Riverdale Recap With Spoilers: Chapter Thirteen: The Sweet Hereafter

The episode begins with Jughead typing at a computer at Pop’s, explaining the cliffhanger from the last episode. Clifford Blossom’s maple syrup business was a front – he really trafficked heroin.

Alice types on a computer at the Blue and Gold. She wonders if Jason had found out about the drug business and threatened to go public about it.

Alice and Jughead both cover the narrative – that Clifford hired Mustang to kidnap Jason, then killed Mustang and staged his suicide to cover his tracks and implicate Hiram. Jughead reiterates that Clifford threatened FP as well.

Mayor McCoy is seen yelling at Sheriff Keller. Apparently, Clifford’s suicide revealed some dark secrets around the town, and Mayor McCoy wants all of the corruption in Riverdale to go away – but Jughead is unsure if it will.

Keller meets with FP and Jughead. He says that Clifford’s drug trade had a pretty far reach, but that he and Mayor McCoy want to stop the drug trafficking within Riverdale. Keller believes that the Serpents have a hand in it, and asks FP to give names in exchange for a lighter sentence. FP believes that the Serpents wouldn’t get involved in heavy drugs, and wouldn’t rat anyone out anyway. Keller threatens FP, saying that he’ll face a minimum of 20 years in jail if he doesn’t help.

Archie finds Fred upset about something. They talk about Clifford, and Archie says that the trouble isn’t over for his friends. Fred reassures that everyone in Riverdale still has trouble to deal with.

Hermione prepares the house for Hiram’s arrival at the end of the month. Veronica makes a remark about Hiram’s return.

Alice makes pancakes for the Cooper family. Betty is suspicious, digging her fingernails into her hand.

Betty and Archie walk to school. Betty reveals that her family is acting like everything is normal, and she would rather they address their problems instead, before things get worse again.

In the hallway, Veronica tells Archie that the two of them need to tell Betty about their kiss. Archie agrees, but says that the last conversation with Betty about that subject didn’t go well. Veronica volunteers to tell her.

Archie and Betty are called to the principal’s office. Mayor McCoy offers that they both be featured at the town Jubilee, for their work helping solve Jason’s murder. They ask why Jughead can’t be included, and Mayor McCoy says that it would send the wrong kind of message.

At lunch, Betty tells Jughead that she declined Mayor McCoy’s invitation, unless Jughead could also be featured. Jughead says that it’s okay, since he doesn’t like the Jubilee anyway. He updates Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Kevin on the latest about FP. Betty decides that she will write an article for the Register about Mayor McCoy focusing on the Serpents instead of Clifford’s guilt.

Veronica and Archie tell Betty the truth about their relationship. Betty is totally fine with it, and happy for them.

Penelope and Cheryl talk about Clifford’s burial. Penelope says that the Blossom family has been cursed, ever since the murder between Clifford and Hal’s grandfathers. Penelope wonders which member of the Blossom family will die next. Cheryl begins to cry and looks at the rafters of the barn.

Archie double-checks that Betty is okay with his and Veronica’s relationship. She says that she is. Archie says that he’s happy with Veronica, but begins to say that a part of him has always wondered about him and Betty. Betty cuts him off, saying how happy the four of them are now.

Fred asks Hermione why he has new crew members at his company. Hermione reveals that she fired the Serpents, because it hurts the Lodge family’s image to be associated with the Serpents. Fred says that they’re partners and he’s hurt that she made a decision without him. Hermione reveals that she and Hiram were offering to buy Fred out of his company. He says he’ll consider it, with an official offer in writing.

Archie brings his newest song, about what he and his friends have been through, to Josie. She says that she likes it, but that they can’t sing it at the Jubilee, because Mayor McCoy already approved their songs.

Betty shows Alice and Hal her piece on the Serpents. Alice compliments it, but says that she can’t publish it because Betty seems too close to the case. Alice and Hal explain that there has been an increase in crime against the Serpents, and that they don’t want Betty to become aligned with them.

Veronica meets with Cheryl in the locker room. Cheryl reveals that she has resigned as captain of the River Vixens, and Veronica can take over in her place. She says that her father’s death has put things in perspective, and Veronica asks how she can help. Cheryl says that she’s fine – and she’s done shedding tears for the men of the Blossom family.

Veronica tells Betty about what happened with Cheryl. They both agree that something weird is happening within the town. Veronica compliments Betty on her article about the Serpents, and she reveals that she’s already posted it on the Blue and Gold’s website. Veronica then asks Betty if she’s really okay with her relationship with Archie.

Polly walks in and says that she misses being a normal teenager in high school. Betty suggests that Polly come back to high school, even if Alice and Hal don’t know about it.

Archie and Jughead arrive home, and are met with Fred and a woman – Jughead’s case worker. Archie asks if Jughead can still live with them, and Fred says that it’s unlikely – both because of his income issues at work, as well as an old DUI on his record from after he separated from Mary. The case worker reveals that a family on the South Side has offered to foster Jughead – but he’ll have to transfer schools, possibly by the end of the week.

Archie arrives at the station and explains the situation to FP. He asks FP to take any sort of deal to help himself and Jughead, but FP says that he won’t betray the Serpents, and that they’ll come to his aid when necessary. He also says that Jughead is strong enough to get through this, as long as he has his friends.

Veronica and Jughead eat lunch together. She laments about how the two of them have a lot in common, aside from their dads both being in legal trouble. Cheryl arrives at the table and apologizes to Jughead for slapping him. She gives Jughead her spider brooch, which he can pawn away for a lot of money. Veronica asks Cheryl what’s gotten into her, and Cheryl begins to tell her when Kevin comes in and says that there’s a problem at Betty’s locker.

