Riverdale Season 3 Part One Review

That time of year again where Riverdale has had its mid season finale. I am writing this intro on Wednesday the 10th, the premiere of season 3. I am not going full ham this year with this review. (EN: Thank god...) Instead, I am going to summarize each episode and then have a final review on the first part of the season. It was a mixed review season so here we go. Enjoy Riverdale and my endless rants!
A synopsis will be at the end of the review.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Labor Day

The opening to this season is giving me hope. With Archie's trial and final decision, it was a good segue from the last season. The ending with Archie's decision was very stupid of him, but I do see his point. Veronica and her dad are done, and I have no idea on how they are going to build that back up if they even will. 

MY BABIES! I love how my communicative duo is back. Betty is taking the stand that she is the Serpent Queen! The kiss and when he put his beanie on her as protection from her anxiety killed me. Though Betty does need help. She's saying she is seeing a therapist and really isn't and is just taking Adderall which is not good. I still want her to finally get help. 

Jughead being the King is good, and getting Hot Dog from the Ghoulies was good as well. I really don't want to see the gang fights again. 

Seeing more of Choni and Kevin did make me happy. Cheryl with that bow slays me. 

Overall it was good, the new mystery about the Gargoyle king is interesting and I am excited to see how this story goes.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fortune and Men's Eyes 

The story and mystery are starting to pick up. I am not very interested in the gargoyle king. Hoping it won't go supernatural, but we will see what happens. I do love how the parents got together, all of them, to talk about the game. This shows what's to come in the flashback episode. 

Archie and the jail plot is starting to bug me a little. I love that Joaquin is back, but watching OITNB gives me more than enough for a prison plot line. I do love how Ronnie is super supportive. 

My babies are happy and being the detective duo that I love so I am game. 

Kinda surprised they killed Dilton and Ben. 

The musical number was good too.

I also just want my baby Kevin to be happy.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: As Above, So Below

So I don't know how I feel about the direction of the show right now. 

Archie and the prison thing is making me mad. The whole fight ring and the cops making them fight is wrong in my opinion. Archie is trying to be smart, but he needs to get out of there.

Veronica and the speakeasy I really like. I do not love Penny showing up and trying to take her down. I will say Veronica and Hiram's relationship is in real deep. 

All the Choni scenes made me happy.

The farm is weird but I want to know more about it. 

Now the main plot with the Gargoyle Game is starting to freak me out. Ethel is someone I do not like at all, and now I see why everyone hates her. (EN: Told you so) The whole drinking from the cup thing, I can't. Don't let my baby Jughead almost die. Betty and Jughead are being a little too multiplicative, and Betty was making me angry. When Jughead got the script, it was good, but then, of course, Ethel copies it and now the whole school will be playing it.

The Falice sex scene was okay, but your children are dating each other so no. (EN: They're not married so it's not the weirdest) Cole Sprouse having more shirtless scenes does make me happy.

Now for the flashback episode to the parents! 

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Midnight Club 

So this was the episode I was so hyped for. I did enjoy the episode as a whole. Having the actors play their parents was a good idea, and the cast did an amazing job. I felt like I was watching FP and Alice, while we got to see the others too. 

Some of the side plot points of the game did clear up some past plot holes that were never really discussed. Sierra and Tom's relationship was one. I also loved how they actually used Mark's (Hiram) actual son to play him. It was perfect.

The game itself was okay. We did see a little more about the game, but a lot was still left in the air. To me, I felt like this episode was at the same pace throughout. The ending did have more of a surprise with Jughead and the Serpents playing the game. I do not want him to go down this path. Nobody needs it. I want to see more about the game instead of alluding to it.

I loved all the music and costumes so much. FP and Alice's relationship is something I want to see more of. Also love how they brought back the actor that played Jason Blossom for Clifford. 

Now let's see what next week has in store.

Chapter Forty: The Great Escape

I have so many emotions! So many questions, I actually can't. 

Archie in Juvie is getting me even more annoyed. That prison needs to be taken down.

Veronica's plan to get Archie out was cool, but how did juniors in high school manage to pull that off. (EN: How have they pulled off half the stuff they've done?)

We got a lot of Choni, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Kevin, Josie and Reggie this episode and I am living for it. 

But what the heck with Sierra and Tom getting married? Did they get divorced or not? I thought Tom was still married?

Betty on the motorcycle and in the jacket is a blessing that I have been waiting for. Also is she the only sane one right now? (EN: It's a bad day when Betty is the only sane one...)

Now on to my biggest rant. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH JUGHEAD? My baby is acting creepy about the game, which is getting weirder, and also him getting into the game is not cool. He had Cheryl shoot an arrow at his head to prove a point to Sweet Pea. Betty and Jughead are fighting because Jughead is going off the deep end, and I am not game for this at all. 

The ending was better, but the whole episode was something I could not handle.

Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter

OHHHHHHH I'M MAD. 

So Archie is out thanks to the gang. He is in hiding, but wants to help. Veronica is so determined on finding evidence to free him, which she does succeed in. Kevin helps Archie the whole time, so I love my bean. 

