Riverdale Recap With Spoilers: Chapter 2: A Touch of Evil

The episode opens with Jughead’s ominous narration. He says that the town is shaken by Jason’s death, and had been hoping in some way that he hadn’t died on July 4th. We see the Blossom family being shown Jason’s corpse.

Archie tosses and turns in bed, thinking about his 4th of July encounter with Ms. Grundy, which had been interrupted by the sound of gunshots – presumably the shot that killed Jason. He grabs his phone and texts Betty, asking if they can talk. Betty quickly responds no.

Archie goes to his window, continuing to text Betty. She meets him at her adjoining window, annoyed, and shuts off the lights to her room. Archie turns away and grabs a pair of shorts before leaving his room.

Archie jogs down the street. He makes his way to a house with a white picket fence – the home of Ms. Grundy. They argue about whether or not to come forward with what they know about Jason’s murder. Archie believes they should, but Grundy believes that telling anyone about their affair could send the both of them to jail.

The next morning, Fred is feeding the Andrews family dog, Vegas. Archie walks into the room, and Fred asks where the teen snuck off to the night before. Archie explains that he couldn’t sleep and thought the jog would help. Fred tells Archie not to go out alone at night until Jason’s killer is found.

Hal and Alice walk into Betty’s room, finding her writing in her journal. They mention that they’ll be out late because of something relating to Jason’s case. Alice asks Hal to start their car and he leaves.

Alice joins Betty on her bed, and tells her daughter that she admires her desire to see good in people, even if it did lead to her getting betrayed by Cheryl, Veronica, and Archie at the dance. Betty reassures her mom that she will not be interacting with the three anymore.

Archie answers his door to find Betty, asking him to walk her to school.

The pair walk down the road. Betty explains that even though her mom has told her never to speak to Archie again, Betty still wants to be friends with him, regardless of his romantic feelings for her. Archie agrees, saying that he didn’t mean to hurt her, but that they’ll be better off in the long run because of what happened between them. Betty agrees, and makes Archie promise not to tell her mom that they’re reuniting.

At Riverdale High, Archie stands over a memorial for Jason. Jughead approaches him, jokingly asking if he can use Jason’s death to get out of gym class. Archie tells him not to joke about it, and Jughead says humor is his way of dealing with the world. Jughead notices Reggie and Moose entering the hallway and proceeds to leave.

Betty and Kevin walk down the hallway, Kevin lamenting about Archie being straight. Betty asks Kevin about him finding Jason’s body, and Kevin explains that it was worse trying to explain to his father – the town sheriff – what he was doing with Moose when they found the body.

The pair walk into the front office, where they find a bouquet of yellow flowers addressed to Betty. The note on the flowers is from “V” – Veronica. She walks into the front office and offers Betty several gifts as a peace offering. She apologizes for behaving like “the old Veronica” at the dance, and promises to never betray Betty like that again. Betty agrees to give Veronica a second chance, a decision Kevin does not approve of. After Veronica leaves, Betty explains that its the easiest decision to make.

Riverdale High’s principal, Mr. Weatherbee, reads the morning announcements. He says that the school’s pep rally, which many believed to be cancelled in light of Jason’s body being found, is in fact proceeding. Cheryl stands behind him as he makes the announcement and smiles. Weatherbee turns the announcements over to Sheriff Keller.

Sheriff Keller announces that Jason’s body was found, and that the case is being treated like a homicide. Across the school, students react to the news. Cheryl hops on the intercom, saying that her family won’t rest until Jason’s killer is found and put to death. Cheryl also mentions that she already has her suspicions as to who the culprit is.

Sheriff Keller comes back on the intercom, and asks students to come forward with any information about the case. Archie listens to that announcement in front of a display case dedicated to Jason, before walking down the hallway and looking into the principal’s office. He locks eyes with Weatherbee and quickly walks away. Jughead follows behind him, watching his movements.

Archie now stands at the water fountain, splashing water on his face. Jughead approaches him, reminding him about the road trip they were supposed to take together over July 4th. Archie bailed on the trip at the last minute, a fact that makes Jughead suspicious.

Later, Archie walks into science class. He walks past Jughead and the two share an uncomfortable look.

In the same class, Cheryl’s minions question her about the information she gave to the police. She gets offended at the idea that she had a hand in Jason’s death. She tells them what she told the police – that they both fell out of the boat, and Cheryl made it out of the river while Jason did not.

The science teacher walks in and tells the students to get ready for their experiment. Archie asks to be partnered up with Cheryl, while Veronica asks to be with Betty. Betty says she wanted to partner up with Kevin, but Moose claims him as a partner first. The lab partners all take their seats together.

