Riverdale Review: Chapter Ninety-Two: Band Of Brothers (Season 5, Episode 16)
Riverdale Season 5 Episode 16, “Chapter Ninety-Two: Band Of Brothers,” creates strong stories for each of its main characters, but struggles in finding a cohesive thread to pull it all together.
The series channels its weekly dose of bonkers through Cheryl and Kevin, in exchange for giving the rest of its characters more grounded story arcs.
The entire Ministry storyline is as outrageous as it is problematic, and it’s clear Riverdale wants to give fan favorites Petch and Cott adequate screen time, it’s just entirely unaware of how to actually do that.
Luckily the actors spin their scenes into gold by creating a wildly entertaining friendship between Cheryl and Kevin, with Penelope Blossom being the cherry on top of this asinine sundae.
Reggie and Veronica also continue to be quite the dynamic duo, and Veronica’s time away from Archie and Hiram allows her to flourish in the best way possible. With more time focused on her own life, Veronica rises to the occasion of being the business titan she was always meant to be.
Reggie is the perfect partner in — literal — crime, keeping up with every move she makes. The two are electric on screen together, not simply because their goals align (they do), but because watching them is delicously fun.
Watching them successfully steal from Hiram, is a whole new level of satisfying.
Veronica truly is a brilliant mastermind.
Things are substantially darker for the rest of the Riverdale gang, as Archie, Betty, and Jughead are all simultaneously suffering due to the guilt they carry from their past. Archie and Jughead are given the opportunity to move forward from that guilt, while Betty is stuck right where Riverdale left her.
True to character, Archie attempts to heal by being the good guy, consequences be damned. It’s an admirable but knee-jerk reaction, in line with every other decision teenage Archie once made.
What makes this story different — and therefore, worth it — is witnessing Archie taking a more mature approach, and pivoting his plan when recognizing its flaws. The conflict itself is wrapped up entirely too quickly considering the circumstances, but the growth is clear, and the reward is well deserved.
Jughead begins to right his own wrongs with an apology tour, but the journey isn’t exactly linear.
It is, however, true to life. Flaws are often what keep Riverdale’s characters feeling somewhat real and grounded, and that is never more appropriately depicted than with Jughead’s current arc.
He is trying, and those efforts lead him to a conversation with Betty that’s long past overdue. The two meet for a face-to-face reckoning that’s been building for 7 years (in Riverdale’s timescape), but unfortunately, it ends up playing as “too little, too late.”
The talk is meant more for Jughead, and what he needs to move forward. He is able to own up to his mistakes — clearly sincere in his regret — but the two are on such wildly different pages, they can’t begin to focus on moving forward together.
Betty’s passive take on Jughead’s addiction — and failure to apologize for what happened with Archie all those years ago — is only part of what keeps the shared moment from feeling intimate.
Both become easily distracted, the characters are curiously not shot in a shared frame once, and the scene lands like two distant strangers who can’t bridge the gap between them.
Both Reinhart and Sprouse deliver absolutely fantastic and emotive performances, but the conversation still ends up feeling disjointed.
Betty and Jughead have always shared darkness — Riverdale has drilled it in our minds time and time again — but perhaps the show is attempting to pivot that common denominator into something more destructive than it is healing.
That message is echoed by Tabitha, who is unambiguous in her advice to Jughead, urging him to keep away from old patterns and stay the course of sobriety before all else. That guidance — and Jughead’s immediate return to AA meetings following it — is a definitive statement on who is best, and healthiest, for Jughead’s life right now.
But as Jughead untangles himself from his vices, the real issue lies in how the show has allowed Betty’s mission — and mindset — to fall into the background of the narrative, pushing the audience to the outskirts of her perspective.
It’s unfortunate, because there is a lot going on there. Betty is clearly traumatized, and while the show finally allows her to admit as much, it’s done nothing to help her grow past it.
Every character in “Band Of Brothers” has their own intriguing arc, but whether Riverdale is able to pull it all into one, cohesive storyline by season’s end is an entirely different story altogether.
The show has a reputation for mashing together plot lines that don’t quite fit, and with every character on such individual trajectories this late in the game, it seems history may repeat itself.
The stories are solid, but it too often feels like five different shows being tossed into one short hour.
Random Thoughts:
- Riverdale calls Blackberry phones “Boysenberry phones,” and I will never be over it.
- Reggies reveal about his relationship with Hermosa is comedic gold.
- The visuals used to represent trauma are strikingly effective.
- WHERE IS TONI? WE JUST GOT HER BACK!
- Is it just me, or does Hiram look a little proud of his daughter when she bests him at the auction?
- Tabitha Tate is the best thing to happen to any of these people.
- Why can’t Jughead just get his novel back from Jessica? Did I miss something?
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.