| “ | Honor. It's a word that gets thrown around a lot at Stonewall Prep. | ” |
— Jughead
| ||
"Chapter Sixty-Nine: Men of Honor" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of Riverdale, and the sixty-ninth episode of the series overall.[2] It premiered on February 5, 2020.
Synopsis[]
LUCY HALE GUEST STARS AS KATY KEENE — Archie grows concerned for Frank after someone from his past arrives in Riverdale. Betty and Alice's investigation into incidents at Stonewall Prep leads them on a collision course with their number one suspect. Jughead challenges Bret to a duel to settle their grievances, while Toni, Kevin and Fangs seek revenge against Nick St. Clair, who has shown up unexpectedly in Riverdale. Finally, a trip to New York City gives Veronica an opportunity to catch up with her old friend Katy Keene.[2]
Plot[]
Bret accepts Jughead's challenge
Jughead and Bret stand before DuPont and the entire class after Bret was challenged to a duel by Jughead. Bret accepts the challenge and suggests fencing, though Jughead would rather have a bare-knuckle brawl. DuPont suggests they do both. And in case of a tie-breaker, Joan and Donna recommend a battle of intelligence via chess. Bret chooses Jonathan as his second for moral and tactical support, and Jughead chooses Donna. Donna presumes Jughead has never fenced before, however, she has and is more than capable of training him.
Ted Bishop arrives in Riverdale
At Andrews Construction, Frank asks Archie when Mary is returning to Riverdale. Archie tells him that she’ll be back in a couple days after wrapping up a case. An old friend of Frank’s, Ted Bishop, with whom he served, shows up at Andrews Construction to inform him that Greg, a fellow soldier, has died due to cancer. Archie then invites Ted to join him and Frank for dinner.
Veronica's headed to NYC
Veronica informs her mother and father that she and Smithers are planning a trip to New York tomorrow because she has an interview at Barnard College and, of course, she’ll be going on a shopping spree beforehand to find the right outfit. As luck would have it, Hiram and Hermione were just planning their own trip to New York. Hiram has a few business meetings he’s been putting off, and Hermione’s having lunch with the girls at Cafe des Creatifs. Hiram assures Veronica that they’ll go their separate ways as they reach Manhattan. Veronica reluctantly agrees, but reminds them that New York is her town.
At Riverdale High, Toni catches Fangs in the middle of a transaction and questions if he’s selling drugs again. Fangs tells Toni that he and Kevin have started a side hustle that’s perfectly legal. Toni asks if she can get in on it.
Alice and Betty take down the murder board
Alice meets with Mr. Honey to see if she can negotiate a lesser sentence for Betty after she was suspended for allegedly cheating. However, Honey refuses to believe that Alice acted on her own. He believes that Betty had a hand in it, and because of that, she’ll be suspended for a week as well as stripped of her editor-in-chief duties at the Blue and Gold. She’s also barred from attending senior prom. Lastly, Alice informs Betty that Bret is filing a restraining order against her after she cracked open his head with a gold club. They stop by the Blue and Gold on their way out. Betty turns her attention to the murder board. Mr. Chipping’s case had gone cold. Betty suspects that Bret may have had some involvement in his death, so she and Alice decide to investigate.
Over dinner, Ted shares war stories with Archie and Frank. Ted tells Archie how Frank saved his life during combat. Archie then offers Ted a place to stay for the night.
Alice and Betty investigate Chipping's death
Betty and Alice have moved the murder board to their home. Alice questions where to begin, having to sift through all the missing students, evil preppies, dead writers, and teacher suicides. Betty corrects her mother in saying that it’s an apparent suicide. Chipping didn't leave a note. And even though Jughead's classmate Donna has painted a very incriminating portrait of him, Betty doesn’t think she's telling the truth. Alice decides to start from there and asks if there’s a Mrs. Chipping.
Ted tries to kill Frank
Archie leaves for school, leaving Frank and Ted alone at the house. Frank remarks that he’s a good kid, like his dad. Frank then offers to drive Ted to the bus station. However, he gets a call from June, who informs him that Duckie was murdered. Ted then attacks Frank with a knife. A fight ensues. As Ted chokes the life from Frank, Archie sneaks up from behind and knocks him over the head with a frying pan. Ted falls to the ground but recovers and makes his escape.
