Riverdale Review: Chapter Thirty-Three: Shadow of a Doubt (Season 2 Episode 20)

Things get messy on Riverdale Season 2 Episode 20, “Shadow of a Doubt.” So let’s get to untangling, shall we?

To be totally frank, a lot of this episode is trash. Like, hot garbage. I’m going to start with the bad before moving along to discuss the good because, quite honestly, there’s more for me to rant about.

This Lodge family story is working my last nerve. I understand that it’s a major plot this season, but it’s a complete misfire. It’s done nothing except make Veronica, Archie, and Hermione (but mostly Archie) significantly less likable than they were in Season 1.

I’ve admittedly been a broken record with this complaint all season long, but I kept thinking it would either wrap up soon or take a more interesting turn. It never did.

Listen, I’m not beyond enjoying melodrama or soapiness. General Hospital has long been one of my favorite shows. I can suspend my disbelief just fine when the story warrants it and deserves it. This does not.

The inanity of this mob storyline is just too much for me. It’s given us a few cool moments (like Veronica turning the tables on Nick last week on Riverdale Season 2 Episode 19), but it’s largely too silly, boring, and repetitive to be enjoyable.

On “Shadow of a Doubt,” Veronica is tasked with meeting the various sons of other mob families in order to discuss potential business deals. Because apparently, in the world of Riverdale, professional criminals think it makes perfect sense to send their kids to commit crimes and conduct business for them.

By the end, though, Hiram isn’t at all interested in Veronica’s input. She decides that Elio’s casino idea is the best option, diligently researches how to make it a legal operation (per Hiram’s first dismissal)… and then is completely shot down when she excitedly takes the opportunity back to her dad.

In theory, I understand why the plot is unfolding as it is. Veronica urgently and desperately seeks her dad’s approval. Even if she isn’t fond of mob life or committing crimes, she’s a daddy’s girl at heart, and she just wants to prove herself to Hiram.

My issue is this: How many more times do we need to see Hiram disappoint Veronica, cast her aside, and straight up lie to her before she finally gets it?

This installment purports that this is the last straw for Veronica. She shows up at the Andrews home to tell Archie and Fred that she’s joining Fred’s campaign. This is partially inspired by Hiram choosing his business over Hermione’s safety when he insists she remain in the mayoral race and also by Hiram dismissing Veronica’s casino idea.

But it seems we’ve seen Veronica and/or Archie have “realizations” about Hiram’s true, nefarious nature all season long and none have stuck. So I’m hesitant to believe that Veronica disavowing her dad will be permanent.

On the same Lodge family note, Hiram appears to have given up all pretense of giving a crap about Archie. At this point, he’s blatantly manipulating things in an attempt to create chaos in the town and stir drama up between Fred and Archie.

Case in point: Hermione throwing in Fred’s face that Archie founded the Dark Circle during the debate.

Hiram stokes the fire between the Bulldogs (now led by Reggie, who acts in this episode as if he’s literally a physical manifestation of testosterone and toxic masculinity) and the Serpents after Fangs is arrested on suspicion of Midge’s murder.

Fangs obviously did not kill Midge — that much is made clear by his panicked reaction and the fact that the new sheriff arrests him. If one thing is for sure on Riverdale, it’s that these asshats never arrest the person who actually committed a given crime.

Unfortunately, Fangs not killing Midge doesn’t mean much to Reggie, who (after encouragement from Hiram) “takes justice into his own hands” by showing up to shoot Fangs when he’s released from prison.

Reggie’s attitude and behavior is completely absurd. He’s enraged that Midge was dating Fangs — like, he’s angrier than Moose, Midge’s actual boyfriend! Why does Reggie care so much?

He’s also a total lughead. Hiram is not at all subtle about his machinations, and Reggie laps it all up. I didn’t think it was possible, but he seems to be even more naïve and weak-minded than Archiekins himself.

The climax of the hour occurs when the Serpents attempt to shield a recently-released Fangs as the crowd attacks him. Reggie shows up, gun in hand, only to be tackled by Archie.

For as dumb as this entire plot is, the sequence is absolutely fantastic. The music, the slow-motion, the visuals in general — it’s all impeccably done. Fangs getting shot is a perfect dramatic moment, and Jughead’s reaction gives me chills.

