Riverdale Season 2 Episode 20: Shadow of a Doubt Review

If you would like to read my review of last episode, click here.

Synopsis: Betty turns to Cheryl for help when she has a suspicion about the Black Hood; A mysterious message leaves everyone on edge. (IMDB)

Writer: Yolanda E. Lawrence

Director: Gregory Smith

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 45 mins

Airs: Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW (United States)

“Shadow of a Doubt”starts off with Archie going door-to-door campaigning for his dad while checking who might be the Black Hood. Meanwhile, Betty is positive she’s living with him as she looks at her dad cautiously while talking about Chic as a test for their family. Veronica helps Archie cover up his bruises and informs him that the mafia families are sending their princes to try and court her. This is interrupted by Hiram who questions Archie about his campaigning to which he says he has been using it as an excuse to look into everyone’s eyes. Hiram reassures him that they will find him. First up, the main story.

Hiram convinces Archie to start up the Dark Circle again to catch the Black Hood, but it’s really a way to cause civil unrest in the town and show them that Fred cannot even control his own son. As Archie talks to the jocks, Moose lets slip that Midge told him she was cheating with a Serpent causing some of the northsiders to get angry. The northsiders crash the Serpents club to interrogate them and things get a bit heated. Luckily no punches are thrown, yet. At the trailer, Fangs reveals to Jughead that he was the one Midge was seeing, but he kept this information from Sheriff Keller. Jughead comes to Archie with the info and tells him to get the northsiders to lay off. However, he needs to grab the footage though and they get to meet the new sheriff: Sheriff Minetta, who is definitely under Hiram’s thumb. Jughead tells FP about the situation and he knows that war is coming.

Archie arrives home to find his father standing in the kitchen with a note from the Black Hood saying “you’re next sinner.”Sheriff Minetta and the Lodges come to the Andrews to discuss what to do. Archie wants to keep his dad at home, but Fred wants to beef up security at town hall so the town does not live in fear and the debate can go on. The show must go on! At school, Jughead learns the video leaked and he needs to find Fangs fast. As he tries to get him out they are cornered by the Dark Circle, Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Minetta who arrest Fangs as a switchblade falls from his pocket. Not looking good Fangs.

Fred confronts Archie who is keeping watch during the night. He opens up about breaking down thinking his dad would die, but it comes back to Hiram and Archie’s weird relationship with him. That evening, the Dark Circle heads to the White Wyrm. Archie awakes to a call from Jughead. He berates him for the Dark Circle setting fire to dumpsters and slashing tires on the south side. That is until he has to head in to save Fangs, with the help of McCoy. She swoops in to save him before Sheriff Minetta gets too far in his interrogation. She urges Fangs to not say anything until he is released. Archie brings the Dark Circle together to discuss disbanding when Reggie reveals that he isn’t in charge anymore and that Hiram paid them to vandalize the South Side.

At the mayoral debate, Alice mediates the discussion between Fred and Hermione. As they debate the fate of Fangs, Hermione throws Archie and the Dark Circle under the bus. However, things go south when Veronica notices the Black Hood who takes a shot at Fred. Betty turns around and doesn’t see her father anywhere, but after she roams through the crowd she actually finds him. Each of the kids embrace their parents as they stay low to the ground.

Sheriff Minetta reassures Fred and Hiram that they will catch the Black Hood. While they offer Archie come for a ride along to identify him, he instead decides to stay home with his father. Jughead and McCoy discuss Fangs’ continued incarceration and how his impending release will divide the town. Jughead returns home to find FP with Joaquin who plans to help Fangs disappear and avoid being the victim of vigilante justice. However, Hiram brings the information about Fangs’ release to Reggie helping to further stir the pot. Now onto what’s been going on with Veronica and the mob.

