"Previously on Riverdale..." "The story is about a town, once wholesome and innocent, now forever changedby the mysterious death of Jason Blossom on the 4th of July." "The bookkeeping position at my company..." "It's still open." " If you're interested..." " Yes, yes, yes." "Oh, Hiram." "A donation to your re-election campaign." "And Lodge Industries gets one of the most prime pieces of real estate in Riverdale." "What did Jason do that was so bad?" "Jason and Polly had a fight." "Afterwards, Polly was pretty devastated, so we sent her to a hospital." "If your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about." "Dad, Jason and Polly were engaged." "Did you know that?" "I'd die before I let them steal my daughter." " Where is she?" " She is sick!" "Fear." "It's the most basic, the most human emotion." "As kids, we're afraid of everything." "The dark..." "Will you stay in my room tonight, Polly?" "Please?" "The boogeyman under the bed..." "Mom won't let me, Betty." "But I'll turn the night-light on, okay?" "And we pray for morning." "For the monsters to go away." "Though they never do." "Not really." "Just ask Jason Blossom." "Oh, Mom, I forgot to mention." "I invited Jughead over for breakfast." "Hmm." "So, Jughead..." "I suppose we have you to thank for Betty's ongoing obsession with this Jason Blossom ghoulishness?" "Actually, Mom, I was the one who asked Jughead to help me write it for the Blue and Gold." "Relax, Betty." "I'm just making conversation." "Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?" " Sure, I'll show you." " No, no." "I'll show him." "Follow me..." "Jughead." "Another fun fact about fear." "Sometimes it grows up with you." "Or it curls up inside of you, tightens around your guts." "Archie Andrews?" "Each fall, Riverdale High hosts a Variety Show." "But this event is no mere student frolic." "And what will you be auditioning with?" "Uh, an original song that I wrote called I'll Try." "Try harder!" "Maybe try not sucking so much." "Take your time, Archie." "Though we do have people waiting." "Oh, my God, what's happening?" "He's choking." "Archie?" "Clock's ticking." "Excuse me." "Sorry, I gotta go." "When I was up there, looking out..." "I don't know, I just I froze." "That was stage fright, Archie." "Yeah, but when I'm on the football field, the stands can be packed." "Packed, and it doesn't affect my game at all." "Singing makes you vulnerable in a way that football doesn't." "Or maybe what I was missing out there onstage was my team." "Or at least a partner." "What if we sang I Got You?" "Archie, I'm a Pussycat." "We're headlining the Variety Show." "What if you sang with them first and then me?" "Just this once?" " To help me get my sea legs." " Have you met Josie?" "I can't step out on the Cats." ""The Sisters of Quiet Mercy."" "What is that?" "Like a church?" "Or a charity?" "No." "It's a..." ""Home for troubled youths." "Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect, enjoying lives of quiet reflection and servitude."" "Poor Polly." "It's been months." "There's gotta be a reason my mom and dad don't want me to see Polly." "But I don't care anymore." "What are you guys talking about?" "Anything I can help with?" "What we're attempting is a stealth operation, Archie." "If we go in there with the entire Scooby Gang, forget it, we're compromised." "Well, don't you have to practice for the Variety Show anyways?" "Uh, no, I don't." "Except that yes, you do." "Thanks to a certain Veronica-ex-machina." " Excuse me." " What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing." "Just that I had a few words with our director/host, and reminded him that he's heard you sing on numerous occasions." "Even though it compromises my artistic integrity." "Cutting to the chase, you have a slot if you want it." "Veronica, thank you, but you saw what happened." "We all did." "Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up on that stage by myself..." "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that." "If it's a partner you're looking for," "Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able." "Veronica, I didn't know you could sing." "Like a nightingale." "What do you say, Archiekins?" "Be the Jay to my Bey?" "♪ Oh, when the sun goes down we light up this town ♪" "♪ Let your voice get loud ♪" "Hold up, hold up." "Look, Val." "You don't sing on the bridge." "Actually, the bridge is meant to be sung by two voices." "What is up with you today, J?" "What is up with you today, Mel?" "You're asleep at the snare drum..." "Relax." "Josie, it's a Variety Show in the auditorium, not show time at the Apollo." "Whether you are performing at Madison Square Garden or Ace Bowling Alley, you