| “ | After my encounter with the crazy cat lady down the hall from Mr. Rayberry's, I went back to Sheriff Keller. But he wasn't buying what I was selling. | ” |
— Jughead
| ||
"Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight: Halloween II" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of Riverdale and the hundredth and twenty-eighth episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 7, 2023.
Synopsis[]
HALLOWEEN IN RIVERDALE — Veronica decides to host a ghost show after learning that Riverdale doesn't celebrate Halloween the way she's used to in LA. Betty makes the most out of her night out with Archie and Reggie, and Jughead makes a major discovery in a mystery brewing in Riverdale.[2]
Plot[]
After his encounter with the crazy cat lady from down the hall at Mr. Rayberry's apartment, Jughead heads down to the Sheriff Station to share his theory with Sheriff Keller that Mr. Rayberry was killed by a homicidal milkman. However, Sheriff Keller isn't convinced and says that unless the neighbor actually saw someone dressed as a milkman, then he's not going to reopen the case. Additionally, he reminds Jughead of their Halloween ban, in which teens are not allowed on the street past sundown.
Jughead heads home and, the following morning, pours out all of his bottled milk down the drain in fear that it may have been poisoned by the Milkman. Elsewhere, with Halloween just two days away, Veronica arrives at school dressed in a revealing witch costume, which gains the attention of her classmates, all of whom are dressed in normal attire. The gang explains that Riverdale has a funny relationship with Halloween. They don't embrace it the same as Greendale. In fact, they have rules; only kids go trick or treating, whilst teenagers aren't allowed in the streets after sundown due to a tragic accident a few years back on Halloween night when a car full of students were raising heck and ran off the road. All four died, two Vixens and two Bulldogs. It's due to this incident that Kevin's dad and his deputies patrol the streets to ensure no one is cruising the road. To the gang's surprise, Reggie has never celebrated Halloween. Veronica argues that teenagers need Halloween. Back in Los Angeles, her parents used to throw the most lavish costume balls every Halloween night. Afterward, the three of them would gather around the family altar and light votive candles to honor the dead and celebrate Dia de los Muertos. It was one of their only family traditions and her favorite. In any case, Veronica has every intention of celebrating Halloween. Jughead then enters the lounge and exclaims for everyone to stop drinking fresh milk and drink powdered milk instead.
Jughead calls Ethel at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and reveals that Rayberry was supposedly killed by the Milkman. Ethel isn't sure if there's a connection, but she proposes Jughead investigate the original Milkman comic and its creator. Ethel, unfortunately, has to end their call, as Sister Woodhouse is listening from afar.
Archie is in disbelief that Reggie has never experienced a real Halloween. To him, it's just like any other day. Meanwhile, Betty daydreams about a passionate affair with both Archie and Reggie simultaneously. Back in reality, Archie suggests that he and Betty treat Reggie to his first real Halloween experience, which will consist of trick or treating, visiting a graveyard, and necking in a haunted house.
Whilst reading a book in her office, Veronica hears a noise coming from the projection room and decides to investigate. Inside, she finds Kevin and Clay hooking up, though Clay claims that they were merely on their way home from the Dark Room and that he forgot his keys, so they stopped by to pick them up. When Kevin asks why Veronica is at the theater so late, she replies that she was doing some late night brainstorming and that she's come up with an idea to host a ghost show at the Babylonium on Halloween night with a 1920s glam for the dress code.
The next day at school, with help from Kevin and Clay, Veronica invites everyone to her one night only ghost show at the Babylonium.
Jughead asks Mr. Fieldstone if he remembers who wrote the Milkman story. While he doesn't, he does reveal that most of their Pep Comics freelancers will be at the annual office party and invites Jughead to come by and sniff around.
Toni asks if Cheryl has any plans for Halloween, as she was hoping they could spend it together. Veronica has roped her into the ghost show, and she'd love for Cheryl to join her, Kevin, and Clay for the performance. Unfortunately, Cheryl intends to continue the tradition of having the Vixens sleep over at Thornhill. Toni is a bit disappointed, explaining that Halloween is the one night of the year when people like them don't have to wear masks.
Before they break, Frank warns the Bulldogs against going out and wilding on Halloween night. However, when they retreat back to the locker room, Julian reveals his plans to do just that. Fangs tells them to count him out, as he'll be performing at the ghost show. As for Reggie, he too will be sitting out after promising his parents that he won't get into any trouble while in Riverdale. For those who are interested, Julian reveals that they'll meet tomorrow night in the parking lot at sundown.