Moose brings up their encounter to Kevin, but Kevin shoots him down, saying that Moose has too many demons.

Archie mentions to Cheryl that they haven’t spoken to each other since the summer, and he offers his condolences about Jason. He offers his help, but Cheryl says he can only help if he has information about what happened at the river. Archie asks if the police have any leads, and Cheryl says no, but that she believes it is someone everyone in Riverdale knows.

They turn their attention to their science experiment, which is dissecting a dead frog. Archie offers to handle it, but Cheryl says she can handle it, and violently cuts open the frog.

At the coroner’s office, Alice asks the coroner to tell her more about Jason’s body for help with her article. She hands him an envelope filled with money.

Back at the high school, Betty, Kevin, and Veronica walk to lunch. Veronica asks why Moose was talking to Kevin. He laughs it off, saying he isn’t fully sure what Moose’s sexuality is, especially because Moose currently has a girlfriend named Midge.

They approach Archie and ask if he has any new songs to play for them. He plays a song that reminds Betty of their time at the dance. She gets sad, which Archie notices. She starts crying, saying that she’s not over her feelings for him. She leaves the table, and Archie follows after her.

She explains that she feels the safest when the two of them are together at Pop’s, and Archie agrees. She says that she’s unsure of where to go forward in their relationship after the events of the past weekend. She leaves, and Archie tries to run after her, but is called on by Mr. Weatherbee, asking to talk with him.

Weather addresses the interaction between them through his office window earlier in the day. Archie says he wasn’t feeling well, but Weatherbee doesn’t believe him. He asks him to reveal anything he knows about Jason’s case.

Archie runs into the music room and confronts Grundy. He explains to her what happened, but that he ultimately didn’t say anything to Weatherbee. He asks if she really has feelings for him and that’s why she’s wanting to continue to cover up their affair. Grundy says that she does, even if she knows it’s wrong. As she gets inches away from his face, she tells him that she’s trusting him not to tell Weatherbee.

Jughead walks down the hallway and stops right outside the music room door. He watches Archie and Grundy share an embrace.

The River Vixens practice a dance, with Veronica as the lead cheerleader. Cheryl interrupts them, explaining how important the upcoming pep rally is for her reputation in the wake of Jason’s death. She mentions bringing Josie and the Pussycats in for the performance, and walks away to make a call.

Veronica and Betty sit on the gym floor. Veronica suggests they get pedicures together after practice, but Betty says she has homework to do. Veronica questions why Cheryl is throwing the pep rally when she’s clearly in the process of grief. Betty says that at least Cheryl is being honest, and not putting on an act like Veronica.

Veronica says that she went into the closet with Archie to protect Betty, because otherwise Cheryl would’ve gone in with him. Betty says that either way, Veronica entering their social circle messed up Archie and Betty’s relationship. Veronica says it isn’t her fault that Archie doesn’t like Betty.

The two continue to argue until they are interrupted by Cheryl, who informs them that The Pussycats agreed to perform at the pep rally. Cheryl asks if she interrupted anything, and Betty offers that she and Cheryl go get mani-pedis together. Veronica tries to interject, but Cheryl cuts her off and accepts Betty’s offer. The pair leave.

Veronica goes to see her mother, who is now working as a waitress at Pop’s. Archie comes in to pick up a delivery, and he and Veronica have an awkward interaction. Veronica tries to leave, but Hermione insists that Archie walk Veronica home.

Veronica and Archie walk home. They talk about Betty still being mad at them. Veronica says she feels she and Betty are meant to be best friends. Archie tells Veronica about his and Betty’s history. He says that when they were in second grade, Archie kissed Betty and asked her to marry him. He reveals that he’s upset that he hurt Betty, and Veronica suggests to just give it time, and that there’s more to his and Betty’s story.

Betty and Cheryl sit in Betty’s room. Cheryl puts makeup on Betty’s face and invites her over to her house, as long as she doesn’t bring Veronica. Cheryl apologizes for the way she used to treat Betty, saying that she took her anger about Jason and Polly’s relationship out on Betty. She begins to ask Betty questions about Polly, and Betty gets uncomfortable. Cheryl turns angry, saying that she believes Polly killed Jason and she wants to get to the bottom of it. Betty tells Cheryl to leave her house, threatening to kill her.

Archie walks home to find Jughead on his porch. Jughead tells him how he found out about Archie and Grundy, and Archie gets nervous. Jughead says that even though they aren’t friends, he wants to help Archie with his situation. Archie reveals that he likes Grundy, which is one of the reasons why he’s been acting weird since the summer. He then tells Jughead about their 4th of July encounter.

