| “ | Some towns are football towns, some are hockey towns. Riverdale High had a so-so football team. And in the dead of winter, kids played hockey on Sweetwater River once it had frozen solid. But at its heart, Riverdale was a basketball town. Long past its heyday, some would say, which was when the Riverdale High Bulldogs, led by point guard Fred Andrews, were state champions three years running. | ” |
— Jughead
| ||
"Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: Hoop Dreams" is the eight episode of the seventh season of Riverdale and the one hundredth and twenty-fifth episode of the series overall. It premiered on May 17, 2023.
Synopsis[]
THE NEW KID IN TOWN — In order to keep Riverdale High's basketball legacy alive, Frank and Archie recruit a new player to the team – a quiet farm boy named Reggie Mantle. Tabitha's return to school inspires Toni to start a literary society for Riverdale's Black students. Alice forces Betty to join the River Vixens, and Kevin starts a new job at the Babylonium.[2]
Plot[]
Th Bulldogs lose another game
After the Bulldogs suffer yet another big loss, Archie attempts to boost the morale with some words of encouragement, but Julian is irate, referring to his fellow teammates as spineless chumps. They used to be unstoppable back when Archie's dad played, and Julian is doubtful that Archie wants to spoil his father's legacy, hoping this will be the push Archie needs to help get the team back on track.
Frank reveals that he has finally convinced Clifford Blossom to allow him to recruit an outside player, a farm kid out of Duck Creek named Reggie "The Blur" Mantle.
Cheryl asks Toni to go steady
Cheryl and Toni hook up in the girls locker room after the game, at which point, Cheryl asks Toni to be her girlfriend, but Toni appears hesitant to accept her offer, reasoning that they can't be open about their relationship. Cheryl can neither pin her, nor can they walk down the hall holding hands. It could be just for them to know, Cheryl adds, but Toni replies that only squares go steady, to which states that they're practically already going steady.
Reggie is recruited for the Bulldogs
Archie and Uncle Frank arrive at the Mantle farm, where they intend to recruit Reggie for the Bulldogs. As Frank makes the arrangements inside with Reggie's parents, Archie attempts to get to know Reggie better. Reggie reveals that while his mom was born in Korea, both he and his father are from America. Archie then asks Reggie about his time at Stonewall Prep, though he doesn't say much beyond sharing that he dropped out.
Family dinner
Archie and Uncle Frank bring Reggie back to the house with them, where they become acquainted over dinner. Reggie explains to Mary that he grew up on his family's farm, which is all they have. His dad came home from the war with a chunk of shrapnel stuck in his shoulder, so Reggie had to step up and pitch in as much as possible. Unfortunately, due to them being Korean, they don't receive any government assistance. Fortunately, Mayor Blossom is ensuring that Reggie's family stays afloat while he's gone.
Reggie is bunking with Archie
Reggie is bunking with Archie. It's in Archie's room that he spots Betty through the window, though Archie closes the curtain and tells Reggie that they're to remain closed at all times.
Hal tells Betty that Dr. Werthers believes it would be in her best interest to exercise more and burn off her excess energy by joining the River Vixens, which Clifford will arrange along with Cheryl.
Lizzo tells Toni that she looked good at the game and that she knows that Toni and Cheryl hooked up afterward. She accuses Toni of hustling girls like Cheryl, by finding ripe cherries in the closet, which means there's a shelf life on them. Toni can get what she wants and move on before anyone gets too attached, which Ton doesn't deny.
Tabitha tells Toni about her time on tour
Toni welcomes Tabitha back to Riverdale High and asks her about the tour with Mrs. Till, who, by Tabitha's account, has been extremely strong and inspiring. As for the tour itself, going town to town and seeing what people are capable of doing to each other was more than Tabitha could bare. She then asks what Toni has been doing in her absence. Toni reveals she joined the Vixens and took a break from writing, much to Tabitha's dismay.
Archie introduces Reggie to the gang
Betty reveals to the gang that she joined the Vixens, and Veronica shares that she now owns the Babylonium. Whilst gathered in the lounge, Archie enters with Riverdale's latest Bulldog recruit, Reggie. Cheryl introduced herself and says they'll be working closely together, though Reggie seems more interested in Betty, despite Veronica's obvious interest in him. She asks if he likes the movies, and when he says that his town doesn't have a theater, Veronica reveals that she owns the local theater and welcomes him to stop by or even board as a new hire. Reggie appreciates the invitation, but he's only come to play basketball and then asks for directions to the gym.
Tabitha absolves Jughead
Tabitha confronts Jughead for failing to help her keep track of her homework in her absence. Fortunately, it was much easier to coordinate with Featherhead than she anticipated, and Jughead is therefore absolved. She asks what has his attention, to which Jughead replies he got a job writing comic books and working alongside his literary hero Brad Rayberry, whose work Tabitha is quite familiar with, given that she's a reader of all genres. In that case, Jughead asks if she would like to meet Mr. Rayberry, which she would.
