Riverdale Season 6 Episode 7 Review: Chapter One Hundred and Two: Death at a Funeral
Justin Carreiro
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Oh, Hiram Lodge, we knew so much about you. The memorial service was just another way to give you the spotlight.
On Riverdale Season 6 Episode 7, the town of Riverdale paid their respects to Hiram one last time. This chapter was the final farewell to the Big Bad that terrorized the series for years.
There's no turning back now; Hiram is gone. It's a bittersweet goodbye in an overall confusing chapter.
"Chapter One Hundred and Two: Death at a Funeral" wanted to be many things. But by doing so, the tone went all over the place and left us perplexed.
We had the supernatural story of Abigail Blossom wanting Toni, the superpower adventures of Archie, Betty reencountering TBK, and Jughead dealing with his hearing loss. And the heaviest plot of Veronica saying goodbye to Hiram at the memorial.
The vibe bounced around from sad to action to crime and so on.
Veronica: My father, Hiram Lodge, is dead.
[The crowd murmurs]
Veronica: He died under mysterious violent circumstances. I’m fine, but please, rejoice! Riverdale’s Big Bad will be tormenting us no longer.
It was a lot of movement within one chapter. The pacing would've been better to focus on similar pieces and combine storylines instead of stretching the time too thin.
A few of these focuses could work, but having them all together felt like they were fighting for screentime. Or, at the very least, trying to push all the separate plots forward.
Veronica holding the memorial for Hiram felt most like the main plot. We needed closure after his surprise death on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 6, so the show couldn't move forward without it.
We've discussed how toxic and close Veronica's relationship with Hiram had been during Riverdale's run. It was a neverending cycle for a time, but one of the best parts here was how Veronica came to terms with their complex history.
He was her greatest adversary, and he hurt every person in her life. However, he was her dad, and she loved him so much. And her being the one to cause his death sealed the toxic story they built together.
It was incredible how she acknowledged how messy it was and how she could still grieve for him. Only Veronica (and also Hermione and Hermosa) could understand what that meant as a Lodge.
Veronica has a way with words, and her eulogy is one of the most heartwarming speeches on Riverdale.
If anyone wanted to understand their complex past, her speech covered everything. It was quick, emotional, and it easily explained where she stood. The eulogy and Hiram's last recording were touching ways to finish Hiram's plot.
Now, Veronica needs to hope that Hermosa stops trying to kill her. And that Abuelita doesn't find out what Veronica did.
Her life is still in danger, and Riverdale loves a revenge plot. If we have to put our money on it, Abuelita's revenge sounds scarier than what Hermosa could do. The godson will no doubt return in the future.
Speaking of returns, Hermione is the treasure that keeps on giving.
We need more scenes of her filming the Real Housewives of New York. Reality TV Hermione has no caution or fear about playing the game; having her be in "TV mode" were some of the funniest moments, like her dramatic walk into the apartment.
Kevin: Thank you so much for inviting me, Hermione.
Hermione: Oh, not at all, Kevin! I know you’re a superfan. And this is going to be an extra special episode of reality television. All about how Veronica and I are dealing with the emotional fallout of Hiram’s tragic death.
Veronica: Wait, is that what we’re doing here?!
Hermione: Don’t worry, Honey. I’ll guide you through it.
Still, the chat she had with Veronica stands out as the best. It was genuine and heartwarming, and you could feel the emotions between them.
Hermione and Veronica have such great chemistry together. And I agreed with Hermione: Riverdale Season 1 was the best of their time in Riverdale.
Abigail Blossom's storyline, on the other hand, has now veered off course as a distraction. Is this Riverdale's way to buy more time before she goes after the town?
Sure, "Choni" lives in our hearts, and they're most likely endgame, but Abigail's new focus clicked into gear pretty fast. Plus, it also blurs the line between Riverdale and the events of "Rivervale" on Riverdale Season 6 Episode 4.
Abigail: Tomissina lived her life passionately and drank deeply from the juices of the world. Until she was murdered by a warlock pirate.
[Toni laughs]
Toni: What are you talking about? There’s no such thing as a warlock pirate.
Abigail will most likely kill Fangs or be distracted long enough for Britta and Nana Blossom to return Cheryl to her body. Cheryl's soul wouldn't still be alive if there wasn't a way for the group to save them.
If Abigail isn't going after the town yet, her pursuit of Toni will keep her busy for a few weeks.
The Trash Bag Killer appearing in Riverdale was a pleasant change. There are only so many references and hints the FBI can do before we need to see the killer.
Did anyone think Glen was still alive?
Once Betty received the first body part, it was clear he had to be dead. The reveals were all pieces to toy with Betty; she had to have known he was dead when the hand appeared.
Trying to make us believe he could still be alive was pointless. Come on, Glen was already in pieces! He was horror movie fodder.
Archie being captured by TBK was another story. Even with Archie's new Superman plot, he was going to survive.
Riverdale is lucky the WB creates them because the entire plot with the Palladium and Bingo having superpowers felt too reminiscent of Superman. It's a fun homage to the Man of Steel, but when Archie started saying "kryptonite," we knew they were in on the joke.
There has to be a reason why he, Betty, and Jughead have a weakness that affects their powers.
The blast is becoming more complex as the weeks roll on. Hopefully, the solution makes sense and answers all the plot threads; there are a lot of looming questions that need answers.
Like, why does Bingo have powers too?
Bingo is a good boy and deserves protection at all costs. He saves the day and wags his tail for justice.
Come on, we're just going for the ride here! Riverdale isn't taking itself too seriously anymore; the day was saved by a superpowered dog.
Krypto would be so happy to have a new superpowered friend.
Jughead's storyline was where the tone felt different from the rest of the chapter.
The style of silence and his inner dialogue could've been its own Riverdale episode. An experimental chapter that tries something new, like Riverdale Season 2 Episode 18 (the Carrie musical).
Having it wedged into everything else didn't come together in the best way. We're used to having Jughead as our story narrator; the cuts of his inner thoughts blurred the lines and brought the pacing to a stop.
Jughead: Some things I can do as before: read, eat hamburgers, kiss Tabitha. But there are other things that I may never be able to do again. The fact of the matter is my world shattered. The question now was, how will I rebuild?
Sure, it was all done to have the reveal of his new mind-reading powers, but this twist could've been stronger had the silence lasted longer.
Let's see what chaos and new adventures his new powers bring. Jughead will hunt down and hear the tea from everyone; no one will be safe.
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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Jughead should've considered making a graphic novel earlier. His drawing skills were pretty excellent for storyboards.
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Alice and Kevin need more of a focus or to move on. Why is Kevin the deputy? Why is Alice watching Bingo?
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Why does Betty have to leave town? We just got "Barchie" together!
- TBK turning out to be Dennis was a shocking twist. I didn't predict it was him at all.
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans!
Will Cheryl be freed from the mirror world? How will Jughead's new powers affect Riverdale? Will Betty leaving town lure TBK out of hiding?
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.
