(no subject)
Jan. 18th, 2018 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
geebsTV commentary:
Riverdale- Ooh, I like how all the various plots kinda tie into each other in random ways. Its kinda amusing, because various characters only have partial information, trying to enacts plans that should work but will never work because other characters are being leveraged in ways they don't even know about!
So the Lodges are at it from the very start. Mayor Mccoy closes Southside High due to "dangerous fumes from the Meth lab found in the basement", which is total BS. Really, she's getting paid by the Lodges to close the school and shift people around, and after that becomes the new norm, the Lodges can by the school land surreptitiously and no one will care. Even Veronica has been co-opted into this, being on the "welcoming committee" (consisting of her, Archie, Kevin, and Josie) to help transition the Southsiders into Riverdale.
Which, many students and parents are not pleased. Surprisingly, Alice is not on the warpath, but she's suspicious, but more on that later. Reggie obviously has no love for the Serpents, having tangled with them in the past. And Cheryl DEFINITELY isn't having it- after all, Penelope has started to relish hooking and throwing it in Cheryl's face. She has to deal with insanity at home, she can't take it at school too.
She tries to blackmail Archie about his kiss with Betty to convince Veronica to stand with her against the Southsiders, having no idea there's no way Archie could do that, since Veronica has ulterior motives. Besides, Archie is busy with his own thing. He gets approached by an FBI agent, Adams, who wants Archie's help in exposing the Lodges. Which puts Archie in a precarious position, given he's going out with Ronnie, and Fred just got back in with the Lodges.
Like, Fred finds out about his hospital bill being paid, and surprisingly it doesn't become a big thing with his pride. He gave them a stake in his company, and will do work for them to pay it back. So Archie tells the agent he's only game if V and Fred are protected from prosecution. (Which I guess he has no idea how deep Veronica has gotten into this)
Archie is skeptical at first though, its only after Adams intimates that the St Claire's pulled their financial backing, and all of a sudden, Nick is laid up in the hospital. So Archie looks into that. The Lodges are pretty suspicious about it at dinner, they claim the St Claire's backed out, then Nick just coincidentally got hurt on vacation. But then they're all, "Eh, eff that attempted rapist!"
So, he checks with Cheryl, who accidentally reveals Nick attempted the same thing on Ronnie. She thought he knew, and is actually pretty apologetic when she finds out he didn't. He pieces together that yeah, if Hiram found out, he'd prolly totally wreck Nick. So he and Adams cook up a plan- he can't confront Nick over Veronica, because the Lodges might get suspicious. He can however work with Cheryl to get a payoff, since she had mentioned she tore up his originally pay out. She's definitely into getting money this time around, to stop her mom from prostituting herself.
He ask to borrow a blazer of Jason's from her, which he uses to sneak into Nick's school and confront him. Nick's nervous at first, and is surprised when Archie asks for some money for Cheryl. Which Nick happily provides, he's like whatever. Archie then plays the jealous bf card, getting all angry and more or less getting Nick to admit he got hospitalized for attacking Veronica. Things get a little too heated though, and he beats up Nick. Which does get back to Veronica.
So they talk, Cheryl comes by and apologizes yet again for accidentally outing Veronica's attack to him, and Archie and Veronica talk about it at Pops. Veronica does thing something is off in all this, and to his credit, Archie deflects in a brilliant way- by fessing up to the Betty kiss. All, Cheryl was trying to get him to convince her to stop being all pro-Southside. Veronica is upset, but it was while they were on a break, so in the end, they're good, and V is none the wiser.
Back at Riverdale High, the transition hasn't been going smoothly. Jug, who has been a Serpent, for what, only a few months, is all, "How dare the administration try to make us confirm, erase our identity!" Heh, I like how Toni kinda tells him to check his privilege (not that he ends up getting it) by being all, Southside was a shithole, if she has the chance to actually go to a decent school, whatever, she'll take off her gang jacket during school hours.
But Jug still isn't having it. He gets especially pissed, after a fight with Reggie and friends, when Veronica gets her parents to make a donation to buy school appropriate uniforms for the Serpents. "They prolly can't afford other clothes that would be more acceptable!" she claims. But Jug just sees it as an attempt to stamp them out. Eventually, even FP is telling him he's being a moron. Jughead likes the family and camaraderie he had at Southside high with the Serpents. FP tells his son that the Serpents don't have to conform, just lay low and play the part.
And so, Jug finally takes the advice to heart, and starts a "gaming club", which Weatherbee finds acceptable, but is really just a way for the Serpents to hang out and be themselves under people's noses.
The third plot is all about the Coopers. So Betty catches Polly sneaking home for some clothes and stuff. She apparently had the twins without telling the fam, named them something ridiculous (Juniper and Dagwood), and is going toSeattle to get back with her gf Alice in Wonderland live on her weird cult farm. Which, Betty realizes this would crush Alice, so she asks Jug if she could talk with his social worker to find her half-brother.
