Riverdale (3×21) The Dark Secret of Harvest House Review

For our review of the last episode of Riverdale, click here.

“The Dark Secret of Harvest House”starts off with FP and Jughead visiting the coroner to figure out what happened with Hal Cooper. Veronica overhears Hiram telling Hermione that he plans to privatize the town and kick her out of office. She decides to take matters into her own hands and bring the forged deeds to Mary and Archie for help and Miss Andrews may have something. And Betty roams the halls of The Farm where she sees Evelyn hooked up to a medical machine.

Betty sits down with her family and Edgar who are worried that she carries the serial killer gene. She agrees to a session with Edgar that eventually ends in a Get Out style world talking with her darker self. The shadow version believes herself to be the real Betty Cooper and accuses her of drowning the family cat and pushing Polly down the stairs. With this first step, Betty is intrigued to learn more of what The Farm has to offer.

She meets up with the other students at The Farm who discuss the various procedures they have had to rid themselves of psychological pain. While Fangs is still tender from his surgery, Kevin shows off a huge scar on his torso from his. Betty enters her next session, but uses candle wax to block out Edgar’s hypnosis. She learns that Dark Betty is actually Polly and that the hypnosis doesn’t work. Betty brings this revelation to the rest of the students, but it doesn’t bug them.

Betty wants answers and goes to Evelyn who is still hooked up to a bunch of medical equipment. She learns that Evelyn is using IV bags that help with the body accepting new organs. With her suspicions rising, she breaks into the infirmary and finds organs that Edgar has been harvesting for his wife. Betty brings this proof to Cheryl and they manage to stop Toni’s procedure and allow her to escape, but at a price. Kevin and Fangs tackle Betty and strap her down so Edgar can start on her procedure as a nurse knocks her out.

Meanwhile, Mary brings in an FBI contact to help with their Hiram problem, but they need to catch him in the act. Archie decides to take matters into his own hands and challenges Hiram to a boxing match with an ultimatum. If Archie wins, Hiram needs to leave, but not before the speakeasy takes some illegal bets for insurance on Hiram’s demise. During the fight, Hiram manages to get the upperhand to the point of a bare knuckled brawl. As he pummels Archie to the brink of death, FP and the feds raid the place and arrest Hiram. While Hiram believes he has one, Veronica visits him in jail and explains that all of his assets have been taken so in the end she is the winner.

And finally, Jughead uses Betty’s letter from prom night to trace the Gargoyle King. He learns that it came from Ricky and manages to find him preparing to ascend in the woods. He stops the ritual, but is chased by Boy Scouts preparing to kill him to protect their princess. Jughead manages to escape to the bunker where he runs into the princess herself Ethel. She convinces the Scouts to stand down, but they learn one of the boys went missing and track him down.

He’s gone to the abandoned bus, but they are confronted by the Black Hood. Jughead is able to lock him in the bus while he and FP also get the Boy Scouts taken away by the state. Ethel thanks Jughead for helping her and as a reward she whispers the true identity of the Gargoyle King to him. He is stunned and reveals it to Betty as Jason Blossom! While they don’t want to believe it, Jughead goes to the cemetery, digs up the grave and discovers there is no body to be found.

Questions

• Is Jason Blossom really the Gargoyle King?
• How will Hiram return with a vengeance?
• What is The Black Hood’s plan?
• Will Varchie return?
• Is Gladys gone for good?
• How are The Gargoyle King and The Black Hood connected?

What did you think of “The Dark Secret of Harvest House”? Ready for the finale? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips