| “ | The signs when they began were easily explained. Frogs escaping from the biology lab. And swarming flies. And children sent home from school for having lice in their hair. So despite these omens and portents, daily life continued. | ” |
— Jughead
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"Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen: Biblical" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of Riverdale and the one hundredth and thirteenth episode of the series overall.[2] It premiered on June 26, 2022.
Synopsis[]
PERCIVAL'S LATEST MOVE - As the gang plan an event celebrating two of their own, strange biblical plaques around town threaten to put a damper on the special day.[3]
Plot[]
Riverdale is riddled with plagues, from frogs invading Riverdale High, to swarming flies throughout town, to children being sent home from school due to lice in their hair.
Toni asks Veronica to plan her wedding
Toni visits Veronica at the Pembrooke and reveals that she and Fangs have set a date for the wedding. They were hoping that Veronica could help organize and facilitate the event. It's last minute and Veronica appears somewhat hesitant, but she ultimately accepts the task.
Archie and Betty agree to attend the wedding
Archie informs Betty that Fangs asked him to be a groomsmen at the wedding. He agreed, so long as he doesn't have to give a speech or plan a bachelor party. He'd also understand if Betty wanted to skip the wedding, but she insists that they attend. Given the nastiness of Slaughter-Con, she would love to dress up and do something fun for once. Archie agrees that it could be a good thing that the town as a whole can come together and celebrate.
Jughead has been writing
Jughead has written several stories during his time in the bunker; his most recent story is centered on La Llorona, which Tabitha remarks is both remarkable and creepy. She asks where this sudden bursts of creativity came from, to which Jughead explains that he started riffing off the voices in his head. And the more he writes, the more the voices subside, but he still isn't ready to face the real world just yet, which is unfortunate for Tabitha, who will have to go stag to Toni and Fangs' wedding. The upcoming celebration aside, she's happy that Jughead is getting better.
The frogs, flies, and lice are mere preludes to Percival's symphony of Biblical horrors, as he begins the next stage of his attacks on the town. However, unbeknownst to Percival, Kevin spies on him through a hall in the wall from the back alley of the Curiosity Shop.
Veronica doesn't know why she's still in town
Tabitha decides to assist Veronica as she works on Toni's wedding. However, she's got the feeling that Veronica is slightly less enthusiastic about the wedding than she was about Slaughter-Con. While Veronica is thrilled for Toni and Fangs, she used to be the She-Wolf of Wall Street. And now, all she sees when she looks in the mirror is a glorified party planner with no social life or lover. Tabitha can relate, explaining that her five-year plan consisted of franchising Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe and taking it national. She reminds Veronica that she's more than a party planner and that she can do whatever she's want to in life. Veronica then gets word that the plumbing at the casino is acting up. However, it isn't just at the casino; all over town, the water coming from the sink and fountains were bright red.
Toni and Fangs get an unexpected visit from Kevin, who reveals that he no longer intends to fight for custody of Baby Anthony, as he doesn't wish to cause any more distress than he already has, and asks for their forgiveness.
Blood-red Sweetwater River
Archie receives a call from Percival while working on the sink. He insists that Archie call off the strike so that work can resume on his railroad. Even now, Archie refuses to see the signs. So, Percival warns him of the forces at play and tells him that soon, the crew will be begging to resume work for him. But in the meantime, he tells Archie to turn on the news, where Alice reports that Sweetwater River has turned blood-red.
Cheryl wants to kill Percival
Archie, Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, and Tabitha meet at Pop's to discuss their next course of action against Percival, who has claimed responsibility for Sweetwater River, which Cheryl has her doubts about, as it would mean that he's a sorcerer of tremendous ability and skill. Playing devil's advocate, Cheryl suggests that they simply kill Percival, but Archie objects, as it would make them no better than him. Tabitha insists that they stay strong and simply remind the workers that they are supported. As for the wedding, Archie believes that it should proceed as planned, to remind everyone that they're all fighting for a better tomorrow.
