| “ | One distinct advantage of dating the owner of a movie theater is getting to see flicks with my pals for free. Which is why every Tuesday night, we would gather to watch whatever latest atomic age fright-fest was playing, little imagining that we would soon be walking into our very own real-life, science-fiction-tinged B movie. There, suddenly, was a melting man, coming towards us looking like a wax statue that had been left out in the sun for too long. At which point the cavalry suddenly arrived. Sheriff Keller would soon be claiming that the man was a vagrant, suffering from a rare case of... wait for it... leprosy. But that didn't jibe with what I overheard Ethel say to Ben Button. | ” |
— Jughead
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"Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Five: For A Better Tomorrow!" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of Riverdale and the one hundredth and thirty-fifth episode of the series overall. It premiered on August 9, 2023.
Synopsis[]
COLD WAR PARANOIA – As the gang gets swept up in Cold War paranoia, a new mystery brewing in Riverdale leads Jughead to suspect it may have ties to a string of suspicious murders in town. Archie reconsiders his future after Uncle Frank gives him a hard time about his poetry writing, and a shocking discovery involving her family shakes Betty to her core.[1]
Plot[]
Every Tuesday night, Jughead, Ethel, Ben, and Dilton gather at the Babylonium to watch a horror films for free, a perk of Jughead's resurrected relationship with Veronica. This Tuesday, after exiting the theater, a melting man begins walking towards them, at which point, Sheriff Keller arrives and opens fire. He claims the man is suffering from a rare form of leprosy, though Jughead is intrigued when Ethel says the man is wearing the same uniform her dad wore when he worked at the Blossom Maple factory.
With Dr. Curdle Jr. being a fan of Pep's horror comics, Jughead bribes him for information on the melting man. According to Dr. Curdle, he was suffering from acute radiation poisoning. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time with the body before Mayor Blossom took him away, though he can confirm that the melting man was an employee of the mayor's maple factory.
At the Cooper house, Betty comes downstairs and asks Ethel if she's ready to walk to school. Hal proposes Alice drive them instead, but Betty refuses and tells her mother that she and Ethel have already signed up for drivers education at school, so soon they will be driving themselves.
Frank informs Reggie that he's been accepted into the best summer basketball camp for high schoolers in the country. Mary congratulates him, but then Frank turns his attention to Archie, asking what his plans are for the summer. Mary suggests that Archie come work for her at the dress shop. Frank mockingly says that Archie can work with in his mother's boutique, and is certain that Archie now regrets quitting the team.
Before heading out for school, Clifford calls Cheryl and Julian into his study to show them the statue of the ancient pagan deity Moloch, which was gifted to him by General Taylor. It can only be appeased through child sacrifice. Clifford warns them to keep Moloch in mind, should they ever be inclined to give him more grief.
Jughead approaches Ethel at school to ask her about the melting man and her father, who was a janitor at the Blossom Maple factory. He would often get sick. He began drinking to deal with the chronic pain he felt in his stomach and joints. Additionally, he was losing his hair. Jughead suspects there's a connection between Ethel's father, the melting man, and Mr. Rayberry, who are all dead and all worked at the factory. He believes the Blossoms are hiding something, but Ethel is attempting to move on with her life and wants to leave the past behind her, revealing that she's applying for her driver's license and that she's going steady with Ben. Mr. Doiley enters the class and plays them an informational film about what to do in the event of an atomic bomb detonating in Riverdale.
Archie and the gang gather in the lounge to discuss the possibility of an atomic bomb hitting Riverdale. In truth, Jughead reveals that most of them wouldn't even survive an atomic explosion. If a bomb drops on Riverdale, all of them are dead, not to mention the radiation. Veronica plans to sequester herself in the Pembrooke's sub-sub basement, in which Jughead is obviously invited to join her. Cheryl would seek shelter in the abandoned Blossom mines. They've stood strong since before the Revolutionary War, though as Toni points out, the mines tend to be cold and dark. Reggie would head back to Doug Creek; they have a well so deep that no bomb or radiation can reach it. Archie plans to hop in his hot rod and head out west with his mother, but as Clay explains, Archie can't outrun a bomb. Kevin read somewhere that a refrigerator can offer protection, but the group isn't convinced. Fangs on the other hand, isn't scared and refuses to be pulled down. Clay states that in places like Nevada, a lot of people have bomb shelters in case something goes wrong, and that a bunker is what it would take to be truly safe. Betty believes that Russia would pick a greater target than Riverdale, such as Los Angeles or New York, but Jughead argues otherwise.
Archie joins Kevin and Clay in the courtyard, where there are trying to tie a sailor's knot. He helps the two of them as they explain that they're practicing for the merchant marines. They're paid to work on a cargo ship and travel around the world. Clay believes Archie may be interested, as a lot of great writers have served, including the Beats. Archie considers the idea, as he could get away from his uncle and see the world to enrich his writing.
