Riverdale – The Lost Weekend

By: Jay Smith

Jughead (Cole Sprouse) narrates and writes his story in the diner on the teens having a strict school schedule and that being a problem while we see Betty (Lili Reinhart), Archie (KJ Apa) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) in class. We get flashes of them all wilding out at a party as we see Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) giving orders during Vixen practice and Archie in football practice. Fred (Luke Perry) knocks on the boys’ room door and apologizes for leaving before Jughead’s birthday this weekend. Fred asks for Archie’s help and the two talk about the divorce finally being finalized when he reaches his destination to see his mother. Archie pleads with his dad to not make the divorce final and for the parents to work it out, but Fred says it’s too late.

Veronica enters the living room and is greeted by Hermione (Marisol Nichols) and her father’s attorney Paul Sowerberry (Lane Edwards) to talk about giving a statement on Hiram’s behalf. Veronica refuses again and Paul assures it’s to appeal to his character to get a lesser sentence. Paul tells her it’ll look bad without a statement from her, which Hermione iterated to her already, but Veronica doesn’t care and leaves for school. Betty and Archie tell Veronica in the student lounge that they think the Blossoms had something to go with her father going to jail. Veronica is flabbergasted and wants to know why. Betty and Archie walk to class and Archie tells her its Jughead’s birthday and she should be his movie buddy this year instead of him because she’s the girlfriend. Betty invites him to be there like old times, but he declines. Betty calls Papa Jones (Skeet Ulrich) to invite him to the movies and to dinner. Papa Jones informs her that Jughead hates surprises just like his birthday as well as never having a party. Betty is taken aback at the last bit of information and Papa Jones thanks for the invite, but declines as well.

The gang is at lunch and Archie sees Val (Hayley Law) with Melody (Asha Bromfield) on the other side of the cafeteria. Betty tells them what Papa Jones told her and she wants to throw him a party now. Archie tries his hardest to not make this happen and Kevin (Casey Cott) disagrees with the statement that no one really hates their birthday. Veronica is going over the type of party when they all stop and see Chuck Clayton (Jordan Calloway) enter the cafeteria and heading towards Ethel (Shannon Purser). Betty has flashes of that fateful night before getting up and heading over to where he and Ethel are. Betty tells Chuck to get at from Ethel and he tells her to relax he’s only there to apologize. Betty slightly snaps and digs her nails tightly into her fist to regain composure and asks Ethel if she’s okay. Ethel tells her its fine and Chuck takes a dig at her instability. Betty goes back to her table and tells them of Chuck’s intentions. Of course, Veronica doesn’t believe it and Betty changes the subject back to the party. She opens her fist and we see she’s left marks in her hand. Val and Melody look at Archie again and he finally agrees to the party being at his house because they all need a good time.

Betty startles Papa Jones in the work trailer and she’s there on her break to invite him to the small party now. He comments on her not giving up and she admits she doesn’t. Alice (Mädchen Amick) finds Betty in the newsroom and she gives her the good news on now being an advisor for the paper. Betty tells her she’s working on a party list and Alice notices she’s really falling for Jughead. Betty asks about her parents’ relationship in the beginning and Alice tells her she regrets telling Hal everything because he’s used that information against her. Betty tells Alice she trusts Jughead and she agrees that she should just not with everything.

