*WARNING: THIS EPISODE REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS.*
Glady’s and Hiram have agreed to run their businesses separately to eliminate the explosion that could possibly form from this rivalry, but Veronica is stuck in the middle of it all. Although Hiram’s illegal businesses caused the outbreak of fizzle rock users, Veronica didn’t do Riverdale a favor by burning them. As much as we would like to eliminate all of the things in the world that destroys humanity slowly, it’s not that simple. Unfortunately, Veronica’s business also has to suffer because of the debt hole she dug herself in with Hiram and Glady’s. Luckily she is smart and has figured out a way to get in both of their good graces.
The Battle Of The Gangs
Thanks to Cheryl, the Pretty Poisons have become violent against other gangs who pose a threat. For Toni, being in a gang isn’t about having beautifully designed matching jackets or being dominant, it’s about having a family to call your own. Even though Toni was the only female in the Serpents gang, she knew that they would love and protect her like a family should. For Cheryl, it’s vengeance against Jughead for kicking them out of the gang. I agree that this was by far the stupidest decision Jughead has made since half of his gang is now former G&G players and fizzle rock addicts. On the other, Toni and Cheryl have something to call their own and a bond with other powerful women. I’m glad that Toni has calmed Cheryl down from being controlling because she would’ve turned the pretty poisons into vicious piranhas. An outbreak of gang violence between the poisons, serpents, and the farm has caused trouble in the gangs. Principal Weatherbee threatened to kick both leaders out of the school if they fail to get their gang members under control
This lead Jughead to address the goolies who were sworn in by Glady’s even though Jughead would rather not deal with them. Jughead was also informed that one of his members broke into the chemistry lab to steal equipment to make fizzle rocks. It was unusual to see Jughead not knowing what to do. He’s very observant and quick on his feet, but in this episode, it was hard for him to guide the Serpents in a peaceful way. To make matters worse, the goolies threatened to overturn the original serpents and kill their members. I believe Jughead has the potential to lead the gang to be much more than what it is as he’s done before, but he has to be the leader he wishes to see in everyone else. Right now they’re just a huge dysfunctional family.
Archie’s Heart
I admire Archie’s change in personality throughout this season because his innocence has evolved into a more masculine and mature version of himself. Now that he and Josie are in sync with their feelings for each other, Archie is becoming more like his former self that is until he saves Ricky. Ricky is Hakeem’s brother who tricked Archie into taking him in so that he could earn the respect of the other Gargoyle members. This scene was hard to watch for me because Archie has been through so much in this season, yet he still tries to be a good person despite the ruthless aggression that he held. After Ricky betrayed his trust, I believe Archie will find it hard to trust anyone else outside of his social group. I admire his genuine heart to help others even if it means he gets the crappy end of the stick sometimes.
Veronica’s Grip
After negotiating with Hiram, Veronica sparked the idea to bring back Casino night to La Bonne Nuit to pay off her debt faster. This method eventually tanked because Glady’s pulled out her switchblade after being shamed by one of Hiram’s big investors. Glady’s and Hiram used their debt over Veronica as a way to get away with whatever they want at her club. I’ll admit that I don’t care for Veronica’s not so rich girl personality, but she does great in business. Instead of chewing both of them out, she put her foot down like an adult should in her situation. She even went as far as hiring the Pretty Poisons to watch over both of them. Maybe I underestimated Veronica. She is still very hypocritical, but she knows how to play her cards right against criminals.
Rating 4/5
I actually enjoyed this episode more than the previous one. I loved how Veronica handled her business even though Gladys and Hiram were trying to tear it apart. I’m hoping that Veronica will eventually do some more detective work with Reggie’s so that she can get out of their loop and focus on keeping her family out of trouble. I also hope that Archie doesn’t harden back up because of the way Ricky treated him. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before the other G&G players try to kill him again. Maybe his boxing skills will scare them away. The only part of this episode I didn’t care for was watching Kevin Keller walk across fire. It was cringe to me because all I could think about was his BBQ feet. The farm isn’t a family, it’s dangerous. There has to be more than just mind manipulating and recruiting word of mouth that makes them sucked into the lifestyle. I suspect some sort of foul play or drugs being involved in the farm family, but we will have to see.
*Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments.*
~Arganise