Mrs. Grundy teaches the Drivers Ed class. Among her students are Betty, Veronica, and Ethel. Their homework is to rest because tomorrow they will practice parallel parking.
Over dinner, Mary asks the boys how was school. Reggie reveals that they watched a movie on what to do if the Russians drop a bomb on him. Archie then shares that he's thinking of joining the merchant marines. Mary is supportive, so long as he plans on finishing high school first, and will go to college afterward. Frank is happily surprised, referring to the merchant marines as a sensible idea, disregarding Archie's initial plan of going to college to pursue poetry. However, the merchant marines would be a way of him pursuing poetry, as a lot of the Beats joined to travel the world and learn more about themselves.
Dilton stops by Jughead's train car to reveal that he has a secret underground bunker, which his dad built. They're deep enough to survive in atomic blast and any potential radiation. Jughead questions if Dilton's dad thinks that Riverdale could be a target. About a year before Ethel's parents were killed, her dad showed up to Dilton's house with some Palladium to see if it's worth anything. Mr. Muggs said that he swiped it from work and that Clifford Blossom was sitting on a pile of it and doing something with it. That's when Dilton's dad started building the bunker. In its inert state, Palladium is harmless, but in its pure form, concentrated and compressed, it can be more volatile than plutonium and more destructive than a hydrogen bomb.
Jughead recalls reading a comic by Mr. Rayberry about a palladium bomb destroying a small town. Suspiciously enough, Rayberry, at one point, worked at the Blossom factory. Suddenly, Jughead is in school when an emergency siren sounds to alert the townsfolk of the impending explosion. Cheryl exclaims for Jughead to get down under the desk, but instead, he heads to the window just as the bomb explodes. However, it is merely a dream, one in which Cheryl awakens from in the late hours of the night. While grabbing a glass of water, Cheryl overhears her parents speaking Russian. Clifford says that everything is ready and that Project Moloch is almost complete. Penelope remarks that it's unfortunate what happened to the man who escaped the infirmary. Clifford agrees, but they knew there might be casualties, and he says that the man's family will be taken care of. Penelope can't wait to return to the Motherland, as they will be hailed as heroes. Their leaders will be pleased, and Clifford was promised an appointment in government. They hear a creak coming from the hallway, but Cheryl makes herself scarce.
Archie, Kevin, and Clay sit down with a merchant marine, who explains what their journey will entail. To Archie's disappointment, this isn't a pleasure cruise and no one is guaranteed a spot.
Jughead asks Cheryl if anything strange has been happening at her house. He also asks if the mines are close to her family's maple factory, which she confirms they are; the factory is practically right on top of the mines. Jughead explains that he believes her father is involved in the Milkman murders, as well as the Melting Man. Additionally, he believes that the mines are filled with Palladium and not as abandoned as Cheryl may think. Cheryl admits that her father has been meeting with an army general and that she overheard him and her mother speaking Russian last night. Jughead asks if Cheryl can sneak into his office for answers.
Ethel manages to parallel park without incident, as does, Betty, Veronica and the rest of the class. Since all of them passed their exam, Mrs. Grundy announces they will all be taking a trip to the DMV at the end of the week. But in order to obtain their legal license, they must bring a copy of their birth certificate.
Frank finds Archie in the garage, training for the merchant marines. Frank asks to talk man to man. He knows that he's not Archie's father, but he does want what's best for Archie and gives him Fred's dog tags, suggesting that Archie follow in his father's footsteps and enlist in the army. Fred knew what being a real man and a good American meant. He believed there was no greater duty than fighting for democracy and freedom. Frank encourages Archie to drop his poetry nonsense and join the army. And the best part of joining the army is that he doesn't have to wait until graduation.
As agreed, Cheryl sneaks into her father's office. After rummaging through his drawer for a bit and finding a mining helmet, Cheryl discovers a hidden room behind a painting, containing multiple milkman uniforms and empty glass milk bottles.
The following day, Archie comes downstairs wearing his father's dog tags and explains to his mother the chat he had with Uncle Frank about potentially enlisting in the army.
Ethel doesn't have her birth certificate, and without it, she can't get her legal license. It's at her house, where her parents were murdered, so Betty offers to retrieve it for her.
At school, Cheryl pulls Jughead into an empty class to reveal that he was right about everything. She stumbled upon a secret panel and found a bunch of milk bottles and matching uniforms. Jughead deduces the Milkman was working for Clifford. She also went to the mines and confirmed that they are Palladium filled. Fully on board, she instructs Jughead to meet her on the Thornhill grounds tonight with his camera.
Betty arrives at Ethel's house in search of her birth certificate. Instead, Betty finds a bunch of receipts revealing that her dad has been paying the Muggs. She also uncovers a photo of her dad holding a baby.
