Riverdale Season 7 Episode 16 Review: Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Stag
Justin Carreiro
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One little film sparked a lot of sizzle and excitement on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 16. Practically all the teens were jumping over themselves for the wonders of Polly Amorous.
It's another '50s-inspired chapter in the sleepy town of Riverdale.
Through all the misadventures, character development came out as the brightest spot. And a slap that left us all speechless!
"Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Stag" continued Riverdale Season 7's trend of exploring sexuality in the ultra-innocent world of Riverdale 1955.
It's not the first time this theme has been tackled. Let's not forget the sexuality book of Riverdale Season 7 Episode 3 or Betty's salacious fantasies on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 9. Riverdale has already ripped the bandage off and explored the territory.
For another chapter to explore sexuality and the characters not knowing how to react to it, this story felt like a retread.
We're 16 episodes into the final season; a "fish out of water" scenario doesn't hit as hard this late in the game. The characters may be surprised or giddy, but they should be at least more mature in understanding what is happening around them.
Reggie: No! No! No! No! What are we supposed to do now?! I’m horny as heck!
Archie: Me too, Reggie. Me too.
For instance, Archie and Reggie's reaction toward watching the stag film.
When did they start acting like bubbling, horny fools? Their characters regressed so much that they seemed like children being exposed to a toy or something salacious they'd never seen before.
Sure, it's their first time seeing a stag film, but we're also talking about Archie, who did a striptease with Betty, and Reggie, who almost dated Veronica and Betty. Both guys know enough about romance and sex not to be this riled up.
The stag films felt like more of a way to open Archie up and get him out of his shell.
Much of "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Stag" focused on Archie feeling insecure and not worldly enough to become a writer. He felt the weight of his boy-next-door life and the confines of Riverdale.
It was a solid and good argument that Archie's "worldliness" could be as simple as opening his mind to new possibilities.
I liked this approach because it's a simple method that can do a lot of good. He didn't always need to make grand gestures or reckless moves for the sake of experience, but he could think and try something new. That alone is already a new concept for his life in Riverdale.
Was anyone surprised that Archie and Reggie ended up in the hotel room with Twyla?
Between the jokes of "wrestling movies" and Ms. Grundy's class on The Beats, the outcome was teasing itself. I didn't guess right they would do it, but there was a sneaking suspicion something big would happen.
Veronica: Then, as I said, “here we are again.”
Jughead: Here we are again.
[They kiss]
As we chatted about previously, Archie and Reggie developed one of the best BFF bonds on Riverdale. If they were going to explore something, at least they had each other's backs in any situation.
And it was an interesting choice that nothing was shown from their encounter with Twyla. Usually, Riverdale likes to be a bit more explicit with their hookup scenes, but this choice was a change of pace.
A lot more innuendo to keep us guessing.
Having Polly return to town was a welcome surprise, albeit shocking to see her in the film. Until now, we had heard about Polly but hadn't seen her in this new world.
Polly becoming a burlesque dancer and rebelling against her parents fit her character tone. No matter the timeline or universe, Alice and Polly are still at odds over their decisions.
I love Polly and Betty's sisterly bond.
They have great chemistry and picked right back up. It's a shame Polly died during Riverdale Season 6 because it was a connection that was sorely missed and one we had grown to see blossom. Their reunion here reminded us of what we lost.
I don't fault Alice too much in the strained bond between Betty and Polly. Betty only knew what she knew, and Polly didn't reach out to her when she moved to New York.
Polly could've easily called Betty and told her what was going on. At least now, the sisters can pick up for lost time.
And it was sweet of Polly to do a show at the Babylonium for Veronica and Betty.
She could've easily said no, especially with her being a famous international performer, but anything is a small step forward. The show looked like a good time that could both titillate and inspire someone in the crowd.
However, the main draw of the stag film/burlesque plotline came in the scenes between Betty and Alice. Just like Riverdale Season 7 Episode 15, their arguments were fire!
Seriously, why can't Alice drop her wall and reach out to Polly? Why is she so determined to destroy her family with her stubbornness?
All she had to do was call Polly. She didn't need to go to the show if she wasn't comfortable; she could talk to her daughter.
Her reluctance made her miss her biggest opportunity to fix things, and that will do a lot of lasting damage.
Betty standing up to Alice was a chef's kiss moment.
Her venting was like a therapy session where everything she had bottled up was released at once. She let Alice have it and didn't hold back. And Betty was right about a lot of things!
Alice's rules and her inability to accept her family was destroying them.
I’m surprised it took you this long to do that.
Betty
If she didn't stop, she'd be pushing them all away, and then she'd be alone. Alice can't hide from the reality of her decisions.
But the real big moment? Betty's reaction to the slap. So much power in her icy reactionless face. She ate that up and showed Alice who the real boss was in the Cooper house.
Speaking of the boss, what will Cheryl do against her parents?
Penelope slicing up the painting and the pin-up photos was a big strike to start a war. If there's one thing we know about the Blossoms, they won't let anything hold them down.
Cheryl will no doubt use the photo negatives to publish in the magazine and humiliate her family.
Kevin: We wanna come too!
Julian: Fine, just don’t expect it to be one of those “wrestling movies” you like to watch.
And it'll most likely get published. Toni and Cheryl's photos looked great!
I'm surprised they weren't shocked or worried that anyone would discover their photos. They lived dangerously to keep them lying around, but what's done is done, and now Cheryl will finish the war.
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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Jughead and Mr. Fieldstone fighting the comic book ethics code felt like a losing battle. They weren't on the council, and those adults seemed like they made up their minds before the meeting.
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How would a small-town ethics code affect Pep Comics being on newsstands nationwide? The decisions of a small town don't affect anywhere else. This threat didn't seem believable.
- The Riverdale romances are so inconsistent again. Isn't Jughead dating Tabitha? Why is he getting back together with Veronica? What about Betty and Veronica's flirtation? Are Archie and Betty crushing on each other again?
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans.
What did you think of "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Stag"?
What plan does Cheryl have up her sleeve to torment her parents? Are you proud of Betty for standing up to Alice? Will Reggie and Archie ever have another night like that again?
If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