La Llorona steals Jughead's story
Whilst Jughead sleeps in the bunker, La Llorona appears, momentarily hovering over him before stealing his story. When Jughead awakens from his sleep, he discovers that his La Llorona story missing, leading him to suspect someone broke in and stole it.
Carlos and the rest of the crew are considering returning to work for Percival after hearing that he might be open to renegotiating their contracts and salary. However, Archie and Tabitha try to keep their spirits up and remind them that they're fighting for a better future.
Betty asks Agent Lin to get her a few Bibles and religious books that mention plagues, curses, revelations, etc., explaining that it's research for a possible case.
Veronica doesn't know what she's fighting for
Veronica thinks it's crazy that they're planning a wedding given the plagues Riverdale is facing, but Tabitha reminds her that they're fighting a battle on multiple fronts and that it's just as important for life to continue in wartime, because otherwise, what are they fighting for, she asks. Veronica isn't sure what she's fighting for, but Tabitha is certain that she stayed in town for a reason.
Cheryl gets off the phone with Toni and reveals to Heather that Toni asked her to officiate the wedding and that she accepted. As a wedding gift to Toni, Cheryl decides to kill Percival.
Percival spoils the food
Meanwhile, at the Curiosity Shop, Percival performs a spell, causing the food at Toni's rehearsal dinner to spoil. Toni fears that they're going to have to cancel, but Veronica insists that she will fix it.
As he writes another story, Jughead gets a whiff of a Pop's cheeseburger. He initially begins to suspect that he's hallucinating, but he then sees the burger sitting on a plate just at the entryway of the bunker. Hesitant, Jughead takes a bite from the burger.
Heather and Cheryl try to kill Percival
With Heather's assistance, Cheryl prepares to kill Percival. According to the incantation from the Malleus Maleficarum, Cheryl should be able to project her powers across town, on to Percival, so long as she focuses on his poppet doll. And so, she and Heather recite the spell, which begins to take effect almost immediately, as Percival's begins to burn from the inside out. However, he then recites a spell of his own, a counter spell to redirect the attack to Nana Rose, who is burned alive in her wheelchair.
Veronica performs
Veronica has moved the rehearsal dinner to Pop's, explaining that when the bride is as elegant and classy as Toni, everything is elevated to five stars. More over, the venue isn't nearly as important as those who have come together to celebrate. Veronica gives a toast to Toni and the town as a whole before singing The Ladies Who Lunch and giving an aggressive and emotional performance.
Betty invites Veronica to be her date
Betty approaches Veronica at the bar following her performance, to which Veronica reveals that she did Company at Barnard and that she had been waiting for the perfect moment to deploy a little song time. Betty asks Veronica if she has a date for tomorrow, which she doesn't. And so, Betty invites Veronica to accompany her and Archie, similar to how the three of them went to the back-to-school semi-formal together sophomore year. While Veronica is moved by the gesture, she doesn't want to crowd Archie and Betty's night. She does, however, thank Betty for reminding her what she's been fighting for, that being her friends. Archie and Tabitha then approach, revealing they got a text from Cheryl.
The gang discuss how to deal with Percival
Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Tabitha arrive at Thornhill and learn from Cheryl that Nana Rose was engulfed in flames, though she survived and Heather is rubbing healing salve on her. Cheryl and Heather suspect that he used a counter spell, confirming that his powers do extend beyond mind attacks and parlor tricks, which Veronica further confirms when she reveals he corrupted the food at the first rehearsal dinner location. Percival is calling plagues down upon them, and the only way to fight it is to call the strike off, Archie reveals. All this is to resume work on his ghost train. When Betty remarks that she wishes they had someone on the inside who they could trust, Veronica recalls Toni mentioning that Kevin is dropping his custody claim and moving out of the Babylonium, leading her to suspect that he's no longer on Percival's side.
Jughead quickly regrets eating the burger, rushing to the toilet to vomit before laying down to rest.