Frank tells Archie about his past as a mercenary
Archie questions why one of Frank’s old military buddies would try to kill him. Frank explains that after the war, he was hard up. Ted reached out, and he told Frank about a security gig. It paid well, hired vets, no questions asked. However, it was a private paramilitary contract, and they sent them all over the world as mercenaries. Frank surmises that the company's tying up loose ends, and since Ted's still on their payroll, they sent him to kill Frank. Archie advises Frank to get ahead of this by coming forward and exposing them. However, it’s not that simple as Frank was a part of it. In that case, Archie recommends getting his uncle out of town. Unfortunately, that’s not an option either. Anybody Ted comes into contact with in Riverdale is at risk now. And he's not gonna leave until Frank’s dead. So, in that case, they’ll need backup.
Betty and Alice go through Mr. Chipping's belongings
Betty and Alice contact Mrs. Chipping and invite her over to discuss her husband’s death. She starts off by saying that she doesn't believe Rupert was having an affair with Donna. While he had his problems, he never cheated on her. Alice asks what kind of problems. Mrs. Chipping reveals that he had a drinking problem, among other issues. Such as complaining about the Baxter Brothers books. Wishing he'd never gotten the contract. In the beginning, he was proud to be a Baxter Brothers writer, but as the years went on, he felt like he had an albatross around his neck. Given that he just finished his last book, Betty wonders why he would kill himself if he was so close to being done. Mrs. Chipping doesn't know, but she brought a box of his personal effects from when she cleaned out his office. She can't make sense of any of it but hopes they can. Among the items from his office, Betty finds army pamphlets.
Frank and Archie go to FP
Archie and Frank go to the sheriff station, where they report the attack to FP. As a vet and a Serpent, FP relates to having his past come back to haunt him. Archie asks if Frank could lure him to the gym. An environment they control.
Jughead and Bret duel in a fencing match as DuPont referees, and Donna, Joan, and Jonathan look on. Jughead manages to score one point, but ultimately Bret is the victor.
Katy and Veronica go on a shopping spree
Veronica meets with her old friend Katy Keene in New York and goes on a shopping spree, trying on various outfits. Afterward, Katy asks Veronica if she likes drag as she and her friend Jorge often sneak into a dive bar called Molly's Crisis.
As planned, Frank lures Ted to the community center. Frank informs Ted that they’ll likely send someone after him as well after he's completed his mission. Ted acknowledges this is true, but continues his pursuit. As Ted enters the ring, promising that none of Frank’s loved ones would be harmed, Frank whistles, signaling FP and the Serpents. Ted exclaims that Frank broke the code and that all bets are off.
FP arrests Ted
FP places Ted in a cell, informing him that the feds are on their way. Ted asks what of Frank, who’s also a mercenary, but FP claims to not know of anyone by that name.
Nick St. Clair returns to Riverdale and is welcomed to the Maple Club by Toni. He’s looking to throw a bash to celebrate the fact that he and his friends got into Harvard. Toni proceeds to talk to him through some of the options. Cheryl enters the room and is startled by the arrival of Nick, who tried to rape her the last time she saw him, and so she retreats into the back.
Moose returns to Riverdale
Betty and Alice meet with Moose at Pop’s and asks him who gave him the army pamphlet. After the article about his past in Riverdale spread around school, Mr. Chipping suggested that Moose look into the military. Alice asks what is Moose’s connection to Mr. Chipping. Moose reveals that he was recruited by Chipping to play football at Stonewall Prep. After the story about Moose came out, he was encouraging Moose to leave. Until Halloween night, when it became more than a suggestion. He practically shoved Moose out the door. Not to mention the videotape that Bret made of Moose having sex in their dorm room with a classmate. He was lording it over Moose and threatening to release it at any minute. He said it would be a good addition to his collection.
Alice and Betty confront Bret
Betty and Alice break into Bret’s room and look for evidence of Moose’s claims, however, Bret catches them in the act. Bret claims that he has no idea what Betty and Alice are referring to. Betty concludes that he hides his collection elsewhere as she can’t find it in the room. She then asks if her and Jughead having sex is among his collection. Again, Bret claims not to have any tapes. He then warns Betty to leave before he tells Jughead that she broke into their room.