Jughead and Archie are cooking themselves dinner and Jughead is upset that Archie told Betty about his birthday once Archie tells him Betty will be his movie date this year. Jughead admits to hating his birthday because of his childhood. Hermione walks in on Veronica going through paperwork, informing her of the Blossoms putting Hiram in jail allegation, and her discovering that the Blossom estate was paying the Lodge company for 75 years until payments mysteriously stopped as Hiram was put in jail to back her claim up. Hermione doesn’t put the situation past Cliff and tells Veronica to drop it because it would look like Hiram retaliated by killing Jason. Veronica walks into Vixen practice late and after hearing Cheryl tell her she’ll be in the back for missing new choreography, Veronica challenges her for captain position. After the challenge, all the girls, excluding Cheryl’s lackeys who opted out, vote for Veronica. The squad leaves and Cheryl rails into Ginger (Caitlin Mitchell-Markovitch) and Tina (Olivia Ryan Stern) for not voting and fires them. Archie is getting the house ready when Fred calls. Fred apologizes, but it doesn’t really matter once he tells Archie the parents aren’t having dinner and will only see each other at the divorce signing. Upset, Archie hangs up and raids the liquor cabinet. Cheryl enters the diner and we see Dalton (Major Curda) reading in a booth to her left. She walks to the right and starts talking to someone to join forces and cause chaos with because their enemies, Betty and Veronica, are throwing a party at Archie’s house. We see that she’s talking to Chuck and he smiles at the information and plan.

Veronica tells Sowerberry her thoughts on the situation and he does agree that it would pinpoint Hiram as Jason’s murderer if the information gets out. He asks about a statement again and gives Veronica a message from her father who threatens her and hints at exposing Hermione if she doesn’t do this favor for him. At the movies Jughead brings up Betty’s small scene with Chuck and she downplays it. Jughead asks about the fateful night and she declines to share stating Veronica wants to keep the details under wraps. Jughead apologizes for not telling her himself about his birthday because he didn’t think she’d like the werewolf movie and she jokes about liking the beast within.

Ethel wants to go to the bathroom before the party starts and Kevin with Joaquin (Rob Raco) tell her to hold it. They hear the door and yell “surprise,” but it’s Veronica and she’s upset. She pulls Kevin to the side and asks about Joaquin’s presence since the party is inner circle. Kevin tells her they’re together and she reveals everything that happened with talking to the family lawyer. We can see Joaquin is eavesdropping and taking in this information. Ethel tells them she sees Betty and Jughead and we then see Veronica raiding the liquor cabinet. The door opens and the two are met with “surprise” from their friends. Archie hugs Jughead who is upset that he didn’t get a heads up and then comments on Archie’s sobriety since he reeks of alcohol. Jughead wants to know where Betty is when she enters while singing “Happy Birthday” with cake. Veronica leaves the room and Jughead whispers to Betty that he wishes it was just him and her when she tells him to make a wish. Veronica is crying in the kitchen. Archie opens up about his parents finalizing the divorce Veronica opens up on her father threatening her. Archie comforts her when Betty and Jughead enter the kitchen. Jughead and Betty then go back and forth on him not being open on celebrating his birthday and being happy like a normal person when the doorbell rings. It’s Chuck and Cheryl with classmates ready to party and Archie invites them all in while telling Moose (Cody Kearsley) where to put the kegs. Jughead leaves and the two groups of enemies, Veronica & Cheryl and Betty & Chuck, stare each other down.

Dalton is the Dj and we see the party scenes from earlier play out as Kevin asks why are they doing this and Veronica suggests it’s payback. Jughead is in the garage with Vegas when Archie stumbles in and tells him he thinks Val wants him back because she showed up. Jughead is upset about the party and Archie informs him that because he’s a boyfriend he’s getting a party regardless of his feelings. There’s a knock on the door and it’s Papa Jones to wish Jughead a happy birthday with a present. He tells him Betty invited him and we see Jughead isn’t happy about it. Joaquin and Kevin are making out in the kitchen when Papa Jones asks for Joaquin. As they pass, Veronica remembers Papa Jones and Kevin tells her he’s Jughead’s dad. Betty is in the kitchen picking up when she approaches Chuck, who mentions being roofied again. She asks him to leave. Chuck again brings up her instability and the consequences he has faced before getting smacked by Betty for being inappropriate when he mentions loving her dark side.

