The Jason Blossom memorial will be one to remember. Who says drama doesn't happen at the worst of times?

Things definitely went dark and dramatic on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 5.

Arguments, engagement twists AND Cheryl effortlessly owning the room! The next town function will need to top this night. I loved it.

The feel of "Chapter Five: Heart of Darkness" was true to its name: This episode was darker compared to previous ones.

The lighting was more muted, the weather was mistier, and there was an uneasy undertone that worked for the plot in comparison to other offerings this season.

I particularly liked the scenes at Thornhill. The house had a gothic feel to it, and it reminded me of old horror movies. The editors and set designers wanted us to know it was an evil house.

Everything from the appearance of the cemetery to Cheryl's creepy nightmare highlighted this feeling. These were all perfect touches that showcased the mood.

Every town has one, the spooky house that all the kids avoid. Ours was Thornhill, the Blossom family's mansion, with it's very own graveyard. And trapped within its walls, like some Gothic heroine, was Cheryl Blossom, who's still grieving for her beloved brother Jason. Linked in death even as they were in life.

Jughead

• Permalink: Linked in death even as they were in life.

With all things considered, the Blossom family got their wish. We did learn more about the investigation. The memorial allowed for the reveal of many answers.

The biggest questions I had for a while were about the Blossom family. They've been mysterious until now. We finally got a closer look into this all-powerful family.

This family is the absolute worst, right?

Scratch any mean assumptions you had about Cheryl. She deserves a lot of sympathy. Well, for most things at least. (There are moments she needs to take back, like her Betty insults.)

Her parents couldn't care less about her, especially if it's about the family image. Her mother holds grudges about her mistakes, and her father is all business focused. They're terrible people.

Though, I loved everything that came from this chaos! It was dark, depressing, and spilling with hatred. And they had great chemistry together, especially Cheryl and her mother.

There needs to be more scenes with these two characters together. Cheryl CANNOT leave for boarding school...

Mrs. Blossom: I told you, Cheryl. No more sleeping in Jason's bed.
Cheryl: I didn't. I was working on the eulogy for JJ.
Mrs. Blossom: Don't bother. You won't be speaking at his memorial. God knows what you'd say. Something to humiliate us?
[Crumples up eulogy]

• Permalink: I told you, Cheryl. No more sleeping in Jason's bed.

Veronica and Cheryl becoming frenemies/friends was a good move by the writers.

Cheryl seemed too separated from the main group, except for villain moments. While she has a friendship with Josie, it hasn't been highlighted much. It's great to see someone having her back and being there for her.

Veronica is a good choice. I loved the moment when Veronica mouthed to Mrs. Blossom to not make things worse. She's a caring friend, but she threw a silent dig, too.

Did anyone guess the Jason secrets we learned tonight? As a reminder: Jason was acting weird, he sold everything (including drugs), and he was engaged to Polly.

I didn't expect any of these. My gut feeling guess was something around a secret pregnancy with Polly. These new revelations change everything.

Why did he desperately need money? Was he planning to take off with Polly? This Jason mystery is getting more complex.

All I know for certain is that when Jason's grandmother appeared behind the door...I jumped. I dropped my drink. It was very reminiscent of a particular villain in Resident Evil 7. (Yay for video game references!)

Betty and Jughead going into Nancy Drew mode to find Jason's secrets was an interesting plot. I like seeing these two friends together being investigators. But we need to talk about the "look" in Betty's room.

It happened for a split second before the funeral – Betty and Jughead had a moment. This needs to be nipped in the bud now. Keep these two friends and not develop into a romance; they work much better as just friends.

The same goes for Veronica and Archie. The plot has progressed through the love triangle on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 1. This doesn't need to be rehashed and ruin the Betty/Veronica friendship.

Veronica: Is this your playing hand?
[Nods]
Veronica: Archie! This hand is your instrument. You need to take better care of it. And yet, stop punishing yourself while you're at it. Are you sure?
Archie: I got slammed because I didn't know the play. I didn't know the play because, like an idiot, instead of memorizing my plays I was up late last night working on some of my songs with Valerie. God, I'm such an idiot.
Veronica: Valerie, huh? You know, I endorse this.
Archie: You jealous, Ronnie?
Veronica: Please...I've had my seven minutes of heaven with Archie Andrews.
[Patches his arm]

• Permalink: Please...I've had my seven minutes of heaven with Archie Andrews.

Do you think Oscar Castillo was too harsh on Archie?

Archie is developing his skills in songwriting. It takes time to develop and grow. While Ms. Grundy was too biased with her opinion, I don't think he's right either.

Oscar contradicting himself might be the reason I didn't like this character. He said Archie needed more hours to write, but his work wasn't polished enough to even want to work with him. Give Archie time, and he could become a great writer.

This could all lead to a "redemption" storyline where Archie proves him wrong...

Archie made the right move by passing on the football captain title. He didn't have the time for it and he wasn't getting the plays right. Reggie will be the better captain...for now.

It's great to see that he will continue to balance his love for music and football. It never needs to be an "either/or" situation. And the developing romance he's creating with Valerie is one I'm interested to see how it grows. They're cute together.

In the case of Fred and Hermione, I'm fine if they stay friends. She needs an ally by her side with this whole ordeal with the Southside Serpents. Fred looks to be someone who will be there for her.

Her rejecting him, however, was so incredibly awkward to see...

Similar to the Blossom family secrets mentioned above, we learned more about the Coopers. The Riverdale writers are giving us so much background. Keep it coming!

The Blossom vs. Cooper history felt very Twin Peaks to me. There's got to be more to this story than just murder and maple syrup. This is a very sticky situation. (Sorry! I had to say the pun...I know, I'm terrible.)

Do you think Mr. Cooper killed Jason Blossom? I don't know. Though, he's one of my top suspects.

He knew everything. The engagement, Polly's suicide attempt, the family history – this man has secrets. And him vandalizing the wall doesn't look good.

This man must be involved or he knows something about the murder. This can't just be about the investigation. He stole those files for a reason.

Betty: Juggy, I feel like I don't even know who my mom and dad are anymore.
Jughead: Betty...if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more they lied about.
Betty: Maybe.
Jughead: Your dad said he would do anything to protect Polly. So the next logical question is, how far would he go to protect her?
Betty: Jughead, whoever broke into Sheriff Keller's house and stole all this evidence wasn't at the drive-in. My dad wasn't at the drive-in...

• Permalink: Betty...if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more they lied about.

What did you think of "Chapter Five: Heart of Darkness"? Will Cheryl be sent away to boarding school? Will Archie and Valerie spark a new romance? Why did Jason need so much money?

If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here to let us know what you think.

Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.