So, she breaks the news that Polly cut off ties with info about her brother to soften the blow. Hal is all, "no way we're contacting him!", but Alice later secretly tells Betty she wants to meet him. So they do, and he's a male escort and is all, "Eff you mom, for giving me up! It must've been really nice for you Betty living in the suburbs!" So Alice leaves and totally breaks down.
Eventually, Betty comes back, and saves her brother, who goes by Chic, from some guy roughing him up. She takes him back to her house and the family takes care of his wounds and lets him stay!
BUT!! This is interspersed with scenes of Archie talking to Agent Adams about the Black Hood, and how he never believed they got the right guy. So Chic may be the Black Hood.
Two things though, I know I guessed earlier that he's the Hood, the fact they're being all overt about his creepiness (at least to the audience!), its possible he's not. Two though, we know nothing about Chic or Agent Adams. For one, they never verified Chic is actually Alice's son. I mean, they met someone at the address Betty was provided, and he seemed to act like he was aware of them. But he could just be some guy who took Chic's identity!
And the other, how the hell does Archie know this Adams guy is for real? I mean, FBI agents don't just approach random HS students and ask them to be an informant. Archie is acting like this guy is on the up and up, but he has no way of confirming this dude is actually FBI. I mean, Adams is pretty chill about Archie beating up a dude with two broken legs!
One thing I really liked about this ep was the Alice and Cheryl stuff. I mean, Alice can be pretty bitchy at times, but I really felt for her this ep. Like, all she wants is a nice normal life for her daughters. But Betty can be rebellious, Polly cut off all ties, so when Chic told her to eff off at first, that really upset her. She doesn't think she's a bad person, but how can she not think she's a terrible mother when her kids hate her. Well, 2 of the 3, the other one only occasionally. And it was sweet of Betty, that despite all her differences with her mom, to be that thoughtful to try and do something to cheer her up.
And poor Cheryl. You know, I'm starting to have a real appreciation for Cheryl's character. She tries to be Queen Bitch, but there's this vulnerability and innocence to her. Like the way she was immediately apologetic to both Archie and Veronica about telling Archie about the Nick thing. And then when she got the check and gave it to her mom so she "didn't have to keep being a 'Courtesan'!" (and it cracks me up that she actually uses that term for what her mom is doing), she really sounded like a freaking kid. All, mom, you don't have to keep doing this awful thing to pay the bills, we're all good now!
Like, she's practically begging her mom to stop, and she's being so earnest, all "sorry I made you burn the last check, please can we stop being so horrible to each other?" But nope, he mom continues to be a frakking krant and is all, "Nope, I enjoy being paid for effin too much to stop now!"
Other stuff, Josie mentioned being just Josie now, since the Pussycats are still pissed at her for trying to go solo. Though I worry the show only did that so they dind't have to have them around since they have so many characters now.
Riverdale- Ooh, I like how all the various plots kinda tie into each other in random ways. Its kinda amusing, because various characters only have partial information, trying to enacts plans that should work but will never work because other characters are being leveraged in ways they don't even know about!
So the Lodges are at it from the very start. Mayor Mccoy closes Southside High due to "dangerous fumes from the Meth lab found in the basement", which is total BS. Really, she's getting paid by the Lodges to close the school and shift people around, and after that becomes the new norm, the Lodges can by the school land surreptitiously and no one will care. Even Veronica has been co-opted into this, being on the "welcoming committee" (consisting of her, Archie, Kevin, and Josie) to help transition the Southsiders into Riverdale.
Which, many students and parents are not pleased. Surprisingly, Alice is not on the warpath, but she's suspicious, but more on that later. Reggie obviously has no love for the Serpents, having tangled with them in the past. And Cheryl DEFINITELY isn't having it- after all, Penelope has started to relish hooking and throwing it in Cheryl's face. She has to deal with insanity at home, she can't take it at school too.
She tries to blackmail Archie about his kiss with Betty to convince Veronica to stand with her against the Southsiders, having no idea there's no way Archie could do that, since Veronica has ulterior motives. Besides, Archie is busy with his own thing. He gets approached by an FBI agent, Adams, who wants Archie's help in exposing the Lodges. Which puts Archie in a precarious position, given he's going out with Ronnie, and Fred just got back in with the Lodges.
Like, Fred finds out about his hospital bill being paid, and surprisingly it doesn't become a big thing with his pride. He gave them a stake in his company, and will do work for them to pay it back. So Archie tells the agent he's only game if V and Fred are protected from prosecution. (Which I guess he has no idea how deep Veronica has gotten into this)
Archie is skeptical at first though, its only after Adams intimates that the St Claire's pulled their financial backing, and all of a sudden, Nick is laid up in the hospital. So Archie looks into that. The Lodges are pretty suspicious about it at dinner, they claim the St Claire's backed out, then Nick just coincidentally got hurt on vacation. But then they're all, "Eh, eff that attempted rapist!"
So, he checks with Cheryl, who accidentally reveals Nick attempted the same thing on Ronnie. She thought he knew, and is actually pretty apologetic when she finds out he didn't. He pieces together that yeah, if Hiram found out, he'd prolly totally wreck Nick. So he and Adams cook up a plan- he can't confront Nick over Veronica, because the Lodges might get suspicious. He can however work with Cheryl to get a payoff, since she had mentioned she tore up his originally pay out. She's definitely into getting money this time around, to stop her mom from prostituting herself.