do it at 150%." "I'm sorry." "Did you want to say something to me, Valerie?" "It's just that I don't have to deal with this diva crap when I'm working with Archie." "Working with Archie how?" "Co-writing songs." " Singing with him." " Unacceptable." "You sing with the Pussycats." "Or with Archie." "But not both." "In that case, I quit." "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." "How's the, uh, first day going?" "Um..." "It's your books, Fred." "You only have enough in the bank to cover three more weeks of payroll." "I just don't want to..." "I..." "I can't let my guys go." "Last time I fired someone, it was not good." "I trust those guys, you know." "They trust me." "That's worth everything." "Yeah, but..." "I mean..." "Even putting your business at risk?" "I'm waiting to hear on this huge bid." "It's a long shot, but..." "You know that new development where the old drive-in used to be?" "I'm thinking that the construction could actually put me back in the black." "If I knew who the buyer was, I would plead the case myself." "So, I'm gonna do the next best thing." "Mayor McCoy is handling all the arrangements for the buyer." "So, I invited her to dinner." "Figure I can try to woo her into giving me the contract." "So, I was thinking..." "Maybe you could be my co-host." "Yeah." "I mean, of course." "Good." "Actually, why don't we have the dinner at my place?" "It's nicer." "No offense." "Hey, I just wanted to let you know," "I, uh..." "I bought tickets for all the guys at work to come see you in the Variety Show." "Yeah, me and Hermione..." "We're gonna go together." "With each other." "I..." "I don't really know how to say this, and I don't want to make a too big a deal of it, but, uh..." "Dad, it's okay." "You're good." "Yeah?" " Yeah." " Good." "Okay." "I do like her, and I..." "You know, I think maybe I'm ready..." "If this is something that makes you happy, then I say go for it." "You're good." "Mom's good." "I'm good." "All right." "Mom, Valerie quit the Pussycats." "Replace her." "Val writes our songs." "She's irreplaceable." "No, Josie." "You're irreplaceable." "Everyone else is disposable." "You know, maybe it's not such a bad thing to try a new voice." " Ugh." " A different sound." "You know how your father feels about pop music." " But it's not pop music this time." " Okay, well, he's catching a red eye and missing two concert dates to see you in this Variety Show." "I would hate for you to let him down." "I understand, and I won't." "Good, 'cause if you do, he will somehow blame me." "Find yourself a new Cat." "Someone skinny and beautiful." "But not more skinny and beautiful than you." "And a woman of color, please." " Josie, don't forget our branding." " Yeah, okay." "Mmm." "And Josie..." "Don't disappoint." "Are you gonna leave Dad when he gets out of jail?" "Honey, why would you ask such a thing?" "I saw you, Mom." "With Fred Andrews in the trailer." "Oh, Veronica." "Honey, I am so sorry that you did." "But I want you to know that we've..." "We've never even kissed before." "Until today." "What about Dad?" "What happens when he comes home?" "I'm not sure." "I'm so sorry, baby." "It just happened, Veronica." "And I know that this must be confusing." "Yeah, it is." "So, what can I do to help?" "You know what, Mom?" "There's actually nothing." "♪ I've got you ♪" "♪ And you've got me ♪" "♪ I've got you ♪" "♪ And you've got me ♪" "Not to be that girl, Archie, but I didn't get the memo we were adding another voice to the mix." "Ronnie, hey." "Great news!" "Valerie quit the Pussycats." "So, that makes me what, then?" "Backup?" "No." "I mean, you were just doing it as a favor to me, right?" "You are unbelievable, Archie." "You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!" "Okay." "Hey, Ronnie." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother." "Um..." " Maybe I should leave." " No, hold on." "Hold on." "When my dad told me how he felt, it seemed like they were both really into each other." "They're married to other people." "Hey, my mom and dad are separated and your dad is..." "My dad is what?" "He's..." "He's incarcerated, right?" "That is so not the point, Archie!" "Of course not." "Of course not." "I'm sorry." "You're right." "Do you wanna talk about it?" "We can go somewhere and talk." "Or do you want your part back?" "Oh, don't do me any favors, Archie." "Veronica..." "Your hunt for a new Pussycat is over." "I can sing, and I've got a lot of aggression that needs channeling into something positive." "Hey." "Don't judge a home for troubled youths by its facade, right?" "Hi." "My name is Elizabeth Cooper." "I'm here to see my sister, Polly." "May I see some identification?" "Sign