Veronica still can't fathom that Reggie hasn't celebrated Halloween, which is why Betty and Archie intend to show him a good time, but Veronica questions Betty's motives. While she has always had butterflies for Archie, Betty believes she's developing feelings for Reggie as well. And so, Veronica proposes she uses the opportunity to determine who she wants to be with.
The Blossoms have family dinner, at which point, Penelope tells Cheryl to move her slumber party from her room to the grand hall due to it being more open, depriving Cheryl of any inappropriate hanky-panky.
While stringing up decorations, Veronica receives an unexpected surprise at the Babylonium by Alice, who confronts Veronica about her ghost show. Given that she's new in town, Alice explains that in Riverdale, on Halloween night, everyone stays home and watches her and Hal host Shock Theater on RIVW. They give family's a tickle, but Veronica explains that her show will cater to teenagers exclusively. Nonetheless, Alice accuses Veronica of being a troublemaker and rabble-rouser. That said, she will allow Veronica's show to proceed as planned, though she warns Veronica that she's been put on notice.
Jughead receives an unexpected visit at his train car. He ducks down behind a table as the figure approaches the door. Fortunately, it is merely Ethel, dirty and tired, but otherwise fine. Jughead asks how she escaped the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, to which Ethel replies that she escaped through the tunnels she had heard rumors of. Jughead's call gave her the push to make a break for it. Not to mention, the Sisters are cruel and abusive. Jughead fears they'll come looking for her. Ethel hopes to wait them out, as she'll be 18 in a couple of months and will be free to live on her own. In the meantime, Jughead proposes she stay at Mr. Rayberry's apartment. But first, he'll get her a mask so that she can walk the street incognito until they reach the Halloween party at Pep Comics, where she'll assist him in sussing out who made the Milkman comics.
Midge approaches Cheryl in the bathroom at school and asks if she can be excused from the sleepover. Midge reveals that Fangs is performing at Veronica's ghost show, and she'd love to see him perform. Cheryl reminds her that the slumber party is tradition, but, she too, is intrigued by the premise of Veronica's show. And so, Cheryl agrees to ask Evelyn to host the slumber party whilst she and Midge go to the Babylonium, though they can never speak about what they saw at the ghost show. Once Midge agrees to her terms, saying that she's good at keeping secrets, Cheryl proposes they confide in each other, with Midge suggesting they wait until after the festivities on Halloween night.
Jughead is called into the Principal's office, where Featherhead, Werthers, and Sheriff Keller reveal that Ethel escaped the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Sheriff Keller threatens to search Jughead's train car again, which Jughead welcomes him to do, but asks Sheriff Keller not to trash it this time.
Archie and Reggie get dressed in their costumes and discuss Betty. Reggie can't believe how much she knows about cars and tells Archie that he's been getting vibes from her, though Archie retorts he's been getting vibes from Betty for years. Archie suspects that Betty may want to hook up with one of them tonight. Should that be the case, Reggie suggests they make a pact. If something happens between Betty and one of them, the other guy has to leave.
Jughead and Ethel arrive at the Pep Comics office party. They are greeted by Bernie, who welcomes them to the party, but Jughead and Ethel are only concerned with finding the creator of the Milkman comic.
Archie and Reggie head over to the Cooper house, where they thank Dilton for agreeing to be their kid for the night. Just as Dilton remarks that it is hard to say no to a girl like Betty, she comes down the stops dressed as Goldilocks and asks for the boys' opinion, leaving the three of them in disbelief.
After stopping by a house for some trick or treating, Archie, Betty, Reggie, and Dilton watch as Julian and the Bulldogs terrorize the neighborhood by destroying mailboxes with baseball bats. Frightened, Dilton turns in for the night.
As planned, Fangs performs at the ghost show. Cheryl and Midge arrive, at which point, Toni approaches Cheryl, who reveals that as far as anyone else is concerned, she and Midge are self-quarantining after being stricken with influenza. It means a lot to Toni that Cheryl came, and the two of them proceed to prepare for their performance.
Jughead continues his investigation into the writer of the Milkman comics. He learns it was written by a writer named Ted Sullivan, who was found dead in his apartment, hanging, a few weeks after his story was published. He left a letter saying he'll never be able to write another story as good as the Milkman.
Archie, Betty, and Reggie have made their way to the cemetery, where Reggie and Betty howl at the moon, and Reggie reveals that wolves howl to attract their mate. Wolves are common in Duck Creek, he adds, though they never caused him any trouble, as he's an alpha. After Julian and his goons drive past, Betty tracks down Archie and finds him hovering over his father's grave. He was just thinking about how his mom and dad would take him and Betty trick or treating. They've been friends for a long time, and it feels like they've known each other their entire lives. Just as they grab each other's hand, Reggie interrupts and asks Betty to show him the previously mentioned haunted house.
