Riverdale – Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five: Hoop Dreams

For Riverdale, they pride themselves on their basketball team and its history of championships….until recently. While Archie (KJ Apa) attempts to keep the morale up post-loss, Julian (Nicholas Barasch) has found it more prudent to emphasize their losses. But post-game, Uncle Frank (Ryan Robbins) has a plan that he shares with Archie: Clifford Blossom (Barclay Hope) has granted Frank permission to scout a potential new player—Reggie “The Blur” Mantle (Charles Melton). Together, Archie and Frank head out to the Mantle farm and Reggie’s parents agree to let Reggie attend Riverdale High and join the basketball team.

Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni’s (Vanessa Morgan) dalliances seem to be hot and heavy, but Cheryl wants to take their relationship to the next level. While Toni was the one to initially pursue Cheryl, the idea of going steady is something that she deems “square” by her own standards. For Cheryl, she knows that it will need to be kept secret, but she would like to make them more official privately.

Dinner at the Andrews residence is met with Mary’s warmth (Molly Ringwald), but Reggie is still rather apprehensive about discussing his past. As his father is American and mother is Korean, Reggie has met a lot of discrimination for his ethnicity. And while Archie is optimistic about Riverdale being unlike the other towns, it becomes clear while Archie sets up his new roommate for bed that his own naïveté is going to be a problem. Luckily for Reggie though, he quickly becomes distracted by seeing Betty (Lili Reinhart) through Archie’s window.

Betty’s little indiscretion at the Riverdale Bandstand has caused Alice (Mädchen Amick) and Hal (Lochlyn Munro) to take drastic action: more sessions with Dr. Werthers (Malcolm Stewart). Hal decides to speak with Betty about her sessions with Werthers and his recommendations to get Betty on a better path. According to Werthers, he believes that Betty should join the Vixens to stay away from the boys and spend more time with the girls….sans Veronica (Camila Mendes).

The next day at school, Toni is still trying to determine the best course of action with Cheryl when she notices that Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) has returned from touring with her parents. As Tabitha talks about the many injustices that she witnessed while on the road, Toni discussing her time on the Vixens and lack of new writing leaves Toni deep in thought on her current trajectory. Meanwhile, Tabitha seeks out Jughead (Cole Sprouse) to chide him a little for not keeping her posted with homework. Their conversation quickly turns to Jughead’s new position at Pep Comics and meeting Brad Rayberry (Christopher Shyer). Hearing that Jughead is a fellow Rayberry fan, Tabitha is eager to talk more and Jughead suggests maybe setting up a time to visit the author for a meeting.

As Betty laments to Veronica and Kevin (Casey Cott) about her joining the Vixens, Archie arrives and introduces Reggie to the group. When Cheryl learns that Reggie will be joining the basketball team, she quickly slaps on a smile and welcomes him to Riverdale. Veronica tries to offer Reggie a job at the Babylonium and shamelessly plug her ownership of the establishment. But while everyone is eager to learn more about the new star and talk about themselves, Reggie becomes overwhelmed with the socializing and quickly departs.

Upon hearing the prospect of a position at the Babylonium, Kevin heads to the theater and asks Veronica for a job. Veronica agrees to hire him, excited to have a new employee. But more importantly, Veronica uses Kevin to potentially help her on the newest male in her sights: Clay (Karl Walcott).

At basketball practice, Reggie is finally introduced to the team and asked to show off what he can do. But when asked to split into teams, everyone but Archie and Fangs (Drew Ray Tanner) join Julian’s team. Fangs points out the inequality of the group, but Reggie is not phased as he adds waterboy Dilton Doiley (Daniel Yang) to his team and is ready to play. The Vixens come to join in and cheer on the practice and it is apparent that Reggie’s skills surpass those of the other players on the team….even with the number of team players against them. While Julian turns his torment to Dilton during the game, Reggie’s team wins the game point when Dilton scores the winning basket.

After practice, Archie reminds the players that they should continue tradition and take the newest player out for burgers at Pop’s. But the divide is clear as no one steps up to welcome Reggie, which upsets Archie. However, once Reggie decides not to join them, Julian is all too eager to rally the team for a burger.

With Betty a newly minted Vixen, Cheryl is ready to assign her cheerleaders with a designated basketball player. Cheryl decides to pick her brother Julian, assigns Toni to Archie, and decides that Betty can handle Reggie. Later in the locker room, Toni finally decides that she has had enough of the Vixen life and tells Cheryl that she is quitting the squad. In addition, Toni also decides that she needs space and time to find herself…effectively ending the relationship between her and Cheryl.

