is ambushed by the Gargoyle gang. Initially, his tire blows out, when he steps out to take a look, he is attacked by several masked individuals. Afterward, Reggie returns to La Bonne Nuit. Veronica is very apologetic for her father’s actions, and admittedly, she should’ve seen this coming. What Reggie doesn’t get is how they knew he’d be there. He never takes the same road twice. Hiram made it very clear that if Veronica wishes to run La Bonne Nuit in a post-quarantine Riverdale then she has to give him 10% of her earnings, which Reggie is very much against. However, Veronica has come up with a plan to minimize that price. Pop Tate hands her a cooked book for the speakeasy, which’ll hopefully deceive Hiram into thinking that he’s getting 10% when in actuality he’s only getting 5%. Reggie is impressed, calling Veronica a bad ass.

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Archie comes across bear tracks

While walking the trail, Archie and a Vegas cross paths with some random hikers. As Vegas begins to bark, Archie decides to take another path. It’s on that trail that he finds what appears to be bear tracks. Archie is then attacked by a bear. Archie returns to the cabin badly wounded, having suffered deep wounds on his chest and upper arm. Archie radios in to report the attack. The women on the other end tells him to apply pressure until they arrive. Archie grabs the first aid kit to tend to his wounds before laying down on the bed.

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Alice instructs Betty to find somewhere safe for the escapees

Alice is exhausted, as she explains to Betty that they don’t have the room or resources to house all the kids. But the Farm does, Alice remarks. Though, Betty is very much against sending them to the Farm, asking if this can wait until after the trial. They only left the Sisters because Betty convinced them to trust her. Alice concedes, but not before telling Betty that the kids are her responsibility alone.

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Sierra and Betty discuss the Sisters and their refusal to testify against Hiram

Betty goes to meet with attorney McCoy at the Five Seasons. Unfortunately, the meeting doesn’t go well. Regardless of the fact that the Sisters abused children and tested Hiram’s drugs on them, which is why they’re in jail, awaiting trial, the Sisters' lawyer doesn’t want Betty or Sierra harassing them. Furthermore, Sierra told Sowerberry that they’d give the Sisters immunity if they agreed to testify against Hiram, but he informed attorney McCoy that the nuns have taken a vow of silence. To make matters worse, Betty has already admitted that they were all on drugs while at the asylum, drugs that are known to cause hallucinations. Nonetheless, Betty knows what she saw. While Sierra believes her, a jury won’t.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-41-Veronica

Veronica brokers a deal

Veronica calls Hiram down to La Bonne Nuit to discuss business. Hiram claims to have no involvement in the attack on Reggie and her cargo, but he did hear that someone sent the Gargoyle gang to apply pressure. With no other choice, Veronica is willing to pay her father for protection, pleasing Hiram, who informs her that the Gargoyles won’t mess with her business again. Veronica lies, stating that business is slow, however, Hiram has already learned from his capos Leo and Nico that the parking lot for La Bonne Nuit has been packed every night. Veronica retorts that her father is walking tall these days and that she hopes the Sisters don’t flip on him and reveal that he was supplying them with drugs. With that, Hiram agrees to settle for 10%, but he wants to see Veronica’s books. As they continue to discuss their terms, Hiram notes that Josie, who is singing on stage, sounds incredible.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-45-FP-Betty-Jughead-Fangs-Fogarty-Sweet-Pea-Cheryl-Toni-Southside-Serpents

Serpent meeting

With FP and Betty at his side, Jughead calls a meeting of the Serpents at Sunnyside Trailer Park after it came to his attention that at least one of them has been selling Fizzle Rocks, which is not what Serpents do. Cheryl, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs are in attendance, among others. Starting that moment, there will be no selling or doing of drugs. And no crime of any kind will be tolerated. Anyone that breaks the Serpent code will be exiled permanently. Cheryl, for one, is outraged. She calls into question Jughead's latest decision. He vanished for a month, only to return to lecture them about responsibilities. Also unreleased by Jughead’s decree is Fangs. With no money coming in, he wonders what they’re supposed to do to survive. FP replies that they’ll figure it out, but in the mean time, he recites Serpent law #6 — "In unity there is strength."