Kevin stops by the Babylonium to take Veronica up on her offer after she mentioned at school that she was looking for a few good men. Given then Kevin is friends with Clay, Veronica is hopeful that he can help her sus out Clay, who she claims to have romantic feelings for.
Reggie scores
Frank begins practice by introducing Reggie to the Bulldogs. They split up into two teams, led by Reggie and Julian. Unfortunately, Archie and Fangs are the only two Bulldogs willing to team with Reggie. With the odds stacked against them, they have no choice but to pick up Dilton as well, bringing the odds to four against seven, in Julian's favor, but Reggie claims that four is all they need, a claim he backs up when they win and Dilton makes the final bucket.
After practice, Archie proposes they get some burgers at Pop's, but no one seems eager to join him until Reggie says that he can't come due to having homework to catch up on.
Cheryl announces her plan to assign each Vixen to a Bulldog
With the Vixens gathered around, Cheryl announces her plan to assign each Vixen to a particular Bulldog, during which point, they will assist their player in various ways, such as baking cookies and helping them with homework. Cheryl is paired with Julian, whilst Toni is paired with Archie, and Betty with Reggie.
Jughead and Tabitha stop by Mr. Rayberry's apartment, but he doesn't answer, so they leave him a note instead. With their plans deferred, Jughead suggests they catch a movie at the Babylonium.
Toni breaks up with Cheryl and quits the Vixens. None of it feels right anymore. It's not her or who she wants to be. Toni feels as though she's lost herself and says that the square scene isn't for her.
Jughead and Tabitha at the Babylonium
Jughead and Tabitha arrive at the Babylonium as planned. After making their way into the theater, Veronica tells Clay about how she and Jughead had a brief fling. She ended it because he's an odd ball. She prefers her men to be a bit more worldly, with an air of mystery about them. As Clay heads to the booth, Veronica touches his hand and tells him to think about picking up what she's putting down, which doesn't go unnoticed by Kevin.
Reggie relieves Betty of her Vixen duties
Betty helps Reggie with his homework, as one of her Vixen duties, but he tells her that she doesn't have to. However, she does, as becoming a Vixen was a part of her punishment to curve her unhealthy physical urges. Betty reveals to Reggie that she flashed her underwear on live TV, but the reason she and Archie have to keep their blinds closed is because they were having a peep show in their windows. Alarmed by Betty's confession, Reggie excuses himself and relieves Betty of her Vixen duties.
Archie finds Reggie practicing in the gym and invites him to lunch with his friends, but Reggie passes and continues to practice his shot.
Toni plans to start a literary society for black students
Ever since Featherhead refused to publish her Emmett Till article in the Blue and Gold, Toni's been keen to start a literary society for Riverdale's black students, a club that publishes a journal focusing on black voices and writings. Tabitha and Clay both agree this is an amazing idea. Toni gave up cheerleading after joining the Vixens for the wrong reasons, that being her crush on Cheryl, though their relationship has ended. Clay wonders what happened, to which Toni replies that they're too different. Cheryl's rich, white, and a Blossom. A relationship between the two of them would be impossible, though Clay disagrees. He and Kevin are also very different, and everything's a conversation, but they're up to getting to know each other. While Toni understands where he's coming from, she reminds Clay that he and Kevin are both preppies and starting off on the same foot. Clay admits that this is true and says that the effort one is willing to put in is dependent on how much you like the person.
Kevin tells Veronica that he and Clay are gay
Kevin advises Veronica to ease up on her pursuit of Clay. She sees nothing wrong with a little workplace flirtation, but Kevin informs Veronica that Clay isn't interested in her, as the two of them are gay, which Veronica admits she was already aware of. She simply went after Clay to test her hypothesis. Veronica is overjoyed, saying that the only thing better than a hunky boyfriend is having hunky friends who are boys. She is excited for the adventures that await.
Julian tells the team about the annual Bulldogs Booster Basketball Mixer
Julian announces during practice that his parents are hosting their annual Bulldogs Booster Basketball Mixer. This year, it's also a fundraiser to build them a new gym. The cheerleaders will be in attendance, and they're all expected to dress presentable. Lastly, they'll be welcoming Reggie to the family.
Reggie tells Archie about his time at Stonewall
Reggie informs Archie that he won't be attending the mixer. The NCAA is giving out scholarships for college, and if he gets on, he'll be in a great position. Archie wants to see Reggie cut loose a little and says that he's the guest of honor, at least according to Julian, however, that's not what Reggie heard. When asked why he's such a killjoy and why he can't meet anyone half way, Reggie replies that Julian and the team haven't made any effort of knowing him since his arrival and that Archie hasn't heard anything he's said. Sophomore year, Reggie was recruited by Stonewall Prep, but his teammates made it very clear he didn't belong there when Bret and the other players filled his locker with rice and told him to take it back to his farm. And during practice, the other players would foul him on purpose, doing whatever they could to run him out, and it worked. So this time, Reggie's not meeting anyone half way or giving anyone an opening to humiliate him. Archie is sorry that happened but insists that Riverdale isn't like that, though Reggie isn't convinced.