Keeping true to his word, Jughead decides to take Tabitha over to Rayberry’s apartment for an introduction. When Rayberry doesn’t answer, Jughead leaves him a note and asks Tabitha to come with him to the movies instead. As they are helped by Veronica and Clay and take their snacks into the theater, Veronica tries to put on the charm with Clay by mentioning that she once had a thing with Jughead before deeming him an “oddball” who lives in a train car. She attempts flirting with Clay in front of Kevin, only to be politely rebuffed.

Doing her Vixen duties, Betty decides to help Reggie with his homework. Clearly, Reggie is interested in only keeping up with his studies but quickly learns more as Betty describes her scandalous ways and being forced to join the squad to get on the right path. Reggie relieves Betty of her responsibility and heads to the court to practice, where Archie finds him. And despite Archie’s best efforts to bring Reggie into the fold, it’s clear that Reggie still wants to keep to himself.

Post-Cheryl breakup, Toni brings Tabitha and Clay together to discuss an idea she has: starting a literary forum for the black students of Riverdale. Tabitha loves the idea, as does Clay. Confiding in her friends, Toni also admits to her dalliance with Cheryl and finds that they were from two different worlds and wouldn’t work out. Clay brings up his own relationship with Kevin and encourages Toni to reconsider her stance as their own worlds should not dictate how they feel about one another. Later, Toni approaches Cheryl for funding for the literary forum. Cheryl agrees to put in the request for funds, then also decides to ask Toni if her skin color was the reasoning to the end of their relationship. Toni says there were many factors and that this was one of them.

Later that day at the Babylonium, Kevin finally decides to confront Veronica about her flirting with Clay. While Clay will not say anything, Kevin will…and Veronica admits that she knew there was something going on between them. Veronica is a little bummed, but glad that she now has friends working with her that are cultured and love film just as much as she does. The seeds of Veronica and Kevin’s friendship begin to bloom.

At basketball practice, Julian announces the Bulldogs Booster Mixer that his family is throwing. While overly enthusiastic about the financial help it will bring to the team, Julian’s last minute invite to Reggie rubs Archie the wrong way. However, Reggie declines the invite. Archie later decides to ask Reggie about his reluctance to join in and learns that at Stonewall Prep, Reggie was subjected to bullying courtesy of Captain Bret Weston Wallis (Sean Depner) and his fellow teammates. Rather than subject himself to more ridicule for trying, Reggie came to the conclusion to hustle and work hard at his game over having a social life.

As Reggie heads to the Babylonium for a movie, Archie and the rest of the team are at the Blossom’s Mixer. While Archie is glad to be there and even spends time talking to Betty, his conversation with the Blossoms and his Uncle Frank quickly sober him. Even though Reggie’s star power and potential to lead the Bulldogs to glory is key, Frank and the Blossoms look down their nose at Reggie’s Korean heritage. When Archie returns home, he refuses to talk about the events that transpired.

Continuing their time together with a date in Jughead’s abode, Jughead and Tabitha hang out and discuss their favorite authors. Thinking of Jughead, Tabitha produces a copy of “Dark Water” by W.E.B. DuBois for him to read. Jughead is touched by Tabitha’s thoughtfulness. In addition, Tabitha asks if they can read one of the stories in that book together….aptly named “The Comet.” Jughead is all too happy to agree.

At basketball practice the next day, Archie notices that Julian is refusing to give Reggie the ball. Finally at his breaking point, Archie goes over and punches Julian in the face, then tells his teammates that they need to act like a team on the court….especially Julian. They do not need to be friendly off court, but they do need to work together. Later, Archie tells Reggie that he did what he did for himself, as he does not want to be like the others. Touched by Archie’s gesture, Reggie finally opens up and says they should go to Pop’s for a burger.

Overhearing the conversation that Archie had with her parents, Cheryl decides to gift some of the fundraising money to Toni for her club. As Featherhead (William MacDonald) refused to fund the club, at least the fundraiser money would go to a cause that Cheryl cares about. Realizing Cheryl’s kind gesture, Toni decides to ask Cheryl if they could try again and invites her to The Dark Room to talk. Cheryl is more than happy to agree.

After a long night of reading with Tabitha, Jughead goes to Rayberry’s apartment the next day. Unfortunately, he finds that the door is open and it is a crime scene. When Jughead asks what happened, Sheriff Keller (Martin Cummins) tells Jughead that Rayberry is dead….apparently by suicide with a note. As Jughead hears this information, it is clear he is not convinced that this is the whole story.