| “ | No he doesn't. He and Jellybean aren't a part of this. This is between you and me, kiddo. Mano a mano | ” |
"Chapter Fifty-Two: The Raid" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of Riverdale, and the fifty-second episode of the series overall.[2] It premiered on March 27, 2019.
Synopsis[]
THE RAID — As Betty enlists Cheryl's help to infiltrate The Farm, Archie and Veronica help an ally from his past. Meanwhile, Jughead's attempt to put a stop to Riverdale's drug trade puts him on a collision course with Gladys. Finally, Hiram breaks some surprising news to Veronica.[2]
Plot[]
The Serpents' training session
Led by FP and Tom, the Serpents participate in a late night training simulation at the school. Armed with batons, the Serpents clear the perimeter and move in on Jughead’s command. Sweet Pea takes lead with Jughead and Fangs just behind him. They make their way through the student lounge and out into the hallway, where both Sweet Pea and Jughead forget to check their backs, leaving them open to attack as Tom points a red laser at the back of Sweet Pea’s head. They’ve failed the simulation, convincing FP that they aren’t ready for the streets. In order to stop the rogue Gargoyles, they must work as a team.
Betty and Veronica discuss her parents' divorce
At Pop’s, Betty asks Veronica if there’s any way she can see her parents’ divorce as a good thing. Veronica has tried, but her parents have raised her to believe that family is the most important thing. Evelyn enters the diner with fliers for the Farm's upcoming open house. They’re opening their doors to visitors. Everyone is welcome to tour their renovated premises, meet with Farm elders and learn about their values and practices.
Gladys warns Jughead to stand down
During breakfast at the Jones house, FP reveals how one of his deputies found their old trailer burned down with drug material inside. After Jellybean pulls FP away with the promise of Saturday morning cartoons, Jughead and Gladys confront one another. She asks if he really thought that blowing up the trailer would change anything. However, Jughead has no plans on stopping until his mother is gone from Riverdale. Although, she has no intentions on leaving. She then grabs Jughead by the back of his head and warns him not to cross her again and then kisses him on the cheek.
Betty runs into her mother
Betty and Veronica attend the Farm’s open house. Kevin is their tour guide. At the Farm, they like to nurture everyone’s unique talents. Betty makes a snide remark in regards to the Gargoyle chamber before asking about a particular room labeled 317, to which Kevin claims is just the janitor's closet. As Kevin prepares to take the group to the garden, Betty crosses paths with her mother, who in typical Farm fashion, is wearing an all white outfit. Alice didn’t think Betty would come, to which Betty replies that everyone is welcome. With that being said, Alice tells Betty to enjoy the rest of her tour. However, they haven’t spoke in a while and yet her mother doesn’t seem too happy to see her. Betty questions why. Alice explains that Betty forsook her, not the other way around. Betty then decides to participate in the Farm’s interviewing process. As she enters the chamber, Evelyn informs her that these interviews are reserved for those actually interested in joining the Farm. Betty claims that she is before asking about Evelyn's father, Edgar, who Evelyn says is around. The interview begins. Evelyn asks for name and occupation. She then asks if Betty ever bites her fingernails or feels stressed. Betty replies yes to both. Lastly, she asks if Betty would consider herself a cold person. Betty says no. And on that note, Evelyn concludes the interview.
Hermione's life is potentially in danger
With the official opening of Hiram’s prisoner approaching, Hermione feels as if she should be there if only for appearances, however, Hiram refuse to allow her to attend. There’s going to be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Governor Dooley in attendance. And Hiram has very selfishly decided that Hermione isn’t invited. Veronica sides with her father, reasoning that her mother tried to have him killed, twice. Hermione explains that it’s more than just a photo. It’s just a matter of time before their enemies find out about the divorce. Without Hiram’s protection, Hermione’s life could be in danger. She’s made moves and there are people with grudges because of it. In their line of work, when a marriage unravels, the wife of a mafia boss often simply disappears.
