Riverdale – Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One: Love & Marriage

With Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Ethel in the hot seat over the death of Ethel’s parents, Dr. Werthers (Malcolm Stewart) and Principal Featherhead (William MacDonald) use Ethel’s drawing to their advantage. Ethel and Jughead vehemently deny that they had anything to do with the murders, but the odds are stacked against them. As both teens are taken down to the police station, Veronica (Camila Mendes) looks on concernedly.  

Post–makeout party, Julian (Nicholas Barasch) interrogates Archie (KJ Apa) about the night with his sister Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch). Archie explains to Julian that nothing happened, but then later decides to find Cheryl and confront her about lying about going all the way. Cheryl explains that Archie needs to help her out and go along with the lie, especially since it protects her from her family. Later when Archie comes home from school, his mother Mary (Molly Ringwald) has received a phone call from Penelope Blossom (Nathalie Boltt) over Archie and Cheryl’s sexual proclivities. While Archie remains tight-lipped about what happened, Mary tells Archie that he had better get dressed in his suit: they are having dinner with the Blossom family. 

After heeding Betty’s (Lili Reinhart) advice and reading the book on sexuality, Kevin (Casey Cott) finds Betty and tells her that he would prefer to wait until marriage. Not on board with Kevin’s stance on sex, she breaks up with him. Later, Betty relays her breakup story to Toni (Vanessa Morgan) and how she did not want to wait any longer. Toni commends Betty on taking control of her sexuality and offers a sympathetic ear and a cup of coffee at The Dark Room.  

In jail, Jughead is visited by Veronica…who wants to offer any help that she can provide to help Ethel and Jughead. In that moment, Jughead realizes that the coroner’s report could help to clear their names. Veronica decides to don her “Nora Charles” hat and get the report, Jughead’s interest in the brunette vixen piqued with her pop culture reference. 

Dinner with the Blossom family is as good as can be expected. Home from his trip to DC, Clifford Blossom (Barclay Hope) keeps the conversation flowing as he tells Mary about his trip and even asks Archie about political affairs. With Cheryl helping Archie, he manages to impress Clifford who then tells Mary that they will talk after dinner. And in hearing her father Clifford speak so highly of Archie’s father Fred, Cheryl takes a walk with Archie after dinner and he shares stories of Fred with her.  

While bringing Betty to The Dark Room seemed like a great idea at first, Toni realizes that there is a problem. Once they get into the room, Toni spots Kevin and Clay (Karl Walcott) dancing on the floor to “Unchained Melody”. Toni tries to convince Betty that they need to leave and Betty is confused. However, the confusion does not last long when she spots Kevin and Clay herself….prompting her to leave before she is seen.  

Getting a copy of the coroner’s report, Veronica presents the report to Sheriff Keller (Martin Cummins) to clear Jughead’s name and get him released. After the release, the two head to Pop’s where Jughead scarfs down a burger and tells Veronica about Ethel’s real whereabouts on the night of the dance. While Ethel was waiting at the bus stop to go to the dance, Julian pulls up in his car and offers her a ride…which she accepts. Instead of heading to the dance, Julian takes them to Lover’s Lane where he puts the moves on an eager Ethel. However, Ethel puts the brakes on their fun when Julian gets a little handsy….and she exits the car. With his pride hurt, Julian threatens Ethel to not tell anyone about what happened or else. Instead of heading to the dance, Ethel heads home where she sees the carnage. Veronica and Jughead now realize a confession from Julian would clear Ethel’s name…if he is willing to confess. 

Betty returns home to a perturbed Alice, who is upset to hear that she has broken up with Kevin. While Alice admonishes Betty and tells her about Kevin’s broken heart, Betty tells her mother about Kevin’s inclination towards men. Alice explains to Betty that she needs to be a friend to Kevin, especially to help him through his confusion before he is ready to settle down with her and get married. Betty is very confused by Alice’s suggestion. 

Returning home to his traincar, Jughead finds that his home has been trashed. While the material items are replaceable, the empty, overturned dog dish brings about a bigger worry: Hot Dog is not there. As Jughead holds the bowl in his hands, he wonders where his beloved dog has been taken. 

After the dinner, Mary and Archie sit down to talk in their kitchen. While Mary put on the airs of a proper guest, her dislike of Clifford and the Blossoms shines through. Unfortunately for Archie, his and Cheryl’s lie about going all the way means that the Andrews and Blossoms will be forever linked. When Mary went to talk with Clifford and Penelope, they agreed that marriage will be the only way to protect Cheryl’s reputation. Tomorrow, they will be taking a compatibility test with Dr. Werthers. 

