Riverdale Season 5 Episode 17 Review: Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance Of Death
Justin Carreiro
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Now THAT was an explosive chapter!
Plenty of plots reached their thrilling conclusions on Riverdale Season 5 Episode 17. The momentum at times felt like a season finale based on how the stories were being wrapped up.
However, how will they top "Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance of Death" with two episodes left? Riverdale threw everything and the kitchen sink.
Veronica's journey through "Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance of Death" continued her strong momentum these last few chapters. If the last few episodes were about her growth, this captured her moment rising like a phoenix.
Chad and Hiram were unprepared by the queen, who came to slay their petty villain behinds.
I worried that Veronica initially giving in to all of Chad's divorce demands was a troubling sign. Like we discussed before, Archie isn't worth throwing everything away; it's all about getting rid of the baggage first. But thankfully, that was a red herring before a truly glorious moment.
Veronica signed, sealed, and delivered on the justice. She came out as one of the biggest victors, from taking down her villainous ex to getting the last word on Hiram.
Chad messed up so bad and buried his own grave. Like, how could he go from winning it all in his divorce to losing everything?
He had a major Hiram complex from his narcissistic attitude. Chad should've taken his new winnings and left Riverdale for a new life; winning back Veronica in an unwinnable war was never going to work out for him.
As a wise man once said, “never send a boy to do a man’s job!” Get out of my sight, Chad. You disgust me. Better yet, get out of Riverdale because you lost my daughter forever.
Hiram
The second he tried to kill Archie, I knew his world would come crashing down. He was the epitome of a bumbling fool, and if he couldn't fight Archie, there was no way he'd be a match against Veronica.
Their fight in the apartment perfectly showcased Veronica's ingenuity and cleverness. Using the home system to her advantage gave her the upper hand; it was a smart move and one of Riverdale's best fights that didn't need a lot.
Hiram should learn from Chad's mistake and heed Veronica's warnings.
Their entire confrontation in his office gave us viewers the long-awaited breakthrough we've waited for years. Veronica's therapy session during Riverdale Season 4 Episode 8 started the journey, but she fell back into bad habits pretty quickly.
[To Hiram] If Archie dies, you die.
Veronica
This time felt like the last straw, the moment that Veronica pushed back against her father for his bad behavior all her life.
Hopefully, Veronica sticks to her word and moves on from Hiram. Riverdale has dwelled on this plotline for years and kept Veronica/Hiram in an exhausting loop. It's time for everyone to move forward in this battle.
Did you think anyone would die in the mine? It's almost a shame that the twist didn't happen.
Eric or Frank seemed like the obvious possibility. When Eric got trapped and bloodied under the pile of rocks, it seemed like his time was fleeting. Riverdale would've shocked all of us if they had killed off a character from the series since it's been a while since a significant death.
Still, it's nice that everyone survived the blast, and Archie's development overcoming the dead soldiers came back to find some peace. If it takes a traumatic moment like a mine collapse to push him to face his demons, it worked out in the end to give him the inner strength.
Hiram and his cartoonish mine explosion couldn't compete.
Cheryl's development with the ministry took an interesting turn that could affect Riverdale for seasons to come.
Granted, Kevin abruptly leaving the ministry wasn't that big of a deal. He seemed more connected to the idea of performing in the church rather than believing in the faith. I'm not surprised in the least that Penelope's little push shoved him right out the door.
Cheryl praying to nature, on the other hand, could be how Riverdale injects magic into the series. Her prayers set all the elements ablaze in a way that couldn't just be a coincidence.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is in the same universe as Riverdale, and Greendale is just across the river from Riverdale. Could Cheryl be from a long line of witches? Will characters from CAOS appear on Riverdale?
At this point, magic entering Riverdale wouldn't be that outlandish of a plot that we and the characters have faced before.
The Brita storyline was where "Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance of Death" showed its bloated structure.
A lot happened in this chapter to move the plots toward their resolutions. For that to happen, the characters needed to move forward too, which gave Toni and Fangs a reason to be at the junkyard.
Toni and Fangs weren't essential to the overall Lonely Highway/Mothmen storyline. Riverdale just needed an extra pair of hands to join the fight to make the scene more action-packed.
Don't get me wrong, Brita's storyline was touching, and the discussion between Fangs/Toni about coming out showcased an important conversation about how tough it is to come out. I wish the reason for this D plot wasn't merely to get side characters involved in the A storyline.
Speaking of the main storyline, there was a lot to take in about the Lonely Highway and Mothmen twist. Did anyone predict their connection?
The Blossom family twist should've been something Nana Blossom spilled months ago when Jughead, Tabitha, and Betty were investigating all the mysteries. Her words could've saved lives and brought people home, like Squeaky. She wanted a major dramatic effect to have her moment.
Jughead: You’re saying there’s a secret illegitimate clan of Blossoms that have lived in the woods for two generations? Why did you call the corpse a Mothman?!
Nana Blossom: The family kept to themselves, didn’t like eyes prying into their business. So, they created a fiction. The Mothman. One which we Blossoms swore to embrace.
The Blossoms having a secret group of murderous illegitimate children didn't sound outlandish in the least. Of course, this family would have plenty of killer skeletons hiding in their closet.
Between the Coopers being Blossoms and the Blossoms killing their family members, anything is possible when it comes to a Blossom.
"Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance of Death" took an interesting approach by giving a believable answer for the Mothmen mystery.
The serial killer truckers could've pulled off this urban legend with their costumes and kidnappings. If the story spread from trucker to trucker, the tale could've easily moved to the townsfolk and neighboring cities.
Plus, they were the ones spreading and adding to the story.
Dreyfus Starkweather's only mistake was telling the story to Jughead himself. He brought himself into the story, so the group knew exactly whom to go to for answers.
The Mothmen mystery kept us on our toes for months and provided some fun visuals.
Alien encounters, though? That seemed too farfetched for Riverdale's storyline. There had to have been a plausible answer for the legend and what people saw on the Lonely Highway.
Serial killer truckers, on the other hand, tied up loose ends quite nicely.
Whoever is terrorizing our town, committing these inhumane murders, you have to stop! Every time the phone rings, I pray it’s about my daughter. I pray for closure. Just today, another victim was found. Their dismembered body is down at the Riverdale morgue. What does it say about me that I want it to be my daughter? So that this nightmare will end. [Sobs] So that I can wake up. Please, help me wake up.
Alice
Sadly, Polly ended up being the biggest casualty of serial killers. The chances of her still being alive were slim, but you hoped for the possibility of her reuniting with Alice and her children.
Polly will be missed! Let's hope Alice and Betty come together over their grief instead of tearing each other apart.
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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Archie and Veronica are back together now that the divorce is finalized. They seem happy, but I'm still curious about Veronica/Reggie and Archie/Betty pairings.
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Were there not any alarms/locks in the morgue?
- Jughead and Betty reuniting for another investigation brought back a lot of Riverdale High memories.
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans.
What did you think of "Chapter Ninety-Three: Dance of Death"?
Are you sad that Polly is dead? Will Veronica and Archie last as a couple? Which plot resolution did you like the best?
If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Then, come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