Archie gets a call from Mad Dog
Jughead heads over to Archie’s, where they discuss the Cold War with his mother. The nuclear option is that Jughead tells his dad everything, but that could spell mutually-assured destruction. So instead, he and the Serpents are going to dismantle her drug trade piece by piece. Up next, they’re going to drive the Gargoyles out of town, including Kurtz, the cook. Jughead intends to make Riverdale a very unwelcome place for his mother. And if she does go, Archie asks what of Jellybean, though Jughead is still figuring this out himself. Archie then gets a collect call from Mad Dog at the Leopold and Loeb Juvenile Detention Center. He needs Archie’s help.
Jughead calls a Serpent meeting at their new headquarters. Sweet Pea and Fangs are among them. The drug trade has reared its head again in Riverdale. And though his dad doesn’t think they’re ready, they’re going to be Riverdale’s unofficial DEA. That means they’re going to make life miserable for the Gargoyles and run them out of town, starting with the hotspots to make sure that Gladys isn’t using any of Hiram’s old infrastructure.
Mad Dog tells Archie about L&L's closing
Archie visits Mad Dog at L&L, who reveals that they’re finally shutting down the detention center. They claim the shutdown is because of what happened to Warden Norton, but in actuality, it's because they’re opening Hiram’s new prison on the Southside. Apparently, a wing of the prison will be designated for juveniles. They’re all being transferred there, and the L&L guards who made them fight, they’re all going to work at Hiram’s prison too, where they can restart the fight club. Even more suspicious, Mad Dog’s parole hearing was suddenly canceled. As well as Baby Teeth's and Thumper's. Mad Dog tried to call his family, but no one is answering. Considering that Mad Dog risked his life for Archie to escape, Archie assures him that he won’t step one foot in Hiram’s prison.
Archie asks Veronica for help
Archie calls Veronica and asks her to meet him at his gym. Veronica questions why her father would just give him a gym, but Archie simply replies that it’s a long story. He tells Veronica that Mad Dog and the others are in danger of being transferred to her father’s prison. He recalls how hard Veronica worked to get him out, but as Veronica reminds him, she broke him out. However, before that, Veronica worked with the Innocence Project petitioning the Governor. As a matter of fact, Veronica happens to know that Governor Dooley is in town, so Veronica wants to address him in person.
Archie blackmails the Governor
Veronica proceeds to invite the governor to the Pembrooke, where Archie awaits him, though the Governor was under the impression that he was meeting Hiram. Veronica explains that was a pretense to lure him in and then she introduces Archie, who wishes to speak with the Governor about the transfer of inmates from Leopold and Loeb to Hiram’s private prison. Archie tells the Governor to put a stop to it, and if he doesn’t, Archie will take his story to every 24-hour news channel and paper in the tri-state. While Archie and his friends were forced to box for L&L’s illegal fight club, Governor Dooley and Warden Norton were at fundraisers having lobster dinners. And there are five other inmates who will swear that the Governor attended these illegal fights with Warden Norton as his guest. Veronica adds that they’ll testify in court, and so If Dooley wishes to avoid this, she wants the Governor to pardon the prisoners today.
Cheryl agrees to help Betty infiltrate the Farm
Betty and Cheryl convene at Pop’s, where they discuss Cheryl’s willingness or perhaps lack thereof to help Betty. Betty wants Cheryl’s help with infiltrating the Farm. Betty already tried to do it herself, but Evelyn doesn’t trust her. However, Betty did notice that she was trying to recruit Cheryl during the musical. Cheryl questions Betty’s obsession with the Farm. Betty explains that they’re a cult. Plus, it’s not just her friends and family they’ve targeted. Juniper and Dagwood, Cheryl’s niece and nephew, are being raised as toddler Farmies. Although, by Cheryl’s account, they looked perfectly happy and healthy the last time she saw them. Betty reminds Cheryl of Jason, and how he and Polly had plans to run away to the Farm together. Cheryl must want to know why, Betty presumes. And so, Cheryl reluctantly agrees.
Cheryl tricks Evelyn into thinking she’s vulnerable by pretending to cry in the girls restroom. Evelyn over hears Cheryl crying. She opens the bathroom stall and asks what happened. Cheryl claims that she and Toni broke up for good this time, and Evelyn offers to be her friend. Cheryl then reports back to Betty to inform her that the plan worked.