Veronica comes home to find a group of young men waiting for her. At Pop’s, the sons offer their services and partnerships to Veronica with one in particular having an interesting casino scheme. Archie is told to come along to the business deal between Veronica and Elio. As she goes to powder her nose, Elio lets slip that Papa Poutine’s son Small Fry is looking for revenge in Riverdale. Veronica discusses her business proposal with her father who sees Elio’s family dealings as illegitimate and wants no part of it. Veronica sits down with McCoy for some legal advice. She wants to figure out how to set up a legitimate casino in Riverdale. Veronica brings the legal casino idea to Hiram, but he will have none of it to the displeasure of his daughter.

Veronica comforts a very shaken Hermione, who obviously wants to drop out of the race, but Hiram forces her to continue on for the family. Veronica tells her father off and decides to start the casino herself. Only problem is Hiram took her money and froze it from her until she’s an adult. Veronica comes to the Andrews to announce her support of Fred for mayor as she cannot deal with her parents anymore. She retreats to Archie’s room and reveals some lacy lingerie as things get a bit steamy. And finally is Betty right with her suspicions?

As Betty and Jughead walk to school she mentions her father as a potential suspect which Jughead brushes off as a joke. Betty talks to Cheryl at school asking if she knew about her father being a murderer and suggests Hal is the Black Hood. Cheryl says they need to bring this to police, but Betty wants to confront him first. Betty convinces her father to let her and Alice do some work for the Register and as Hal and Alice leave, Betty breaks into her dad’s desk and photocopies his planner. She learns that he has no alibi during all of the attacks. As she and Cheryl discuss what that means, she receives a call from the morgue. A body showed up.

Betty and Cheryl arrive at the morgue and it isn’t Chic. Betty breaks down believing she is why Chic will wind up dead, but Cheryl reassures her that Betty is not a murderer and she needs to confront her father. At home, Betty confesses that she would occasionally talk to the Black Hood on the phone and ended up delivering Chic to him. She reveals the darkness inside her and that she feels connected to the Black Hood. Alice is confused, but Hal opens up about his own darkness and that they need to stick together.

Betty learns that her father is still paying for a weekly share BnB which her and Cheryl promptly break into. They notice it has been recently used and they discover the Nancy Drew book used to write the cipher she solved earlier. She gets a call from her father who asks if she wants a ride to the debate, but Betty lies that she’s at Pop’s with Cheryl. As Hal plans to go to the Register, Betty confronts him with the share BnB and the Nancy Drew book, but he reassures her that it was just a present. Betty sits in her room looking at the Black Hood she was gifted and decides to make a call. She tells her father that they need to finish their conversation at the town hall where she made her speech.

The episode ends as Archie gets a call from Jughead who needs his help down at the station. The Dark Circle wants Fangs’ blood. The Serpents leave the station surrounding Fangs to protect him from the mob. As Archie tries to get through and help them, Reggie moves towards them and pulls a gun seeking vengeance. He tackles Reggie to protect Fangs, but a gunshot goes off and Fangs falls to the ground. Meanwhile, Betty sits down to meet with her father, pulling a revolver from her bag. As Betty waits for her dad a knock is heard except it’s at Cheryl’s house and it’s the Black Hood.

Questions

• Will Veronica open her casino in Riverdale?
• Will Hiram punish Veronica for switching sides?
• What will be the repercussions of the shooting?
• How long will Minetta be Sheriff until Keller is reinstated? Or will Keller’s resignation allow him to date McCoy without scrutiny?
• What will the Black Hood do to Cheryl?
• Did the Black Hood catch Chic?
• Is this Black Hood somehow a decoy created by Penelope and Claudius to get rid of Cheryl without laying blame on them?
• When will Kevin’s mom return? It’s bound to happen.
• Who will become mayor of Riverdale?
• Who is the REAL Black Hood?

Overall, this was a good episode. The stakes continue to rise as many problems facing Riverdale are coming to a boiling point. Between the new Sheriff’s loyalties, the mayoral race, the ongoing blood feud, the increased mob activity and the Black Hood’s re-emergence, this town is in complete disarray. Hopefully something can bring them together so that things can settle down and return to some form of normalcy, but where’s the drama in that? Things can only get more intense from here so buckle up and prepare for the longest week of your life.

Score: 8/10

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