Page 7 - Riverdale Roundup Ch. 119: I Think I Like It

Episode Date: April 11, 2023

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I'm so curious. MJ and I have been talking for 25 minutes, and we have not, for a second of it, discussed how we felt about the Riverdale. We wanted pure Riverdale reactions to die. My mouth just stopped working. I think I got too excited. Hi, everybody. Welcome to Riverdale Roundup.

We are talking about season seven, episode two. We're at the sock hop. We are back full-fledged in 19. 1555 Riverdale. There is no mention of the current time period that all of these characters are actually living in. Because now we know Jugheads's brain has been made smooth. And he also doesn't remember anymore if you remember from the last because of the Guardian Angel of Riverdale, Tabitha came through and took his memories away so that it would make it easier for. him. Yeah, so he wouldn't bother her? Yeah, I think is more what it was. Now, we're getting into

not quite the first season of Riverdale, but it is back to only high school antics. Yeah. Okay, so I think that I've got a radical proposal. I think we just start, we each take turns, and we just say, did we like it? Okay. Because I don't know if you liked it. And I don't know if I liked it, to be honest, but we're just going to say what we each feel. Who should go first? you should go first. Okay. I think I might like it. Okay. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'll stop there. Okay. I'm gonna, I'm voting, I think I might like it. And then I want to say on the other hand, but I want to hear your first reaction to this episode. I also think I might like it. I think, I might like it. I think I like it. Because it does go back to what I originally fell for,

which was, you know, fun, intense high school drama. Right. And we're not going to get into the end for a second. We're going to just deal with the rest of the episode. Yeah. Because it is very much like a jinkies type situation. Yeah. And I was wrapped.

Yeah. I was going to say my only on the other hand was, don't we need it to be like darker and sexier? And like, don't we need more? Don't we need it to be more, as we always say, more like season one, a little bit more darkness, a little bit more sexiness, a little bit more creepiness. Methinks it is where it is going. Especially based on the end. Yes, and I kind of like the fact that we are back at square one of like, okay, okay, okay, let's say Edgar Evernever, Oregon Harvesting Cult, not an hour present day.

Right. What if all this crazy shit, like Blackhood, all griffons gargles, a multitude of serial killers that you all escaped aren't in your memories. Yeah. What if we are just starting over fresh? Yes. And then we're going to then add it back in because don't get me wrong. There was no kissy kissy in this episode. But there was a lot of longing and like the stairs of like, oh baby, if it wasn't 195, I would be. be sucking on yo knob right now. Like cone on the cob. And that, and maybe it's my years of like maybe I've got like some sort of Stockholm syndrome because of Twilight. But maybe it, even though I didn't want that longing because that longing was Mormon logging that I knew was never going to amount to anything. But you're appreciating the teas.

I'm appreciating the teas. Uh-huh. That makes sense. You're right. Because I was like, Jackie might not like this episode because, there's very little kissing. But you're right, there is a lot of sexual tension. Because Jody.

Including homosexual tension. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, right, if the theme of last week's Riverdale was you can't do 195 Riverdale without acknowledging the ever-present, constant violent racism that informed everything about the United States during that time. And I struggled with the constant references to Emmett Till. wondering whether this was in good taste or bad taste, but it was still like at least, I think, a generally kind of noble mission to be like Riverdale, but in the 1955, but not the,

not the, uh, the idyllic vision. The racism. Yeah. And like, I think that what was so interesting about last week was the whole point of Riverdale, right, is it's like the idealistic, nostalgic, you know, Norman Rockwellie, like 1950. Everyone's just driving around in there to Lopies and going to the sock hops and all the stuff that we grew up with, right? But last week it was like, except also there was all this violent racism happening. And then this week it was like, also, you couldn't be gay. And how would that look in a high school if gay people still exist? And I thought that this week's episode was really interesting for that reason. I also wonder if they went so hard in the Emmett Till paint last week to show the fact of like, okay, we are not blind to the fact that yes, these people probably wouldn't even be in the same sock up.

We understand that. Right. Right. Right. There was a huge. things that were happening during the 50s that blatantly our cast is going against. So I think they wanted to start off off top with like, okay, yes, this is huge of what's going on in 1955. But also, what if it's about their love? And how interesting to do it. I appreciate. I understand it.