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Josie is nearly attacked by a Gargoyle

While returning home from the speakeasy, Josie is nearly attacked by a Gargoyle. He waits by her door as she turns the corner. Josie just barely makes it inside, locking the door behind her as the Gargoyle bangs on the door. Josie then calls Veronica and Reggie over to inform them of the attack. Again, Veronica is very apologetic. Veronica’s paying a lot of money to ensure that this doesn’t happen. However, Josie is very much aware of Hiram’s affiliation with the Gargoyles. Whatever problems Veronica has with her father, Josie refuses to be dragged into it. Either Veronica straightens this out or she'll have to find a new singer for La Bonne Nuit as it’s too dangerous for Josie to be there.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-56-Betty-Hannah-Polly-Evelyn

Polly and Evelyn offer to take the kids to the Farm

Betty returns home to find Polly and Evelyn attempting to recruit the kids from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to the Farm. Polly explains that the Farm helped her. There, everyone’s equal, Evelyn says. Polly informs Betty that she was called in by their mom, who perceived Betty to be in over her head. Betty then takes back the Farm t-shirts that Evelyn is passing out, explaining that this is their attempt to bribe them. Polly denies doing anything of the sort. When she fled from her the Sisters, the Farm became her salvation and family. As their Gryphon Queen, Betty promises to protect them. The Farm is not safe. Polly calls into question just how safe they are by asking if Betty revealed to them how the Gargoyle King broke into the house and terrorized them, which she hadn't. Evelyn then asks about the Fizzle Rocks she and Polly found at the house. Betty replies that she doesn’t know where they are getting the drugs from. Polly explains that’s because she’s a Serpent, so the kids didn't want to tell her, but they revealed to Polly and Evelyn that Fangs Fogarty is the unnamed Serpent dealing Fizzle Rocks. Betty then relays this info to Jughead.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-61-Fangs-Fogarty

Fangs reveals that his mother is sick

Having learned from Betty that Fangs is dealing Fizzle Rocks, Jughead and FP confront him in the trailer. Jughead wonders why Fangs didn’t come to him. Fangs explained that when the quarantine happened, he needed money and Jughead was gone. When FP asks what he needed the money for, Fangs reveals that his mother is sick and that she has treatments that he can’t afford. With Fangs being like a brother to Jughead, he would’ve helped him, however, Fangs was ashamed, so he started dealing Fizzle Rocks, which he got from the Gargoyle gang. Jughead reminds Fangs that the punishment for breaking this code is immediate exile, though considering that Fangs had a rougher year than most, eluding to him being locked up for Midge Klump’s murder and him being shot outside the Sheriff station, Jughead is willing to look the other way just this once, but if he catches Fangs dealing again then he is out the Serpents.

Cheryl and Toni break into the Pembrooke to burglarize it. They find a Glamourge egg over the fire place and take it. Before leaving, Cheryl enters Hiram's study and leaves her calling card, a red kiss mark on his portrait above his desk.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-67-Shadow-Lake-boys-Cassidy

Archie, Cassidy, and the Shadow Lake boys play G&G

Archie wakes up to the sight of Cassidy Bullock with a bullet in his head and the three other Shadow Lake boys playing G&G. Archie concludes that he must be dreaming or hallucinating from the loss of blood as they are all dead. However, Cassidy attempts to concise him otherwise, claiming that they’re really there and that it’s all real. However, Archie recalls being framed for Cassidy’s murder and finding the Shadow Lake boys in a cave after they’d been shot by Sheriff Minetta. Cassidy tells Archie that the only way to return to Eldervair is to play G&G.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-69-Betty-Ms

Betty calls over Ms. Weiss in hopes that she's found a home for the escapees

Betty’s called Jughead’s former case worked Ms. Weiss over to ask if there was any luck in finding the kids a home. However, but it’s going to be hard to find one given that people are concerned about the emotional trauma the patients have suffered. And they have still yet to convince the Sisters to turn on Hiram. They’ve taken a vow of silence. It’s part of their religion. Ms. Weiss has had dealings with the Sisters over the years and there’s something she thinks Betty should know about their relationship with the church.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-71-Veronica-Hiram

Hiram knows that Veronica tried to deceive him

Veronica confronts her father following the attack on Josie considering that she’s paying him to avoid such incidents. Hiram reveals that Josie was attacked because Veronica had the audacity to try to deceive him by cooking the books. Now, he wants the full amount that he’s owed and the Glamourge egg that was taken. Hiram suspects it was Cheryl based on the red lipstick kiss mark left on his painting in his study.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-73-Veronica-Jughead

