Riverdale Review: Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Preppy Murders (Season 5 Episode 2)

No one ever said Riverdale was afraid to get twisted.

Riverdale Season 5 Episode 2, “Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Preppy Murders,” brings all its major stories to their apex, closing out a myriad of mysteries and betrayals, and making a clear path to graduation before a time jump towards the future. 

If the last episode was an ode to Camila Mendes’ acting chops, “The Preppy Murders” dedicates itself to the talent of KJ Apa, who delivers a painfully emotional performance as the uncertainty of his future — and the trauma of his past — join forces in leading him to an ultimate breaking point.

While this is a storyline that could have been explored two seasons ago, when bear attacks and stints in jail were taking precedence over real character-driven conflict, a post-Fred Andrews world is where Archie’s story truly resonates. 

Five seasons of emotional trauma — that is only heightened by the real-life loss of Luke Perry — results in a deep internal struggle with a gravitas so heavy, it’s hard to toe the line between acting and reality. 

Archie’s arc is no longer about the things he’s almost lost, but the one’s already irrevocably taken from him, making “The Preppy Murders” a perfect storm. It’s an hour in which all his past ghosts come back to haunt him, forcing his dwindling sanity to unravel as he attempts to hold on.

It’s all delivered flawlessly by an unwinding and emotionally sporadic Apa, who doesn’t miss a single beat emulating a boy losing his grip on everything he thought he knew. 

The fallout of his breakup with Veronica feels frivolous in comparison to Archie’s darker demons, but it certainly adds fuel to the proverbial fire.

Betty asking if something is wrong feels like a slap in the face considering what’s happened between the two of them. The pressure to pretend with Veronica serves as a constant reminder of the lies he has to live with, and the emotions he doesn’t have the mental bandwidth the face. 

While Veronica wants to hide the affair, Hiram Lodge certainly doesn’t. 

His attack on Archie is a pathetic move (five seasons in, and we still don’t know why a grown man is so obsessed with destroying a teenage boy), but he’s utilized as a mouthpiece to speak the words we’ve tiptoed around for three episodes: Archie cheated on his girlfriend with her best friend, and that is a very big deal.

At another point in time, Hirams attack might resonate with Archie; he’d decide pretending with Veronica is absurd, and Jughead deserves to know the truth (he does).

But life is coming at Archie way too fast in “The Preppy Murders,” so it falls on deaf ears. The cheating scandal known as Barchie is inevitably put on the backburner, making Hiram’s outburst feels ill-timed and pointless in the overall narrative. 

Archie’s moment of growth comes in a different form. Asking a son to write a letter excusing the murder of his father seems insane, but Archie rises above his pain and does it anyway, showcasing the type of good-hearted character he truly is; a boy determined to live up to the man his father once was.

It’s a tipping point for Archie, and the letter will likely serve as a catalyst for who he becomes in the future. Archie is working through his demons, recognizing that grief has no finite timeline, and using the pain in productive ways in order to move on.

It’s a beautiful footnote to a season largely dedicated to the mourning of Luke Perry, and the character of Fred Andrews. 

Shockingly enough, Archie’s martyrdom isn’t the darkest aspect of “The Preppy Murders.” And no, I’m not talking about Penelope Blossom offing her entire lineage in order to make Cheryl happy. 

I’m talking about the reveal of Jellybean as our infamous auteur. 

The actual murderer of the season is Charles, which comes as a surprise to virtually no one — except Jughead. 

Not sure how our boy Slughead didn’t see the giant clues that have been formulating since we met serial killer gene Charles, but Detective Ponytail manages to put the puzzle pieces together.

The only interesting thing about Charles being a serial killer (one whose motives eerily match those of the Black Hood) is what it stands to do for Betty’s character. Her father and her brother are now confirmed murderers, and she carries the same gene. 

How this will shape her motives, desires, and trust in herself, moving forward? 

So little sister Jellybean might not be a killer, but she is the video auteur; a plan put in place so Jughead would stick around Riverdale a little while longer. 

It might have been one of the best twists of Riverdale, if the videos weren’t so unbelievably disturbing on a multitude of levels. Jellybean is well past the age of understanding reality vs. make-believe, and any warm and fuzzy feelings it’s meant to invoke for the Jones family get lost in translation. 

Making a movie recreating gruesome murderers and sending it to people’s homes is — troublesome — and if the show doesn’t address the clear call for help Jellybean is making, Riverdale will have once again failed miserably at dealing with the topic of mental health. 

The true familial warmth of “The Preppy Murders” comes in the form of an acceptance letter addressed to Jughead. It’s an understated, yet incredibly moving moment; Jughead’s accomplishments have earned him the chance of a bright future, and his whole family is there to witness it.

We’ve come a long way from the Twilight Drive-In. 

While most characters feel like they’re moving forward, Veronica feels stuck in the same space. We’ve watched her attempt to take Hiram down before, only to regret the decision and backtrack into her father’s gaze. 

This latest attempt doesn’t feel much different and would land more effectively if it was being led by Hermione over Hermosa, who has always felt like a fairly pointless character.

At the very least, Hermione gets her moment to shine, revealing her only reason for staying was to protect her daughter.

Going off to be a Real Housewife for Andy Cohen is literally the most cringe-worthy thing this show has done — besides making its characters say the word “endgame” — but I’m happy to see her getting out of this wicked little town. 

Soon, all our characters will be heading out of Riverdale, but will all their problems be solved before they go? Will Archie find a new path? Will Veronica nail Hiram down for good? And will Jughead find out about the kiss between Betty and Archie?

It’s hard to believe Riverdale would send Jughead off without knowing the truth. The show could be trying to hold on to a fan-favorite couple long as they can — the two do deserve a few intimate moments before going their separate ways, after all.

There have just simply been so many missed opportunities for a dramatically fulfilling reveal. Jellybean could have made a voyeur tape of it, Charles could have bugged Archies garage and recorded it, and Veronica could have spitefully told Jughead about it, but he remains in the dark.

Will it stay that way for seven years?

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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