Yeah. Like how interesting to do a nostalgia 1950s, like return to the 1950s thing. But with all of the knowledge that we now have about why. you can't do simple 1950s nostalgia the way that it's always been done, which is just always, it was a simpler time. But what does that look like? All the stories you get from the 1950s when, you know, when I was growing up, it was leave it to Beaver and Riverdale. And it was just white people, you know, at a happy home, you know, where everyone was straight. And the moms were all happy to be doing all the unpaid domestic labor. And, you know, racism is never mentioned.

And they should be happy for it. And so it's, I think it is, right, it's really fascinating to see what if we did the 1955 nostalgia thing, but with a 2003 awareness of all the things that were fucked up in 1955. It's kind of neat. I think I might like it. Jeff and I both think we kind of like it. And now, don't get me wrong, I am here for the, again, you know, the incest-born, blossom bastards that live in the woods that people think are aliens here for it.

I love it. We don't want to lose the weirdness. No. And like, again, according to the end of this episode, we're not going to lose the weirdness. The weirdness is just going to trickle in the way it used to in back in like season two. Right. When like it was really starting to gain its traction. I think I.

I. And I am not experiencing it as like heavy-handed, forgive me for using this word, which has been, you know, co-opted by the governor of your state, Jackie, your home state. But it's not like heavy-handed wokeism, you know, it's not, which obviously wokeism isn't really a thing. But there is like an aesthetic thing sometimes with TV shows where they're like, we're being not homophobic. And you're like, okay, sure, fine. And like, I don't, I'm not experiencing this season of Riverdale to be too, like, again, too heavy-handed to like on the nose about like in 1955 things were racist. Like I kind of maybe did feel that way last week. But this week it was just like, what if it's 1955 and like several of the people in your group of friends are queer, you know?

Like, and it was really, I think done very, very well, especially because you have these preexisting relationships. that the characters don't know about what the audience does between Choney and, you know, just knowing that Kevin in... Kevin loves to troll the woods because his mother told him that he was husky. We know this about Kevin. Kevin is psychologically damaged from being a formerly husky, queer boy. And I wonder what other, like, I wonder what other, you know, kind of like structural things they'll take on.

Are they going to take on? Like, you know, there was a little bit of gender. stuff in this one too in terms of like Ethel is drawing pictures for comics but she's a girl but like are they going to take on misogyny? Are they going to take on some of the other things that would come up anytime you're telling a story in 1955? And I got to say I think the jury's out on whether they handled racism well for episode one still haven't decided but for episode two I thought that they handled um you know the dominant heterosexuality of the 1950s um to like I thought it was great. Can I just speak towards the plus size inclusive side of this?

Please. Which is including Ethel again. Yeah. And Ethel still can't get late. I know. No matter what timeline she's in. I know. And they still are making her.

Give that girl some play. Yes. Yes. And they're still making her like sad and desperate. Like for Jenhead. Sad don't be Ethel. It's not fair. She's hot.

You're right. She should be getting some play. You're right. And again in this episode, Ethel is helpless. hopelessly in love with Jughead and Jughead's like, yeah, I see your girl, I guess, underneath all them folds. Like, he may as well be saying that.

I know that, like, they're trying to paint Jughead's character. Like, he's just a writer. He's just a frantic writer. And it's nothing to do with the fact that he's not attracted to her. He just has absolutely no idea that she's like, Jughead, will you go to the sock hop with me? Totally. And then just again.

You're 100% right, because let's, Think about all the other women in the episode. They all got to have like a satisfying sex drive in this episode. Like Cheryl, Tony, Betty, Veronica. Oh my God, we have to talk about that. I love, okay. So first of all, Betty and Kevin. We know Betty and Kevin are in this timeline.

They are together. They're supposed to be like, you know, oh, they're the chipper beautiful cisheck couple that everybody loves. and Kevin is obviously a homosexual and he keeps making stare eyes over at clay, hot clay there, that also has been given him stare eyes right back. They meet clay surreptitiously in the music room.

By the way. And they're just having this just like conversation about like, yeah, I just want to suck your cock. But by the way, if you're like, wait, who's clay? You might remember Clay as the unnamed third black student. in last week's episode when Jackie was like, I think there were three students of color,

but we didn't really learn about the third. This is Clay. But I just want to throw it out to screen rant who just said, so since Clay is friends with Tabitha, the time traveler, there's a chance that the meaningful look he gives to Kevin near the end of skip, hop, and dump

implies an awareness of their time twisting predicament. Now, I thought that that look was like, I'm going to suck your cock. But it wasn't. I thought like the way that Kevin looked at me. What look are you talking about? When they looked at each other meaningfully, I thought it was Kevin saying, I'm going to suck your cock. And not that like, we both know that technically we're living in 20, 23, but in reality, we are in 1955. Yeah.

