Riverdale Review: Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar (Season 6 Episode 16)
Although the pieces begin to fall into place by the end of Riverdale Season 6 Episode 16, “Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar,” the journey to get there is flawed.
Riverdale struggles most when it attempts to tackle logical, realistic situations. The show thrives when it fully embraces its lack of rules, so it’s hard to watch storylines unfold that don’t conform to its usual insanity.
This struggle is especially apparent in the disastrous custody battle between Toni, Fangs, and Kevin.
The custody battle storyline is flawed for many reasons, but it mainly suffers because it won’t pick a clear side. If Riverdale wants to play into its usual absurdity, then there is no need to discuss the logistics of a court case among three adults that are, if we apply real-world logic to the situation, unfit to care for an infant.
After yelling at Fangs for almost attacking Kevin, Toni responds to an issue over a missing pacifier (does she really only have one?) with a violent attack against Kevin. It turns an already frustrating conflict into a violent one, which isn’t unusual for Riverdale, but there is a child involved.
Why does Toni have weapons like brass knuckles in her home with a young child? It was not long ago that Fangs revealed the weapons he stores in their apartment. These are not strong indicators of a safe environment for a child.
Toni’s decision, after she argues with Kevin, to induct a baby into a gang, one that now refuses to rebrand, is troublesome. It makes us wonder how we should interpret these characters as parents because this is a disturbing reaction considering what the lawyers are telling Toni.
However, when you look at this situation from a Riverdale perspective, a world without rules, we know that Toni is a fiercely protective, caring mother. We don’t want her to lose her child, but the show insists on playing up a court case fight for Baby Anthony with lawyers and social workers, which adds real-world logic to it.
Toni’s behavior is frustrating to watch because we know that she is a good person with a good heart, but it is hard to understand some of her troubling decisions right now.
The storyline also does not help Kevin’s case when he was notably absent for almost all of Baby Anthony’s early life after he and Fangs split. The back half of Riverdale Season 5 makes it seem like Kevin wasn’t involved, and we have barely seen him interact with the child, so why would we support his custody fight?
To add onto this, Kevin is under Percival’s spell, making him untrustworthy and dangerous to the whole town. Percival seems to have a creepy plan for Baby Anthony, making me nervous and disturbed by what could come with this fight.
To make matters worse for this poorly executed family drama, there is absolutely no need for Toni and Fangs to get married when it feels like they are only together out of circumstance. There is no passion or heat between these two, and a rash proposal will not change that.
Thankfully, there are some bright spots to “Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar.”
Riverdale rarely takes advantage of the chemistry between Betty and Veronica, but when it does, they shine together. Even if the subject matter is odd, or in this case a bit unnecessary, this duo always makes it work.
So while the return of Charles feels random, his reemergence allows Betty and Veronica to make discoveries about their powers and their internal struggles, which moves their respective superpower plots forward.
In addition to Betty and Veronica, Riverdale has an unexpected power duo in Archie and Tabitha. This pairing works well together as they educate us on the importance of unions and seek to protect the workers in town. They share the same desire to protect Riverdale, and it’s clear that they’ll lead the charge in the final battle.
While Archie and Tabitha take on most of Percival’s corruption, Cheryl continues to reconnect with Heather, which reminds us of Cheryl’s vulnerability when it comes to love.
Cheryl’s issues with love and acceptance make her hard to crack. She hates to relinquish power and control, which is sometimes what you have to do when you fall for someone.
Cheryl’s nerves around Heather are palpable as she navigates her crush. This storyline slowly allows Cheryl to open her heart again, showcasing Madelaine Petsch’s expert ability to play the different sides of her character.
And as for the best twist of the episode, it finally feels like Riverdale is connecting the dots between the parallel universes that it introduced earlier this season.
After vague references to Rivervale after the five-episode event concluded, Jughead can now hear Writer Jughead writing stories from the other universe, which means it is only a matter of time before the two worlds intersect. There is so much exciting potential for how this could play out and what it means for the future of Riverdale.
This twist also raises questions about how Percival fits into the mix because he is undoubtedly involved, even if we never saw him in Rivervale. He’s been the puppet master ever since we returned to the world of Riverdale, so it needs to connect somehow.
Therefore, “Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar” sets up an intriguing twist to carry Season 6 into its final batch of episodes, but the episode struggles to maintain Riverdale‘s preferred careful balance between reality and absurdity.
Stray Thoughts
- Archie’s union education is admirable. He will always fight for what is right, taking after Fred.
- Agent Drake knowing Hiram makes me question her motives, but she has great chemistry with Betty.
- Reggie wants to learn magic because of course he does.
- They always ignore that Charles is also Jughead’s brother, which is unfortunate because the blended family dynamic from Riverdale Season 4 is sweet.
- Alice’s involvement in this episode is disturbing, and the writing never favors her.
- It is now canon that Cheryl watched The Wizards of Waverly Place, so now I must know what the rest of the ensemble has seen, especially Jughead.
- Veronica can cure cancer now. What a minor occurrence in the episode, considering it could change the world.
- Did Jughead’s spiral remind anyone else of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
- Moose’s return is wonderful, but which side is he on? Is that clear yet?
What did you think of this episode of Riverdale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Riverdale airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Julia Paino
Julia is a TV and pop culture enthusiast who gets too emotionally invested in her favorite characters. She loves making people laugh and is always down for a Taylor Swift sing-along. She is firmly on Team Stefan and has been since 2009. Follow her on Twitter @juliampaino!