Betty and Polly stand at Betty’s locker, which is plastered with copies of Betty’s article, and a derogatory message written in what looks like blood.

Archie tells Fred that the message was written in pig’s blood, and that he’s worried about Betty and Jughead’s safety.

Jughead tells Betty that she’s going to continue being a target as long as she’s with Jughead. He says that there’s a conspiracy within the town to ruin his life and make him feel like he doesn’t belong. Betty reminds him that he does belong.

Veronica arrives at home. Hermione asks about Veronica’s growing relationship with Archie, and asks her to convince Archie to get Fred to sell his company. Veronica questions why Hermione is wanting to screw Fred over, and Hermione says its because she doesn’t think Hiram and Fred will be able to get along.

Betty comes home to discover that Polly told Alice about Betty taking her to school. Alice chastises Betty for publishing the article behind her back. Betty says its because she’s telling the truth, and Alice says its only because she cares about Betty. Betty begins asking Alice about her perception of Jughead and FP – including what FP said Alice and Hal were arguing about at homecoming. Betty tells Alice not to keep so many secrets that could hurt the family.

Cheryl asks Penelope if she can stay home from school, but she says no.

Alice comes into Betty’s room. She tells her the truth – that the fight between her and Hal at homecoming was because she’d just discovered that she was pregnant, and she and Hal disagreed about how to handle it. After the fight, she was sent to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, who arranged for her baby to be adopted. She apologizes for keeping it from her, and they embrace.

Betty tells Archie and Veronica about her secret brother. She gets a call from Jughead, who is starting his first day at Southside High. The three of them agree to go find Jughead.

Cheryl lays her white dress from the river out in her room and then lays down on her bed.

Archie, Betty, and Veronica find Jughead in the Southside cafeteria, having fun with the other students.

Outside, Jughead tells Betty that him attending Southside might be better for everything. Betty reassures that she won’t let this break them apart. They hug, while Archie and Veronica look on. Archie begins to tell Veronica something, but she suddenly gets a text from Cheryl – saying that she’s ‘going to be with Jason now.’

The gang looks for Cheryl at Sweetwater River. They find her trying to break the ice of the river. Veronica tries to talk her down, but she falls in. The four of them hurry over, and Archie attempts to punch the ice to save her.

While in the water, Cheryl sees a zombified Jason and screams. Archie breaks through the ice and pulls Cheryl out. He revives her and carries her off to safety.

Back at the Lodge house, Veronica offers Cheryl hot chocolate. Hermione arrives and asks why Cheryl is there, and Veronica tells her that she was in an accident and needed help. Hermione tells Veronica to get ready for the Jubilee, while Cheryl watches on.

Betty gets ready for the Jubilee. Alice comes in and asks what’s wrong, and Betty tells her about Jughead’s situation, and how she’s worried that it will change too much between them.

Archie attempts to practice his guitar with his bandaged hands. Veronica comforts him, then asks him about how he looked at Betty at Southside High. Archie says that he’ll always like Betty as a friend, and that seeing Betty and Jughead together made him realize he wants to be there for Veronica. The pair kiss, but are interrupted by Josie and the Pussycats. Josie explains that she’s reconsidered whether or not to play Archie’s song.

Mayor McCoy welcomes everyone to the Jubilee. She introduces Josie and the Pussycats and Archie, who begin to play Archie’s song.

Jughead visits FP, saying that Keller wants him to convince FP to name names. Jughead tells FP that he’s going to be okay – that his foster family is nice, and the high school seems normal enough. FP tells Jughead that he needs to answer for his wrongdoings, and that he needs Jughead to be there for the rest of their family while FP goes through trial.

Archie and the Pussycats finish singing Archie’s song. Archie shares a look with Betty, who’s offstage.

Betty begins her speech, just as Jughead walks into the room. In her speech, Betty says that everyone in the town is the essence of Riverdale – even people they attempt to shun, like FP and Jughead. She says that Riverdale needs to do better to prevent something like Jason’s murder from happening again. She finishes her speech, and Jughead leads the audience into applause.

Hermione approaches Fred after the Jubilee. He reveals that he’s not selling the company, but will continue to keep Hermione as a partner.

Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Jughead toast milkshakes to each other at Pop’s.

Penelope arrives home, looking for Cheryl. She finds her standing over a fire. She filled the house with gasoline, and is going to burn it to ‘start over’.

Betty and Jughead arrive in FP’s trailer. Betty tells Jughead that she’s not giving up on FP until he’s out of jail. Jughead tells Betty that he loves her, and Betty says the same. They kiss.

Veronica and Archie arrive at the Lodge house. They go into Veronica’s room and begin kissing and getting undressed.

Jughead and Betty begin getting undressed in FP’s trailer, but hear a knock at the door. Outside, they find a bunch of the Serpents – and Hot Dog. The Serpents say that they will protect Jughead for FP, and offer him a Serpents jacket. He accepts it.

Cheryl and Penelope stand outside of Thornhill, which is in flames.

The next day, Archie gets dressed. He explains that Fred wants to meet him at Pop’s, which probably means something serious. He and Veronica kiss and Archie leaves.

Archie arrives at Pop’s. He goes into the bathroom to wash his hands, and finds a masked man strangling Pop. Fred and Archie both attempt to intervene. A gunshot is heard.

The masked man escapes Pop’s. Jughead says that that event will start something new in Riverdale – a wave of darkness. Archie holds Fred as he bleeds out on the floor.