Betty asks Kevin to steal Percival's book
Kevin blames himself for believing Percival's lies that he intended to make the town better. Betty insists that he can still help stop Percival and asks what he knows. Kevin reveals that Percival is a sorcerer and that he has a black book that he's often writing in, which Betty asks Kevin to steal.
Archie approaches Fangs, Carlos, and the rest of the crew, revealing that he intends to go to Percival and arrange for them to resume work on favorable terms. Archie fears that things will get worse before they get better, but the crew are prepared to accept whatever comes with the strikeout and insists that Archie stay strong alongside them.
Boils
Betty has compiled a list of plagues, those that have already hit the town and those that have yet to come. Next appears to be boils, as Percival performs a spell that consists of dropping toy soldiers in a pot of boiling water, causing painful boils to form on Fangs, Carlos, and the rest of the crew, with the exception of Archie.
Archie confronts Percival for his attack on the crew. He offers to get the crew back to work if he takes away the boils, but Percival doesn't believe they've learned their lesson just yet. However, if Archie were to work on his railroad solely, Percival will make the crew's boils and pain subside with time.
Cheryl stabs Jughead
Jughead awakens from his sleep to find Cheryl from Rivervale emerging from the darkness and walking towards him with a blade in hand. She stabs him and he jumps awake, realizing it was only a dream, but he isn't so sure when he looks over at the table and sees the very same knife stabbed into the board and another story missing.
Kevin lies to Percival
Kevin sneaks into the Curiosity Shop while Percival is away and searches for his journal, but Percival returns and catches Kevin in the act. Kevin covers, claiming that he's feeling lonely and unwanted due to the wedding. And so, Percival has something that will, at the very least, distract Kevin, asking for his help with unpacking some new treasures he's acquired.
The Harlot of Babylon
While reading through holy texture, Betty comes across a page that makes reference to the Harlot of Babylon, reminding her of a previous interaction between her and TBK's Rivervale counterparts, during which, TBK spoke of Betty sitting upon a scarlet colored beast, full of blasphemy.
As Archie works the railway to spare the crew, Veronica searches for a date to bring to the wedding, and Toni and Fangs work on their wedding vowels, a darkness falls over Riverdale, an eclipse to be more specific, engulfing the town in darkness.
Betty learns that Percival is preparing for war
Archie is working the railway, but the plagues continue, leading Betty to suspect that Percival has another agenda, which Kevin confirms when he reveals that Percival is gearing up for war. He just received a shipment of weaponry; crossbows from the crusades, sabers from the Civil War, torture racks from the Spanish Inquisition, and a stockade for the Harlot of Babylon. Kevin reveals that Percival has been rambling on about putting the Harlot of Babylon where she belongs, on display for when the walls come tumbling down.
Percival wants Baby Anthony
Betty suspects that Percival intends to use the stockade on her and confronts Percival at his shop. She reveals that she had a flash of a man calling her the Harlot of Babylon and asking her to join his side in the coming war. Betty offers herself up if that is what it takes to stop the plague. Percival realizes that Kevin has betrayed him. Moreover, it's not just Betty that he wants; he also wants Baby Anthony.
The Stockade of Legarius
Betty meets with Veronica, Cheryl, Heather, Toni, Tabitha, and Kevin at Thornhill to reveal that Percival is after Baby Anthony. Toni refuses to give her child over, and Tabitha wonders what plagues will come next should they fail to meet Percival's demands. Betty reveals that earthquakes, fire from the sky, pestilence, hail, and death of the firstborn all remain. Not to mention he doesn't just want Anthony, he wants to put Betty in the Harlot of Babylon stockade, which Heather is familiar with, instructing Cheryl to check the Maleficarum, which depicts the Stockade of Legarius, an inescapable torture device that renders its prisoner powerless, which they could use against Percival. Veronica suggests they use one of her father's tactic, a raid, to catch him by surprise.
Jughead has come to realize that he's not alone in the bunker and begins talking to the darkened sewer tunnel, asking why they're stealing his work. To his surprise, a glass bottle, similar to the ones his Rivervale counterpart used, comes rolling towards his feet with a message inside, telling him to keep writing.
