Riverdale: Chapter 22: Silent Night, Deadly Night

December 14, 2017 7:06 AM - Season 2, Episode 9

Fred receives a hospital bill with charges totaling $86,000. Veronica tries to get her parents to help but they refuse. Jughead rallies the younger Serpents against Penny Peabody. Betty and Archie receive a Christmas present from the Black Hood.
posted by Bulgaroktonos (10 comments total)

Okay nobody believes he was actually the Black Hood, right? I am calling fake-out.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:10 AM on December 14, 2017 [9 favorites]

Thank you so much for posting this! This show is so amazing. When Cheryl said "Isn't it obvious? I'm saving Christmas!" I nearly fell over. One of the greatest lines of our generation.

So obviously I don't think we know who the real Black Hood is because of Archie being like "but I looked into his eyes..." and Betty knowing it wasn't over or whatever. I wonder if Mr. Svenson né Joseph Conway was actually the one who pointed the gun at Betty and Archie in the park or if the real Black Hood put the mask on him and told him to run and with all his PTSD and everything he just started going and panicked when Archie started chasing him. And now he's dead and can't answer any questions? Very convenient.

I definitely also think we should talk more about Cheryl; I think it's interesting that she's trying to reclaim her old life and is kind of slapped in the face by how that's actually just not possible and they have very few options in terms of making money. She thinks she can boss her mother into fixing everything and it's actually just not possible and she's going to have to cope with that. That said, she is extremely resourceful. She'll figure something out.

So now Veronica knows more about the whole Lodge Industries plan than we do. I'm glad that worked out okay because her snooping around in her father's desk was making me very nervous. I don't think he'd hurt her but he is a dangerous man. I wonder also if her family being more open with her is what allowed her to tell Archie she loves him. So I guess they're back together now? Is he going to tell her about kissing Betty?

Finally, I understand Jughead was in a bind and had to do something but that was fucked up. He cut someone's tattoo off her? And didn't check with his father first to see what the possible repercussions are? As if he hasn't caused enough trouble? What the fuck was that? Jesus.

So sad this show is off the air for now and so glad it exists. It brings back some of the joys of the early days of Pretty Little Liars back before they betrayed us.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:19 AM on December 14, 2017 [6 favorites]

I wonder if Mr. Svenson né Joseph Conway was actually the one who pointed the gun at Betty and Archie in the park or if the real Black Hood put the mask on him and told him to run

I sort of figured he had been taken by the Black Hood, and this was like a condition of release or something, "I'll let you go if you do this," but obviously don't trust the Black Hood, especially if you're a sinner.

Is he going to tell her about kissing Betty?

I doubt it, because then Cheryl loses the chance to be the worst friend in the entire world which is basically her MO now. I do think her family stuff is really interesting right now and I hope we get a conclusion of whatever is going with her, especially her treatment of Josie which has been odd.

Jughead's cutting the tattoo off was a really WTF moment. It's a show that's darker than expected often, but like WHOA Man calm down for a second. Also, I'm not sure it solves the problem? She's still got her leverage over him, and also now he's done something far worse.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:34 AM on December 14, 2017 [4 favorites]

especially her treatment of Josie which has been odd.

Do you think Cheryl has a crush on Josie? It would explain her pushing away other people who express romantic interest.

And yeah, I guess the idea is to scare her so much she's afraid to use her leverage but like really get rid of the leverage, don't make her decide she'll be safer if you're in prison. I also wonder what FC did to her? I think she said in the last episode that this is because of something related to him.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:38 AM on December 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also they keep calling what Jughead delivered for her "drugs" when it was a wooden box addressed to "Miskatonic University, via H.P. Lovecraft. Polar Expedition Jan. 13, 1923." I doubt this will be a thing, it's probably just a throwaway spooky thing, but it's weird.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:45 AM on December 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

YES! I've been assuming it was a Specimen but I'm not sure if we'll ever get confirmation of that.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:48 AM on December 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Meanwhile, Polly has been pregnant for - what - nearly 18 months, now?
posted by cheshyre at 6:45 PM on December 14, 2017 [3 favorites]

Maybe she's having twins ;)

[I know it doesn't work that way. That's the joke.]

[And now the joke is ded.]
posted by filthy light thief at 9:32 PM on December 14, 2017 [2 favorites]

Glad I'm not the only one wondering if this is a fake out. The Sheriff finally has good aim when he's covering up for the fact he's the Black Hood. I thought there was a great nod to this when they all sat down at Pop's afterwards and tried to make sense of it, and Jughead, who literally narrates all of this for us is like, "I have no idea how this makes sense." That's right Jughead, this is only the Christmas hiatus, and the Black Hood is a full season villain.
posted by thenormshow at 8:42 AM on December 15, 2017 [3 favorites]

Just watching this now but it felt like such an obvious fake-out that I thought we were supposed to even understand it in the moment to have been a tragic janitor committing suicide-by-cop here.

Which is, you know, pretty damn dark for a Christmas story.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:04 PM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]