Riverdale – Chapter Ninety-Eight: Mr. Cypher

After the loss of both Archie (KJ Apa) and Toni (Vanessa Morgan), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) is back with another tale many of us are familiar with: the Devil coming to town to collect souls. Upon coming to Rivervale, the cleverly named Lou Cypher (Oliver Rice) decides to pay a visit to the town and collect more than he bargained for. First up, Pop (Alvin Sanders) and Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) Tate. 

As Pop helps out a fellow customer Jim Hubbard (Andrew Nolan), who is unable to pay for his meal, he sees Mr. Cypher in his true demonic form and collapses. In the hospital while attending to her grandfather’s bedside, Tabitha is greeted by Mr. Cypher as he has arrived to collect Pop’s soul. Confused by his arrival, Tabitha learns that Pop’s father sold his soul in exchange for the diner to be profitable. When Pop learned of his father’s deal with the Devil, he offered his soul instead to spare his father. But instead of collecting Tabitha’s soul in exchange, Mr. Cypher is ready to broker a deal: the diner in exchange for Pop’s soul.  

When Pop awakens he convinces Tabitha that they cannot give Mr. Cypher the ownership of Pop’s Diner, as the diner itself a source of good and light in the town. Later at the diner, Tabitha encounters Mr. Hubbard again who is still unable to pay and offers him another free meal. Her good deed does not go unnoticed, as Angel in disguise Raphael (Hamza Fouad) has also come to Rivervale and offers Tabitha holy tears to help her in her plight. When Mr. Cypher comes to visit Tabitha and a freshly discharged Pop, Tabitha convinces Mr. Cypher to toast to their deal with milkshakes. As Mr. Cypher drinks his milkshake, he becomes violently ill and flees the diner. With Tabitha and Pop also imbibing the holy tears and using them to consecrate the diner, Mr. Cypher is no longer welcome on the premises and the deal for the diner becomes null and void. 

Betty (Lili Reinhart) receives a phone call from her former partner Glen (Greyston Holt), informing her that they have caught the Trash Bag Killer (TBK) and will be bringing him through Rivervale for Betty to question. As Betty had been one of TBK’s prior hostages, she is all too eager to sit down and get a confession from him—a killer with a bag-like mask over his head. While the confession is only the front, Betty’s real question to TBK is focused on whether or not true evil exists. Unnerved by the answer Betty later calls Glen to find out that TBK is actually not in custody, leaving her with even more questions. The next time Betty sits down with the fake TBK, she learns that she has been sitting with the Devil and begins to inquire about her father Hal (Lochlyn Munro). Familiar with her father, the Devil gives Betty a glimpse to Hal’s suffering in Hell and she is satisfied. Unfortunately, Betty also learns that Polly (Tiera Skovbye) is also in Hell and in anger stabs her charge. Betty removes TBK’s head covering to find she has killed Glen instead. Filled with confusion, Betty then signs a contract and becomes one of Mr. Cypher’s many souls.  

Jughead learns of Mr. Cypher’s arrival through Tabitha and decides to arrange a meeting with him. During their conversation Jughead admits that he is not willing to sell his soul and Mr. Cypher offers a great opportunity: Jughead can interview Mr. Cypher and if Jughead publishes the story he will have the fame and glory, but never be able to write again. Or if Jughead decides to not publish the story, he will find that he is a never-ending well of creativity that will live in obscurity and mediocrity. Jughead agrees to the terms but will make his decision after their interview. After the interview Jughead is amazed by Mr. Cypher’s story and decides to publish it, immediately granting him acclaim from outlets such as the Associated Press and his former agent Samm Pansky (Peter Kelamis). Samm wonders what Jughead will be writing next and immediately Jughead goes to sit down and write—only to find he can only write complete nonsense. In one more meeting with Mr. Cypher, Jughead pleads with him for his ability to write back and Mr. Cypher agrees to return his gift—in exchange for his soul. Eager to write again, Jughead signs the contract and Mr. Cypher claims another soul. Later back at his typewriter Jughead gleefully types that the Devil has claimed his soul, happy that his ability to write has returned. 

Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Reggie (Charles Melton) are working hard on the opening of their new casino, dealing with a wrathful Alice Cooper (Madchen Amick) intent on ruining them. Fortunately, Reggie admits to Veronica that he has included a new investor in on the deal in order to help them thrive—none other than Mr. Cypher. A fact that Veronica is not made aware of until she finds Mr. Cypher at one of their exclusive tables winning big and taking the profits, but not after claiming Kevin Keller’s (Casey Cott) soul first and promising him fame and glory—and Fangs aka Finn (Drew Ray Tanner) becoming his manager and lover.  

At the table with Mr. Cypher, Veronica believes that Reggie has sold his soul for their casino to thrive and begins to plot on exchanging his soul for another just as depraved soul: Nick St. Clair (Graham Philips). Veronica lures Nick to the casino and convinces him to sell his soul, believing she has succeeded in changing Reggie’s fate. Veronica shares a toast with Mr. Cypher over their deal, believing she has won. Unfortunately, it is not Reggie that was promised to Mr. Cypher but Veronica as her soul was more enticing. Even further, Reggie managed to broker that deal by deceiving Veronica into signing a contract with Mr. Cypher’s pen. Veronica throws Reggie out of the room and Mr. Cypher arrives, offering her the opportunity to convince Alice to sign the contract in exchange for her soul. At first Veronica is all too happy to go through with that plan by deceiving Alice but backs out at the last minute, ready to accept her fate.  

Veronica decides as her final act before Mr. Cypher claims her soul, she will take Kevin’s place as the entertainment for the night in her swan song of Lady Gaga’s “Marry The Night.” She pours her heart into the performance and afterwards meets with Mr. Cypher. Past midnight, Reggie walks into what he believes to be an empty office and finds Veronica is still there. They embrace and Veronica shares that she did manage to make a deal with Mr. Cypher, one that allows her to keep her soul in exchange for providing Mr. Cypher with a lost soul weekly. The first soul up to claim is none other than Reggie, as Veronica deceived him into signing a contract with Mr. Cypher’s pen. Accepting his fate Reggie walks away from Veronica and towards the flash of fire, indicating his entrance into Hell.