That night at the dinner table, Mary confronts Frank after learning from Archie that he's being trying to manipulate him into joining the army by using Fred's memory. Frank claims the army will set him straight, claiming that he's on the road to ruin and lost with his poetry. Mary argues otherwise. Archie is only 17 with a whole life of choices ahead of him, and she will support whatever he chooses, provided he graduates from high school. Mary can have Frank at the house no longer and asks him to leave. Mary reminds them that she's the woman of house and that she doesn't need Frank, who decides to shack up with Tom.
Betty returns home to confront her parents for writing checks once a month, year after year, to the Muggs. Hal claims Mrs. Muggs was their housekeeper, but some of the checks are as recent as two years ago. She then asks for the story behind the photo of Hal holding baby Ethel. Hal claims they asked him to be Ethel's godfather, but both Betty and Alice are tired of the lies. Betty deduces that he's Ethel's father, at which point, Alice tells Hal to leave so she and Betty can talk alone.
Once alone, Alice reveals that some of Hal's story is true. Ethel's mom, Mildred, did clean their house before Betty was born. And at some point, she and Hal had an affair, which Alice suspected for a while, but it was finally confirmed when Mildred got pregnant. Hal admitted everything and didn't know what to do. If any whiff of this scandal got out, it would ruin them. Alice stayed and handled it. She made a deal with the Muggs that if they agreed to keep their secret and raise the baby as their own, that she and Hal would financially support the child until she was 16. This is why Alice "adopted" Ethel after her parents were killed and why she's been the way she's been with Betty. She was afraid of what happened to her, also happening to Betty. Alice just wanted to give her a good, happy life, unburdened and free of shame. Alice has been obsessed with presenting as the perfect family, when all along, this secret and shame has been what's wrong. Through all her efforts, Alice failed Betty and apologizes for it. But Betty insists her mother didn't fail her and that she did the best that she could. But now, they need to get Hal back and tell Ethel the truth.
As agreed, Jughead meets with Cheryl on Thornhill's grounds to sneak into the mines. They sneak past the guard and inside the mines to take pictures.
Ethel learns the truth from the Coopers. For her, it explains why her parents were always so sad and why they fought all the time. Also why she always felt like it was her fault. Hal and Alice discussed it and would like to make things right by formally adopting her. While she appreciates the gesture, it's not what she wants. Ethel simply wants to be happy and move on with her life by starting over.
Frank says his goodbyes, first telling Reggie to enjoy his room before looking to Mary, who says that he will always be welcome at Sunday dinner. Lastly, he turns to Archie and refers to him as the man of the house. He hopes that Archie doesn't hold anything against him. Archie doesn't, but to be clear, writing poetry doesn't make him less of a man. Some of the most beautiful poems he's every read were written by soldiers in the trenches.
Jughead and Cheryl review the photos they took of the Palladium filled mines. Cheryl proposes they got to Sheriff Keller with their findings, but Jughead fears he may be involved. He suggests they reach out to Veronica's FBI contacts. Cheryl then asks if he and Veronica are officially an item, though Jughead isn't quite sure.
Blossom family breakfast is interrupted by a knock at the door. Agent Scot with the FBI agent enter to arrest Clifford and Penelope for treason and conspiracy and advocating to overthrow the American government. The FBI is shutting down their Project Moloch. Over the coming days, the world would learn of the American capitalist seduced by a Soviet sleeper agent. The U.S. believed that Clifford was developing a palladium bomb for them, but in fact, his plan was to develop the p bomb in Riverdale and deliver it to Russia. The FBI and U.S. army were credited with foiling the plot.
Meanwhile, Jughead continues to put the rest of the pieces together. Mr. Rayberry must've glimpsed just enough during his job at the Blossom factory to grow concerned and warned them through his stories. He might've continued to fly under the radar but then he started agitating at Riverdale High, spooking the powers that be, prompting Mayor Blossom to have his hit man, the Milkman, kill him. Ethel's parents also paid the price after Mr. Muggs learned that the Blossoms were sitting on a stockpile of Palladium, making them a threat that needed to be eliminated.
Ethel meets with Jughead at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. Finally knowing the truth of her life, she is ready for a better tomorrow. Ethel is leaving Riverdale with Ben and moving to Hollywood. Alice is worried, but Veronica assures her everything is fine. She called ahead to her friend Peter Roth; he saw some of Ethel's artwork and got her a job as a storyboard artist on the lot. And she's already arranged for Ethel to live with one of her girlfriends at the El Royale. Ethel thanks Betty and Veronica, hugging them both goodbye, as well as Jughead, who tells Ethel she was always the best partner in crime. Lastly, she hugs Alice, who tells Ethel that she's going to be just fine. Ethel proceeds to join Ben in the car and drive off.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- The episode is shot almost entirely in black and white.
- When Clifford gets arrested, Cheryl says, 'You did a bad thing, daddy'. It's a reference to "Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder", where she said the same line to her father.
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