Archie and Betty take Reggie to the murder house. Whilst Betty searches for something to drink in another room, Reggie tells Archie that he's about to head out after seeing Archie and Betty hold hands. By the time Betty returns with some orange sodas, Reggie is gone.
Veronica welcomes everyone in attendance. Soon they will be screening their midnight feature Frankenstein but before they do that, the guests were promised a show and a resurrection, which she intends to deliver on in the form of a ghostly performance from Cheryl, Toni, Kevin, and Clay, which ends with Cheryl kissing Toni, and Veronica giving a solo performance. Alice arrives just in time to see the mayhem as she peaks through the curtain.
As Reggie walks home, he is approached by Julian and the Bulldogs, who invite him to join them in raising some hell in Greendale.
Archie and Betty sit nervously side by side in the murder house. Archie expresses his desire to kiss Betty and does just that, but Betty becomes startled when she sees the Milkman standing in the window. Terrified, she tells Archie to take her home.
Following the success of the ghost show, Veronica wants to institute a weekly midnight movie, which sounds fun, but Kevin and Clay first want to ask her why she's been living in the Babylonium. Veronica lies and says that she's only staying there temporarily until the Pembrooke finishes reservations.
Cheryl, Toni, Fangs, and Midge head to Pop's, where the latter couple share the news of Midge's pregnancy with Cheryl. As for Cheryl and Toni, their kiss during the show was pretty brazen. If she's ever challenged about it, Cheryl says she will simply claim she was possessed. Even if it was for only one night, Toni's happy they all put their masks way. Unfortunately, they're unaware of Evelyn at the bar, eavesdropping on their conversation.
Despite the ending, Archie and Betty both express that this was the best Halloween of their lives. Just as they're about to kiss, Alice opens the door and questions why Betty is out so late. Betty reminds Alice that she said she wasn't Betty's mother anymore. Nevertheless, she commands Betty inside.
After saying a prayer at the altar, Veronica gets in bed and looks at an old family photo of her with her parents, which she cherishes dearly, clasping it closely to her chest.
Jughead walks Ethel to Rayberry's apartment. She invites himself inside, but he's tired and also has to get back home to feed Hotdog. Ethel heads inside, where the Milkman is hidden by the darkness. Meanwhile, Jughead makes his way back down the hall, where he crosses paths with the cat lady, who reveals that she heard the Milkman's bottles in the hall earlier. And so, Jughead rushes back down to Rayberry's apartment, where he finds the Milkman dead on the floor and Ethel standing over his body with a large kitchen knife.
Archie is awakened from his sleep by Uncle Frank, who reveals that there's been some kind of accident and a car full of Bulldogs went off the ridge near Sweetwater River.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Soundtrack[]
- Billy DeMarco & Count Dracula - Drec's Back
- Scene: TBA
- The Four Aces - It's A Woman's World
- Scene: TBA
- The Nu-Trends - Spooksville
- Scene: TBA
- Aki Aleong - Voodoo Drums
- Scene: TBA
- Lord Dent & His Invaders - Wolf Call
- Scene: TBA
- Lorenzo Tapia - Baby It's Me
- Scene: TBA
- The Poets - Dead
- Scene: TBA
- Dell Vaughan & The Fortune Aires - Rock The Universe
- Scene: TBA
- Drew Ray Tanner - Hell [cover]
- Scene: TBA
- Archie King - The Vampire
- Scene: TBA
- The Revels - Dead Man's Stroll
- Scene: TBA
- Skipper Ryle - The Puddy-Tat Song
- Scene: TBA
- Vanessa Morgan, Karl Walcott, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott & Camila Mendes - Rose Tint My World / Don't Dream It Be It [cover]
- Scene: TBA
- The Rhythm Rockers - Madness Chapter Two
- Scene: TBA
- Denise And The Double Dates - That Halloween Night
- Scene: TBA
- Doris de la Torre - Envenename los Labios
- Scene: TBA
Trivia[]
- The episode titles comes from 1981 American slasher film of the same name directed by Rick Rosenthal, and second installment in the Halloween film series.
- This is the second episode titled "Halloween" in Riverdale after "Chapter Sixty-One: Halloween".
- The writer of the Pep Comics 'The Milkman Cometh' is named after Riverdale's writer Ted Sullivan.
- As part of her Ghost Show, Veronica, Kevin, Clay, Cheryl, and Toni all sing "Don't Dream It", a song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show despite the fact that the movie came out in 1975.
Gallery[]
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