And if we were in 2023, I'd be stuck in your cock in the woods right now. But I don't, I didn't see that in the look. But I kind of like the theory that that was in the look. Yeah, I like that theory as well. Yeah, I thought that look was like Clay being like, I know I'm a gay man, but you don't know yet. And I feel sad for you because you're obviously agonizing over here. You're really struggling with this. Yeah.

And to your point about Ethel, this reminds me of a grievance that I always had about Kevin as a character, which is like, don't make him so sad and desperate. you know, but maybe we want a multitude of different gay characters and we have sad, desperate, always in the woods, Kevin as one. And we have like hot, self-assured successfully banging Tony and Cheryl as others. I just feel like they do. Kevin's so pathetic. And I'm like, why is the main queer character, the one who was queer before we knew Cheryl and Tony were like, why is he so pathetic? Just like the only fat character is also so pathetic. So that is one grievance I continue to have. But Kevin does. I know when they're trying to cover everything.

I appreciate you Riverdale. You're really trying to cover everything. You're trying to listen. You're trying to give the fan service. You're trying to have inclusivity. You're trying. You are trying to maintain all of it. And I am surprised that they are doing it so well.

Yeah. Yeah. No, they're doing pretty good. But poor Betty, I loved, I wanted, I should have just recorded her rant about how like she's trying she's like everyone's like out pocket they're all pocking with their boyfriends and she and kevin are sitting in the car and she's just like why won't you kiss me why won't like why won't you go study with me i don't understand i feel like i'm a sex maniac because all i want is for you to kiss me and you kiss me and it's like you don't even like it when you

kiss me and as someone that went through that in my teenage years i don't know if i was specifically being spoken to through Riverdale, but I was like, yeah, girl, I've been there. Oh, I've been there before. Oh, why don't you want? But you just, it's like you want to be my friend, but you want to date me, but you just want to be my friend. I'm pretty sure. I know. Kevin will be so much happier when he can just be Betty's best friend again. Yes. And we know that that's going to come back around because, again, of the meaningful looks between hot clay and hot Kevin. And I can't wait until they start going into the forest together. Totally. And Kevin, you know, now that I think about it, Kevin being sad, you know, and, you know, kind of driftless and whatever in this season makes sense because it would be very hard to be closeted. And so that, that his particular patheticness is, makes, might make sense in terms of 1955 in a way that I still think that we, in Riverdale, as we tell stories, we could challenge ourselves to like give our characters from marginal. Identized Identity is like better lives, you know, not only the sad stuff. But yeah, this episode is really trying to take on specifically, like, you know, heterosexuality is the presumed mode for everybody because Cheryl and T.T. clearly are, like, loving each other from the start. I can't with the two of them.

I can't. I just like, I, my loins scintillate. Tony's so fucking hot. I know that they're teenagers in the show, but they're so obviously in their late 20s. Very much. I'm fine with openly saying, I lust for the two of them together. Completely. I stand them so fucking hard.

I can't wait for them to get back together. And especially because this episode, essentially Cheryl's trying to sell tickets to the sock hop. And Tony, who is, ooh, just keeps showing up in her. Serpents fits. In her like 50s, like late 50s, bad girl fits. Yeah, she looks like, I'm like, my tongue is rolled out. She's like, happy, matty. And she's a greaser, and so is fangs.

And she wants fangs to perform his rock and rocke and rule music at the sock hop. Or the serpents are essentially going to protest the sock hop and throw, like, what a do. Dilton Doyley say, like, they're going to throw eggs at us. Yeah, they were going to wait in the parking lot and, like, jump everyone on the way out of the side. You know, it's just like regular greaser stuff. So essentially, Tony's like, look, Cheryl, why don't you come over to, oh, no, what is it called? It's not called the bad word, the bad drink. Come over to the, right?

Is that what it's called the book drink? Something. I didn't catch the name. It looked like Veronica's speakeasy, though. Was it the same set as Veronica's speakeasy, or was it not supposed to? to be the same. It must be because they're trying to show that like, I'm assuming they're trying to show that the serpents weren't just like, it's not just the white worm. Like, you know, they have also like beautiful coffee shop establishments as well. Oh, right, right. It was a coffee house where the

beatniks go. The beatniks and the badasses go. And that's where Cheryl meets up with Tony and she's like, let me show you what real music is. Because Kevin and the crooners, old, old, class, and He's posited Kevin was supposed to perform, which is why he said he wasn't asking Betty to the sock op. He's like, baby, baby, I'm going to perform. I can't take you to the sock hop. When in reality, it's because he wants to slob on the knob of clay. But essentially, Cheryl and Titi get real. I am mad that they didn't show that scene.