After probing on his closeness with Kevin, Joaquin repeats Veronica’s information to Papa Jones and he says it’s not good since he and Hiram have business together. The two leave the room once Papa Jones tells the teen to get more info and Alice has been watching the two talk. Jughead and Betty finally have a moment alone and he reels into her about the alcohol being there with his alcoholic father and the party being thrown in his honor is the last thing he would ever want. Betty doesn’t get the anger and Jughead continues to be mean until finally crossing the line by saying Betty is only going to be with him until Archie changes his mind on finally being with her. Archie runs into Val and she doesn’t want to talk to him. After getting slightly aggressive with her Val throws her drink, causing a scene that Chuck, Moose and Cheryl enjoy before Val finds Melody leaving Archie by himself. Archie’s mind starts spinning before he lays down in his room and drunk dials his father. Jughead enters the kitchen and Ethel tries to pass him a piece of cake explaining its bad luck if he doesn’t have a piece. He says the whole night is bad luck before leaving, but gets stopped at the door by Cheryl and Chuck who want to play a game that exposes everyone’s secrets.

The game is “secrets and sins” and Cheryl starts with Veronica by bringing up hooking up with Archie and her father’s business deal. Veronica deflects by suggesting that she killed Jason because he got grossed out by Cheryl being incestuous and jealous of his love for Polly instead. Dalton now joins in and tells them he saw Grundy the day of Jason’s murder, mentions her skipping town and Archie being there the same morning too. Cheryl is shocked and also deduces that Grundy is the reason for the music career and that he can’t keep a girlfriend because he has mommy issues. Chuck is excited to hear about the student teacher affair and says he wished he knew so he could’ve added Archie to his book. Chuck finally exposes Betty to everyone and gets in Jughead’s face by sarcastically saying he knew the information. Jughead punches him and before the fight goes further Papa Jones breaks it up and kicks Chuck out before finally ending the party. Jughead tries to leave, but Papa Jones tells him to stay and be there for Betty. Papa Jones heads to his truck to leave when Alice asks him about his presence in the neighborhood. He tells her because she’s in the nice neighborhood that it doesn’t change the fact that she grew up on the south side like him before finally leaving. Betty and Jughead are at the diner when they both open up and apologize to each other. Betty shows Jughead her palm scars and he kisses them before they finally share a kiss. Veronica is telling Archie that everyone will forget about this when he admits to drunk dialing his dad and asking him not to sign the divorce papers. Veronica opens up about not wanting to believe her mom isn’t good. The two share a kiss after tossing out what ifs on there current situations.

Veronica wakes up in Archie’s bed, sees him on the floor and kisses him on the cheek before sneaking downstairs to leave. Jughead spots her, the two smile at each other, and he promises not to tell anyone. Veronica gets to the apartment building and asks Smithers (Tom McBeath) his take on her parents. She enters Sowerberry’s office, where he and Hermione have been waiting. Veronica is ready to give a statement on her parents’ love for her.  A hungover Archie is cleaning up when he ignores a call from Fred while Jughead is eating birthday cake for breakfast. Jughead asks in so little words about Archie and Veronica and with a sly smile we get a confirmation that the two hooked up. Like Veronica, Jughead promises not to tell anyone. Alice brings Betty water and aspirin for her potential hangover and asks questions about Papa Jones and Joaquin. Betty informs her that Joaquin is dating Kevin and Alice suggests that the town being small doesn’t warrant the Serpent being with the Sheriff’s son. Veronica brings Betty coffee and a pastry. Betty laughs it off that the last time she did that Veronica was admitting to kissing Archie. Veronica has a nervous smile and we’re believed to think she’s going to tell Betty what happened between the pair, but she gives an update on testifying on her Hiram’s behalf and suggests that because they worked together before, Hiram could’ve hired Papa Jones to take out Jason as payback. Veronica wants the truth and to now work with Betty to get it. Jughead narrates that they’re always led to believe they run their own lives or think that they do when Smithers gives Veronica a package and it’s from Hiram thanking her for the testimony with a new strand of pearls. Archie does a final walk through when he’s greeted by Fred and Mama Andrews (Molly Ringwald).