in here, please." "He'll have to wait." "Polly's room is right this way." "Though right now it's silent reflection time, and she usually spends that time in the Garden of Deliverance." "Polly?" "Betty." "Oh, my God." "You found us." "You're..." "Polly..." "You're..." "With Jason's..." " Please be happy for me, Betty." " I am, Polly." "I'm just..." "I am so sorry I didn't come sooner." "I should've, but Mom and Dad..." "They stopped..." "No." "What did they tell you?" "That I was on drugs?" "Alcohol?" "They said you were sick." "That you tried to hurt yourself." "And they told me you didn't want to come and see me, which I knew was a lie." "So, they locked you up because you're pregnant?" "It's because they couldn't control me, Betty." "Mom and Dad hated that Jason and I were dating." "They were thrilled when Jason dumped me." "Jason's parents forced him to break up with me." "Of course they didn't approve of a Blossom boy dating a Cooper girl." "But when I told him about the baby, our baby..." "Oh, he was so happy, Betty." "We were gonna run away." "Start our family in a beautiful place." "So, on July 4th," "I woke up, I packed a bag, and I went downstairs to start my new life." "Just like Jason and I had planned." "We were gonna meet on the other side of Sweetwater River." "But Mom and Dad found out about everything." "When I went downstairs, there was a woman I didn't know sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea" " with two men behind her." " Oh, my God." "They threw me in the back of a van." "I was screaming." "I don't think I stopped screaming until I got here, in this place." "Have you talked to him?" "Does he know that I'm here?" " Who, Polly?" " Jason." "If I give him a message, will you make sure it gets to him?" " Polly, Jason..." " What does he think happened?" "He knows that I'm here because of Mom and Dad, right?" "Polly, you don't understand..." "I can fix this, Betty." "I know I can." "You just have to help me get out of here, and then I'll go to meet him." "I'll go to the car on the lost highway off of Route 40." ""Once you pass the old maple syrup sign, then you'll know you're almost there."" "See?" "I remember." "I'm packed." "We're packed." "We'll go to the farm just like we planned..." "Polly, stop." "What's the matter, Betty?" "What?" "What is it?" "Jason..." "What?" "Did something happen to him?" "Something bad?" "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God!" "I knew it." "He's..." "He's..." " He's..." " I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, Polly." "Come with me, young lady." "Now." "♪ Ooh ♪" "♪ Fallin' free, fallin' free ♪" "♪ Fallin' free, fallin' free ♪" "Um, sorry, Duchess." "Is our practice interrupting your texting?" "I'm just..." "I'm just stressed out about..." "Poor little rich girl." "What do you have to be stressed out about?" "We're doing a cover of a disco song, and my dad is skipping Jazz Fest to hear it..." "Okay, well, I'm sorry you have daddy issues, but at least your father can be in the same room with you." "I haven't seen my dad in three months because he's in jail." "And my mom is..." "You know what?" "It doesn't matter." "You don't care, and it's not important." "Veronica." "I'm sorry about your dad." "Thanks." "♪ I'm tryin', though I'm turnin' the page ♪" "♪ We're animals breakin' out of our cage ♪" "♪ There's nobody, no one, no way ♪" "♪ Who gets me like you do ♪" "Are you gonna do that on the day?" "Because if I'm gonna be up there with you," " we need to be on the same page." " Yeah, and we will be, Val." "What's goin' on with you?" "You've been in a mood." "It's just..." "I'm taking a risk, too." "A big one." "Do you mean quitting the Pussycats?" "I met Josie and Melody when we were all working at Power Records." "We used to practice in the stock room." "I'll never forget the day Josie came to rehearsal with a bag of cheap cat ears from the Halloween Store." "I found my voice with them." "Mom?" "What are you doing here?" "I pay the Sisters good money." "You think they don't notify me if Polly gets a visitor?" " Mom?" " Polly..." "Jason's dead?" "And you didn't tell me?" "And you kept me in here?" "Baby, it's for your own good." "Ugh!" "You always say that." "And it's not true!" "No!" "Betty!" "I'm gonna get you out of here, I swear to God." " I love you, Polly." " No!" "So, Myles, you being a professional jazz man, you must be livin' your dream, right?" "Well, yes and no." "The real struggle is always art versus commerce." "You know, I've never really been about the big paycheck." "But if we're talking about the future and long-term security, it can't always be about following your bliss." "Personally, I'm just excited to see my daughter