Riverdale Roundtable: Chapter Thirty-Two: Prisoners (Season 2 Episode 19)

Betty finally takes care of her “Chic problem” once and (probably) for all, while Nick St. Clair makes a not-so-glorious return to town on Riverdale Season 2 Episode 19, “Chapter Thirty-Two: Prisoners.”

Did you like Betty’s incredibly dark turn? Is Veronica and Archie’s teen “Bonnie and Clyde” act exhilarating or infuriating? And how about the new Black Hood theory that emerged in the episode’s final moments?

Tell-Tale TV writers Lacy Baugher, Mary Misasi, and Alamin Yohannes discuss the episode below.

• Lacy Baugher (@LacyMB)
• Mary Misasi (@dorothynyc89)
• Alamin Yohannes (@AlaminYohannes)

1. Chic wasn’t really Alice’s son after all. Did you see that coming?

Alamin: I surely did not. Especially since they already did this when we found out he wasn’t Hal’s kid.

I see how the twist moves Betty and Alice’s stories forward, but I cannot help feeling like his character wasted our time to an extent. There’s so many characters we weren’t seeing because Chic was doing one thing or another.

If this is how it was always going to end, then we didn’t need this many episodes of him. Whether they knew him or a day or a year, the news would have crushed Alice.

Lacy: I did not see this coming at all, and to be honest, I’m not even sure it makes sense. But I hated Chic so much that I don’t really care.

In fact, I’m kind of relieved? If only because literally everything about him was awful. However, I totally agree with Alamin that if this is where we were headed all along we 1) certainly took our sweet time to get there and 2) could have spent that time on many other and better characters (cough cough Cheryl cough).

Why did we have to sit through a murder cover-up on behalf of this jerk who wasn’t even a real family member? I’m a little surprised that they killed off Alice’s real son offscreen for what amounts to pure shock value. But honestly, if it all sets up some good story for the Cooper women, I’m fine with it. Riverdale has too many characters as it is.

Mary: I was always aware that there was something off about Chic, something he wasn’t telling anyone. However, I wasn’t exactly expecting this. I thought maybe he was simply Alice’s son with a darker secret. To be honest, that would’ve been more compelling.

Now, we will never know who the real Charles was and whether or not he would’ve been good for the Cooper family. Instead, we have to deal with Chic and his insanity. That being said if, like Lacy said, this sets up a stronger storyline for Alice, then go for it. I love Alice and I want her to have a more active role on the show.

Also, Chic was my least favorite part of the show this season. So losing that storyline is totally fine by me. Maybe now the other characters/stories will have room to grow. For example, the FP and Alice connection. I’ve been waiting desperately for that one to get off the ground. Maybe now it will.

2. Betty handed Chic over to the Black Hood. What does this mean for Betty going forward? How will it change her?

Alamin: This is dark, even for “Dark Betty.” I know they were in a bad way, but DAMN. Once her phone rang, I knew she was going to give Chic over. This time she would justify it by saving her family, and she would actually do it.

This could send her in a much darker direction. I find Betty very interesting — except when she’s doing dumb things like dancing at Club Serpent — so I’m up for pretty much any direction her story goes.

Lacy: GO BETTY, GO! I mean, yes, I know, I know, it’s a real dangerous step down a bad path for her. But Chic was so awful — as a person in the story, as a character piece in the show — that I honestly just feel like she did us all a favor.

And on some level, her decision does make sense — they couldn’t exactly keep Chic a prisoner in the basement forever. Plus, it’s not like he was a particularly great dude at the end of the day.

I like Betty most when she has a little bit more of an edge on her, and hey, at least this is better (and has more potential) than that time when Chic was teaching her about webcam roleplaying. Things could be a lot worse.

Mary: To be honest, I’m still not 100% sure of how I feel about Betty. Even after nearly two full seasons. Her goodie bubble gum pop side is slightly irking and grating on my nerves. However, the “Dark Betty” side is really fun to watch. This level of dark is beyond what she has done before.

