Riverdale Review: As Above, So Below (Season 3 Episode 3)
On Riverdale Season 3 Episode 3, “As Above, So Below,” Veronica opens her speakeasy, and Archie hatches a plan to escape juvie. Two enigmatic characters strengthen their holds on the residents of the town.
So far in Riverdale Season 3, Betty and Jughead aren’t able to find a connection between the Farm, Edgar Evernever, and Gryphons and Gargoyles. Could this mean two different villains with different agendas have coincidentally descended on Riverdale?
There is one commonality bridging these two storylines. Like the not-so-subtle comparisons to Hitler’s Third Reich in the Star Wars‘ films, Riverdale appears to be taking a subversive swipe at religion as part of its deconstruction of Americana.
How can anyone familiar with the kooky and creepy practice of Scientology not notice the similarities to the Farm? There are the counseling sessions (known in Scientology as auditing) that Evelyn is trying to implement at Riverdale High with her peer support group.
Betty is ambushed by a bevy of “Farmies” (all women) who are eager to hear Betty’s “testimony.” This is the first step in completing a series of levels; some hierarchy based on belief and adherence to Edgar Evernever’s self-created dogma.
The Farm’s philosophy was developed by one man, Edgar Evernever, and, obviously, members of the Farm are encouraged to recruit new members. There is a definite chasm between believers and non-believers which is creating friction in the Cooper household.
There may not be any aliens in the mix, but there is a mystical component to the Farm (the seizures, Betty’s vision).
The looming question is what is Edgar’s endgame? Is he a misguided prophet who takes advantage of people who are in a fragile mental and emotional state, and then he finds a way to use it to his advantage?
Riverdale hasn’t flushed out this storyline enough for viewers to determine if Edgar and his acolytes are just spewing new-age nonsense, or if everything we’ve seen so far is building towards something truly insidious.
The Gargoyle King is proving to be less elusive than Edgar and more overt when it comes to its intentions. Players must prove themselves worthy and eventually be willing to sacrifice themselves.
While there’s been no mention of God, the player’s manual is known as the “Scripture,” and there is the promise of an afterlife. Participants must drink the King’s blood (communion), and worthiness seems to be equated to blind faith.
Through the series, Riverdale touches on the tenets of good, evil, redemption, and renewal. Hal validates his tenure as the Black Hood by convincing himself he’s purging Riverdale of sinners. The Sisters of Quiet Mercy is an institution that dabbles in gay conversion therapy and churns out murderers.
Betty struggles with her inner darkness. During her confirmation, Veronica is only able to renounce Satan after seeing Archie in the crowd bathed in a white light.
How odd is it the only family in Riverdale we see attend church is the Lodges whose patriarch is a mob boss?
Riverdale’s exploration of the seedy underbelly of idyllic small town is extreme, and not even organized religion escapes unscathed.
The dual cult storylines may be the series’ most ambitious plots to date. They also make Archie’s prison exploits, and Veronica’s daddy issues more tolerable.
Even if Edgar Evernever is up to no good (and he likely is), it’s hard not to get excited by this laid-back Alice who looks very striking cuddled up in bed with FP.
The idea of Riverdale’s residents being brainwashed harkens back to horror films such as The Stepford Wives, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Disturbing Behavior, and even zombie fare such as Night of the Living Dead.
Can Riverdale keep this momentum going throughout the rest of the season? Let’s hope so.
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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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.