perform with the Pussycats at the Variety Show." " Oh, yeah." " I beg your pardon?" "When were you gonna tell me about this?" "It just happened, Dad, and she's..." "She's really, really good." "And Val quit." "Or should I say we were Yoko Ono'd?" " Really?" " Yeah." "That's unfortunate." "She was the real deal." "Gave your act some much-needed integrity." "Well, I figure as long as the kids are havin' fun, that's the point, right?" "Except it's more than just about being fun for us." " Isn't it, Josephine?" " Josephine?" " I didn't know that was your real name." " After Josephine Baker." "You have no idea who that is, do you?" "Fred?" "You wanna get started on that presentation?" "Yeah." "Polly needed to hear the truth." "And I did, too." "So?" "Did you find what you were looking for?" "To be honest, Dad, no, I didn't." "You hate the Blossoms." "You hated Jason, and now Polly is pregnant with his baby." "That gives you a motive." ""A motive"?" "A motive for what?" "The night of the drive-in, did you break into Sheriff Keller's house and steal his case files?" " What?" " You weren't at the drive-in." "You weren't with Mom when she put Ms. Grundy on trial." "Where were you?" "Betty, what do you think I did?" "Did you kill Jason Blossom?" "Him?" "You think that he killed Jason?" "Your father?" "You think that he has the stomach for that?" "Alice..." "I wish he'd killed Jason." "I wish I had after what Jason did to Polly." "I swear, Elizabeth, you're sounding crazy just like your sister." " Stop staying that, Mom." "She's not crazy..." " She is, Betty." "She..." "Okay, she is depressed and delusional." "Did you actually believe the story she told you?" "About running off to Never-Never Land and raising a family?" "That's a fantasy, Betty." " I don't believe you." " You don't have to believe us." "We're your parents." "And with the labor force coming from Riverdale, Andrews Construction would be stimulating the local economy." "It's a win for the entire town." "That's it in a nutshell." "Well..." "After all that salt-of-the-earth talk," "I didn't expect you to be another dollar-chasing gentrifier." "Myles, Fred Andrews is a working man who lives in the real world." "I think Fred's bid was refreshing." "In fact, I'd like to award him the contract." "I'd like to, Fred, but the buyer's already in the process of accepting another bid." "It would take two shareholder signatures to stop the process." "Pop music isn't jazz." "Beyonce is not Josephine Baker." "It's an impossible target to hit, and I keep trying..." " Right..." " ...but he just..." "I'm..." "Anyway, what's your sob story?" "Nothing so glamorous." "I caught my mom and Fred Andrews in an intimate moment." "Are you gonna tell your dad?" "Josie, the only thing that keeps me going right now is the thought of how, when he gets out of jail, we can all be together again." "And we can go back to the way things were." " Mmm." " And If I tell my dad about my mom, that just all goes away." "Maybe." "Maybe not." "You don't know my father..." "Yeah, but I know dysfunctional families." "I'm not sayin' that what your mom's doing is right, but maybe there's another side to the story." " Hmm?" " Maybe one worth hearing?" "Dad, if I tank at the Variety Show, would you..." "Would I be mad?" "Son, whatever happens hat show, or any show, whether you go up there and kill it or you bomb like electric Dylan at a folk concert..." "I'm not sure who that is." "I would still love you, okay?" "Support you." "I'd be proud of the fact that you were brave enough to go after somethin' that you care about." "I can't wait to see your debut as a Pussycat, Ronnie." " Mom, I've been thinking..." " Truly." "Meanwhile, I was wondering if you could help me with something." " Are those divorce papers?" " No." "Ronnie, it's a motion." "To award the construction contract on your father's land to Fred Andrews." "I know you're not his biggest fan right now, but I was hoping you would sign it." "Why would I need to sign it?" "When your father was arrested, we made you a legal officer of Lodge Industries." "Surprise!" "And two out of three signatures are needed to award the contract, which your father wants to give to a less than legit outfit." "And you want my help giving it to your boyfriend." "I was gonna apologize to you." "If I sign that, will you stop seeing Fred Andrews?" "Ronnie, I can't agree to that." "In that case, Mom, I'm sorry, but no." "However you're rationalizing what you're doing with Archie's dad," "I don't want any part of it." "It's so perfect when you play it." "We wrote a good song, Archie." "I can't wait to sing it with you in public." "But just not tonight." "Val, you should play with the