Jughead insists Archie tell someone about it, but Archie says they need to continue to keep it a secret. Jughead suggests that Grundy is manipulating him, and that she cares more about her own reputation than about her relationship with Archie. He says that the Archie Andrews he used to know tried to do the right thing. He begins to walk away, but Archie pulls him aside, again threatening that he not tell anyone his secret.

Just then, the pair are interrupted by Fred walking out onto the front porch. Fred invites Jughead inside, but Archie tells Jughead to leave.

The next day, Betty is studying at her desk. Alice comes in, waving sage to banish the evil sprits left by Cheryl. She suggests that the Blossom family killed Jason himself, in some sort of ritualistic killing. Betty asks if Polly knows about Jason’s murder, and Alice says that she did tell Polly about it. Betty suggests that she go visit Polly in her group home. Alice changes the subject, reprimanding Betty for letting the other kids at school hurt her.

Later, Betty and Veronica see each other in front of their lockers. Betty says that Veronica was right about her being afraid of the truth. Veronica tells her that even though Archie doesn’t have romantic feelings for Betty, he’s miserable without her in his life, and it might ultimately be better for her to remain friends with him.

In the school’s student lounge, Reggie complains about Sheriff Keller being suspicious of him in Jason’s case. He teases Moose for being with Kevin the night of the dance. Betty tells Kevin to ignore it.

Reggie goes on to say that if any of the Riverdale students killed Jason, it would be one of the weirder kids like Jughead. Jughead sasses back at him for making this claim, and Reggie runs towards Jughead. Archie stops him, pushing him back. Reggie then suggests that Archie helped Jughead kill Jason. Archie pushes him back again, and the two get into a fight, smashing the glass of a nearby vending machine. The fight ends with Reggie punching Archie in the face.

Back at home, Archie nurses an ice pack on his bruised face. Fred walks in, asking if the bruise is from a fight with Jughead. Archie says no, but then goes on to say that he and Jughead were arguing about a girl – or rather, disagreeing about doing the right thing with that girl. Fred tells him that he should try to do the right thing, even if it costs him.

That night, the students of Riverdale High are at the pep rally. The band plays, the River Vixens cheer. Archie goes over to Grundy, who is running the drink table. He tells her that he is going to tell Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller the truth, whether or not she wants to do the same. Grundy disapproves.

Jughead watches on from the side of the bleachers. Archie comes over to him and tells him that he’s going to tell Weatherbee. He apologizes for what he said to Jughead during their fight, and Jughead forgives him. Archie asks if they’re friends again, and Jughead says they’ll need to discuss it over many burgers at Pop’s. Both of them smile as Archie walks away.

Archie accidentally runs into Betty. She notices his black eye and goes to touch it, but Archie is swept away by the other football players for the start of the pep rally.

The pep rally begins, as Weatherbee introduces Riverdale’s mayor – and Josie’s mom – Mayor McCoy. She addresses the crowd, and dedicates the rally to Jason Blossom. She introduces the River Vixens and The Pussycats, who do a routine to ‘Sugar, Sugar.’ The song ends, and Josie and Cheryl share a hug.

The Riverdale football team runs through the pep rally. As Cheryl watches them, she begins to see Archie morph into Jason, and has flashbacks to his death. She gets upset and runs off the field, to everyone’s shock. Betty and Veronica decide to follow her.

Veronica finds Cheryl crying in the cheerleading locker room. Cheryl says that Jason was supposed to come back to her, and that she feels alone without him. The two hug as Betty stands in the doorway, watching the whole thing.

After the pep rally, Betty approaches Veronica about the hug with Cheryl. Betty offers that the two of them go get a milkshake at Pop’s, and Veronica accepts.

Betty and Veronica drink their milkshakes at Pop’s. Veronica suggests that the pair make a vow to not let a boy come between them. Betty agrees, and the pair drink their milkshakes.

Just then, Archie and Jughead enter the diner. Betty invites the two to join them. The four sit at the booth, all smiles as Jughead’s narration starts up again. He addresses the chemistry between Archie, Betty, and Veronica, and explains that at that moment, the four genuinely felt like kids. But that the next day, a reckoning would come.

The next day, Archie walks down the hallway to Weatherbee’s office. He is about to go in before the door opens and Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller exit.

Betty, Kevin, and their classmates sit in science class. Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller enter. Cheryl stands up, saying that she knows they’re here for her after what was found in Jason’s autopsy. Cheryl insists that she is guilty.

Jughead’s reveals that Jason, in fact, did not die on the 4th of July, but over a week later.

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Riverdale stars KJ Apa as Archie, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camilla Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Luke Perry as Archie’s father Fred Andrews, among others. The series’ showrunner is Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Archie Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer and the writer of Afterlife With Archie, the publisher’s wildly popular zombie series.