Riverdale (4×09) Tangerine Review

For our review of last episode, click here.

With Jughead reading his Baxter Brothers book, he is awarded the ghostwriting contract becoming the next author of the beloved series. Meanwhile FP confronts Archie about his ongoing vigilante activities and Hiram continues to cut Veronica off. Here’s what happened in “Tangerine.”

The theme of this season has been family, the people we cannot choose, but the people we accept. Each of the Core Four (+ Cheryl) have dealt with these struggles throughout the season with some having more success than others. This may not have been the idea at the end of last season, but with the unexpected death of Luke Perry and the aftershock this would cause for the series, it was good on the writers to focus on the roots of each of these characters.

The stories may be outlandish and unrealistic, but that is the core of Riverdale’s charm. Its absurdities and campiness make it unlike anything else on TV. From Cheryl’s cannibalism family, Betty’s FBI investigation, Jughead’s cult mystery, Veronica’s mob feud and Archie’s vigilantism, all five of these characters are going through their own insane arcs with them all coming to head in this midseason finale.

Right off the bat, it’s nice that Riverdale tried to humanize Archie and make him more of his father’s son, but this storyline has got to end. Both Archie and Veronica are stuck in their cyclical toxic behaviour of consistently victimizing themselves. It gets a little old after a while and how much more can these characters go through the same mistakes?

Meanwhile, Cheryl goes through the biggest transformation this episode by finding the demons within Thistlehouse and bidding adieu to Jason. This touching moment, while completely crazy, helps bring clarity to Cheryl and allows her to finally move on from that part of her life.

This leaves Jughead and Betty, Bughead. These two love birds have been following their own mysteries this season and it has caused a lot of progress in their relationships with estranged family. While Jughead has been removed from the main action, his story has continued to be intriguing thanks to how it connects to his family’s history. Betty has also been dealing with the genes she has been dealt and how that affects her and her siblings which brings another layer to this conflicted character.

The finale comes to a head by giving us a glimpse of what has been happening in all the flash forwards. Jughead was killed by Dark Betty, the one who has been replaying killing her cat Caramel all season. Could she have actually killed the love of her life? What does that mean for the Core Four Three going forward. Riverdale’s own Baxter Brothers mystery is just ramping up.

What did you think of “Tangerine”? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips