‘Riverdale’ Recap With Spoilers: “Manhunter”

The episode opens with Betty watching over Archie in the bunker. She looks at the G&G paraphernalia on the wall, and wonders how this is all going to be solved.

Jughead comes in, and reveals that he not only saw the Gargoyle King, but ten of his disciples. Jughead dubs the group the “Gang of Gargoyles”, and Archie mentions that Joaquin is probably a member.

Betty returns home, where Alice reveals that Warden Norton killed himself. Betty asks Alice if she knew Norton, and she insists that she hasn’t.

Archie and Veronica cuddle in the bunker. Archie reveals that he might know where the rest of the Shadow Lake boys are, but Veronica tells him that the manhunt for him is too big for him to try to go outside. Veronica then asks where Archie’s case files are, and Archie says that he’s hesitant about all of this help.

Minetta visits the class at Riverdale High, and asks if anyone played a role in Archie’s escape. He confronts Reggie, Evelyn, and Josie, who all have alibis. Josie then gets nervous about Minetta’s threats and starts having a seizure.

Betty and Jughead talk about Josie’s seizure and Norton’s death. Betty reveals that Norton did have a connection to the Midnight Club, because he was the ROTC officer when they all were in school. Betty decides to confront the parents about it, while Jughead decides to find Joaquin.

Jughead tells Sweet Pea and Fangs about Norton and Joaquin, and suggest that they hunt for answers.

Kevin watches Archie in the bunker, and realizes that Archie’s wound is infected. He calls Betty, who puts him in contact with Dr. Curdle. She then walks into the speakeasy, where she’s arranged for all of the parents to meet up. She confronts them about their ties to Norton, but everyone insists that they’re innocent.

Hermione decides that they should all just get this over with, and confronts Penelope for being the game master. Penelope denies it, revealing that Darryl was the one who poisoned the chalices on Ascension Night, because he was in love with her and wanted them to ascend together. When Penelope confronted him about it several years later, he killed himself the next day.

Betty reveals that she and Jughead saw the Gargoyle King, and that Jughead is still playing the game. FP gets upset, and the parents start to leave.

Fangs tells Jughead that he found Joaquin, and Jughead prepared to meet them. FP then arrives, handcuffing him to the fridge and confronting him about his G&G habits.

Kevin brings Archie to get patched up by Dr. Curdle. Archie reveals that he isn’t going back into the bunker, and he’s going to Shadow Lake. Kevin reluctantly agrees to help.

Veronica goes through Archie’s case files, watching footage of the interrogations with the Shadow Lake boys. She realizes that the interrogations have been edited, just as Hiram walks into the room.

Hiram goes into another room and makes a phone call, revealing that there are too many variables at Shadow Lake.

Betty goes to the trailer and frees Jughead from the handcuffs. They update each other on their plans, and kiss.

Veronica calls Kevin and Archie, telling them that the footage of the interrogations was edited. She thinks that Hiram still has the unedited footage, and decides to go find it.

Kevin and Archie leave for Shadow Mines.

Veronica hacks her way into Hermione’s computer and finds the unedited footage of Minetta bribing the Shadow Lake boys. She emails the footage to herself, sending it just in time before she is apprehended for breaking in.

Jughead finds Fangs, Sweet Pea, and Joaquin. Joaquin explains that he had to do whatever Norton said to survive, and that Norton was sent a series of cards that told him to kill Archie. Jughead asks about the symbol Norton branded on Archie, and Joaquin reveals that it means “sacrifice”. Jughead asks Joaquin who Norton was taking orders from, and he hints that it was Hiram.

Jughead confronts Hiram, accusing him of being the Gargoyle King and taking part in all of these other murders. Hiram laughs off these accusations and tells Jughead to leave. He then gets a call about Veronica breaking into Hermione’s office.

Hiram visits Veronica at the prison, refusing to let her out or let her speak to an attorney. She then calls up Fred, asking for his help in getting the video file to the judge.

Betty meets with Dr. Curdle, who reveals that Darryl Doiley was dead long before getting into his car, and was killed by some sort of plant. She decides to confront Tom about Darryl’s death, insinuating that it was a cover-up. Tom says that it was, as a way to cover up what happened in the Midnight Club. He then reveals that Penelope was growing the plant that killed Dilton in her greenhouse when he investigated Jason’s murder. He then gets a phone call and has to leave.

Archie and Kevin go to Shadow Mines, where they find the Shadow Lake boys shot by Minetta. They find one of the boys still breathing, and take him to the hospital.

Jughead arrives at the Serpent camp, where he finds Joaquin dead with the “sacrifice” symbol carved into his forehead.

Tom and Fred arrive at the Shadow Mines, where they find the remainder of the Shadow Lake boys killed. Tom calls it in, and then finds out that another boy was taken to the hospital.

Kevin and Archie sit in the hospital, where Kevin reveals that the Shadow Lake boy didn’t make it. Archie says that death follows him everywhere, and he thinks he can’t go back to Riverdale even if he’s proven innocent.

Sierra posts bail for Veronica, who then asks her if she has enough evidence to prove Archie’s innocence.

Betty meets with Penelope, and confronts him about Darryl’s poisoning. She reveals that even if she’d wanted to poison him, she wouldn’t have used the same plant. She then insinuates that Alice is to blame for writing a newspaper article covering up the murder.

Betty then confronts Alice, arguing that all the parents are complicit in covering everything up. The power then goes out at their house, followed by a knock at the door. Betty and Alice go to answer it, turn around, and see the Gargoyle King. They go into Betty’s room, where someone has left a skeleton and a tombstone accusing Betty and Alice. FP makes his way through the window to help them.

Fred and Tom meet Kevin at the hospital, where he reveals that Archie already left, and left Fred a note.

Veronica returns home, telling her parents that she found the evidence to prove Archie’s innocence and put Minetta in jail.

Alice tells Betty that they’re no longer safe in that house, and that she’s going to go live at the Farm. Betty refuses to, and two orderlies take her to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Betty’s phone gets a call from Jughead, but Alice declines it.

Veronica prepares for a welcome home party for Archie, only to find out from Kevin that Archie’s on the run. She then gets a call from Archie, and he says that he can’t come home, because that will still make him and everyone he loves a target of Hiram. Archie tells Veronica how much he loves her, and she starts crying. Kevin comforts her, while Archie hangs up the phone.

Archie then approaches Jughead, who hands him a backpack filled with supplies. Jughead tells Archie about Joaquin’s death, and argues that Hiram is a part of it. They walk on a train track, getting ready to hop on trains.

Betty is taken to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, where she gets put in an art class. All around her, kids are painting pictures of the Gargoyle King.