Jughead is made me mad less this time, but the boy still does not know how to hold a knife. He is showing more redeemable qualities now though. 

The parents, I cannot with. The Midnight Club was finally brought together by Betty (my queen), and I now have even more questions.

The whole gargoyles coming to the Coopers was stupid and I'm not a fan of horror because it's stupid. But FP did not ease my pain and now I am curious and I do not like my theory of what's to happen.

Now Betty is finally making me happy and she is getting so much better. But what Alice did made me HATE HER SO MUCH AGAIN. I hate that asylum so much!

Archie and Jughead leaving was very nostalgic, and I am so excited to see them bonding, but Jughead should not leave Betty in her time of need. Even though he does not know it yet.

Also RIP Joaquin. 

(EN: WAIT WHAT?!)

Chapter Forty-Two: The Man In Black

As of this moment, my faith in this show has been restored. This episodes goes into three parts like season 2 episode 7. It splits into: Archie and Jughead, Veronica, and Betty.

Archie and Jughead are on the run from Hiram. They go to a farm, Archie gets stupid, and Hiram shows up. They make it out, and we will finally see Jellybean and Gladys in the mid season finale.
I liked the nod to Cole's photography with Jughead taking photos.

Veronica's part was her speakeasy and getting it up to better standards. Even though she moved out of the Pembrooke, she still talks with her father. I found that confusing. She makes a casino night and gets Elio (her father's mob friend's son) to make a cut for money. She cheats the cheater and saves her place and Pop's. I see the Veggie chemistry coming. Also I like how Sheriff Maneta is now dead. 

Now the final and best part of the episode was with Betty. With her being at the Sisters, she is trying to find evidence, so she can take them down. The whole time as she cooperates, we hear Betty's thoughts and it was fantastic. While she is playing them, Ethel becomes her roommate. I now get why people really hate Ethel. She needs to die in a painful death at this point. She has a eye on Betty and talks how she is not worthy and the Gargoyle king will never see her. I love how Ethel says that Jughead doesn't really love Betty and how Jughead and her are gonna be a ship. I DIED LAUGHING. Also how Jughead had to kiss Ethel in the bunker when we all know Bughead has done WAY more. Betty fakes a seizure to get into the infirmary to get her records. The fizzle rocks are the drugs that Hiram makes and he tests it on the patients of the Sisters. Betty almost escapes like how Cheryl did only to find that they covered the hole and Ethel told on her. They make Betty take the rocks and she has to go see the King. Betty is now under his territory and my baby is messed up.

This was the best episode in so long. I do not know how the mid season finale is going to top this besides having Jellybean and Gladys. 

Chapter Forty-Three: Outbreak

 

Here we go midseason finale.
So it was a little bit of a let down compared to last season, even though last season was terrible.
Jughead and Archie are in Toledo and I am LIVING. We finally get to meet Jellybean and Gladys. Jellybean and Jughead's reunion was AMAZING. I stan Gladys and her thinking that Archie and Jughead were a couple. I died. Jughead not trusting his mother and calling her out on all the things she has done to him was amazing. With Penny showing up to get Archie, I was about to scream, but Gladys and Jellybean taking care of her was awesome. Love JB with that sling shot. We don't know what happened to Penny, but I am happy. Fred and FP showing up at the end to get their sons was so cute. I love the moment between FP and Gladys.
Fred and Archie go their separate ways when Archie goes to Canada to stay safe, while Jughead and FP are stuck on the border of Riverdale.
Betty Cooper is once again one of my favorite characters. She was smart and threw up the fizzle rocks and other drugs as well as brought Ethel to her senses. She got her to realize that the Gargoyle King is in her head and that she was hallucinating. Ethel and Betty come up with a plan and get everyone out of the Sisters. I love how V and Cheryl thought she was at the Farm like what the heck, guys?
Now we did not get as much Choni scenes as I wanted. The Vixens all having seizures except Cheryl was odd as well as the parents trying to shut down Riverdale High. Hiram having the governor in on his side was overdone, and having him quarantine the city was not the best way to end the season. It was very confusing and I really didn't understand what was going on. Basically everyone in Riverdale is stuck there with no way of getting out.
I wanted more Choni, Kevin, and Bughead but it was an okay mid season finale.

Overview:

Overall, so much better than season two. Betty and Jughead have a strong relationship and I am happy. We get more of the parents and it was an interesting ride. Archie and Veronica were predictable, but we will see what happens.

The whole plot with the Gargoyle King got me into to it, but I have more questions than answers at this point. I wish we got more of that and I know it will be solved in the next half of the season. I do feel like the show will never get back to where it was with season one. It was the best and I can rewatch it over and over again. It is more like a typical teen drama, but I do love it and I recommend this season a lot. Just skip over season two and we are good.

Hope you guys enjoyed my obsessive Riverdale rants and I will see you next week for some holiday fun. 

*All gifs are from the Internet and are not mine.