Riverdale Season 2 Finale Recap

With season 3 of one of the most popular TV dramas returning to The CW on October 10th, Riverdale fans are excitedly anticipating what will happen next. However, after a long break of almost six months, many have forgotten what actually happened during the season two finale.

WARNING: Riverdale spoilers ahead.

After a crazy second-to-last episode of Riverdale season two left fans sitting on the edge of their seats, naturally expectations were high for the finale… especially after finding the identity of the Black Hood: Hal Cooper, Betty’s father.

Also, Hiram Lodge is set on destroying Archie Andrews, which has been building up all of season two.

Finally, in the last moments of the second-to-last-episode, the narrator and classic favorite Jughead Jones is thought to be dead after defending the South Side Serpents to the Ghoulies and is in extreme conditions from their vicious fight.

In the opening scene of the finale, Jughead has a dream sequence in which Betty, Archie, and Veronica stood in front of his grave, but then he immediately woke up in a hospital room, with his dad, F.P., by his side, to many fans’ relief.

F.P. informs Jughead that fellow Serpent, Fangs, is indeed alive, after a sheriff’s deputy previously had called F.P. and told him that Fangs was dead. Hiram Lodge and the sheriff ployed the Serpents into fighting something they couldn’t win, all as his master plan of conquering Riverdale.

Meanwhile, good news for Cheryl Blossom. She and Nana Rose are seen meeting with Sierra McCoy to officially appoint Nana Rose as Cheryl’s legal guardian, clearing her criminal mother, Penelope, and troublesome uncle, Claudius, out of her home and life.

Betty and her mother are still dealing with the aftermath of Hal’s confession to being the Black Hood. Betty is especially concerned about her mother because of the brutal outburst of onlookers, photographers, and nosy people of Riverdale around and outside her home. Betty’s mother, Alice, has gone through a lot in the past, and responds to the growing chaos badly.

In a short scene mid-episode, Betty, Alice, and Betty’s sister Polly, are sitting in their living room discussing Hal when Polly suggests they forgive him. She explains that “the Farm” teaches that forgiveness is “the most valuable gift you can give” and the Farm will eventually tie back into season three.

Back to the Serpents, Cheryl is informed by her mother that the sheriff plans to raid the White Wyrm, which is where the Serpents are taking refuge after Hiram Lodge destroys their homes in the trailer park. So, Cheryl, Archie, and Jughead secretly sneak the Serpents out of the White Wyrm before the police raid and take them somewhere safe.

Veronica also buys the White Wyrm after discovering that Hiram is set out on buying it as well and that he fired F.P. from Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. Then, she makes a deal with her father to trade the White Wyrm for Pop’s. Hiram agrees, as long as all financial ties with her parents are cut.

Then,  F.P. retires as Serpent King and passes over his position to Jughead. Jughead’s first duty as Serpent King is granting Cheryl Blossom as a Serpent. Later, Jughead finally asks Betty to join the Serpents as well.

Betty visits her father in prison in an attempt to resolve her struggle to deal with what he has done. She decides she finally wants to return to school. Alice also visits Hal separately. She discusses this with Polly, who suggests that Alice see someone from the Farm to talk about what happened, someone who helped her too. This hints that Alice will be more involved with the Farm very soon.

Veronica also decides to turn Pop’s into a speakeasy and restore its basement which was used for a speakeasy in the 1920’s.

In the final scene, at Archie’s student body president inauguration, Archie is arrested for the murder of Cassidy Bullock, obviously set up by Hiram. Cassidy was a Shadow Lake resident, an employee of a general store close to the Lodge’s cabin. When Cassidy and a few others broke into the Lodges’ cabin earlier in the season, Hiram’s assistant, Andre kills him in the woods. The episode ends with Archie being escorted out in handcuffs while Hiram, obviously pleased, smiles at him.

What can we expect in season three? Based on the season two finale, the next season will likely involve more of the Serpents, Alice and Polly’s involvement with the Farm, and the aftermath of Archie’s arrest.