Jughead threatens the store clerk
Sweet Pea enters the local comic book shop, MLJ Comics. He approaches the counter and asks for a "game enhancement". The clerk hands him a comic book. Hidden inside the pages are Fizzle Rocks. With proof of corruption, Sweet Pea slams the clerk on the table. Then enters Jughead and Fangs. Jughead remembers the clerk from last time when he came with Archie, better known as the Red Paladin. That day, Jughead explains, he was in a good mood. Today, not so much, as he pulls out a knife and demands to know where the drugs are coming from. The clerk reveals that the Gargoyles are dealing again, but Jughead needs to know where specifically they’re selling from. Apparently the Gargoyles have resorted to selling from street corners. They’ll be able to tell by the Gargoyles on wires. Jughead explains that in some cities when you see a pair of sneakers on telephone wires, it means that there’s a drug den nearby. But in this case, they need to look for Gargoyles instead of shoes. Before leavening, Jughead tells Sweet Pea and Fangs to search the shop and confiscate any contraband or drugs or gaming equipment.
Betty listens in on Cheryl and Edgar
At the Blue and Gold, as Betty hides a tiny microphone within Cheryl’s broach, Cheryl questions just where Betty acquired all her detective equipment, to which Betty replies that she got it from when her mother worked at the Riverdale Register. Betty then sends Cheryl in as she listens from the Blue and Gold. Evelyn starts the interview off by asking Cheryl’s favorite color. Of course which is red, specifically Pantone’s "Flame Scarlet." Evelyn then asks if she ever bites her fingernails or cuticles when stressed. Cheryl does not. Edgar then enters to take over the interview. Edgar asks if she’s ever lost someone. Cheryl admits that she has. Her brother Jason. Although, she doesn’t remember much of what followed his passing. She was in a dark place. Jason was her twin and when she lost him, she lost a piece of herself. She wanted so desperately to reunite with him that she found herself on the frozen bed of Sweetwater River. When Cheryl fell through the ice, she saw him and was changed. It was like her spirit had finally returned to her body. So much so that she burned down her childhood home. Hearing Cheryl’s story, Edgar realizes that Cheryl’s already been baptized and been reborn in fire. But yet the memory of her brother still hurts. While memories are often painful, Edgar doesn’t believe they have to be. He believes they can be a path to revival and that the Farm can help Cheryl see that.
Mad Dog and Baby Teeth are free
It seems that Archie blackmailing the Governor paid off as he is now sitting in a booth with Mad Dog and Baby Teeth. Now that they’re out, Mad Dog plans on finding his family. However, some of the other guys have no place to go, like Baby Teeth, who has no one. Fortunately, Archie has the gym and is more than willing to allow them to stay in it. He then introduces them to Tom, his trainer. Archie hands Mad Dog a pair of gloves and offers him a rematch.
Jughead stays back at headquarters to mark off each location in Riverdale that the Serpents take over from the Gargoyle. Sweet Pea radios in that they have one last corner to hit, which Jughead wants in on. Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Fangs intercept a drug transaction. Sweet Pea and Fangs hold the Gargoyle against a wall while Jughead talks with the buyer, who he learns in an undercover cop. It turns out that they just ruined FP bust.
FP scolds Jughead
FP takes Jughead home, where he scolds him for interfering in a police investigation. The Gargoyle was going to lead him to Kurtz. Gladys comes down after hearing all the shouting. FP reveals to her how Jughead screwed up his lead as he thought he could cure Riverdale’s drug problem by roughing up a few dealers. Jughead claims he had it under control. Gladys agrees with FP, suggesting that maybe the deputy program isn’t a great idea for the Serpents. FP warns Jughead. If he finds out about any other Serpents trying to take the law into their own hands, he’s going to throw them in jail. As FP heads upstairs, Gladys remarks that Jughead will have to sit the next few rounds out.