Here’s the thing: I’m guessing it’s not actually Reggie’s gun that shot Fangs. My theory? It’s the Ghoulies.

Jughead mentions earlier in the episode that the Serpents’ rivals are being released from prison. They’re not mentioned again for the rest of the hour, as the gang deals with the more pressing issue of Fangs being arrested for murder. But there’s no reason for that initial mention if it wasn’t meant to pay off later.

Whether or not Fangs dies is up in the air, but I’d be willing to bet that him getting shot is neither Reggie’s or Archie’s fault after all. Doesn’t excuse their acting like a couple of boneheads, but it is what it is.

Now, the good…

Elsewhere, Betty grapples with the idea that her dad, Hal, may be the Black Hood. There’s solid, very incriminating evidence pointing towards him.

Betty, and specifically Lili Reinhart’s performance, is by far the highlight of this installment. Her arc has been so dark and so devastating this season, but it’s the thing on this show that’s consistently the most enthralling and well-plotted.

In a far more compelling way than Archie’s sorta-similar arc, Betty has gradually fallen into darkness and disarray in a very believable way.

Also great: the fact that Betty teams with Cheryl, of all people, to investigate her father. This team-up logically makes perfect sense, too — after all, Cheryl knows better than anyone what it’s like to have your dad end up being a murderous psychopath.

Lili gives a fantastic performance overall, but a few noteworthy moments stood out.

Betty’s breakdown at the morgue, when she confesses to Cheryl that she handed Chic over to the Black Hood and fears he’s dead, is such an important, emotional scene. It’s the culmination of all of Betty’s worst fears about herself, ever since black-wigged “Dark Betty” emerged for the first time in Season 1.

Her final scene, as she lays out the evidence against her father and lies in wait for him at Town Hall, is another great one. She says barely anything at all, but it’s almost more tense than Fangs getting shot, which happens concurrently across town.

The hour ends with two knocks at two doors.

Someone (Hal?) joins Betty at Town Hall, but we don’t see who it is. Meanwhile, Cheryl opens the door to find the Black Hood (or someone pretending to be the killer) on her doorstep, presumably there to murder her.

This show better not off Cheryl, after all she’s been through. I doubt they will, but I’m curious to see how she’ll get out of it. If Hal is the Black Hood, perhaps he’s just going there to threaten Cheryl so she’ll stop helping Betty investigate him. If that’s the case, who is joining Betty at Town Hall?

I like the theory I’ve seen floating around that there are multiple Black Hoods. This seems the most likely scenario, at this point. But whether the killers are working together or independently remains to be seen.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the shooter at the debate is actually one of the Black Hoods. That, to me, seems like a set-up — likely by Hiram himself — to stoke fear and panic in the townspeople.

One thing is for sure: I’m certainly looking forward to Hiram getting his comeuppance once and for all. If it’s at his daughter’s hands, even better.

Other Thoughts:

• Good news, fellow Toni and Choni fans: Vanessa Morgan has been upped to series regular for Season 4.
• I’m slightly less excited about the news that Charles Melton (Reggie) is also being promoted to a regular next season. Nothing against the actor at all. He’s perfectly fine. I just… don’t super care about Reggie as a character. This news also basically confirms that he won’t be going to jail for Fangs’ murder.
• As if the name “Papa Poutine” isn’t goofy enough, Archie finds out from fellow mob teen Elio that the dead mobster has a son known as Small Fry (!!) who’s out looking for vengeance against his dad’s killer (who the various mobs believe to be Archie). Oh, Riverdale.
• We get it, show; Veronica and Archie love having sex. The real threat of death is like an aphrodisiac for these two teen lovebirds. But I think their hook-up in the final moments of the hour, shortly before Fangs’ shooting, is the most preposterously placed love scene that I’ve witnessed in any show in quite a while. And again, I watch soap operas, so that’s really saying something.
• Who was the not-Chic dead guy in the morgue? Just some rando?
• Joaquin!! What a pleasant surprise. Obviously smuggling Fangs out of town is sort of a non-starter now, but perhaps he’ll have a chance to drop in on his ex, Kevin.

What did you think of this episode of Riverdale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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