Veronica turns to Mary and Archie for help after uncovering a secret that Hiram had been keeping from her. Betty raises questions after witnessing some strange activities at The Farm. Jughead finds himself one step closer to uncovering the Gargoyle King's identity.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of The CW's Riverdale.
"Chapter Fifty-Six: The Dark Secret of Harvest House" was written by Cristine Chambers & James DeWille and directed by Rob Seidenglanz
Jason Blossom being the Gargoyle King is absolutely insane and ridiculous. Sure, that would be in keeping with some of the most outrageous twists that this show has produced across three seasons now. But it would almost defy logic to the point of rewriting the show's own history. That's very dangerous. The show should be very careful in how it moves forward. Plus, the Gargoyle King has yet to be officially unmasked. Right now, it's only Ethel's suggestion that pushes Jughead into digging up Jason's grave only to find nothing in the coffin. The show has offered proof before that he was dead - like a funeral and the video of him being killed by his father. It was the basis for the entire mystery during the first season. As such, it could be the show spinning its wheels in order to provide a solution that absolutely no one could have seen coming. This is a show that invites the audience to predict who could be the latest serial killer in Riverdale. Characters have seemingly died and come back from the dead before. The Jason twist just feels a little too different and could be nothing more than a setup to distract Jughead during this very crucial moment in time. Betty is counting on him to come rescue her from the Farm. He is positioned as the man who saves Ethel and a troop of scouts out in the woods from the terror of the Black Hood. But that could be him falling directly into the narrative the Gargoyle King has planned for him. It may just be a ploy for him to play the game again and be teased with ascension. That's dangerous and frames all of this around Jughead and his reaction to the ultimate reveal. Would Jason be satisfying to Jughead's personal search for answers? It's unclear at the moment. Jason's name has come up a couple of times this season. He had a connection to the Farm before Edgar and Evelyn came to Riverdale. Plus, Cheryl has fallen in love with Edgar because he allows her to see Jason again. That may be literal now with this tease of him possibly still being alive. Of course, he would need a good explanation for abandoning Cheryl and Polly only to come back as a terrorizing threat to the town. Moreover, Cheryl is no longer in love with the Farm. She helps Toni escape even though she and Betty are left behind. Betty finally submitted to Edgar's pleas to join them in order to seek sanctuary from the Black Hood. Now, she is seeing exactly what goes on here. It's even more horrifying than she previously imagined. The followers of the Farm are unwittingly being harvested for their organs. Edgar makes them believe that he can transform their psychological pain into physical pain. That way he can then remove it and free the burdens placed over their lives. In reality though, he is just trying to save Evelyn's life while making a ton of money on the black market for organs. Betty has the proof. But she is still left in the precarious position of being the next patient in this operation with no one immediately coming to save her - unless Toni gets to help in time. And finally, Veronica takes decisive action against her father after learning that he plans to buy the entire city. She works with the FBI to get him behind bars because of the personal revelation that she doesn't actually own her club. That is what's fueling her through all of this. That's clear and concise. Of course, things are plenty dramatic when it comes to both Archie and Reggie wanting to get back together with her. She picks Reggie for now but that could change in a second as well.