Archie boxes with Mad Dog at the gym. They are joined by Elio, who is unwelcome in Archie’s gym. Elio heard the gym reopened and thought that he should drop by after learning that all the fighters from L&L’s fight club are with Archie. Elio claims that he’s a boxing manager looking for new talent. So, the moment they’re ready to start making some real money, Elio tells them to come see him at Casa Grande Gym.
Veronica tries to reunite her parents
Veronica brings her mother and father together to recommend they see a marriage counselor. They both scoff at the idea. There’s nothing for them to discuss by Hiram’s account. Veronica threatens to call the Monsignor to remind them that marriage is ordained by God, and therefore, non-negotiable. Hermione, much like Hiram, is against it. She refuses to beg Hiram for mercy or forgiveness. While they’ve given up, Veronica is still fighting for their family. She reminds her father of his former vendetta against Archie and asks just how many times her father tried to kill him. Hiram claims that it’s all water under the bridge, though Veronica isn’t so willing to write it off as minor pass indiscretions. Her father raised her to believe that family is the most important thing in the world. And she believed him. And it cost her Archie. When he came back and her father was in the hospital, she chose him over Archie because she had thought that they needed to come together and give him strength. And now, Hiram has the gall to break apart their family. While Veronica’s made her point, there’s no changing her father's mind.
Cheryl reports back to Betty
Betty and Cheryl reconvene in the girls restroom, where they discuss Cheryl’s interview with Edgar. He’s younger than Cheryl thought he’d be. She also finds him to be very attractive and a good listener. Now that Cheryl’s in with Edgar, Betty needs her to ask him a few questions, like why he decided to move to Riverdale now, and how many members does he plan on recruiting. And most importantly, Betty needs to find out where Edgar stores the tapes from the recorded interviews. If Betty can get her hands on her mom’s and Polly’s, then the Farm won’t have any leverage over Betty’s family.
Mad Dog's family is surrounded by Gargoyles
Archie and Baby Teeth are joined at the diner by Mad Dog, who finally found his grandma and little brother, but they moved into an apartment building that’s falling apart. It’s been taken over by the Gargoyle Gang as well. They’re cooking drugs out of some of the vacant apartments. Archie assures Mad Dog that they’ll get the Gargoyles out.
Hermione enters her office to find two dead fish wrapped in red wrapping paper on her desk. This is clearly a message. Hermione returns home and shares this with Veronica. Someone looking for payback wants Hermione dead. One of their enemies. Maybe the St. Clair’s. Or even maybe Hiram. Veronica takes her mother’s hand, hoping to comfort her.
Archie tells Jughead about the Gargoyles' den
After driving past the apartments himself, Archie reports back to Jughead to inform him that Mad Dog was right and that the apartments have been taken over by the Gargoyles. Archie saw too many of them to count. Jughead surmises that must be where Kurtz is cooking up his drugs. Jughead would rather not go to his dad and instead handle this himself. He’ll talk to his guys to see if they’re willing to risk their necks against the Gargoyles. Archie tells Jughead that he can count him, Mad Dog, and the others in as well.
Edgar sees to illuminate Cheryl
Betty listens from the Blue and Gold as Cheryl has another meeting with Edgar. Cheryl asks why he records their sessions. Edgar explains that many of their members like to refer back to them occasionally, to track their growth. Cheryl then asks where they’re stored. Edgar only will say that they’re in a secure location, though he questions Cheryl’s suspicious concern in them. Cheryl claims that she’s just curious. Edgar wants to get back to the interview, but first he wants to show Cheryl something that he thinks she’ll find illuminating. He takes Cheryl to see their files. He then goes on to explain that tomorrow night they’re having a get together for new members and asks Cheryl to join them, to which she agrees. Cheryl and Edgar then seem to enter a room, which appears to cut off Betty’s connection.
Betty approaches Cheryl at her locker the following day. Betty wants to know what was in the room that Edgar took her to. Cheryl tells Betty that it’s none of her business. Furthermore, she’s done being Betty’s mole. It’s disrespectful and illegal. Betty was going to suggest the same as she doesn’t want Edgar to catch onto Cheryl. However, Cheryl still intends to going to the Farm, she’s just done working for Betty.