I wanted the scene. I know they were trying to save Fang's music for the sock hop, but I wanted to watch the scene of them just like slightly touching shoulders and going like, oh. Listening to rock and roll. Listening to rock and roll music, which is obviously what happened. And so Cheryl does,

even though it wouldn't be up to Cheryl, it would definitely be up to Principal Featherhead. Featherhead. Not to be confused with a different character also named Principal Featherhead. Maybe a son of Principal Featherhead. From previous seasons played by Anthony Michael Hall. Yeah, maybe.

That's a good point. Maybe. Maybe it's a general. Featherhead because that featherhead was in the Griffins and Gargoyles backstory episode, correct? Yes. And there was somebody else in this episode that was, that was like where I was doing a mind generation fuck. Oh, who was it? It was another character who had the same name as a character from the present day.

And I was like, wait, is that an ancestor of this other character or is that somebody who also got sent back in time? But I'll, I'll try to think about that. Put that on the side because now I'm very curious. No, so they have, so essentially Choney is back and in action because now Fangs was able to perform at the sock hop. And you wait, guess what, it's a little bit like Elvis, except he doesn't sound like Elvis. But you know what? He's got the hips is shaken and he's got the rock and the rolls rolling. So good for you, Fangs, which also, Fangs, is it because of Midge?

Is Midge the character you were thinking of? because now, if you remember, Midge was the character that was, like, brutally murdered by the Black Hood and attached, like, her body was, like, crucified on the set of, I think, Carrie, the musical? Yeah. And Midge is now back, and Midge is dating fangs.

I love this story art. Gufah, the actress who was playing Midge, can we just say, who thought, like, great, I get killed off so fast. I don't get to be in this huge show. brought back for the last season. That I bet she didn't expect to happen in her bingo car. I'm happy for it.

Yeah, this is like when, you know, I did high maintenance for the first time in like 2012. And then it was like season. And then, you know, it did a couple of subsequent episodes, but then they got their HBO thing. And then it was season two of high maintenance that I got to come back and that one. And you were also in that episode.

But it was a total surprise. And, you know, I was like, I'm not even really an actor anymore. Sure. I'd love to do this. And I feel like Midge, I don't know what Midge does. Hopefully she's a working actor, but like I love the idea of her being like, you know what?

It's been five years, but I would love to come back and be Midge again. Yeah, I'll come back. I'll be Midge. Why not? Yeah, pay me that season seven money. I'll be Midge all day. And you get to make out with fangs. Okay.

Yeah, yeah, because Fangs is surely still by, as he is in present day. and he seems to be quite passionate for Midge. And I like, and Midge seems kind of like Grease are curious. Gris are curious. Midge is like Cheryl's hench woman, but she's Greaser curious. And, you know, this, honestly this episode made me want to go back. I feel like, I don't know, did 90s kids consume like a lot of 50s nostalgia? There was like, it was mostly Greece.

I think 90s did more the 70s nostalgia. And then that was more. I think like, I think that's when the 50s nostalgia was. Right. Like the seven, I think we consumed 70s nostalgia that was about 50s nostalgia. Well, I guess that was more late 90s, early 2000s was 70s. You're right.

It was the 70, but I feel like, it was like, I just feel like I consumed so much stuff about this time period. Because like Nick at night and stuff like that with happy days and like all the sitcoms. I think it was all, I think it was. I think we were watching I Dream of Jeannie and all that stuff.

because that's what was on Nick at night. And now do you know what's on Nick at night? It's like friends, by the way. I know. And there was like a sock hop episode to Save by the Bell. I feel like there was like a lot of sock hop. There was like sock hop theme days at my school. Obviously.