He ask to borrow a blazer of Jason's from her, which he uses to sneak into Nick's school and confront him. Nick's nervous at first, and is surprised when Archie asks for some money for Cheryl. Which Nick happily provides, he's like whatever. Archie then plays the jealous bf card, getting all angry and more or less getting Nick to admit he got hospitalized for attacking Veronica. Things get a little too heated though, and he beats up Nick. Which does get back to Veronica.
So they talk, Cheryl comes by and apologizes yet again for accidentally outing Veronica's attack to him, and Archie and Veronica talk about it at Pops. Veronica does thing something is off in all this, and to his credit, Archie deflects in a brilliant way- by fessing up to the Betty kiss. All, Cheryl was trying to get him to convince her to stop being all pro-Southside. Veronica is upset, but it was while they were on a break, so in the end, they're good, and V is none the wiser.
Back at Riverdale High, the transition hasn't been going smoothly. Jug, who has been a Serpent, for what, only a few months, is all, "How dare the administration try to make us confirm, erase our identity!" Heh, I like how Toni kinda tells him to check his privilege (not that he ends up getting it) by being all, Southside was a shithole, if she has the chance to actually go to a decent school, whatever, she'll take off her gang jacket during school hours.
But Jug still isn't having it. He gets especially pissed, after a fight with Reggie and friends, when Veronica gets her parents to make a donation to buy school appropriate uniforms for the Serpents. "They prolly can't afford other clothes that would be more acceptable!" she claims. But Jug just sees it as an attempt to stamp them out. Eventually, even FP is telling him he's being a moron. Jughead likes the family and camaraderie he had at Southside high with the Serpents. FP tells his son that the Serpents don't have to conform, just lay low and play the part.
And so, Jug finally takes the advice to heart, and starts a "gaming club", which Weatherbee finds acceptable, but is really just a way for the Serpents to hang out and be themselves under people's noses.
The third plot is all about the Coopers. So Betty catches Polly sneaking home for some clothes and stuff. She apparently had the twins without telling the fam, named them something ridiculous (Juniper and Dagwood), and is going to
So, she breaks the news that Polly cut off ties with info about her brother to soften the blow. Hal is all, "no way we're contacting him!", but Alice later secretly tells Betty she wants to meet him. So they do, and he's a male escort and is all, "Eff you mom, for giving me up! It must've been really nice for you Betty living in the suburbs!" So Alice leaves and totally breaks down.
Eventually, Betty comes back, and saves her brother, who goes by Chic, from some guy roughing him up. She takes him back to her house and the family takes care of his wounds and lets him stay!
BUT!! This is interspersed with scenes of Archie talking to Agent Adams about the Black Hood, and how he never believed they got the right guy. So Chic may be the Black Hood.
Two things though, I know I guessed earlier that he's the Hood, the fact they're being all overt about his creepiness (at least to the audience!), its possible he's not. Two though, we know nothing about Chic or Agent Adams. For one, they never verified Chic is actually Alice's son. I mean, they met someone at the address Betty was provided, and he seemed to act like he was aware of them. But he could just be some guy who took Chic's identity!
And the other, how the hell does Archie know this Adams guy is for real? I mean, FBI agents don't just approach random HS students and ask them to be an informant. Archie is acting like this guy is on the up and up, but he has no way of confirming this dude is actually FBI. I mean, Adams is pretty chill about Archie beating up a dude with two broken legs!
One thing I really liked about this ep was the Alice and Cheryl stuff. I mean, Alice can be pretty bitchy at times, but I really felt for her this ep. Like, all she wants is a nice normal life for her daughters. But Betty can be rebellious, Polly cut off all ties, so when Chic told her to eff off at first, that really upset her. She doesn't think she's a bad person, but how can she not think she's a terrible mother when her kids hate her. Well, 2 of the 3, the other one only occasionally. And it was sweet of Betty, that despite all her differences with her mom, to be that thoughtful to try and do something to cheer her up.
And poor Cheryl. You know, I'm starting to have a real appreciation for Cheryl's character. She tries to be Queen Bitch, but there's this vulnerability and innocence to her. Like the way she was immediately apologetic to both Archie and Veronica about telling Archie about the Nick thing. And then when she got the check and gave it to her mom so she "didn't have to keep being a 'Courtesan'!" (and it cracks me up that she actually uses that term for what her mom is doing), she really sounded like a freaking kid. All, mom, you don't have to keep doing this awful thing to pay the bills, we're all good now!
Like, she's practically begging her mom to stop, and she's being so earnest, all "sorry I made you burn the last check, please can we stop being so horrible to each other?" But nope, he mom continues to be a frakking krant and is all, "Nope, I enjoy being paid for effin too much to stop now!"
Other stuff, Josie mentioned being just Josie now, since the Pussycats are still pissed at her for trying to go solo. Though I worry the show only did that so they dind't have to have them around since they have so many characters now.