Hiram denies threatening Hermione
Veronica heads down to the Five Seasons to confront her father over her suspicions that he may have been responsible for the dead fish in her mother’s office. Hiram claims that he made no threats of any kind towards Hermione’s life. If that’s true, then it was one of Hiram’s associates or enemies. Veronica insists that he protect her mother from any possible threats. Veronica requests that they don’t get a divorce, which Hiram gets a laugh out of. Barring that, Veronica asks that he at least not shun her in public so the whole world doesn't see that’s she’s alone.
Betty plans to break into the file room
As Jughead and Betty lay in bed, Betty tells him that she thinks she can get to the tapes that Edgar has on her mother and Polly. Jughead asks just how dangerous this mission is. Betty informs him of the open house the Farm is having, so it’s not nearly as dangerous as him and Archie raiding a building full of Gargoyles.
Taking into consideration what Veronica had to say, Hiram decides to present a united front, and so he, Hermione and Veronica attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for his prison together, along with Governor Dooley. Today not only marks the opening of the Lodge Detention Center, it also represents a milestone for the town. The building is a promise for a safer future.
The Serpents infiltrate the Gargoyles' den
Archie, Jughead, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Mad Dog, Baby Teeth, the former prisoners from L&L, and the Serpents rally in the gym as they prepare to infiltrate the Gargoyle Gang's apartment building. Thanks to Mad Dog’s recon, they have a pretty decent idea of the layout. Sweet Pea and Archie take out the first two guards at the door. Then the group proceed into the building with Baby Teeth waiting outside as lookout. Armed with weapons such as crowbars and baseball bats, they make their way further into the apartments. The Serpents take 2nd floor while Archie and his guys take the 1st floor. Jughead’s off on his own on another floor. He encounters a Gargoyle, who immediately opens fire, forcing Jughead to take cover. As the gunfire goes off, the Gargoyles run out on both floors and immediately multiple fights break out in the halls and chaos ensues. Sweet Pea, Fangs, the Serpents, Mad Dog, Archie, are all forced to fight.
Jughead captures Kurtz
Meanwhile, Jughead continues to hide behind a wall as the Gargoyle continues to fire. Jughead grabs a fire extinguisher, blinding his attacker before knocking him unconscious. Then, another Gargoyle appears, also armed with a gun. Before he can fire, Archie and Mad Dog take him out. About half a dozen Gargoyles appear. Mad Dog agrees to hold them off while Archie and Jughead find the cook. Inside one of the room, they find a ton of guns and all the makings of a drug lab. As Archie heads further into the room, Kurtz, who’s hiding behind a door, draws his gun. Just seconds away from shooting Archie, Jughead intervenes, disarming Kurtz and restraining his hands with zip ties. Archie and Jughead make their way back into the hallway to find Mad Dog still fighting with the Gargoyles, and so Archie decides to help him out, leaving Jughead to get Kurtz out on his own. As Jughead guides Kurtz down the stairway, Kurtz uses his feet to push off the door, sending both him and Jughead flying out a window, to the ground. Kurtz just barely makes it to his feet and manages to limp away with Archie not far behind, while Jughead recovers from the fall.
Hiram has annulled his marriage with Hermione
Veronica returns home just as her father sees Monsignor Montgomery out the door. He had come to deliver the news of her parents' marriage being annulled. It’s much less public than a divorce and so far as their community is concerned, her mother remains under her father's protection. But in the eyes of God and the church, it’s as if the marriage never existed. Hiram knows this is not at all what Veronica wanted. Since she is the one that sent her mother those dead fish, he concludes. It took him a while to figure it out, one of Veronica’s better tactics. Threaten her mother’s life, so that he would have to protect her. Veronica admits this is true. She thought that if she could get him to protect her in public, then he’d have to pretend. And if they pretended long enough, they’d start to actually love each other again. However, Veronica now sees that no matter what she does, her parents’ marriage is over.