Toni asks for Cheryl's help
Toni reveals that she's petitioning for a new club. Given that Cheryl is class president, she's in charged of the student council's financing, and Toni was hoping Cheryl could help them secure some funding so that black students at the school could express themselves freely. Cheryl agrees to put the request through, but everything has to go through Featherhead, so Cheryl is doubtful, as is Toni. Before parting ways, Cheryl wonders if Toni broke up with her because she's white. Toni reveals there were a lot of interconnected reasons and that her being white was a factor. Nevertheless, Cheryl agrees to try her best with Featherhead.
Betty and Archie at the mixer
The night of the Bulldogs Booster Mixer has arrived, and both the Bulldogs and Vixens are in attendance. Betty runs into Archie and shares with him that she doesn't think she'll be a vixen much longer, as her mother will most likely flip her lid after learning that Betty's been assigned a basketball player to take care of.
Archie learns how Reggie is truly viewed by the town
Archie joins his Uncle Frank, who just informed Clifford and Penelope that Archie has been sharing a room with Reggie. Clifford appreciates his sacrifice, as the Blossoms look at Reggie as nothing more than a necessary evil in order for the Bulldogs to win another championship. When Frank suggested bringing on a Korean prodigy, Clifford was skeptical, but after seeing him play, he now sees how inspired Frank's thinking was. Clifford notices that Reggie isn't in attendance, though Archie covers for him and says that Reggie doesn't want to fall behind on his school work. Clifford doesn't care about that, as he simply needs a loyal soldier to bring home a trophy. Should he do that, there will be no problems for his family.
Reggie arrives at the Babylonium
Reggie arrives at the Babylonium, much to Veronica's surprise. She asks if her being there influenced his decision to come, but Reggie claims that he forgot she even mentioned that she works at the theater. Veronica corrects him and says that she owns it. She then gives him a small popcorn with no butter on the house.
Tabitha gifts Jughead a book
Jughead brings Tabitha back to his train car, where she gifts him a book by sociologist and civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois. Given that he's a fan of science fiction, she advises Jughead to begin with the story titled "The Comet." It's about a comet that hits New York and kills everyone but two people, a black man and white woman. It's one of the first times an interracial relationship has been depicted in science fiction. Tabitha proposes they read it together aloud.
Archie returns from the mixer and tells Reggie he didn't miss out on much.
Archie defends Reggie
The next day, with Frank in a meeting, Julian takes over practice, during which point he intentionally fouls Reggie multiple times and refuses to even pass him the ball. Upset, Archie punches Julian and declares that this type of behavior will continue no longer. Reggie is their best player and their best chance of making it to the playoffs. They don't have to be his friend, but they are teammates fighting for each other, and anyone who doesn't want to get onboard with that can leave, though everyone remains as Archie helps Julian to his feet.
Cheryl personally delivers the funds for Toni's club
Cheryl personally delivers the funds for Toni's club. Featherhead denied her fund request, so Cheryl brings Toni funds originally earmarked for something else, though she believes Toni's club to be a more worthy endeavor. As Cheryl leaves, Toni invites her to the Dark Room to talk about what it would mean if they tried again.
Archie tells Reggie that he didn't punch Julian for him. He did it for his own sake and the teams. He didn't want to believe Reggie was right about the town, but perhaps he was. Reggie finally opens up and invites Archie to grab a bite at Pops.
Jughead learns that Rayberry killed himself
Jughead heads over to Rayberry's apartment to tell him about his night reading W. E. B. Du Bois with Tabitha, but when he arrives, he discovers Sheriff Keller inside. Tom reveals that Rayberry allegedly hung himself. He left a note claiming he could no longer continue living this way.
Cast[]
Starring[] |
Special Guest Star[]Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
|
Soundtrack[]
- Billy "Red" Love - Gee I Wish
- Herschel Burke Gilbert - Juke Box Swing
Trivia[]
- The episode title is a reference to a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James. In Riverdale, it refers to the Riverdale Bulldogs to keep their basketball legacy alive.
- This episode marks the first time Erinn Westbrook is credited as a "Special Guest Star" and no longer as a series regular under "Starring."
- Jughead mentions that the film he and Tabitha see contains an octopus by Ray Harryhausen, who is famous for developing stop motion techniques.
- Veronica claims she hanged out with Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter back in New York City, and likens Kevin and Clay to hunks Steve McQueen and Dennis Hopper.
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
Screencaps[]
Videos[]