Pussycats." "I don't want to be the guy that broke up The Beatles." "In your heart, you're a Pussycat." "You'll always be a Pussycat." "Maybe." "But singing backup with no vote, no agency..." " Well, after meeting Josie's dad..." " Myles is in town?" "Yeah." "That's why she's been acting like Catzilla." "I'm betting you can negotiate new terms." "Where does that leave you?" "I was born alone." "I'll die alone." "I'll sing alone." "I'll be okay." "Hey there, Juliet." "Nurse off duty?" "You haven't gone full Yellow Wallpaper on me yet, have you?" "They're crazy." "My parents are crazy." "They're parents." "They're all crazy." "No, but what if..." "What if Polly is, too?" "The way she was talking to me, the way she looked at me..." "And now, all I can think is, "Maybe I'm crazy like they are."" "Hey." "We're all crazy." "We're not our parents, Betty." "We're not our families." "Also..." "What?" "What?" "The car." "Wow." "That's what you're thinking about in the middle of our moment?" "No!" "Polly talked about a car Jason had stashed for them down Route 40 near some sign." "If we can find it, we can confirm Polly's story." "One way or another." "I need to know, Juggy." "Hello, Riverdale High, and welcome to the 75th annual Variety Show!" "Why didn't you tell me your dad was coming?" "Would it have made a difference?" "Um, yes." "Josie, I'm not singing with Archie tonight." "Sorry to hear that, but you know I filled your spot, Val." "Yes..." "And I also know the new girl may be pretty, but no way does her voice blend with yours like mine does." "I suppose..." "There's always room for one more kitty in my litter box." " But Josie..." " Yeah?" "Every now and then, I want to sing lead." "Co-lead." "And only on the bridge." "Fine." "I have this killer arrangement of Ms. Donna Summer's I Feel Love, if you're up for that tonight." " I so am." " Oh, my God!" "All right, girl." "Go get changed, 'cause we're gonna rock it!" "Aw, come here." "♪ Ooh ♪" "♪ It's so good, it's so good ♪" "♪ It's so good, it's so good ♪" "♪ It's so good ♪" "♪ Ooh ♪" "♪ Heaven knows, heaven knows ♪" "♪ Heaven knows, heaven knows ♪" "♪ Heaven knows ♪" "♪ Ooh ♪" "♪ I feel love, I feel love ♪" "♪ I feel love, I feel love ♪" "♪ I feel love ♪" "♪ I feel love ♪" "♪ I feel love ♪" "♪ I feel love ♪" "What are those?" "Drugs, Betty." "Wait!" "Jughead, put it down!" "This is evidence." "This is all evidence." "Crap." "This whole car is a crime scene." "Okay." "We need to get Sheriff Keller and then we need to get Polly." "♪ I feel love ♪" "That was Josie and the Pussycats!" "Long tails and ears for hats." " You guys killed it." " Thanks." "So will you." "I know you will, Archie." "Okay, so this is my mea culpa moment." "I was angry at my mom and I took it out on you." "And I shouldn't have tried to bench you when Valerie came back." "Truer words could not have been spoken." " You holding up?" " Honestly..." "I'm hanging on by my whiskers." "You?" "The prospect of total humiliation in front of this entire town is terrifying." "Want some company out there?" "More than anything." "No." "I have to do this on my own, Veronica." "Well, if you freeze out there, Red Troubadour, just focus on someone that makes you feel safe." " Here's Archie Andrews!" " Come on." "Go." "Stick to football!" "♪ Can you hear me?" "♪" "♪ Am I drowned out in the crowd?" "♪ Are you listening?" "♪" "♪ Or is everyone else too loud for you to hear anything?" "♪" "♪ Are you just gonna walk away?" "♪" "♪ 'Cause there are so many things ♪" "♪ I can do, but instead I'll say ♪" "♪ I'll try ♪" "♪ I'll try ♪" "♪ To let it go ♪" "Sheriff Keller." "I got your text." "What is it?" " Look, it's Jason's jacket." " Where'd you get that?" "In the trunk of a car with a bunch of his other stuff." "Jason was running away with Polly." "Where's the car?" "♪ Back this way ♪" "♪ I'll try ♪" "♪ I'll try ♪" "♪ To let it go ♪" "♪ Let it go and never look back this way ♪" "Archie, you the man!" "Archie!" " Hi, Mom." "Hi, Mr. Andrews." " Hey." "What's going on?" "Well, I was just, um, telling your mother..." "You know that SoDale contract?" "It was awarded to Andrews Construction." "The buyer, whoever they are, they approved us." "Thanks to my lucky charm." "Congratulations, Mr. Andrews." "Looks like you won." "Excuse me." "Here's the thing about fear." "It's always there." "Fear of the unknown, fear of facing it alone..." "Fear that those closest to you are the monsters." "Fear that as soon as you slay one, there's another monster waiting to take its place." "Fear that there'sone more boogeyman waiting at the end of the dark hall." "Polly?" "She was out there." "Alone, bereft, unmoored..." "Where was she going?" "And what would she do next?"