Jughead vs Gladys
Jughead returns home and immediately confronts his mother following the raid at the apartment building. He had no idea that she had armed the Gargoyles. He unintentionally led the Serpents into a buzzsaw. Fortunately, none of them were killed. Gladys tells him that he wouldn’t be dodging stray bullets if he kept his nose out of her business. Backed into a corner, Jughead proposes the nuclear option, that of telling his dad the truth about everything. Gladys tells Jughead to keep his mouth shut as FP and Jellybean aren't a part of this. It’s just between the two of them. Jughead agrees, telling his mother that while she may have caught them by surprise tonight, it won’t happen again.
Betty sneaks into the file room and steals the recorded interviews
Betty sneaks in during the Farm’s open house and breaks into the alleged janitors closet, which In actuality is the storage room for all of the recorded interviews. Over the intercom, Edgar welcomes all in attendance, especially their newest initiate, Cheryl, who then gets on the intercom and says "May the one become many, and the many one." All the while listening to this, Betty searches through the files in search of her mother’s and sister’s incriminating interviews. Edgar continues to say that they’ve all come together under great scrutiny and judgement from their friends and neighbors, and possibly ever their own family. But only through great sacrifice will their lives be full. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the bounty, Edgar says. He advises them to plant their seed in the earth and watch it grow. Betty then leaves after recovering her mother’s, sister’s, and Cheryl’s interview recordings.
Mad Dog agreed to fight for Elio
Archie informs Mad Dog that Baby Teeth has yet to resurface since the raid, forcing some of the guys to go looking for him. Archie asks about Mad Dog’s family. He tells Archie that they’re fine. But they’ll be even better once he gets them out that building. Mad Dog has a new place, unfortunately it comes with the cost of fighting for Elio, who hooked him up with a house on the Northside. Archie insists that Elio can’t be trusted, but Mad Dog has very few options. And while this may not be what Archie wants, Mad Dog will always remember what Archie did for him.
Betty meets with Cheryl at Thistlehouse to give her the tapes of her recorded sessions with Edgar. They now have nothing on Cheryl, so she doesn’t have to go back. However, Cheryl wants to go back. She reveals to Betty that Edgar let her see Jason. He took her to a room, closed the door, and inside she saw Jason. While it sounds crazy, Cheryl insists that she saw and talked to him.
Betty asks to see Edgar
Having learned from Cheryl that she was seeing a dead loved one, Betty arranges a meeting with her mother at Pop’s to ask if she joined the Farm because they let her talk to Charles. Alice admits this is true. She sees him and it’s like she never lost him. Betty would also love him. Alice says he’s the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen. Being with him is unlike anything she’s ever imagined. And it’s all because of Edgar. Betty asks to meet Edgar, and Alice agrees.
Betty is taken to the Farm to meet with Edgar in the Gargoyle chamber. They’ve both long awaited this meeting. He knows that Betty stole the recording of Polly and Alice's interviews. He could however always ask them to give their testimony again. There’s also the possibility that he already has copies. Edgar then asks Betty what she wants to know. Betty wants to know everything, starting from the beginning.
Baby Teeth's body
Archie, Jughead, and the others gather around after finding a chalice with a tooth inside, just outside the gym. Also inside the chalice is a quest card: "Defang the wolf cub." They almost immediately realize that the tooth belongs to Baby Teeth. Elsewhere, while investigating a call, FP moves closer towards the clearing that a hiker called about. FP finds that Baby Teeth is the latest sacrifice. With runic symbols carved into his back, all his teeth pulled from his mouth, and blue fresh-aid around his lips, Baby Teeth’s body lays in front of a totem.
Cast[]
Starring[] |
Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Soundtrack[]
- It Was Metal feat. Brian Posehn - A Sound of Thunder
- Grimes feat. HANA - We Appreciate Power
- Scene: Archie offers Mad Dog a rematch / Jughead accidentally interferes in his father's investigation after chasing off the Gargoyle Gang.
Trivia[]
- This episode was previously titled "The Master" that came from Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 American drama film of the same name.
- The episode title comes from Gareth Evans's 2011 Indonesian action thriller film of the same name.
- Gladys is reading Mistress Firebrand by Donna Thorland, who's a writer on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
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