This week marks the airing date of The CW’s Riverdale episode 5, titled “Heart of Darkness,” which is quite befitting with how the show has shaped up to be so far. When the series was first announced last year, no one knew quite what to expect with the reboot adaptation of the classic, iconic yet admittedly juvenile Archie Comics . Warning: read further ahead at your own risk for spoilers .
The new series, that has been running on The CW and Netflix since last January, has surprisingly managed to stand on its own, taking what fans know of their favorite characters and storylines and spinning it all into a dark, sarcastic reality that still presents hope and sunshine, making it all the more addicting to watch. With Riverdale Episode 5, the audience is firmly hooked into the mysteries of this tiny hometown, with each new episode giving you answers; at the same time, raising a lot more questions.
Twin Mysteries
At the center of the mystery is Jason Blossom — twin of Cheryl Blossom, jock, popular kid, drowned corpse with a bullet wound on his forehead. The latest trailer shows that we’ll all finally be attending his funeral and getting access to the Blossom family mansion (see trailer below). There’s some serious horror movie vibe here as Cheryl is seen walking in a dramatic red dress, holding up a candelabra in the dark. She suddenly screams, and we see a splash of blood. Will something bad be happening to Cheryl in Episode 5? And through association, will that affect Veronica Lodge, who will be developing a closer relationship to the bitchy redhead in this episode? Ronnie was seen comforting Cheryl during the pep rally, after the former broke down and ran to the locker room, after remembering her twin.
Miss Grundy’s Connection to Jason
According to Comicbook , the Blossom family has a secret agenda, as they finally move forward with the funeral arrangements. On top of the investigation is Betty Cooper, who along with Jughead, has redirected her attention back to Jason’s death, after being sidetracked with Archie and Miss Grundy’s relationship in the last episode. Speaking of the music tutor, Miss Grundy’s exit seemed too abrupt, and it might be that she still has reason to come back to Riverdale. Who knows, she was also Jason Blossom’s music tutor, as she had mentioned in episode 4 to Betty, and might somehow still be connected to his death. If you think about it, although she has a great alibi in Archie, could she be connected to Jason in more ways that one? As seen in the end of the last episode, it seems that Miss Grundy really has an eye for younger men, signified by her oversized, heart-shaped sunglasses (seen in an episode 1 flashback where she invites Archie into her car). Could Jason also have been involved with her? Did it have something to do with his wanting to disappear?
Riverdale’s Sleuthing Duo ‘Bughead’
Meanwhile, Betty has teamed up with Jughead Jones for the school paper to try to crack the case of Jason, because they think that the Blossoms might be hiding something. But it seems that Betty will be finding out more about another family than she’d want — her own. The Coopers have their own secrets, from Polly’s supposed stay in a mental institution to Betty’s apparent need for medication. Plus there’s Alice Cooper, highstrung mom and ultimate control freak. Who knows what secrets she and Betty’s dad have in and around Riverdale. Could they somehow be responsible for Jason’s death? Was he maybe meeting up with Polly one week after his fake drowning, only to get shot by a Cooper?
On the lighter, possibly more romantic side of things, something might be brewing between Betty and Jughead. This something might come into play in the 6th episode of the season, rather than Episode 5. Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty, did say in an interview with MTV , that she thinks that Betty and Jughead make a great pair and that Archie is so wrong for her. Some fans are already shipping ‘Bughead’ and there have been photos released by CW that hint at an upcoming kiss. That’s certainly a twist that’s far from the comic book canon.
Riverdale Episode 5 airs on Thursday February 23 at 9/8c on The CW. Watch the latest full promo trailer below:
[Featured Image by Dean Buscher/ The CW ]