The next day at school, Jughead and Veronica confront Julian about his dalliance with Ethel. While at first he doesn’t admit it, he then wonders why they need to ask him about it. When faced with clearing Ethel’s name, Julian refuses at first to help out knowing that it would link him with Ethel. However, Jughead’s fist and words of advice change Julian’s tune and he give a statement to Sheriff Keller to clear Ethel of any suspicion. With the Coopers on their way to sign Ethel out, she is free to go.  

For Cheryl and Archie, they are faced with a compatibility test administered by Dr. Werthers. While both flounder through the answers, Dr. Werthers calls Penelope and tells her that they are found to be compatible. Penelope shares this news with Mary, who is surprised that they passed due to being complete opposites. 

At The Dark Room, Fangs (Drew Ray Tanner) admits to Toni that Midge (Abby Ross) might be pregnant and need help. Realizing that they need to confirm Midge’s condition, Toni proposes that the three of them should met at the Biology lab around midnight. Once in the lab, Toni uses Midge’s pee and injects it into a frog to see if it lays eggs…confirming pregnancy. With the confirmation, Toni advises Fangs that if he and Midge love each other, he needs to clean his act up and try to impress the Klump family.   

After the talk with Alice, Betty decides to approach Kevin in the music room. While at first Kevin denies that he is attracted to boys, Betty explains how she saw him with Clay. Kevin then talks about his encounter with Clay the night before being the first time that they could take advantage of their feelings. Instead of rebuffing Kevin, Betty decides to be there for him as a friend and admits that the past two years were not a waste of time to her.  

At Pop’s, Archie and Cheryl try to get to know one another for the sake of their impending marriage. Knowing that Archie has a poet’s heart, Cheryl asks him to write a poem for her. On the opposite side of the diner, Jughead and Veronica quietly celebrate helping Ethel get out of jail. When Veronica learns of Jughead’s trashed accommodations, she offers him a room at the Pembrook to stay in. While reluctant at first, Jughead eventually agrees. The next morning, Jughead repays Veronica for being able to stay with her by making breakfast. When Jughead talks about skipping school to get Hot Dog and fix up his traincar, Veronica offers to spruce up the traincar for him. 

Archie and Betty discuss his upcoming nuptials to Cheryl when the cherry bombshell tells Archie that their father requests a meeting with them. Betty tries to advise Archie that he should marry for love and not just protection, even though Archie is insistent about helping Cheryl. However, the meeting with Clifford goes downhill as he explains that once Cheryl and Archie marry, there is no college for Cheryl and she will assume a position like the one her mother has. For Archie, he will move into the Blossom residence to be with Cheryl. When Archie asks about his residence, Clifford’s true colors about his opinion of the Andrews family shines through. 

With Hot Dog back in possession and a spruced up abode, Jughead is in awe of Veronica’s decorating skills as he looks around his traincar. More than happy to do it, Veronica then offers the Pembrook as a place to stay just in case. While Jughead is flattered by the offer, he tells Veronica that he is appreciative of what she has done for him and marvels in his new digs when Veronica leaves. 

After cleaning Betty’s room, Alice finds the book on sexuality and confronts Betty about it. Being honest, Betty admits to knowing that her mother has taught her some rather backwards ideas about human sexuality and that book is more honest. When Alice wants to know how Betty got the book, Ethel admits that Betty took it from her room. Using the distraction to her advantage, Betty grabs the book from Alice and runs up the stairs with it. 

After realizing that Clifford’s control over Cheryl’s life, Archie realizes that they cannot go on living the life the way their parents want. Archie proposes the idea of elopement and heading out West to start a new life. While Cheryl reluctantly agrees, Toni overhears their conversation and convinces Cheryl to not go through with it.  

Alice returns home to an enraged Betty, wondering where Ethel is. As Alice explains that Ethel has been sent to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, Betty then interrogates her mom about meddling in her relationship with Kevin. Angered even further, Betty goes to head upstairs to her room when Alice mentions that she burned the book on sexuality. 

Waiting at the bus stop, Archie is greeted by Cheryl in her car. Archie is ready to head out West with their bus tickets, but Cheryl has taken Toni’s advice and decided not to go through with the wedding or their relationship. Archie is confused, but then Cheryl advises him to go for Betty and romance her instead. After she leaves, Cheryl heads to The Dark Room to see Toni and let her know she could not go through with it. 

Heeding Cheryl’s advice, Archie goes to pen Betty a poem. Ready to take it over to her, Archie is stopped by the suitcase that he sees by the door. When his mom asks him to come into the dining room, Archie is surprised to see his Uncle Frank (Ryan Robbins) is here. After the Cheryl incident, Frank is there to knock some sense into Archie. 

At the Pembrook, Jughead and Veronica talk about Ethel’s whereabouts at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Jughead feels that he has failed Ethel, but Veronica assures him that he saved her. As Jughead looks at Veronica, they move in to share their first kiss.