'Riverdale' Season 4 Episode 2 review: Jug's new school, a good old fashioned football scrimmage, and a house party kick off senior year
This review contains spoilers for 'Riverdale' Season 4 Episode 2: 'Fast Times at Riverdale High'
Fast times are quite literally happening in the second episode of the subversive teen drama. Compared to the slow, quiet season opener, 'Riverdale' seems like it wants to make amends and take the audience on a roller-coaster ride in 'Fast Times at Riverdale High'.
For the famous teens of the school, it's nothing like some mush and steamy sex to kickstart their senior year. The good thing about the episode is it picks up some of the unexplained pieces from season three and there is a small clip of a flash-forward to spring break that teases something terrible has befallen Jughead (Cole Sprouse).
The episode starts with Jug recounting how hazy the teens' summer vacation was and the onus was trying their best to help Archie (KJ Apa) come to terms with his dad's death.
With a day left before high school kicks off, Archie convinces Mad Dog (Eli Goree) to join the school and be part of the Bulldogs football team. Meanwhile, Betty (Lili Reinhart) and her brother Charles (Wyatt Nash) search for their mother, Alice (Amick Madchen) after she vanished with The Farm.
Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) is being hassled by the press to see who's side she picks in the upcoming trial involving her parents. Mr. Weatherbee is replaced by a Mr. Honey (Kerr Smith), who isn't exactly as sweet.
Call it as cheesy line, but hand to Madelaine Petsch's Cheryl Blossom when she takes the man head-on. "You may be honey, but I'm the queen bee," she says and swaggers off after he cancels the back-to-school dance.
Just typical of Cheryl as she organizes the party at the Thistle House instead. Honey does play spoilsport and calls in the cops and rains on their fun.
Jughead gets an offer to study at Stonewall Prep and he considers it eventually. Mr. Chipping (Sam Witwer), the Principal comes across as an easy-going man who is thoroughly excited at the prospect of having Jug enroll and be a part of his school.
Again, this episode doesn't really delve much into the mysteries but gives a hint of what to expect. The Farm will most definitely be back and so will Hiram Lodge as he conspires against his daughter. Barring these two points, there are a bunch of talking points the episode sheds light on.
What's going on Betty?
Alice is undercover and is in danger, The teen manages to rekindle her friendship with Kevin, and he returns the gesture of goodwill by finding out where The Farm is.
Then, despite her good intentions, she lets Jug trot off to a new school. So what's really going on? Is all this just to focus on getting Alice back without putting Jug's life in danger? How will that pan out?
Reggie's daddy issues
Thank God the man gets some story to be told. The comic version of Reggie was a show-off and a star athlete. He was pretty much a frenemy to Archie and here he goes on to be Archie's "Bro for Life".
Reggie has issues with his dad who wants him to be the best in football and also has a history of beating him to pulp should the son fail. In the end, it's revenge exacted for Reggie as he shatters the windshield of his dad's sports car.
Veronica goes from a Lodge to a Gomez
To escape the Lodge family's criminal stink, Veronica changed her last name to “Gomez” for her Harvard application. It's her mom's maiden name BTW. There is also this issue of who she will support in her parents' trial, but if things eventually boil down to picking a side, our money is on her siding Hermoine.
Review
It has been that sort of an episode that essays what a senior year in Riverdale would actually look like. There's some old-fashioned football scrimmage, some bit of Mr. and Ms. Popular in school and blossoming romance and friendships.
Whatever dark and demented mysteries lay ahead can wait, this season has surely established that it takes things one step at a time.