Riverdale – Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One: Archie the Musical

As another day starts in Riverdale, Archie (KJ Apa) is up and singing about the first day of school…“Monday, Senior Year.” While getting ready, he looks across the way through Betty’s (Lili Reinhart) window…who is excited for what’s to come this year and hoping to land Archie. At the Pembrook, Veronica (Camila Mendes) also prepares for the uphill battle to gain the affections of our resident red-head. In his train car Jughead (Cole Sprouse) writes down his story ideas before heading off to school. At Riverdale, the school is a buzz for the first day and what’s to come….but it’s all a fantasy. The reality is this is Kevin (Casey Cott) and Clay’s (Karl Walcott) opening number to this year’s potential school musical all about Archie! Immediately, Jughead and Reggie (Charles Melton) decide to drop out and criticisms begin…Clay smoothing things over by explaining how he and Kevin will take the comments into consideration. 

After rehearsal disperses, Kevin and Clay have Archie and his understudy Julian (Nicholas Barasch) stay behind to work on a number together called “Archie’s All American.” This tune being the one that sets up the stereotypical ‘want’ song for the musical. As Archie begins to sing the number, he becomes confused by Julian singing with him and questions the lyrics to the song since he can’t relate to it. Kevin and Clay try to ask Archie what his real desires are, but he is unable to articulate what he truly wants. Later after rehearsal, Kevin and Clay talk about the rehearsals as Clay lends support to his boyfriend. Apparently, not all is well in the Keller residence. 

At Pop’s Diner, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch), Toni (Vanessa Morgan), Betty and Veronica sit at the counter and talk about who they want to go with to the upcoming Valentine’s Day Dance. Clearly for Betty and Veronica, they both desire to go with Archie and appear to keep their distaste for one another while also fawning over Archie’s attention. But they’re not the only ones, especially as Toni and Cheryl also gush about time spent with Archie and hoping he returns their affections. But alas this is another fantasy and a song written by Kevin and Clay for the musical. The girls are not on board with the lyrics and Veronica immediately sets out to commission a song from Cole Porter for their musical. But for Cheryl and Toni, they’re upset that they have been asked to sing a song that hides their true desires and demand a song that is more authentic to their actual feelings. 

Kevin and Clay have their work cut out for them when they present Archie with a new song to sing after taking his notes from the day before into account. Remembering that Archie is still undecided, they write a song called “I Got Two” that has Archie trying to make the right decision. The song focuses on choosing between Betty and Veronica, but during the number Archie begins to also fantasize about other choices. While playfully eating cotton candy with Betty in front of the school, he watches Reggie playing basketball and over a basket of onion rings at Pop’s…Archie glances over at Jughead dedicated to his typewriter. Still not sure whether Kevin and Clay have captured him through lyrics, Archie decides to step down from the musical to figure things out.  

Later that night at the Pembrook, Veronica and Betty have some girl time and talk. Veronica gushes over commissioning Cole Porter to write them a great song for the musical, but also wants to admit something deeper to Betty: her and Archie’s kiss. Betty asks Veronica if she likes Archie, to which Veronica admits she does like him….but she likes Betty more. Rather than putting the effort into fighting one another, they focus on their friendship instead. 

Also that night at the police station, it is clear that Sheriff Keller (Martin Cummins) has been spending his nights at the station rather than staying at the Keller residence. Kevin tries to understand what is going on and encourage his father to come home, but his dad rejects the idea. Instead, he tells Kevin to focus on his musical rather than the relationship between him and his mother (Kate Zenna).  

The next day at school, Kevin and Clay present Cheryl and Toni with a new song for the four of them to sing called “Do You Know What It’s Like.” This number allows the four to truly shine and share their innermost thoughts about being in love with their partners. Cheryl and Toni love it and can’t wait to sing it for the musical but find that Kevin and Clay only wrote the song for them to perform privately.  Because of this both Cheryl and Toni quit the musical until they can be honest with the world. 

Archie finds decision-making difficult when Pop (Alvin Sanders) asks him if he wants a soup or salad with his grilled cheese. Ultimately, Jughead tells Pop to bring both out and turns to Archie to listen to his plight. As Archie explains his difficulty with decisions, Jughead realizes that Archie is having an existential crisis and knows that it goes beyond Betty vs. Veronica or Basketball vs. Poetry. The decisions Archie will make may affect his life for good. Feeling some clarity from their conversation, Archie later talks to his Uncle Frank (Ryan Robbins) and tells him he is quitting the basketball team to focus on his writing. Frank calls Archie a beatnik, but Archie knows that this is the right choice and will help him find his way. 

Next morning in Kevin’s bedroom, Kevin and Clay are woken up by Kevin’s mom calling for him. Clay makes a hasty exit through the window just in time before Mrs. Keller enters the room. She also tells Kevin that his father will be joining them for dinner that night at Pop’s Diner. Thinking that things are improving with his parents, Kevin is excited at the development.  

For rehearsal Veronica brings Cole Porter’s commissioned song called “The Universe Inside.” Veronica and Betty sing the number and during their fantasy imagine running as co-Presidents for the Senior Class and kiss. Kevin and Clay are impressed by the number, but the shift unsettles the girls and they discuss their feelings afterwards as the song brought forth more than just friendly feelings. They decide that Archie is no longer their focus but Archie beats them to the punch when he interrupts their conversation and tells them he is not choosing either of them but rather focusing on himself.  

Over dinner at Pop’s Diner, Kevin gushes about the musical and hoping that Julian as Archie will convince Principal Featherhead (William MacDonald) to let them do the original musical. However, Kevin’s parents interrupt him to explain that they have something to tell him. With the paperwork complete, the Kellers are getting a divorce. This news upsets Kevin and he leaves Pop’s Diner immediately.  

The day to convince Featherhead to let them do the musical has finally arrived. While performing their song “Prom Night,” Kevin and Clay are certain that they have won over the Principal. But at the end of the song, Featherhead has Kevin accompany him to his office where he nixes the whole idea and suggests that the school put on “Oklahoma” instead. Kevin comes back to the classroom and tells his friends the bad news….throwing their criticisms about the musical back at them and storming out. Clay explains that it’s goes beyond the criticisms, especially since Kevin’s parents are getting a divorce. 

In his room Kevin’s mom comes to talk with Kevin about the decision between his parents. He wonders if he was the cause of it since the issues started around the time Kevin and Betty broke up, but Mrs. Keller assures him he did nothing wrong. However, by Mrs. Keller’s words of support to Kevin it is clear she may know more about Kevin’s personal life choices. 

At school the next day Archie sees Kevin sitting at the piano playing. He thanks Kevin for helping him make his choice and wonders if Kevin is working on a song for the musical. Instead, Kevin wrote a song for himself the night before…and Archie is eager to hear it. In “Finale (Our Song),” we see Archie is joined by Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, Toni, Clay, Fangs (Drew Ray Tanner), Midge (Abby Ross), Jughead, Ethel (Shannon Purser), Reggie, Julian and Dilton (Daniel Yang) all join in. Betty and Veronica hold hands during a flash foward to Kevin hugging his father before he leaves the Keller residence for good. Clay embraces Kevin first, followed by all his friends.