Riverdale: Chapter Twenty: Tales from the Darkside

December 1, 2017 9:58 AM - Season 2, Episode 7

The Black Hood challenges the residents of Riverdale to remain sinless for 48 hours; Penny Peabody calls in a favor Jughead owes her, putting strain on his relationship with Archie; Betty and Veronica investigate a suspect.

Riverdale recap: 'Chapter Twenty: Tales from the Darkside' (Samantha Highfill for Entertainment Weekly, rated A)

Ever since Riverdale‘s second season decided to lean much more heavily on the thriller “whodunnit” aspect of the series, I’ve been waiting for an episode like tonight’s. I felt the stakes in this hour. I believed the drama. And I loved it as much as I loved Sheriff Keller’s abs (which is to say A LOT).

Riverdale Season 2 Episode 7: Betty Plays Detective -- "Tales from the Darkside" was all about uncovering "sinners" in Riverdale. (Amy Mackelden for Harpers Bazaar)

Season 2 Episode 7 of Riverdale was a film noir-inspired murder mystery—even Jughead couldn't resist calling Betty "Poirot" on two separate occasions. While Betty continued her investigation to unmask the Black Hood, Jughead got embroiled with Penny Peabody,. Here's everything that happened in this week's Riverdale (in 23 points)

Riverdale Season 2 Episode 7 Review - Chapter 20: Tales from the Darkside -- A formula-breaking episode of Riverdale hints at major supernatural things to come. (Chris Cummins for Den of Geek)

"He says that we've failed his test...that we're all sinners...that the reckoning is upon us." - Pop Tate

Sabrina the Teenage Witch should be showing up any second now.

That's my biggest takeaway from tonight's episode, the first in the series to date to not feature narration from Jughead. There's been a ramping up of supernatural elements this season, but it wouldn't be too hyperbolic to call tonight's non-traditional installment a game changer.

And a ton of pop culture references cited by Cummins, in addition to the usual Archie lore (Mr. Svenson the janitor is a long-time supporting character in the comics, but not so creepy and sin-obsessed).

Last but not least, Tunefind's citation of which songs were played where in the episode.

posted by filthy light thief (8 comments total)

I've been sort of down on this whole season compared to the first one. I wanted more nutty gothic antics, more Blossom board meetings to determine the course of the maple syrup empire, more wondering whether Betty's sister was a hallucination or an alt, that kind of thing. This season felt flatter and less fun overall until last night, when it got weird and unpredictable again. I don't want to know what's going to happen. I want them to surprise me! I want to gasp and cheer and snicker. This episode moved back in the direction I want the show to go.
posted by cgc373 at 6:52 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Cthulu in Riverdale is exactly what I want. The stupidity of Jughead (have you no google? Call the prison, you moron! I shouted with great enjoyment) was done with exactly the right teenage idiocy, throw in more Elder Gods and I'm theirs.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:49 PM on December 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

CHERYL STOP STALKING YR FRIEND
posted by vibratory manner of working at 11:56 PM on December 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yes! This episode was great. THIS is the Riverdale I want! Title cards and faux found-footage! Parallel story lines! Mysteries! Ghost deer!
posted by Secretariat at 9:14 PM on December 2, 2017 [1 favorite]

A taxonomy of Riverdale's Hot Dads.

I knew I was old when I found the parents hotter than the kids. Sad there was no Alice Cooper in this episode though.
posted by daybeforetheday at 1:28 AM on December 5, 2017

1. Tony Todd! Yes, tell me an urban legend, Tony Todd.
2. Riverdale Library makes another appearance. Jug: 'I was thinking about that guy who stopped for us tonight, Mr American Gothic, his story about the Riverdale Reaper. Maybe it's just a tale from the darkside, but what if it's an actual lead? Maybe tomorrow, you and I - if you're free - we could go to the library...'
3. So... Mr Svenson is the Black Hood, right? At least the show seems to want us to think that.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:28 PM on December 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Note: Chris Cummins is incorrect, I believe: there was no Jughead Narration in "When a Stranger Calls," because Jughead was kept apart from knowing what was going on on the Northside via Betty's and Archie's estrangement from him. And because all of the real information belonged to Betty.

But yeah, Noir, Horror and Pulp Fiction made this a hell of a needle to thread but the show pulled it off.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:22 AM on November 15, 2018

I want to know more about who is stealing Cthulhu artifacts and why! Nothing else can possibly be as interesting! Also can the Black Hood dreamwalk?
posted by corb at 4:10 PM on December 10, 2018