Percival is captured
Betty returns to the Curiosity Shop with Baby Anthony in hand. Betty hands the child over, but it is merely a doll. Percival believes Betty to be a fool for coming alone, but she reveals that she's not alone, as she's accompanied by Veronica, Tabitha, Heather, Kevin, and Cheryl, who managed to keep them all cloaked until receiving the signal from Betty. Now visible, Veronica and Tabitha hold Percival at gunpoint as Kevin restrains him long enough for Cheryl to blow dust in his face and render him unconscious.
The sun returns
As Archie continues to work on the railroad, the sun returns and all the plagues seem to end.
Trapped in the stockade, Veronica has locked Percival in an impenetrable safe inside the Babylonium.
Toni and Fangs call Kevin over to invite him to the wedding, as a show of appreciation for how he's been helping them recently by dropping the custody claim and trapping Percival. Kevin is ecstatic and asks if Moose can come.
Fangs and Toni get married
As planned, Cheryl officiates Toni and Fangs' wedding. Fangs is first to read his written vowels, during which he tells Toni that he loves her and that he loves their family. Toni follows him up with her vowels, where she says that getting married is the next step in their wild journey together. By the powers invested in her, under the watchful eye of Hecate, Cheryl declares Toni and Fangs husband and wife. They share a kiss, and their friends and family applaud. The wedding then moves to the Whyte Wyrm, where Kevin performs It's Your Wedding Day on stage.
Percival kills Nana Rose
Meanwhile, Percival calls for the locusts to help break him out of the stockade, which they eat away at until Percival is able to break free of his confines and escape the vault. After breaking out of the stockade, Percival heads to Thornhill, where he smothers Nana Rose, as she is the eldest living firstborn child in Riverdale. Her death will serve as a harbinger for his final plague. As she breathes her final breath, a bit of red smoke leaves her mouth.
Archie collapses
Veronica watches miserably as Archie and Betty dance at the wedding reception. When Tabitha offers her a drink, Veronica asks if she knows whose endgame in the future between herself, Archie, and Betty. Tabitha admits that she does know who Archie ends up with, but before she can tell Veronica, Archie, and every other firstborn in town, including Toni and Fangs, begin to drop dead.
Jughead meets his Rivervale counterpart
Jughead pretends to sleep until the intruder in the bunker makes himself seen. Jughead then jumps to his foot and shines a flashlight on the thief, only to find himself face-to-face with Jughead from Rivervale. But before Jughead can fully process his discovery or do any further digging, he falls prey to Percival's final plague, death of the firstborns.
Heather knows of a necromancer named Sabrina
As many lie on the floor dead at the wedding reception, Betty reveals that all this was Percival's doing, as the death of the firstborns was the final plague. She was born last, after Polly and Charles. Veronica remarks that Hermosa is older than her, likewise with Cheryl and Jason. Betty then realizes that Baby Anthony is also a firstborn, yet he remains perfectly fine, leading Kevin to suspect that he must be special. Realizing that Jughead is a firstborn too, Tabitha goes running to the bunker. Fortunately, Heather believes that she knows someone who can help them, specifically a necromancer, named Sabrina.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Soundtrack[]
- Riverdale Cast feat. Camila Mendes - The Ladies Who Lunch
- Scene: Veronica performs at the rehearsal dinner.
- Traditional - Here Comes the Bride
- Scene: Cheryl officiates Toni and Fangs' wedding.
- Riverdale Cast feat. Casey Cott - It's Your Wedding Day
- Scene: Kevin performs at the Whyte Wyrm.
- Sabrina Claudio - Better Version
- Scene: The wedding reception.
Trivia[]
- The episode title refers to the Biblical plagues that had befallen the town.
- Jughead died at the end of the episode due to the death of the firstborns, but Charles is his older half-brother. However, he was still a firstborn to his mother, Gladys Jones. And yet, Veronica did not die despite also having an older half-sibling on her father's side, while also being her mother's firstborn.
Gallery[]
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Screencaps[]
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