RIVERDALE: “Chapter Forty-Four: No Exit” (S3 E9): Return Spells Possible Doom For Fan Favorite

Riverdale returned in full force Wednesday night. Taking place five weeks after the quarantine has been lifted, there is an air of vulnerability and dire straights over the town, only the corrupt and greedy are able to relish the opportunities it invites. I was surprised viewers were not allowed to witness life within the quarantined Riverdale. The first half of the season had spent so long building up to it, that it was a shock to find that it had come and gone.

So what was the point of the quarantine after all? Is there more to Hiram’s (Mark Consuelos) plan? That’s what our characters want to know as well.

La Bonne Nuit

It isn’t long, though, until we get a glimpse of the new King of Riverdale in action. Following an attack on Reggie (Charles Melton) by the Gargoyle Gang due to Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) failed payments, Hiram shows up at the La Bonne Nuit, “concerned” for Veronica and the safety of her business. Offering her protection once again for a 15% return on her profits, Veronica, who has been cooking her books, makes a deal with the devil.

Yet, the devil is not easily deceived, ordering another attack on the headliner of the La Bonne Nuit – Josie (Ashleigh Murray) – as retaliation for the attempt of trickery by Veronica. Yet, as it seems to be the overarching theme of the episode, there is always another way – another path. Faced with falling under her father’s thumb, Veronica turns to the Serpents, who are also facing their own hardships post-quarantine Riverdale. Paying for protection through the Serpents, Veronica and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) make a stand against Hiram, sending the message that Riverdale is not lost. The question now is, what will Hiram do when he receives the message?

Oh, and through all the stress and intricate playing of the game against her father, Veronica may have begun taking the first steps to move on from Archie (KJ Apa). As many fans will remember, Archie broke Veronica’s  – and our – hearts when he ended their relationship before leaving Riverdale. Tonight was the first sign that Veronica may be letting Archie go, as she and Reggie embrace in what appears to be their first kiss – and we aren’t talking a peck on the cheek.

The Gryphon Queen

Five weeks post quarantine for Betty (Lili Reinhart) is also five weeks post-Sisters of the Quiet Mercy. Having broken herself and all the the other children free of the hospital, she and her mother have been caring and trying to keep each one of them safe until they can bring Hiram to court for the drugs he had tested on all of them. Yet, some habits die hard. Even though Betty has told them she had killed the Gargoyle King, they are unable to completely break free of the game’s hypnotic powers. Tyler sneaks Fizzle Rocks into the house (the drugs the Sisters had been administering) and the children need to play rounds of the game before falling asleep. And you thought feeding them was going to be the biggest issue.

As Betty’s mother (Mädchen Amick) becomes impatient with a house full of guests, The Farm is reintroduced to the Riverdale storyline – and in this case as a possible solution. The Farm has the capability to provide shelter and safety to the children, as well as treatment from Edgar that will aid them in their emotional sufferings. With Betty adamantly against it, her mother continues to sneak around her back, first calling Polly (Tiera Skovbye) and Evelyn (Zoé De Grand Maison), Edgar’s daughter, to come and speak with them, eventually calling Edgar to come personally to take the children when Tyler claims to have seen the Gargoyle King in the woods.

As usual, Betty’s plate is overflowing with not only the discovery that Edgar’s taken the children, but also that the Sister’s of Quiet Mercy, who have sworn to testify against Hiram, have been bailed out of jail by an anonymous donor. Leaving a message behind about “joining thee”, Betty’s fears are affirmed when she finds the sisters dead in the Gargoyle King’s room – blue lips and all. The fear on Betty’s face is not just for the bodies that lay before her, but the realization that the game was not a coping mechanism created within the walls by patients in response to fear, but that it is so much bigger. The sisters themselves believed it to be real and took the steps to ascend to the kingdom.

The Serpents

There is a feeling of opposition throughout the Serpents as their former and present Serpent King had been missing before and during the quarantine. Jughead is unaware of the crime and drug dealing the Serpents have been engaging in, enforcing strict rules when he does find out. Any drug dealing or crime going forward will result in immediate expulsion from the Serpent gang – a rule that is met with disagreement. Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Fang (Drew Ray Tanner) stand up against Jughead, calling him out for his absence and lack of understanding for what they were all forced, and are still forced, to do to survive. The resentment seeps through the gang.