Veronica and Jughead come up with an arrangement

Veronica goes to see Jughead, demanding that he retrieve the egg from Cheryl, who’s been ignoring Veronica’s calls. Jughead questions when Veronica decided to align herself with her father. She explains that this isn’t the case. He’s squeezing her and her business. Now, not only does he have her paying protection, but he’s made her responsible for getting the egg back. Having learned that Veronica is paying Hiram for protection against his own gang, Jughead has a solution to both of their problems. He offers the Serpents’ protection. Veronica gets real protection and the Serpents get a steady income. Veronica agrees, but only if Jughead gets her the egg back.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-80-Archie-Black-Hood

Archie tackles the Black Hood

Archie continues his game with Cassidy and the Shadow Lake boys. The challenge reveals the weakness, which keeps him from winning. His card puts him face to face with the Black Hood. Archie finds himself in Pop’s during his first encounter with the Black Hood just moments before he shoots Fred. However, this time, Archie tackles the Black Hood to the ground and kills him. Archie returns with the hood as proof. However, Cassidy and the Shadow Lake boys are gone. In their place is Warden Norton. Archie refuses to play with him, someone who died from the game. Norton retorts that he ascended. As for Joaquin, Archie wonders if he ascended too since that was his reward for stabbing Archie. Warden Norton explains that was the card Joaquin drew. A do or die moment. Archie has had one of his own, though it’s not with the Black Hood as he initially thought. Archie needs to find the time and place where it all went wrong, Norton explains. Roll the dice and Archie may find the path that leads to Eldervair, he says.

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Betty and attorney McCoy offer Sister Woodhouse a deal

Betty’s learned Sister Woodhouse’s secret from Ms. Weiss, and so she and attorney McCoy confront that Sisters at the station. The church disbanded the Sisters of Quiet Mercy during the Vatican II over allegations of cruel and inhumane practices. The Sisters haven’t been nuns for over sixty years, which means their vow of silence won’t hold up in court. Should Sister Woodhouse agree to testify again Hiram, she’ll be granted immunity. Sister Woodhouse reluctantly agrees. Her immunity will be granted only if she swears in court that Hiram gave them money and drugs for testing.

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Jughead asks for Cheryl and Toni's jackets

Jughead calls for another meeting at Sunnyside with the Serpents. He announces the deal he made with Veronica. They’ll be working security detail for her, her speakeasy and her employees. The Serpents cheer in excitement. However, Jughead’s also gathered them for less celebratory reasons. Jughead calls Cheryl and Toni up as they burglarized the Pembrooke. More than that, Cheryl left her calling card, attaching herself and by extension all the Serpents to her crime. However, Cheryl isn’t afraid of Hiram. Nevertheless, she broke the code, and so Jughead demands that both Cheryl and Toni turn in their jackets. Toni can’t believe this is happening, reminding Jughead that she is a Serpent by blood and that this isn’t something he can take from her.

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Fangs gives up his Serpent jacket

Cheryl calls Jughead out on being a hypocrite, having learned that Fangs was selling Fizzle Rocks and that Jughead gave him a pass. They know because Fangs told Sweet Pea, who told Toni, who told Cheryl. She adds that since Jughead is asking for her and Toni jackets, he should be asking for Fangs’ as well. In fairness, Jughead does just that, which Sweet Pea does no respond well to, grabbing Jughead. Fangs tells Sweet Pea to relax and angrily hands over his jacket. Sweet Pea attempts to follow Fangs but FP stops him. Jughead then turns his attention towards Cheryl and Toni, who agree to leave but refuse to give up their jackets, which is fine by Jughead, but he also asks that Cheryl give him the egg back or else Veronica won’t agree to the protection contract. Jughead explains that he believes that Cheryl still has honor, and it's getting cold out. And unlike Cheryl, the rest of them don’t get to go back to Thistlehouse.

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Jughead returns the egg to Veronica

Jughead meets with Veronica and Reggie at Pop’s to return the egg. From there, Veronica and Reggie gives Jughead and the Serpents their first assignment, asking if he’d ever heard of the Gargoyle gang.

Betty comes home to find Tyler badly beaten. He accuses Betty of lying to them about the Gargoyle King’s death. Tyler saw him in Fox Forest, where the Gargoyle gang beat him up. Tyler begins to question if Betty also lied about them being safe at her house. Betty insists that they’ll all be safe after the Sisters testify against the Man in Black. Hannah asks where they will be safe. A question Betty doesn’t have the answer to.