All this sock up time though, did when you were doing sock ups, I actually had to look it up. Do they really just go in their socks? And they do. And I didn't know that. Really? Yeah. So thank you, Riverdale. Because like they take off their socks.

shoes in the show. And I was like, wait a second, is that? Why? It's called the sock hop. And then I looked it up and I was like, yeah, I don't know why I thought it was, I thought it was just called. I thought it was like so, like short for like social, you know, like a social hop, like it's sock hop. I thought it was because they would like wear, I remember asking this when I was a kid, because there was so much sock hop nostalgia shit around. I really feel like 50s nostalgia was like, you're right, because it comes in 20 year increments. And so there was like 70s nostalgia in the 90s, but the 70s nostalgia was about the 50s, like Greece, right? Right. And so there, and I remember asking, what's the deal with the fucking sock up? And I thought it was because, yeah, they wear saddle skirts and saddle shoes and they wear prominently display their socks. I had no idea. But anyway, this episode made me want to revisit some of the 50s nostalgia because it is a great place to set a story because there's these like competing musical interests and there's these competing styles. I'm like, am I going to reread the outsiders again? Like, because of Riverdale?

I'll reread the outsider. I was so in love with the characters and the side of the outsiders. Like, I was like book loynally in love with them, even though there's really nothing sexy about the outsiders. Essie hit new out of right young teens in a sexy way. Yeah, I think it's, I think it would be, I mean, I think I haven't read it since I was 11. So it would be a very different experience. Yeah, I also haven't read it in a long time to be fair. I was really horned up by it though in middle school.

but speaking of getting horned up now tell me about your horned this episode i loved it when when tony when tony comes up to sherele and's like do you want to dance with me and then they dance at the sock up but then like principal featherhead step the fuck off he was just like staring at the two of them there's so many women that dance together give me a break come on or maybe in 1955 they just didn't but like i assumed a lot of girls Like, if you think about, like, think about, like, just the snapshot of, like, Elvis and, you know, the old performers and all the girls that were there dancing and, like, screaming together. Like, that's why I was saying, not because I'm, like, thinking of my 20, 23 privilege here.

I'm saying, didn't women dance together? Like, I feel like it would be weirder in 1955 for Kevin to be dancing with Clay than it would be for Cheryl to be dancing with Tony, is all I'm saying. A hundred percent. I actually thought that that was where they were going to be. going to go. My mom went to an all-girls school, so I think it was different, but she talks all the time about how, like, at dances, it was just the, you know, it was just the whole point was to hang out with all your girlfriends, you know? And then it was like, yeah, you would slow dance. And if you were

slow dance. And if you were going steady, you would like have the guy you pinned there or whatever. Oh, bye-bye birdie. That's another 50s nostalgia thing. Yes. But like, wait. Yeah, have you had, if you were pinned, you were allowed to bring your boyfriend. But if you weren't pinned, you weren't allowed to bring your boyfriend? I mean, I don't, I don't know. But it makes sense, but still, I'd be so pissed off if I was Betty. That would make a lot more sense because Betty's whole thing is like, you can at least pin me, but also she's in love with Archie.

She's like, head over and goes back to old school. Honestly, the dancing scene when he's like, I don't know how to dance. And she's like, I'll teach you. And then they're dancing. I, because again, horny woman over here, I would like, that. That scene, I was like, wow, I haven't felt the lust between Betty and Archie. Like, I know that they were kind of building that back in season six a little bit. Yeah.

But, like, they really have on-screen chemistry together. Lily Reinhardt is a gifted, gifted actress. And she is just so good at playing someone who has a crush. Like, it's better. She's so good at it. It's much better to see her and Archie have crushes on each other. then in season six, what they did with like their kind of curiosity when they were both still dating the other people in the foresum was like, it was interesting and I remember we kind of liked it. But like it is this, this like pent up.

It's 1955. No one is even allowed to talk about horniness at all. But like their next door neighbor's best friends and they clearly have major crushes on each other and have never spoken about it and have like never really touched except for being like platonic, you know, good friends. And they clearly have. have major crushes on each other and have never spoken about it and have like never really touched except for being like platonic, you know, good friends. It's such great fertile territory for hoardiness. It's just perfect. I love it. That scene is so, and then poor Betty talks to her mom about it and she's like, I was feeling flutters and Alice Cooper cannot be anything but

a saboteur. I don't know why she's trying to sabotage Betty. No matter what timeline. Like, why is she trying to sabotage me? She goes and tells Kevin to pin Betty No matter what After Betty told her, I have a crush on Archie Because Kevin comes from a nice family Yeah He comes for and also you think, especially

195, his mother's a widow Yeah Is it widow or widower? I always forget which one is which. The mother's a widow. Kevin's mom is dead but his dad is alive? Oh, he's the widower. Oh, because, oh,

So they both come from, but maybe Kevin's mom is still alive in this timeline. Yeah. Because I like, I feel like there's something in Alice's whole like, you want to be with Kevin. Like she, I think that like also she assumes, I doubt she assumes that he's gay, but it seems like her being upset because he won't do anything for, I guess in 195, wouldn't you want your teenager to be with that person? Right. Right. You're chased. Go be sexually frozen. It's for the best. Get pinned.