Katy reveals to Veronica that her mother's sick
Katy and Veronica grab a drink at Molly’s Crisis. Assuming Veronica gets into Barnard, Katy asks if Archie will be moving with Veronica to New York. Veronica explains that's still very much up in the air. She doesn’t think Riverdale could survive without him, which is why she’s been considering long distance. Veronica then asks about KO, a boxer whom Katy is officially in a relationship with. Veronica remembers the first time Katy held hands with him. It was at Veronica’s quinceanera at the Plaza. And Katy told Veronica his palms were sweaty because he was so nervous. All Katy remembers of that is the Jonas Brothers and how stunning Veronica looked in the dress made by Katy’s mom. Veronica then asks Katy about her mom and her shop. Katy reveals that her mother is sick. She's getting treatments, but they caught it late. Veronica embraces Katy and reminds her that she's loved.
Frank leaves town
Frank plans to head up to Canada or Alaska for work. Whatever the case, he has to get as far off the radar as possible until this blows over. If Ted can find him, others can, too. Archie proposes that he just talk to the Feds in exchange for a lighter sentence. However, Frank fears they’ll make him the scapegoat who goes down for it all. Archie worries that if he goes on the run now, he’ll never stop running. Frank is reminded so much of Fred in Archie. Before leaving, He tells Archie to take care of his mom.
Cheryl tells Toni about Nick
Toni questions why Cheryl disappeared on her earlier. Cheryl informs Toni that Sophomore year, Nick came to Riverdale one weekend looking for a party. He spiked her champagne, and coaxed her back to his room at the Five Seasons, where he attempted to assault her. Thankfully, Veronica and Josie and the Pussycats came to her rescue. Cheryl thought she’d worked through it. But seeing him again triggered her. Toni understands as a similar experience happened to her before she moved to Riverdale. It took her a while but, with a lot of help, she worked through it.
Jughead wins the second challenge
The second challenge begins as Jughead and Bret engage in a bare-knuckle brawl. DuPont officiates the match while Donna, Joan, and Jonathan look on. Bret lands the first hit, though it is Jughead who walks away with the victory after knocking Bret out with a single punch. Tomorrow’s chess match will decide the ultimate winner.
At the sheriff station, Ted fakes his death so that the officer on duty would open the cell, allowing him to escape.
Donna tells Jughead that Bret has the school on his side
Jughead is body checked by several students as he heads to his room, where he finds a dead snake pinned to the wall. Jughead questions when did Bret gain so many friends. Donna explains that he hasn’t, but he’s home-grown. A Stonie through and through. Making him easy to root for. Also, if Jughead wins and Bret loses, he’s no longer a man of honor.
Betty and Alice return home, where they discuss Bret’s videotape collection. Betty believes that he may store them in the same room they have their secret society meetings. In Stonewall Prep’s basement. Betty proposes they sneak in while Bret and Jughead have their final challenge.
Archie vs Ted
While at school, Archie gets a call from FP, warning him that Ted escaped and that he should get to safety. Immediately after hanging up, Archie is attacked by Ted, who pulls him into the stall and slams Archie through a panel. Archie attempts to fight back, landing several hits despite being outmatched. As Ted chokes him on the sink, Kevin enters the bathroom, distracting Ted long enough for Archie to grab the toilet tank cover and hit Ted in the back of his head. Archie limps out the bathroom, using Kevin as support, though they don’t make it far. Ted slams Kevin into a locker and continues his assault on Archie. Fortunately, Frank arrives, hitting Ted over the head with a trophy. He then hugs Archie.
Toni lures Nick away
At the Maple Club, Toni offers Nick and his friends a refill. Toni then invites Nick into a private room. She tells him to relax as she gets into something more comfortable.
Jughead and Betty play a game of chess in preparation for his upcoming game with Bret. Betty question where the match is being held. Jughead informs her it’s in the seminar room. Betty then asks at what time.
Bret and Jughead play chess
Bret wishes to raise the stakes of the final challenge. When he wins, Jughead has to walk away from the Baxter Brothers contract. To what end, Jughead asks. The restoration of the rightful natural order of the world, Bret explains. Jughead loses, slinks away and is never heard from again just like his grandfather, and the Baxter Brothers contract will then be awarded to Bret. The problem there is that Bret is a terrible writer, so Jughead refuses to accept his terms, reminding Bret this is a duel about honor. And when Bret loses, it's going to be because Jughead is a better writer, better competitor, and a better man. DuPont, Donna, Joan, and Jonathan watch as the chess match commences.
Betty and Alice break into the Quill and Skull room
Betty and Alice sneak into Stonewall Prep’s basement, where the secret meetings for Quill and Skull are held. Betty goes looking for the tapes as Alice stands watch. Inside a hidden compartment within a stone wall, Betty finds Bret’s collection of tapes. When Betty fails to find Moose’s tape, she grabs the tape labeled "Donna."
