Riverdale Review: Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Midnight Club (Season 3 Episode 4)

On Riverdale Season 3 Episode 4, “Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Midnight Club,” Alice reveals to Betty how the parents of Riverdale became embroiled in G&G, and how it changed their lives forever.

While certain cultural aspects of the ’90s are present in the episode (Veronica/Hermione’s Britney Spears Catholic school girl gone bad persona, the Saved by the Bell-ish opening credits, Betty/Alice’s eerie resemblance to 90210‘s Donna Martin), the rest of the episode is more of an ode to the ’80s.

The appearance by Anthony Michael Hall and the Saturday detention attended by the main characters is a love letter to The Breakfast Club (1985). There’s a mention of the cult classic Heathers (1989), and songs like “Take On Me” (1984), “Modern Love” (1983), and “Dancing with Myself” (1980) are all enduring hits from the prior decade.

Cultural anachronisms aside, Lili Reinhart continues to be the Nancy Drew meets Rosemary Woodhouse of Riverdale whether she’s portraying Betty Cooper or her mother, Alice. It certainly works in Reinhart’s favor that her romance with Cole Sprouse both on-screen and off has made her a fan favorite.

Reinhart’s incarnation of Betty is tough, resourceful, vulnerable, intelligent, and driven. She’s perfect on paper, but the kinship she feels with darkness keeps her interesting. Betty’s come a long way from the pilot when her pony-tailed girl next door took a back seat to siren Veronica Lodge.

As far as advancing the Gargoyle King storyline, “Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Midnight Club,” doesn’t fill in nearly as many blanks as we hoped it would. Fans already know the goal is to brainwash impressionable minds, and either committing murder or suicide appears to be the only way to “win” the game.

If the Gargoyle King is indeed a person, he or she has aged over two decades underneath that elaborate costume. Unless this is a copycat.

There may be more clues buried in the episode than what’s on the surface. One member of the Midnight Club is apparently a murderer, joining the homicidal ranks of Clifford Blossom and Hal Cooper. Growing up in Riverdale seems to guarantee developing some truly violent tendencies.

Is this mystery killer tied to the current deaths, or did he/she go dormant after Ascension Night just like the Gargoyle King? Is this person the Gargoyle King? This would be a more likely scenario than some supernatural thing that goes bump in the night.

It’s a bit of a cop-out how easily this malignant presence is vanquished by the Midnight Club. Why was it so easy then, and why has it chosen to reemerge now? Perhaps, the creature has simply returned to finish what it started, but what exactly does that mean?

Other Thoughts:

• A connection between Edgar Evernever, the Farm, and G&G hasn’t been ruled out. It’s hard to believe the two aren’t related in some capacity given the timing of Evernever’s attempts to infiltrate the minds of Riverdale residents.
• Betty will likely have to break her promise to Alice and play the game in order to save Jughead whose increasing obsession could make him the next victim or a threat to his pals.
• The most memorable moment of the episode has to be a young Penelope’s awkward dance moves!

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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