That's just life, honey. I don't know. She's got to have some sort of sinister ulterior motive because she's Alice Cooper. Well, we're broken because we have trauma because of Alice Cooper. And we can't quite trust her as a parent. But can't we talk about real quick the whole Archie. So Archie obviously has a thing for Betty. But we are going back to the old school.

Everyone, all these boys are vying for Veronica's attention. and Veronica is like forcing them to fumble over her to get her approval, which like you want to give like snaps to that, right? But it is still not very nice. Yeah, I actually don't. I think I don't mind that they've made Veronica like a pretty awful bitch in this season because she's kind of always been that. But we were supposed to be like, she's a badass girl, she will,

of whatever. She woke of Wall Street. And I've always kind of felt like Veronica's just like a bitch who's not nice. And that's just what she is in this season. And maybe we're supposed to be like oh, look at her. She's like a confident in herself or whatever.

But she's just mean. She just plays with boys' hearts. Yes. And like even though we don't like Julian Blossom, the third other blossom that we've never met who is alive, who is just a yuck. I hate him. I hate him. His soul and yuck on his face.

I hate him. And I love that he wears such snotty little clothes. And I want, even though Veronica is such a bitch to Archie in this. And I, you know what? Go for Archie. He does a little bit of boundary setting in self-care because Veronica finally is like, okay, Archie. So essentially all these boys vie for her ask to the sock hop. And in the end, she's like, I've chosen myself.

I'm taking myself to the sock cop. I'm not taking any of you boys. Which again, like I said, we would give her snaps. Good for you. You should do that. But you are being mean. You are being mean. Yeah, right.

That's the thing. I think we need to decide is she a feminist hero or is she a huge bitch? Or is she a huge bitch? It really is. Like, it's still not cool. Yeah. And I know that they're all like, uh, uh, over her. Which I guess that's what they're trying to say of like, don't be like.

that. But I feel like there's other ways. Like you can use your words as well. And so she goes up to Archie the dance. And she's like, do you want to dance with me? And he's like, no, a dance. And he goes over. And while I know that in 1955 and in this show, it was shown to be like, that's Archie, he's just heroic. I thought it was kind of creepy that he leaves Veronica to go and dance with his mother. Yes. Go dance with another girl. I get it. Go dance with your friends.

Uh-huh. But he goes, and I know that his mom's a widow. And I know that she is alone. And she is the one that like when Veronica shows up to talk to Archie, Molly Ringwald is there and is like, uh-uh, honey, you femme fatal. You essentially straight up and down was like, you're being a bitch. Yeah. No, he's not going to come out and talk to you.

He's at the grocery store right now. And I'm not even going to tell him that he came here because you're being. a bitch. And you know what? Good for you, Molly Ringwall. Yeah. Yeah. I've always wanted them. I always want them to do more with Molly Ringwald. Like, why did like Skeet get to be a hottie? You know, Luke Perry got to be a hottie. She's so marmish in this. Molly Ringwald gets, like she doesn't get any of the hot fits. Yeah. Make, have her be a serpent for a while. Like let her wear some leather jackets. Yes. I feel like it's really unfair that all the other parents get to be hotties. You know, Alice Cooper, hottie,

Hermione and Hiram Lodge, both hotties, you know, and then Molly Ringwald is just like, I just feel like they're like, well, she's got to turn her into a frump, you know? Frump, a dumb. Yeah, I want her to get, I want her to be, you know,

fucking, I don't know, somebody, some, some daddy. Oh, I want her to have some sort of tort affair that she has to keep from Archie and that like they're just like making out in the janitor's closets. Yes. Cool, even though she shouldn't be there. Yes.

That's what I want. Yes, she deserves it, even though she doesn't have the body of, you know, Hermione Lodge. She doesn't need to. She doesn't need to. I know. You know, when there's a will, there's a way, Molly. And she just looks like an actor who has aged, but she's a woman so we don't like that, you know. Yeah, we hate that.

