Riverdale (4×15) To Die For Review

Dylan PhillipsMarch 5, 202085/1007065 min
Director
Shannon Kohli
Writer
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Rating
TV-14
Running Time
44 minutes
Airs
Wednesday 8pm
Channel
CW
Overall Score
Rating Summary
To Die For has an expected conclusion, but uses a strong narrative and fun storytelling choices to get to its climax.

For our review of last episode, click here.

After a black screen with an epigram from Jughead himself, the Jones-Cooper family sit around a sombre dining table. Betty receives a call from Yale who offered her Jughead’s now vacated spot at their school. Oh and Alice has decided to make a home-made true-crime docudrama about the loss of Jughead Jones. Here’s what happened in “To Die For.”

The ongoing investigation into the murder of Forsythe Pendleton Jones III continues with a few interesting tidbits coming to light. The game is afoot with the Stonewall Prep kids and the Riverdale crew exchanging blow for blow from planting Jughead’s pin in Donna’s room to the arrest and interrogation of Archie, Veronica and Betty. Of course Archie and Veronica have supportive parents, but Betty’s mom is convinced that she did it due to her dark tendencies. Luckily the forensics on the rock clears her.

Constantly trying to get the edge on one another, Betty sets up a funeral for Jughead which almost causes the Stonewall Prep students to break. Donna tries to interrogate Jellybean and Bret almost opens the closed casket, but they manage to stop them. This prompts even Kevin to question if Jughead is really gone. Further drama incurs with Betty and Archie get a little close for comfort causes strain with Veronica.

This is all a ploy though when the truth is revealed. It has all been an act and Jughead has been hiding in Dilton’s bunker. They continue to push forward with their plan, but things become interesting when Hermosa learns that Donna isn’t who she says. The true crime narrative unfolding through Alice’s investigation and the actual events happening makes for a strong, albeit unresounding turn in this narrative. The mystery of Jughead’s death was never really strong because it was impossible to think that the show would actually go through with it. The actors manage to do a good job with the narrative, but it needed to be a slightly lesser character to make it more believable.

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


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