Riverdale Round Table: The Truth Will Set You Free
Justin Carreiro at .Cheryl and Chuck crashed Jughead's surprise birthday party, Archie indulged in an alcohol spiral over his parents' divorce, and FP Jones tried to reconnect with his son on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 10.
Below, TV Fanatics Mandy Treccia, Jack Ori, Paul Dailly, and Justin Carreiro debate Betty and Jughead's longevity as a couple, the Blossoms' latest business secret, and their favorite truth bombs of the week.
1. The group decided to throw Jughead his first birthday celebration. Share your thoughts about this Riverdale house party!
Mandy: A disastrous house party is a requirement for teen shows. And this one did not disappoint. Although, I do think Archie turned to the booze a little fast. His character is so inconsistent. I feel like we're being shown his wild side rather than it organically making sense for him to not be the good guy all the time.
Jack: I agree with Jughead that Betty was wrong to throw him a party that he didn't want, especially after she'd been told by multiple people that he wouldn't enjoy it. And naturally Cheryl had to crash it with a ton of alcohol. I liked FP being the one to step up to protect his son and throw out all the troublemakers.
Paul: It made for a solid episode, so there's that. It was filled with drama and I'm surprised someone did not wind up murdered in the aftermath of it all.
Justin: The party looked like it was a lot of fun. Plenty of secrets were revealed and there was drama to be made. It was good to see these characters act out a bit from their serious side.
2. Alice's intuition and journalist side is drawing her closer to FP Jones and Joaquin. Could she be the one to uncover their secrets?
Mandy: Alice and FP having a history is delicious. She's my favorite of the parental figures because she seems to have the most layers. And now that she knows something's up, I think she's going to keep digging until she finds the truth. I can't wait.
Jack: I like Alice too! I used to find her aggravating because of her attempts to control Betty, but now she's one of the most interesting characters on the show. I think she will uncover some of their secrets, and I have a feeling she will be devastated by whatever she finds.
Paul: Alice is one of the best characters on the show, and I think she'll be instrumental in figuring out the truth about what's happening in town. FP should be scared.
Justin: Her intuition is keeping her hot on the heels of FP and Joaquin. I think she'll be the one to ask the big questions that will lead to the missing jacket. She will play a big part in solving this mystery.
3. Veronica uncovered that the Blossoms were paying the Lodges a secret fee for decades. What do you think this payment is about?
Mandy: I think they wanted to keep their hands clean, so they paid Mr. Lodge to do the dirty work. Maybe through shady investments? Maybe through something even more sinister that we don't know yet? But I doubt he expected to go to prison for it. I'm sure he's plotting revenge.
Jack: I'm wondering if Hiram was blackmailing them and they eventually turned the tables on him and got him sent to prison.
Paul: I agree with Mandy. We know Hiram is a crook, so being paid off sounds right up his alley.
Justin: I have this strange feeling that the payment has something to do with Grandfather Blossom murdering Grandfather Cooper. We learned that bit of history for a reason. I think the Lodges helped cover up that murder (they're originally from Riverdale too) and the Blossoms have been paying to keep it quiet for years.
4. Jughead brought up every reason why he and Betty don't work as a couple. Is this foreshadowing their future or are they stronger as a couple now?
Mandy: This relationship frustrates me so much. The pacing has never worked. They got together fast without any buildup. And now they're setting the stage for an eventual breakup. I want to see the steps. I like them together, but I think the relationship could be so much more epic.
Jack: I think this made them stronger as a couple. Jughead communicated his fears about them and his feeling that he's not good enough for Betty. They worked through the actual conflict, which wasn't about that at all, and she told him about her dark side that scares her.
Hopefully Betty is strong enough to not fall for any attempts on Jughead's part to sabotage their relationship OR for any more bad advice from her mother about how it's important not to tell your boyfriend your secrets!
Paul: I don't think they're as bad as Jughead was implying. I do agree that it brought them closer together, but if they have more arguments like that, they should probably take a breather.
Justin: This argument brought them closer together...for now. I do, however, think this is foreshadowing a future fight or reason that will pull them apart. A breakup might be coming soon.
5. Archie and Veronica had sex after the party. React!
Mandy: I don't think they had sex. We know they made out, but I think Archie sleeping on the floor, and both of them being mostly dressed when they woke up, meant they didn't have sex. Like even drunk, he was still a gentleman and let her have the bed. Either way, I see this causing problems with Betty.
Jack: I hope Mandy's right. I always worry about consent issues when there's alcohol involved, and I don't think Archie and Veronica need to go there so quickly after Archie and Valerie broke up (or right after Jughead accused Betty of still being into Archie, for that matter).
Paul: I honestly don't think they had sex. I think they made out and called it a night. I seriously hope Archie is not saying he had sex to get to Valerie.
Justin: I've been back-and-forth about whether they just made out or did have sex. The way it seemed to be an uncomfortable secret when Jughead found them makes it seem more than just a make-out session. It's somewhat of an ambiguous moment.
6. Cheryl's game of "Secrets & Sins" revealed plenty of truths about our favorite characters. Whether part of the game or not, which secret was your favorite truth bomb of the night?
Mandy: Jughead punching Chuck. No one deserved it more. It also makes me curious where they're going with this "Dark Betty" thing. Again, I have to complain about the pacing. Other than the moment on Riverdale Season 1 Episode 3, Betty's never shown any dark qualities. This could be a good story if there was more consistency.
Jack: I was also thrilled that Jughead punched Chuck – and that FP stood up for his son for once! I also want to know more about Dark Betty, and whether there's any truth to the "twincest" thing.
Paul: Jughead punching Chuck was the highlight of the season for me. He deserved it. I loved Veronica calling Cheryl out.
Justin: The entire game was fun, but the moment everyone realized that Archie had an affair with Ms. Grundy was priceless. They all put the pieces together and made the realization without any doubt. Nobody questioned this; they knew he did it and Archie was stuck.
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Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.