So, once again, I am torn. I really liked that she took it upon herself to take action against the imposter and got him out of their lives. But a part of me thinks that now she will go down a path that she can’t recover from. A path that I will start to not like anymore because it will be too dark.

3. Veronica and Archie went head-to-head with Nick St. Clair and turned the tables on him. What did you think of their adventure?

Alamin: Archie and Veronica are a mess. I was all for the takedown of Nick St. Clair because he’s an awful garbage human and a sexual predator. What I was not here for was how willingly Veronica and Archie went along with this new level of crime they were in.

Veronica nonchalantly telling her parents she’d ransomed Nick was nuts, but it also felt like Riverdale‘s brand of crazy, high drama. Archie is another story.

After mending fences with his dad, I thought Archie was going to irritate me less. Then he decides to “make his bones” (nonsense he learned from Nick of all people) by committing a murder. I’m not surprised, but I’m annoyed because the show gave us a little hope last week.

Lacy: Can Teen Bonnie and Clyde here just break up already? I’m so very tired of everything to do with Varchie.

Why are they both so okay with being criminals? Why are Veronica’s parents so cool with them both being criminals? Is this all really because the Lodges are trying to build a prison? Can’t these kids just investigate murders like everyone else in town? When did anyone decide we cared about the local mob? Arrrrgh. I hate so much about this story.

On some level, it was satisfying to see Nick St. Clair get taken down a peg. (Again.) He’s trash and deserves worse. But if anyone has earned the right to roofie or otherwise punish him, it’s Cheryl, not Veronica. And I can probably go the rest of forever without hearing the phrase “make my bones” ever again.

Mary: Archie and Veronica used to be interesting because I thought that maybe Archie’s goodness would rub off on Veronica. Unfortunately, it’s been the exact opposite. Veronica’s blasé attitude about the crime life her family leads has definitely transferred over to Archie. Now, I find them to be nauseatingly annoying.

What happened to the Archie who was willing to bend a few rules as long as it meant the greater good winning in the end? Now, he is willing to commit mafia level crimes, and for what? The dignity of his girlfriend?

It doesn’t matter how disgusting Nick is — none of that absolves their behavior. I really hoped his reconciliation with his father was a turning point. I get that this show is dark and dramatic. However, this is just getting out of hand.

4. Share your best theory about the Black Hood’s identity.

Alamin: I don’t know that it’s my best, but I really want it to be Hal. Mainly because that’ll mean he will make his exit from the series. The adults are vibrant, big characters, and he’s just boring.

Plus, keeping him around has kept us from learning about Alice, which we know from these roundtables is something I really want from Riverdale.

Lacy: I think the show wants us to think it’s Hal, which means it’s probably not Hal at all. (He’s also hardly “pure” himself, if we go by the whole idea that the Black Hood is punishing “sinners.) Lord knows it’ll probably turn out to be some random C-list Southside Serpent.

Mary: While Lacy brings up a good point about the obviousness of it being Hal, I do believe that it might be Hal. Whoever it is has a connection to Betty. So I don’t think I can, with certainty, say that it’s some low-level character.

The craziest thing would be if it’s one of the adults we AREN’T expecting. Like, Sheriff Keller or someone like that. With this show, anything is possible. However, my money is on Hal.

5. What was your favorite moment on this episode?

Alamin: Even though it annoyed me a little, Veronica sharing “the cool million” she got from ransoming Nick. Her parents are awful, and it was nice to see someone knock them down a peg or two.

The way they sit around their table and scheme and gloat… It’s gross at times. Nice to see someone show them up.

Lacy: Cheryl and the Riverdale River Vixens have funeral-appropriate cheerleading uniforms. I can’t ask for more from this show.

Mary: Honestly, Alice finally admitting to FP that she had their baby and that he was Charles. I love the idea of FP and Alice. I hope that this moment is a turning point for them that will bring them closer together. I’m interested to see FP explain that to Jughead in the future.

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What did you think of this episode of Riverdale? Respond to our roundtable questions with your own answers in the comments below! You can also catch up with our review of Riverdale Season 2 Episode 19, “Chapter Thirty-Two: Prisoners,” right here.

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.