‘Riverdale’ Recap With Spoilers: “The Noose Tightens”

Cheryl sits in her room at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. A nun takes her out of her room, and lets her into a room for movie night.

A ’50s-style instructional video — starring Kevin and Moose — begins playing. Kevin and Moose begin taking off their clothes to go swimming in Sweetwater River.

Alice leads a town hall at the school. Sweet Pea asks if the Serpents will be protected, and Jughead and Betty say yes. Midge asks Archie and Veronica about their parents’ opposing mayoral runs, and they both assure it isn’t a problem.

Jughead and Betty run out of the event, trying to avoid Alice. Alice confronts FP about Betty moving in with him and Jughead. He tells Alice to fix things with Betty before its too late.

Hiram and Hermione confront Fred and Mary about Fred’s mayoral campaign. Archie and Veronica suggest that everyone tries to get along.

The Lodges come home to find some of the other mobsters. They pull Hiram aside for a business meeting.

Mary asks Archie to stand by Fred when he announces his mayoral campaign. Archie agrees.

Alice comes home to find Chic watching the TV. On the news, they talk about the shady man’s car being fished out of the swamp. Alice calls FP in a panic.

FP, Alice, Jughead, and Betty sit at Pops, trying to figure out what to do next. FP decides that if the police asks, they all need to pretend they don’t know anything. Alice suggests Betty moves home to erase suspicion, but Betty disagrees.

Hiram tells Archie that the other mobsters are worried about Hermione’s campaign. Archie agrees to help Hiram sort things out.

Sweet Pea confronts Jughead about the point of his student council campaign. The Serpents accuse Betty of being a traitor to the Serpents like Alice previously was, and agree to not give Bughead their votes.

Reggie challenges Archie to an arm-wrestling contest, with the winner getting the football team’s votes in the election. Archie wins.

Toni tells Veronica and Josie that she’s worried about Cheryl. They agree to help investigate.

One of the nuns speaks to Cheryl, and accuses Nana Rose of corrupting Cheryl as a child. Cheryl explains that her abuse was caused by her mom.

Hiram meets with the other mobsters, and tells them he won’t be making a deal. Archie confronts them, explaining how loyal he’s been to Hiram, which the mobsters are impressed by.

In the parking lot, Hiram thanks Archie for defending him.

Betty complains to Jughead about the Serpents not accepting her. They then wonder what’s happening with the car, and decide to use their resources to find information.

Betty and Jughead meet with Kevin, who reveals that the car was returned to its owner this morning, and they’re trying to figure out who initially stole it.

Betty and Jughead tell Alice, FP, and Chic what they found out from Kevin. Chic reveals that the car probably belonged to Darla, the girlfriend of the shady man, Dwayne. Alice forces Betty to move back in with them immediately, and refuses to let Chic move out beforehand.

A nun forces Cheryl to move bags of flour around a room. She chastises her for not doing it correctly.

Toni, Veronica, and Josie confront Penelope about Cheryl’s absence. She ultimately explains that Cheryl was exhibiting weird behavior, and ultimately needed to be sent away. She hands Josie a piece of paper, which has one of Cheryl’s drawing of her and Josie, and asks the girls to keep Cheryl’s obsession with Josie a secret.

Toni and Veronica chase Josie outside, where she explains that she’s done with this investigation.

Betty provides Alice with a consent form, which would allow her to get a Serpent tattoo. Alice refuses, but Betty vows to get it done anyway.

Chic brings a woman into the house — Darla, Dwayne’s girlfriend.

Archie finds Jughead helping Fred with his campaign announcement. Fred thanks Archie for agreeing to come to the announcement.

Darla tells the Coopers how surprised she was to find out that Dwayne had ended up getting her car in the swamp. She reveals that she doesn’t care what happened to Dwayne, as long as she gets the $10,000 payment that he owed her. Alice agrees to have Betty go withdraw the money, but Betty explains that the bank is currently closed. Darla doesn’t mind waiting.

Archie complains to Veronica about what’s happening with Fred, but Veronica promises that things will be all right. They open the door to the Pembrooke to find the Black Hood beating up Andre. Archie chases him down and rips off his hood to realize that it’s Adams.

The Lodges realize that Adams is now working for the other mobsters. Archie agrees to protect the family in the short term.

The next morning, Betty leaves for the bank. Darla threatens that she shouldn’t go anywhere else aside from the bank.

Penelope leaves Nana Rose home for the day, turning on the TV to Bob Ross. Nana Rose falls out of her chair, crawling across the room to the telephone.

Toni gets called to the Principal’s Office, where a phone call is waiting for her. It’s Nana Rose, who reveals that Cheryl is close by. She begins to say that Cheryl is with the Sisters, but Claudius cuts the line.

Alice calls Betty, revealing that the man who assaulted Chic at the hotel is now at their house. She tells Betty not to come home.

Toni tells Veronica about Nana Rose’s phone call. They decide to consult Kevin, trying to figure out if the Sisters of Quiet Mercy are doing gay conversion therapy. Kevin reveals that it’s true, and that he can lead them through a set of secret tunnels there.

Betty returns home, where Darla and the man threaten to stay. Just then, Jughead and the Serpents come in, and threaten that they leave immediately. Darla and the man leave.

Alice thanks Jughead and the Serpents for protecting them. Alice explains that Betty was right, and asks for Chic to move out soon. He agrees.

Archie walks Veronica into the Pembrooke, where Hiram pulls him aside for a meeting. Hiram reveals that he’s letting the mobsters invest in the prison, but Archie decides not to tell them just yet.

Fred and Mary wait at his mayoral announcement, upset that Archie hasn’t shown up. Fred goes up to the podium and makes his announcement.

Archie asks Reggie to help him intimidate the mobsters in exchange for the Bulldogs’ votes in the election.

Toni and Veronica leave to rescue Cheryl.

A nun tells Cheryl to get ready for movie night.

Toni, Veronica, and Kevin arrive at the tunnels. They get in.

Cheryl sits in her room, crying.

Toni and Veronica arrive on the grounds. Toni finds Cheryl in the movie room, and breaks down the door and rescues her. The two of them kiss before Veronica gets them and tells them they need to run away.

The three of them run down into the tunnels, outrunning the nuns and escaping.

The mobsters wait at dinner, upset that Hiram hasn’t arrived. A waiter comes by, and tells them that Hiram left a message to go out to their cars. They go outside, where their cars are immediately blown up. Archie and the Bulldogs stand in Black Hood outfits, and tell them that Hiram and Riverdale are protected.

The next morning, Mary confronts Archie for blowing off Fred’s announcement. She asks who Archie has become.

Alice meets with the Serpents, thanking them, and apologizing for how she treated the Serpents before.

Alice, in Serpent regalia, meets with FP at his trailer.

Archie meets with the Lodges at Pop’s, where they present him with a new car as a reward.

Cheryl and Toni hold hands at school. Cheryl reveals that she’s going to get revenge on her mom and Claudius. She then walks up to Kevin, revealing that she wants to play Carrie in the school musical — and destroy the school in the process.