‘Riverdale’ Extended Promo Teases War Between Archie and Hiram

A killer was caught, but everyone is still on edge in the sleepy small town of Riverdale.

As we get ready for next week’s return of Riverdale, the CW released a brand new promo of the first two episodes, teasing a clash between North and South as well as Archie and Hiram.

Troubles in the city lead to the closing of Southside High School, forcing the younger Serpents to transfer to Riverdale High and a class conflict that’s been brewing since the series began. While anybody who ever watched DeGrassi could see this is a bad idea (remember when Lakehurst merged? Poor J.T…) these are the types of hard decisions Mayor McCoy must make.

We get to see some angry standoffs between the Serpents and some unwelcoming teens from Riverdale, all while Reggie warns about the repercussions of choosing the wrong side in the coming war.

But while that conflict starts to bubble up, we get to see the rivalry between Archie and Veronica’s dad start to ratchet up in intensity. Whether racing, wrestling, or having a war of words, Hiram Lodge warns his daughter’s suitor that he never loses.

It remains to be seen what Hiram could actually gain from getting into a fight with a child, but this is Riverdale; where the long-term goals are mostly incomprehensible to feeble mortals.

We also get to see a forlorn Alice Cooper admitting to Betty that she wants to see the child she gave up for adoption, teasing that Chic Cooper’s arrival will happen very soon once the show comes back. But where has he been and what does he want? And how will this affect her marriage to Hal, who pressured Alice to give the baby up for adoption when they were younger?

The kids might have learned the identity of the Black Hood and, hopefully, ended his reign of terror on the town, but that doesn’t mean the drama will end there.

Riverdale returns to the CW next Wednesday, January 17 for more episodes of Season 2, starting with “Chapter Twenty-Three: The Blackboard Jungle.”