Riverdale: Top Moments from “Chapter Two: A Touch of Evil” (Season 1 Episode 2)

Relationships are on the mend and the show’s central murder mystery gets twistier on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 2, “Chapter Two: A Touch of Evil.”

Episode 2 dives deeper into the characters we met in the pilot, giving almost everyone a chance to shine.

Here are the episode’s top moments!

1. Jughead confronts Archie about Miss Grundy

Coming out of the pilot, Archie was probably the least interesting character on the show, but his storyline is a little better now that Jughead is around.

Archie’s relationship with Miss Grundy is still troubling. It seems fairly obvious that she’s manipulating his feelings for her to keep him quiet and protect herself. But at least now someone has voiced those concerns to Archie, even if he doesn’t want to listen.

Jughead: “A kid is dead, Archie, and you’re worried about some— some cougar!”
Archie: “Don’t call her that! Okay? She’s not like that, she cares about me.”
Jughead: “Stab in the dark? I’m guessing she cares more about herself. She’s the one who’s telling you not to say anything, right? Look, I saw you guys. She’s messing with you, man. And she’s messing with your mind.”

Not only is it reassuring that Archie has someone to talk to about his relationship with Miss Grundy, but it also just makes for better television. Archie grappling with what to do about Miss Grundy is far more interesting when he can actually talk it out with a third party.

2. Jughead and Archie start to repair their friendship

Riverdale also manages to quickly establish Jughead’s character in Episode 2, since he was mostly absent in Episode 1. He may be a sardonic loner-type, but he’s far from unlikable, and he’s a very welcome voice of reason.

Even though we don’t know all the details of his summer fallout with Archie, Cole Sprouse and K.J. Apa have a chemistry that makes it easy to believe they were best friends.

Archie: “And also, I didn’t mean all that crap I said to you. I’m sorry.”
Jughead: “It’s cool. [pause] We’re not gonna hug in front of this whole town. So why don’t we both just do that bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions?”
Archie: “Yeah, but as friends, right?”
Jughead: “To be discussed. Over many burgers and many days.”

On his own, Archie is a little bland, so repairing his friendship with Jughead so quickly is a wise choice for Riverdale.

3. Betty and Veronica make up — for real (hopefully)

Veronica: “Betty? Can we make a vow?”
Betty: “Sure.”
Veronica: “That no matter what, no boy will ever come between us again. Deal?”
Betty: “Deal.”

In the pilot, the two hit things off so easily and had some nice moments that weren’t all about boys, but in Episode 2, things between them are a little more high-school-love-triangle cliche.

By the end of the episode, they do seem to make up — for real, this time — which hopefully means less fighting about Archie in the future. And maybe even less talking about Archie, period. There is a lot to explore in both of their family lives, and it would be great to see them confiding in one another about that.

Obviously, the love triangle is a central part of the story, but it would be a shame if Riverdale set up Betty and Veronica as a strong female friendship only for their main topic of conversation to become Archie and boys.

4. Betty threatens Cheryl for prying about her sister and Jason

Episode 2 makes it clear Betty isn’t just the sweet, kind girl-next-door every seems to think she is. Her mom even comments that Betty always wants to see the good in people, and while that does seem true, that doesn’t make her a pushover.

Even her off-handed comment about how she thinks Veronica isn’t truly her friend — saying in a few weeks’ time, Veronica will latch onto some other girl to “destroy” — shows that she’s not eternally forgiving.

But when Cheryl turns off her Nice Girl facade and starts prying about Betty’s sister and her relationship with Jason, the Betty we got a brief glimpse of in the pilot — the Betty who dug her fingernails into her palms until she bled — flares up again.

Betty: “Why are you asking me so many questions about Polly? Cheryl?”
Cheryl: “Because, you dumb cow, someone shot my brother and I think it was your crazy, tweaked-out sister.”
Betty: “Get out of my house.”
Cheryl: “Not until you tell me—”
Betty: “Cheryl, get the hell out of my house before I kill you.”

Threatening to kill a girl whose brother was just murdered might not be the smartest move, but it’s definitely an intriguing peek at Betty’s darker side.

5. Cheryl has an emotional breakdown

Episode 2 provides a whole lot more insight into Cheryl Blossom, even if there are still some mysteries surrounding her and her brother, Jason.

She maintains her poise and her tough exterior throughout most of the episode (“hashtag RiverdaleStrong”). She’s even calm and calculating, for the most part, when she’s asking Betty about Polly, as previously mentioned.

But Cheryl finally crumbles at the pep rally, and her emotional breakdown in the locker room definitely doesn’t seem like it’s just for show or attention.

Cheryl: “Jason… he’s gone.”
Veronica: “I know. I know he is.”
Cheryl: “You don’t… you don’t understand. He was supposed to come back. I’m alone…”

The scene isn’t just an emotional one, though. It may provide another hint about Jason’s murder.

Did Cheryl just say “He was supposed to come back” out of grief and denial — a sister who was hoping that since her brother’s body wasn’t found, he would miraculously reappear one day?

Or was Jason literally supposed to come back? Did Cheryl and Jason plan to fake his disappearance for some reason? That would certainly explain why Cheryl asked Jason “Are you scared?” before they got into the boat.

With Cheryl’s back turned, Veronica silently mouths “supposed to come back?” to herself, which seems to suggest this line will come up again in the future. If Veronica tells police or anyone else that Cheryl said this, they’ll surely be suspicious. Especially considering, y’know…

6. Cheryl says she’s guilty

Cheryl: “You’re here for me, aren’t you? Because of the autopsy.”
Principal Weatherbee: “We don’t need to do this in front of your classmates, Cheryl.”
Cheryl: “It’s alright, Principal Weatherbee. They’ll find out soon enough.”
Veronica: “Wait, Cheryl, find out what?”
Cheryl: “That I’m guilty.”

Cheryl may feel — and actually be — responsible for Jason’s death, and that is why she says she’s guilty, but it would be incredibly surprising if Cheryl was actually the one who put a bullet in her brother’s head.

It’s only Episode 2, so Cheryl can’t be the actual killer, if for no other reason than the rules of television pretty much guarantee that the first person accused of being the killer is almost never actually the killer, and also the big murder mystery can’t be solved two episodes into the season.

Still, this scene is a hell of a cliffhanger, and Jughead’s narration, when he says Jason died more than a week after July 4th, only makes even more interesting.

 

What did you think of this episode of “Chapter Two: A Touch of Evil”? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Riverdale airs Thursdays at 9/8c on the CW.

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