Riverdale Review: Chapter Ninety-Four: Next To Normal (Season 5 Episode 18)
Riverdale Season 5 Episode 18, “Next To Normal,” takes the show’s annual musical episode to new heights, ditching outlandish plot for smaller, simpler character moments that soar.
“Next To Normal” is an unbelievably exceptional way to push through a character’s grief in a single episode, and Riverdale delivers its most grounded moments of the series in what should be one of the show’s more preposterous installments.
The story is told through stark visual contrasts and musical performances, and “Next To Normal’s” discography thematically fits each character’s personal journey with eerie precision.
The emotional gravitas the episode is able to reach is incredibly poignant for a show like Riverdale. It’s almost fully thanks to Reinhart and Amick’s performances, two actors who are not afraid to let their characters grieve Polly’s death with a guttural truthfulness Riverdale rarely achieves.
The musical soundtrack coming to life through Alice’s denial is a move that easily could backfire, even with a show like Riverdale. The show is meticulously careful, however, in where and how it chooses to implement songs, sometimes opting for only pieces of music woven in through dialogue, allowing the songs to feel closer to the narrative.
Denial, anger, depression, bargaining — Alice cycles through all the steps of grieving, and Riverdale uses creative pieces of symbolism to evoke that journey visually on screen.
While Alice’s bright and cheery imaginary life could play like Riverdale’s usual camp, it instead ends up landing as understandable escapism — especially when it’s juxtaposed with the greyer, messier reality she’s stubbornly brought back to through Betty.
It’s hard to watch Alice take out her anger on the one piece of family she has left, but the two are able to find a way towards acceptance by episodes end, showcasing how far this mother/daughter duo has come since the series began.
Elsewhere, the citizens of Riverdale all seem to have their hands full with various romantic entanglements. It’s a choice that ironically works, with Alice and Betty’s grief slowing the story down long enough for characters to catch up with their emotions.
People talking about feelings isn’t something Riverdale dedicates much time to, but that’s all the characters in “Next To Normal” really do — unless they’re singing about those feelings, instead.
Speaking or singing, getting to watch characters communicate about matters of the heart — instead of matters of extraterrestrials, Gargoyle Kings, or underground organ harvesting cults — is unbelievably satisfying, and something the show should do far more often than it does.
Riverdale is working hard to give Toni purpose, and in most cases, it succeeds. She’s possibly the shows biggest success story, and even without knowing her history, life as a social worker and mom give her a fleshed-out arc high school Toni could never even dream of.
Where Riverdale fumbles, is in Toni’s new romantic relationship with Fangs.
The two make exceptional co-parents, and it’s a missed opportunity not allowing them to live in non-nuclear family bliss. The “I love you” confession between the two feels random at best, given how little time the audience has spent with them as a pair, and doesn’t quite add up considering Fangs was last seen dating Moose.
Cheryl may not be quite ready to love Toni the way she deserves (and the way every fan of the show wants), but “Tangs” feels like an attempt to keep Fangs relevant, instead of an actual storyline the show wants to develop.
Riverdale does, however, manage to hit the rest of its romantic beats with roaring success. Jughead and Tabitha are the light in the dark this episode, finally coming together after a vocally impressive (sorry Cole Sprouse, but you really do have the pipes) performance and — two! — romantic kisses.
“Jabitha” getting together feels like the right step for both characters, but especially Jughead. He has found someone who is not only concerned about his best interest, but is patient in giving him all the space he needs as he works towards sobriety.
“Next To Normal” gives a peek into Tabitha’s family life, expanding her personal world as it (finally) centers the story around her. It also provides Jughead an opportunity to show up for her this time around, and boy, is it cute.
He wears a suit, she’s a vision in blue, they both can’t stop saying “Hey,” and he croons promises about how he could be “perfect for her.”
(There’s something magical inside those garage fairy lights that brings romance to life.)
Fairing less fortunate are Veronica and Archie, who finally realize what everyone else has known since their post-time jump rekindling began: this is not a sailing ship, but two separate boats passing in the night.
The two are such different people. It’s something that probably didn’t matter much in high school, but puts them on completely opposite trajectories at 25. Veronica and Archie want vastly different things for their lives, and the stakes are higher as adults making real-life decisions.
Sometimes nostalgia just isn’t enough, and a romantic relationship together isn’t right for either character anymore.
It’s imperative Veronica is the one who recognizes this, after compromising and agreeing to move into Archie’s abode (with Jughead and Frank as roomies). Veronica has made too many sacrifices for the men of Riverdale, and her character growth has suffered because of it.
Living in the past with Archie, isn’t going to solve that problem.
If Veronica decides she wants to be in a relationship, it needs to be with someone business-oriented like Chad, with the heart of Archie Andrews, and the sensibility to know how powerful Veronica Lodge truly is.
I’m not saying that’s Reggie Mantle but…OK, maybe that’s exactly what I’m saying.
As far as Archie, moving forward Riverdale needs to let him take action. He heeds to stop being reactionary to the women in his life, and take the time to really assess — and be vocal about — where his wants, needs, and heart, lie.
He’s got one more episode left in Season 5 to do it.
Random Thoughts:
- Kevin is going to be destroyed when he finds out Toni and Fangs are together.
- Toni and Cheryl’s scene proves how much chemistry and love there still is between them.
- Britta gives Cheryl a purpose she’s been missing this season.
- Lili Reinhart’s voice is absolutely captivating.
- Betty and Kevin may be the show’s best, most nurtured friendship.
- The funeral scene is a perfect cap to a wonderfully crafted episode.
- Riverdale! Give us the hilarious “Jeronica” friendship we DESERVE.
- Is Charles dead, or just rotting away in serial killer jail?
- Interesting, how Betty and Archie both want their futures to be in Riverdale. Just saying.
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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Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.