Yuck. No, no, that's why I want to see her get some play. Yes, yes, she needs some play. Ethel and Molly Ringwald. I want them both get in play. Yes, I want them both. get in play too. But let's talk about Ethel, right? More about Ethel. Okay. Let's talk about it. Oh, Juggett. So at first I looked at Jeff and I was like, is Juggett doing like a transatlantic kind of accent?

And he wasn't doing an accent so much as he was, which you know what? I will appreciate. He takes his craft very seriously. So I will give him that even though you can hear me rolling my eyes as I say it. I appreciate the fact that he has given a speaking juxtaping. position between his current, like, 2023 jughead and 1955, Jughead. I appreciate he's, like, speaking a little bit more staccato than he did before. Like, I was trying to, like, pin it down. I was like, why is it different than it used to be?

And, like, he really is just, like, using his whole mouth instead. And I don't know if I'm just zoning in on this because I do voice stuff and, like, I immediately hear that kind of stuff. But did you notice a difference in how he was speaking? Definitely. And I didn't think it was super annoying for him. I think the different actors are having varying success with how well they're incorporating like the 50s figures of speech.

Like obviously with Cheryl, Cheryl's an incredible actress, but like it just doesn't, it just feels like very jarring when some of them do it because Cheryl. You're the ginchiest girl I've ever seen. When he said ginchiest girl, when Kevin said ginchiest girl to Betty, I was like, hold the phone.

The who? The what? And like Cheryl and Tony, I think as they should, are just playing it like straight. Like they are just the exact same characters from the present time, transported to 1955. Archie definitely KJ. Epa is trying to do like a, I'm a naive 50s boy. And then Jughead is kind of doing the most. But yeah, I think that's because Cole Spouse fancies himself a bit of a Jeremy Strong, you know, in terms of his approach to.

And I'm not saying he's not good. I still can roll my eyes. though, you know, because he is, it's because of, I should separate the character from the real life person, but sometimes they overlap, okay? Yeah. And now Jughead, he's trying to get into Pep Comics, and he wrote a comic, and long story short, he gets into the comic book that he like essentially walked there, was just like, put, you're stealing my ideas and you should put me into the comic books.

And he goes, oh, okay, you write me an eight-page comic by tomorrow, and we'll see what's what and a who's who. And in that time period, he also is friends with Ethel, and Ethel is an amazing artist. And Ethel's like, if there's any way you could get me in there, I would love to also work for Pep Comics. So I will say, he, man, got, like did a home run for the homie, I will say. Yes, he did. And was like, bro, if you want my comic.

I've got an artist for you that could totally make the art for you and totally straight up hooked up Ethel but didn't hook up with her. And that, not that that's a problem, he's allowed to not like her, but can't somebody love Ethel?

Yes, that's the thing. It's totally fine. I actually like Jughead and Ethel as Platonic friends. Yes. I think we've talked about this in the past. We're like, it's nice that they're just friends. But then they added this like,

you know, like Ethel like longingly, pining for him. And listen, would it be high school if you didn't longingly pine for somebody who thought that you were just a potter friend? Especially. Like especially. Like I get it. I get it. So that's real. But she deserves to be a horny sex bot just like the rest of them. Yes. And I hope that some, and I'm not even talking about love. I'm just talking about some play. Like if she could just get something this season. Please. Yeah. Unless that is like the J. Well, I guess we don't know if that's going to happen because now, all right, we're all at the Sockop. Yes.

Joni's together at the sock cop. End this episode with the end of this Riverdale Roundup episode with the end of the Riverdale episode. Oh, I forgot to even say, but I also forgot to say that she did get in with the comic because she was drawing these, which I don't, we saw like a glimpse of her gruesome zombie like drawing that she was doing in school. And she's straight up like, she's supposed to get detention because she's drawing. in class and she straight up skips detention and it's like, no, I'm going to this comic book meeting because I want my art to be in the comics. And she did it. And it's like a really, it's like a disturbing, like zombie, like super dark picture. And the guy, the comic book editor is like, you're telling me a girl drew these pictures. And she's like, yeah. And Doug has like,

yeah. And he's like, well, I love it. And so that we have set up. I say we sew her. Pussy shock, but I'm allowing her draw graphs inside of this comic book. So we have set up that Ethel, in addition to being sad and dumpy, is like a persecuted artist because at school, all the teachers and the staff are like, oh, bad, Ethel. She likes dark shit. And she is also has like really mean parents. And so that is what sets us up for our final scene. Like, ooh, Ethel is bringing the darkness.