Bret breaks from the chess match and calls for a recess after being alerted that someone has broken into the Quill and Skull’s Room via his silent alarm.
Jughead forfeits
As Betty grabs her tape with Jughead, Alice informs her that the society is coming and that they have to leave immediately. With only one way out, they’re cornered by Jughead, DuPont, Bret, Donna, Joan, and Jonathan. Betty accuses Bret of illegally recording people having sex. And the tape she has in her hand is that of her and Jughead, which Bret secretly recorded. However, Bret claims that all the tapes in the room are private property. Consensual testimonies given by students being inducted into the Quill and Skull. The tape Betty’s holding is Jughead's initiation confession. Bret asks for his property back so they can resume the game, which Bret ultimately wins as Jughead throws the match, explaining that Bret is more of a Stonewall man than he will ever be or will ever want to be. He then leaves with Betty and Alice.
After getting a call from FP, Archie informs Frank that Ted has been arrested by the Feds. He’ll be tried for everything the did in Riverdale. Unfortunately, they’re also looking for Frank. Archie advises his uncle to turn himself in and cut a deal. Frank reluctantly agrees to turn himself in tomorrow.
Veronica and Hermione learn that Hiram's sick
Hermione informs Veronica that they didn’t go to New York for business. They went to see a specialist. He ran some tests, and he confirmed that Hiram had a disease; a neuromuscular disorder. It will weaken Hiram. His muscles will atrophy. He’ll eventually lose his motor skills. But they caught it early and they're taking the necessary steps with drugs and therapy. However, they don’t know if he’ll make it. Veronica hugs her mother as she starts to cry.
Toni warns Nick
Nick wakes up at the Five Seasons without his pants, feathers everywhere, and Kevin and Fangs sitting at the edge of the bed. Toni then shows him the recording the acts they performed while he was drugged. Toni reveals that she knows exactly what Nick did to Cheryl and other women like her. She warns Nick from ever coming back to Riverdale or assaulting another woman. Because if he does, she’ll show the world what was done to him.
At Thistlehouse, Toni, Cheryl, Kevin, and Fangs watch the recording of a tied up Nick laughing as he’s being tickled. Kevin explains that Nick is what they call in the tickle business a "first-class squealer." Cheryl then proposes a toast to Toni and says that she's a lucky lady.
Archie finds out that Frank is gone
Archie gets out the shower to find Frank’s medal and his father’s tool belt on his bed. Frank has fled Riverdale and didn’t so much as leave note. Archie calls FP over to inform him of this. Archie knew all along that Frank would run, even when he said he wouldn’t. As for what’s next for Archie, he’s not sure. His dad was a good guy. He worked hard, and he loved his life. Some days he won, and some days he lost. But, usually, it was a draw, and that was enough for him. He was a simple man with honor. Archie surmises that’s what’s next for him.
Veronica tells her parents to clear their schedules and mark their calendars for August 15th, when Barnard welcomes its incoming freshman class, as she’s been accepted. Hiram and Hermione are thrilled. Veronica also reveals that she’s changing her name back to Lodge. Hiram is overwhelmed with joy.
Betty and Jughead watch Donna's tape
Jughead has no regrets about throwing the match. He’s learned over the last couple days that he has nothing to prove to them as they have no idea what honor is. And if Bret does in fact have a tape of him and Betty, he promises to deal with it. Betty then tells Jughead that she managed to sneak a tape out labeled "Donna." Betty plays Donna’s confession tape, where she confessed to having an affair with a teacher, Mr. Kotter. Donna claims that she tried to break it off with him, but then he got aggressive. This is almost word for word, exactly what Donna told Betty about Mr. Chipping. Based on Betty’s research, Mr. Kotter doesn’t exist. Meaning, she’s lying. This is a rehearsed speech that Donna has given at least twice. This entire time, they’ve been thinking that Bret is the evil mastermind behind Stonewall Prep. But now, Betty’s more worried about Donna.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Soundtrack[]
- Vinyl Pinups - Buzz
- Scene: Veronica and Katy Keene go shopping.
- Octavio Mai - Rêveries
- Scene: Nick St. Clair arrives at the Maple Club, and Toni welcomes him as Cheryl hides in the back.
- Eyelid - Rex
- Scene: Toni lures Nick to a private room after serving him a spiked drink.
Trivia[]
- The episode title comes from the 2000 American drama film of the same name, based on the life of Carl Brashear, the first African-American master diver in the United States Navy.
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