Riverdale Recap With Spoilers: Jughead’s Death Gets Complicated in “To Die For”

Riverdale has arguably cemented one of its biggest mysteries yet, now that Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) seems to have really kicked the bucket. Of course, given the show’s proclivity for plot twists, it was safe to assume things would get complicated — and they definitely did. Here’s what you need to know about this week’s episode, “Chapter Seventy-Two: To Die For”. Obviously, spoilers for the episode lurk below! Only look if you want to know!

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The episode opens with a title card proclaiming that Jughead is really dead. Betty gets a phone call from Yale, saying that she could have Jughead’s spot in their upcoming graduating class.

Cheryl tries to comfort Betty, and offers to help her not be suicidal in the wake of Jughead’s death. Cheryl offers to drive Betty to Stonewall to pick up Jughead’s things, but is told to stay in the car. Betty grabs Jughead’s stuff, including a tie pin, but is confronted by Brett, who says he knows she’s guilty. Betty looks at Donna’s door as she leaves.

Alice films a documentary about Jughead’s death, trying to get to the root of Riverdale’s darkness. She interviews FP, who says he has a warrant to find evidence. This leads him to Donna’s room, where he finds the tie pin. Donna begins crying, and argues that the other kids are afraid of Betty.

FP arrests Betty, Veronica, and Archie at school, which Betty had expected to happen. As they’re handcuffed and taken out of class, Betty says this is part of the plan.

FP interrogates Veronica and Archie, but both Hiram and Mary accuse him of being too harsh. Alice talks to Betty before FP’s interrogation of her, and argues that Betty was manipulated into doing it, but that that’s okay. FP arrives, and says that the rock was tested for fake blood, and that they’re free to go.

Donna and Brett find out this information, which causes them to panic. Donna calls Betty in the middle of the night, and accuses her of faking Jughead’s death to get the prep kids in trouble.

The next morning, Betty suggests that they hold a funeral for Jughead, and FP reluctantly agrees. Donna and the other kids arrive, but immediately suspect that Jughead’s body isn’t really inside. FP gives a eulogy during the funeral. Betty does the same, but reads a passage from the Sherlock story “The Final Problem”.

After the funeral, Hiram tells FP to take a leave of absence, because the case is too personal. Donna begins to accost Jellybean, and eventually tells Brett to try to open Jughead’s casket. This upsets everyone, and Donna and the other kids leave.

At school, Kevin asks Betty if Jughead Is really alive. Kevin clearly thinks he is, in part because he remembers Jughead wanting to fake his own death like Tom Sawyer.

Betty meets with Archie at Pop’s, and cries about the rumors that Jughead is still alive — while Cheryl is within earshot. The next day, Cheryl helps the students put together a memorial for Jughead, which causes Betty and Archie to run off into the music room. Archie comforts Betty and they kiss, conveniently for Cheryl to take a photo of and pass throughout the school.

Cheryl tells Veronica about Archie and Betty’s kiss, and she confronts them about it. Veronica blames Archie for it, but Betty takes the blame. Kevin later tells Alice’s documentary that he doesn’t think Jughead is still alive, because Betty wouldn’t be with Archie if he was. Donna visits Betty at school and accuses her again, but Betty denies it. Donna also tells Betty that she’s seen the “Bughead” sex tape, and is waiting for her to slip up.

Betty tells as much to Alice’s documentary — and that she’s been visiting Dilton’s bunker every night since Jughead died. Donna follows Betty down to the bunker — and finds Betty and Archie hooking up. Betty promises to tell Alice the truth about what’s happening off-camera — and she seemingly tells her that it’s all a cover-up.

Archie and Veronica talk about faking all of the drama for Betty’s plan, and Archie reassures Veronica that he only has feelings for her. Meanwhile, Betty reunites with a very alive Jughead in the bunker, who reveals that he’s been hiding under a cot in the bunker for days. Betty argues that the beanie helped cushion Jughead’s head wound, and then gives him a new one that she knitted herself. She then reveals that everybody – including FP – has been in on the cover-up.

Alice interviews Veronica for her documentary, who reassures that she still trusts Betty and Archie. Betty and Archie text each other about the cover-up, but are unsure of how flirty to be.

Alice interviews Betty, Archie, and Veronica about the cover-up, and Betty says it was all to cause the prep kids to begin to crack. Donna argues to Brett that Jughead was hiding in the bunker – because she saw three milkshakes there – but he doesn’t believe her. She slaps him, says she’s still the brains of the operation, and threatens to kill Brett if he misbehaves again.

Other tidbits from the episode include:

• Archie and Veronica have sex, but they’re both worried about Betty’s plan. Hermosa barges in and tells Veronica she’s still suspicious of her. Hermosa later gives Veronica a fake passport to evade her murder investigation, but Veronica rips it up. Hermosa reveals that she knows Archie, Betty, and Veronica didn’t tell the same stories on the night of Jughead’s death, and suspects that they’re lying. Hermosa comes to Veronica with information on Donna, revealing that she’s actually lying about who she is. Veronica passes that information on to the rest of the Core Four, and Jughead gets an idea of how to stop them.

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Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.