This episode had almost zero darkness, right? except for every time Alice Cooper is on the screen, just simmering underneath the surface. But it's cool because even the lighting design of the show is different. It's literally, literally brighter than the old Riverdale used to be, which is so crazy because there used to be scenes where I'm like, what is happening on the screen? Like, we would just be so dark.

And now it's fun because they are doing the 1950s sitcom, not sitcom necessarily, but 1950s-esque lighting in it, just to make everything seem a lot. lot brighter. So everybody's at the sock hop, and which before, I love that they're saying that Ethel's parents are like so fucking mean, because essentially Jughead is over there earlier in like a couple days earlier inside of her bedroom. I will say they are like 15 or 16. And I understand the rule of not having people. I don't think it should be genderized, but I understand the rule of not having people in your room when you're 15 with the door closed.

Yeah. I mean, I think that it's dumb as if you can't get away with things, if the door is open an inch, but you know, I understand, I wouldn't, I don't think I would do that with my own children, but I understand where Ethel's mom comes from. But I love that she's immediately painted as like, she's evil. Yeah. She's evil because she doesn't want Jughead in the room with the door closed. Okay, evil mom.

Got it. Got it. Keep going. But then we find out because she skips detention and the parents get called. But we find out in a fun reversal of the 1950s, her mother's a drunk. Her mother's a drunk and a father is angry about it. And so he takes out of his anger on the family. But didn't even attack her, which I was kind of surprised in 1955.

I was actually like my stomach dropped. And I was like, oh, God, let's not bring certain things back. Right. I don't. I can't. Yeah. We don't need to bring to me. Domestic abuse it to season seven of Riverdale, it might come.

Remember the Reggie plot lines? Remember when Reggie would just have a black guy? You're right. Yeah, we already did a child abuse plotline, so thank God. Where is Reggie? Sorry, that's... No, good question. Okay, so she skips the detention and her, and she's like, I'm going to the sock up with Jughead! And slams the door, and her mother screams over my dead body. So what ends up happening at the sock. cop at the very end honestly I was very surprised all the queer people are not

dancing with each other we're kind of like the sun is setting on the sack hop the queer people are making like longing eyes at each other and then Ethel bursts in the doors fly open Ethel comes in covered in blood and she says

something terrible has happened Riverdale she is covered in blood. We don't know. Is it her own blood? It's, I don't, I don't think that she's been cut up. We don't know. Did she kill her parents? So we're, so we're all set up to think that she killed her parents, which, fuck yeah, fun, or, I mean, what are the theories here? What is it as cut and dry? Are we going into cut and dry Riverdale where she has killed her parents? We got to wait

for next week to find out if she has, or did she find someone else had been murdered and was trying to save them? Yeah, right, right. Because killing her parents is so what they have set us up to think that maybe it's not that. It's so what they said. So that's why like, okay, well, they could have done something else.

But I was pleasantly surprised that I was like, yeah, yeah. Like I actually was like, Rivadaill at the end of the episode where I, this is, the problem. This is it. This is what Riverdale does us. They always get us back. They always get us back. Always. And you know, even from the beginning of this episode when I said that this episode wasn't dark enough, what they've done is actually kind of awesome because they set us up with like a bright, like this isn't a dark universe. Nothing dark around here except for the lack of the ability to be gay. But like everything else is just just fine. Pitchie. And then it's like the end of this episode. Oh no. There's been. a murder, Ethel's covered in blood.

It shit's about to get dark. So now we know next week we have this bright universe with some darkness coming in. And so that's going to rule. Yeah, dude. I think I like it. I think I like it. And you wait. Like next episode we're like, what have they done?

Why? I know. I know. I'm waiting. You can't. You cannot hang your hat on it. That's for sure. You certainly cannot.

And that's, that's okay. You know, that's what we're here for. And that's what we're here for you for. Yeah. And we love you guys. Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Riverdale Roundup. I think we both might like it. And I feel sick.

I didn't expect it at all. Like, I feel like I'm not who I used to be. You know, like I feel like I'm different now. I mean, it's not going to ever be a season one again. But if they can recover some of that feeling that we have been chasing, that high, we've been chasing for seven seasons. Man, I will hand it to them if they do it. They did a good job this episode. They're doing a great job.

And thank you guys so much for hanging out with us. And we'll see you next week on Riverdale Roundup. Bye. This show is made possible by listeners like you. Thanks to our ad sponsors. You can support our shows by supporting them. For more shows like the one you just listened to, go to lastpodcastnetwork.com.