After a break of about five months from the air “Riverdale,” the dark and mysteriously attractive TV drama adaptation of the “Archie” funny comics, returned for its second season at TheCW. The resumption of the story is one that fans have been clamoring for, especially considering the evil cliffhanger that was the season finale where Fred Andrews (Luke Perry) was shot. There have been lots of rumor-mongering during the interval months about what will happen in season 2, and now that the premiere episode has aired, some of these guesses have been checking out.
In “A Kiss Before Dying,” the question of the survival of Archie’s (KJ Apa) dad is answered, only to be buried in even more questions.
Not a robbery
“Riverdale” season 2’s episode 1 “A Kiss Before Dying” carries on right from the end of season 1 with Archie taking his dad Fred to the hospital, running into his friends along the way. The question may as well be put out of the way now: while he was skirting the line for most of it, Fred Andrew survives his gunshot wound but remains hospitalized. Discussing his dad’s shooting at the Chock’lit Shoppe with his close circle, Archie’s narration of the hooded gunman makes Jughead (Cole Sprouse) suspect that he recognizes the assailant but is keeping quiet about it.
In the investigation that follows, the gang piece together that the situation Fred Andrews walked into at Pop’s diner was not a robbery but possibly a planned hit against him, as his wallet is also missing. Jughead and Veronica (Camila Mendes) have their own suspects on the gunman and follow those leads separately: Jug with the Southside Serpents and Ronnie with her own mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols).
Her accusation of her own mom causes tensions in the Lodge household, and it only gets worse when Veronica’s father Hiram (Mark Consuelos) comes to Riverdale after release from prison.
Back for the dead
While this new mystery – not yet deadly but still dangerous – plays out for the main teens, there is no shortage of hot stuff to spice up the story as it goes.
Before the investigation takes off, Veronica had invited Archie to shower in her house, and it quickly gets steamy from there. One surprise appearance, however, comes at the end of the episode, as Archie’s teacher/lover Miss Grundy (Sarah Habel) returns in a brief scene. Living outside Riverdale with a new young paramour, she is murdered by Fred Andrews’ shooter shortly after kissing her boy-toy goodbye. Now we know where the title “A Kiss Before Dying” comes from.
A new episode of “Riverdale” comes every Wednesday, 8 PM ET/PT on The CW. The new puzzles and secrets introduced this season can be contemplated on by the show’s Canadian fans at Netflix’s “Chock’lit Shoppe” pop-up diners, opening across six major cities in Canada from Thursday to Friday.