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Archie comes face-to-face with Hiram

Archie picks another quest card, which initially says kill the Gargoyle King, but when he looks at it again, it says kill the Man in Black. Archie then finds himself in the Pembrooke. He notices a framed portrait of the Gargoyle King hanging on the wall in Hiram’s study. Archie approaches Hiram, who knows why he has come. Archie believes killing Hiram was his do or die moment and that it would’ve solved everything. Hiram states that it was stupid of Archie to threaten him and tell him all his plans. With a blade in hand, Archie stabs Hiram, killing him. When he returns from his challenge, he finds Betty, Veronica, and Jughead waiting for him. Betty asks if he’s been working on any new songs. However, Archie isn’t that person anymore, he says while teary-eyed. Archie doesn’t want to play, but it’s his only way back to Eldervair, Riverdale and innocence.

Hiram returns to his study to find the Glamourge egg smashed into tiny pieces, and a business card from La Bonne Nuit left on his desk. It reads "New deal. No deal!"

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Nana Rose and Cheryl agree to house some of the escapees

Betty has call Fred, Cheryl, Nana Rose and Sierra over to the Five Seasons to discuss with them the patients from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, who have been orphaned. While Betty has been housing them, that has become untenable. So, she’s called them over to ask for shelter just until the Sisters testify against Hiram. Fred agrees to take in some of the boys since he has the room now that Archie is gone. Rose also agrees. She’s saved many children from there before and will gladly do so again. With that, Nana Rose and Cheryl will board some of the girls at Thistlehouse. While all Sierra has to offer is a pullout couch, she agrees to take in a couple too.

FP is concerned over Jughead’s deal with Veronica. While she may be his friend, she is also a Lodge, but as Jughead recalls, his father also worked for the Lodges once by trashing the Twilight Drive-In. FP wants Jughead to be a better King than he was, making them players instead of pawns. FP then tells Jughead to put him in as he’s not made to be sitting on the sideline.

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Jughead sends a warning to the Garoyles

While on his way back to town from another beer run, Reggie comes across another set of road spikes just as before, except this time he sees them and stops. Reggie exits the truck and is immediately surrounded. As they head towards the back of the truck to trash the cargo, the Serpents attack, jumping out he back of the truck with weapons in hand. One Gargoyle is knocked to the ground as the others flee. Sweet Pea and FP hold him up as Jughead uses him to send a message to Hiram. He informs the Gargoyle that Veronica is now under the protection of the Serpents and that Riverdale has not fallen. The Serpents then proceed to let the Gargoyle go to deliver the message.

Betty arrives home to find that Hannah, Tyler, and the others are gone. After Tyler was attacked, Alice called Edgar for advice and he came to take them to the Farm.

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Archie attacks himself

Archie picks his next quest card, hoping that it is his last. His potential last quest lands him in his own bedroom, standing over himself as he sleeps. Baseball bat in hand, Archie contemplates killing himself, but Fred advises him against it. Archie looks down on his sleeping self, stating that he’s the one who got him in all the trouble, not the Black Hood, Gargoyle King or Hiram Lodge. Fred suggests forgiving him, but for Archie it’s too late. Fred disagrees as Archie’s not the villain he thinks he is. There always another path home. However, Archie believes that if he’s to ever return to Riverdale, he must first destroy that side of him. Fred tells him to come home, but Archie replies that he has to do this first, then apologizing before swinging the bat multiple times in what appears to be him killing his sleeping self. However, as Archie throws the bat down and looks to the bed, there is no one there.

Reggie enters La Bonne Nuit to find Veronica singing on stage in a long purple gown. Afterward, once the place has cleared out, they share a kiss.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-131-Jughead-FP-Sweet-Pea-Fangs-Fogarty-Southside-Serpents

Jughead, FP, Sweet Pea, and Fangs meet in the woods

Jughead, FP, and Sweet Pea meet with Fangs in the woods. They’d talked it over and want to give him a shot at redemption. They want Fangs to go undercover, join the Gargoyle gang, to be the man on the inside of Hiram’s drug operation in order to take him down. Honored by the opportunity for redemption, Fangs agrees to be their inside man.

RD-Caps-3x09-No-Exit-137-Sisters-of-Quiet-Mercy

The Sisters of Quiet Mercy have ascended

Betty gets a call from attorney McCoy, who from the sheriff station, informs her that the Sisters are gone. An anonymous donor posted their bail, that being Hiram of course. But they left a message on the cell wall. "We go to join thee." Sierra has no idea what this could mean, but Betty does. She rushes to the chamber within the Sisters’ asylum only to find all of them dead from cyanide poisoning, evident by their blue lips.

The park rangers finally arrive at Archie’s cabin only to find him unresponsive and seemingly dead.

Cast[]

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