Jughead is entering what may be his most difficult time as the Serpent King. No sooner has his ruling been announced, it is discovered that Fangs is dealing Fizzle Rocks around town for the Gargoyle Gang to make money. Ashamed to have asked for help, he turned to drugs as a source of income for himself and his ailing mother. In a moment of mercy, Jughead gives Fang a “get out of jail free” with the understanding that he is never to deal again and that he is to keep this show of mercy between them. Yet, it is not long before his ruling is once again tested.

Announcing that he has found a source of income for the Serpents by providing protection to Veronica and her speakeasy, the cries of celebration are quickly snuffed as he also asks for the jackets and dismissal of Cheryl and Toni (Vanessa Morgan) from the gang. Having continued their robbing spree, hitting up Hiram’s apartment and leaving their calling card, they have violated the no crime ruling. Yet, Cheryl is not one to go quietly, calling for Fang’s jacket as well. If Jug will not show the same mercy to her and Toni, they must all be asked to leave. You can feel the gang holding their breath as you wait to hear what Jug will decide – that is until you realize it is you that is holding your breath.

As Cheryl, Toni and Fangs are asked to permanently leave, I find myself wondering if Hiram is still getting what he wants. There is a shock breaking through the ranks of the Serpents. Will the aftershock break the strength and bonds of the gang? Will it take the power from Jug bringing a challenger to try and claim the Serpent crown? His mother’s return is expected as she was seen in the trailer for Riverdale’s return – could this be a setup for a family takedown?

The Red Paladin

Oh Archie Andrews, our constant damsel in distress. Having found refugee in the forest (as what appears to be a Ranger), he seems to have found peace and solidarity. Though the forces of nature always seem to find him no matter where he goes, in this case, a bear. Injured and with communication cut off, he waits for an absolution, for the answers he has longed for to reach him – for help.

As he comes to, we see the boys from the mines at Shadow Lake and Cassidy (Harrison MacDonald), whose murder Archie was framed for, sitting around a set up game of Gryphons and Gargoyles. One round is all they want to play with him, to help him find out where all his troubles began. His first quest card takes him back to the dinner when he and his father faced the black hood for the first time. Instead of remaining frozen, Archie kills the black hood, bringing defeat to his demons. Though as he returns to the game, Warden Norton (William MacDonald)  is waiting for him for round two.

There are still demons to be understood, and Archie has another quest he must embark on if he wants to return to Eldevair (aka Riverdale). His second quest brings him face to face with Hiram the night before his arrest. Plunging a knife into his gut, Archie destroys the overarching demon that has driven him into hiding. Yet, when he returns to the cabin, the game is still waiting for a final round with Betty, Jughead and Veronica (all in Season 1 attire) awaiting on him to embark on his final quest. While we do not see what his quest card says, we know that Archie is about to face his biggest demon, the real creature that has brought him into the predicament he is in – himself. Facing reality, and with no one left to blame but himself, Archie kills the Archie lying peacefully in his bed in Riverdale – all while ignoring his father’s words of encouragement that there is always another way, another path.

As the delirious world of Archie vanishes away, viewers are now left with their true reality as help finally arrives at the cabin. They try to wake him up, the blood on his clothes a worrisome amount. Try as they might, Archie does not wake, he does not move – he does not breath. Could Archie have found a new means of Ascension – or has he finally given up?

Conclusion

Like many other Riverdale fans out there, I too am not convinced on the passing of Archie Andrews, or that his dire situation is truly a cause for concern. Like many of the memes running rampant since the final moments of the episode, I was more devastated when I thought Penny Peabody (Brit Morgan) had killed Jughead than I am about Archie Andrews. Archie will be back, though to what capacity and when will be what we have to wait to see. In the upcoming trailer, there is a flash of Archie holding a gun pointed at Hiram, providing some early proof that our salient hero will be back  – and still has further demons to face. Though does anyone else feel there isn’t really a place for Archie in the Riverdale storyline? He has been an outlying character for so long, I cannot even think of a way he could be utilized and melded back into the mix. We can only hope the show’s writers have a few tricks up their sleeves.

I had expected more of a setup for the second half of the season, but was met more with shock value moments, such as the possibility of Archie’s death, than a strong push forward in a future or continuing storyline. The next episode, I think, will provide a better setup and feeling for the remainder of the season. One thing is for certain, there is definitely a feeling that things are about to get seriously shaken up.