Riverdale Review: Chapter One Hundred and Five: Folk Heroes (Season 6 Episode 10)

Percival’s presence brings some friends together and tears others apart on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 10, “Chapter One Hundred and Five: Folk Heroes.”

While the existence of the town council allows most of the storylines to connect back to a fixed point, Riverdale struggles to create a fresh story we want to see. 

Riverdale is at its best when it’s balancing mind-blowing insanity with soft romance, but Season 6 fails to give the new relationships the development they need. Plus, the new couple with actual focus is already proving why they don’t work as a romantic pairing. 

Veronica and Reggie work perfectly on paper. They share a love for business, have great chemistry, and are fun partners in crime. However, they constantly fail as a couple in action.

She never takes him seriously as an equal in the workplace, as already proven by Riverdale Season 3 and the Rivervale event. The relationship is executed in a manner that always makes Reggie her inferior, so he oftentimes seeks some sort of power in secret to feel better. This only leads to fighting and frustration. 

It’s not shocking that Veronica ended their relationship given the circumstances, but it’s disappointing to see it fail so soon. What is the point of reuniting them to implode it so early? 

We love to watch the town hijinks unfold on Riverdale, but this season is only about supernatural hijinks. There is barely any romance to be found. 

Back when Riverdale balanced romance and mystery, Betty and Jughead still added easy and comfortable affection to their interactions about a case or investigation. This season has yet to do that with its couples. 

It could be a writing choice or an unintentional lack of focus on romance due to more serious matters, but the past few episodes are devoid of romantic affection. It all feels platonic.

It’s not hard to add a couple of moments for Jughead and Tabitha or Betty and Archie to show they are happy together. To root for these new romances, we need to see them in action — romantic action.

If any ship is getting action, it’s Jarchie.

A bigger focus on Archie and Jughead’s friendship is a highlight of Season 6. They balance each other out so well. Where Archie is brawn, Jughead is brains. If Archie needs someone to ground him in his plans against Percival, Jughead provides a rational strategy to save the day. 

One of the smartest decisions this season is the Archie, Jughead, and Betty team up. These childhood friends make for fun comedic moments due to their natural ease and familiarity with each other after decades of friendship. This is a show I’ll watch!

However, it’s frustrating that Veronica is alienated from most of the action unless she’s observing it from the sidelines. “The Core 4” feels like a phrase of Riverdale‘s past at this point.

Riverdale continuously fails Veronica Lodge. She deserves better than the repetitive, male-dominated storylines she is stuck in. Now that Reggie is out of the picture, her storyline intersects with Percival. My eyes roll to the back of my head as I watch this play out. 

It’s exhausting watching Riverdale undermine her natural strength and intelligence to revolve her storylines around men who let her down or attempt to manipulate her. It’s hard to believe these fools could even challenge her power. 

To add to that, she is put in direct conflict with her friends. Instead of pitting Veronica against Toni and Tabitha for most of an episode, Veronica should interact with the women in her life positively and constructively as she does at the end of this episode. That dynamic has exciting potential!

Even though it’s all Percival’s doing, the notion that Veronica is the heartless enemy is a tired, and false, attack that has been used against her for seasons now. 

Overall, Riverdale Season 6 finally dedicates much-needed screen time to Jarchie, but it fails many of the new dynamics that require proper focus. 

Stray Thoughts

• Betty’s dedication to Cheryl is sweet.
• The Serpent Dance should stay in the past, but Toni and Tabitha’s friendship is really great. 
• I love that Archie keeps in touch with KO Kelly. That sleepover back in the day birthed a beautiful bond! 

What did you think of this episode of Riverdale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Riverdale airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.

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