Archie Helps Hiram Lodge in 'Riverdale'

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

From Harper's BAZAAR

Even though the Black Hood has supposedly been identified, the town of Riverdale continues to harbor dark secrets and even darker deeds. In Season 2 Episode 12, Archie continues his internship with Hiram Lodge, while Veronica's Catholic confirmation brings the gang together - and some unsavory characters to town. Here's everything that happened in Riverdale Season 2, Episode 12, "The Wicked and the Divine."

1) Dark Betty is back.

Following last week's webcam tutorial with Chic, Betty is now a webcam girl, wearing her Dark Betty wig and serving Riverdale's residents online. But there's one rule she must remember, according to Chic - never give your name, address, or phone number. This surely foreshadows something awful to come later in the season.

2) Veronica is getting confirmed.

The Lodges are Catholic, and they've decided it's time for Veronica to get confirmed. Even though she's a little older than normal for the ceremony, Veronica is excited to partake in an important family tradition. She invites the entire gang and her extended family to town.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

3) The FBI still wants Archie to spy on Hiram.

The mysterious FBI agent turns up at Archie's house and demands more information about Hiram Lodge. Archie explains he's attempting to get closer to Veronica's dad by interning for him, but the agent isn't satisfied. He wants Archie to infiltrate Veronica's confirmation and wear a wire to Hiram's next poker game. Archie refuses to be bugged, but he has no choice other than to agree to help the FBI.

4) The Serpents are being persecuted following last week's vandalism.

The Sheriff keeps turning up at Jughead's trailer to interrogate him and the other Serpents about the town statue's missing head. The Serpents are also served with an eviction notice for the trailer park, and at school, the newspaper is shut down following Jughead's article about the persecution of Riverdale's original inhabitants.

5) Jughead tells Betty he "did stuff" with Toni.

Betty and Jughead return to familiar ways following their suspension from the school newspaper, and Betty feels confident enough to ask Jughead if anything happened between him and Toni. She's clearly jealous, and it pains her to hear that not only did Toni and Jughead kiss, but Toni stayed over at the trailer, and they "did stuff" - but "not everything."

When Jughead asks if Betty's been with anyone else since they broke up, she lies and says she hasn't - even though we know she made out with Archie and started a webcam business.

6) Chic has a suspicious interview.

Betty returns home to find a strange man coming down the stairs, followed by Chic wearing a bathrobe. Chic says it was a job interview and he got the position, but it definitely looks like some bedroom activities helped score Chic gainful employment.

7) Archie helps out at Hiram's poker game.

As Hiram's new right-hand man, Archie looks after the Lodge patriarch's guests at the poker game. Veronica is shocked that Archie has been invited, and warns her boyfriend that "Daddy's inner-inner circle" will all be there.

The game is held at Pop's, and Archie overhears two of Hiram's associates discussing their disdain for the Lodges. One of the men is hatching a plot to oust Hiram from their "business," as they think he lost his edge in prison.

When the FBI agent asks, Archie lies and says that he didn't learn anything important at the poker game.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

8) Betty and Jughead work together to find the statue's severed head.

Using their investigation skills, Betty and Jug decide to investigate the statue's missing head. It's beyond great to see everyone's favorite couple calling a truce.

9) Penny Peabody is back.

Penny is back following her banishmemt from the Serpents by Jughead and his friends. She reveals to FP exactly what Jughead and his friends did, including cutting off her tattoo and leaving her to bleed alone. But since Serpents are members for life, Jug has no right banishing Penny, and the Serpents decide to have a vote to determine whether Jughead should be thrown out for his actions.

10) FP calls out Jughead for his behavior.

FP is devastated that Jughead brutalized Penny, even if his intentions were good. He yells at his son, "You think you're a hero, Jug? Cutting up women?!"

11) Josie and Veronica do a duet at the confirmation.

They sing "Bittersweet Symphony" from the Cruel Intentions soundtrack (which is obviously the superior version), at Veronica's confirmation. The religious significance of the ceremony shakes Veronica's conscience, but seeing Archie in the crowd calms her, and the confirmation is completed in front of her friends and family.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

12) The Lodges now own Southside High.

Following the closure of Southside High in last week's episode, the land on which the school stands was subject to a quick sale. At the confirmation party, Mayor McCoy hands the Lodges the deed and tells them, "You are now the proud owners of what was previously Southside High."

13) The statue's head is found at a scrapyard.

Betty and Jughead follow a lead to the junkyard, and the manager tells them a very tall man in a Serpent jacket came looking for bike parts last week, but suspiciously spent some time by an old fridge freezer. The statue's head was stashed inside. Jughead realizes Tallboy must have been responsible for the act of vandalism that shook Riverdale.

14) Tallboy is voted out of the Serpents.

Because his actions beheading the town's statue have put the Serpents in so much danger, Tallboy is immediately voted out of the Serpents. Thankfully, this automatically halts the vote on whether or not to remove Jughead.

Before his departure, Tallboy reveals Hiram Lodge asked him to remove the statue's head to incite dissension amongst the Serpents and in town.

15) Veronica tells Archie that her father is a bad man.

In an effort to protect Archie, Veronica tries to shield him from her family, telling her father she doesn't want him to join the Lodge's dealing. But Archie already knows about Hiram's dark deeds. Veronica is relieved Archie is aware her family is involved in criminal activity, but she's concerned about what will happen if Archie learns about everything the Lodges have done.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

16) Betty and Jughead have sex.

Jughead apologizes for pushing Betty away, and tells her that spending time with her again has made him realize he should never have broken up with her. He asks her to stay, and they have sex. Bughead is back!

At one point, Betty stops kissing Jug, telling him she needs to say something. She probably feels guilty about kissing Archie and starting a webcam business, but she ultimately decides against it, and returns to kissing him.

17) A strange man turns up at the Cooper house looking for Chic.

A threatening man arrives at the Cooper's house and asks for Chic. Hal has moved out because he refuses to live under the same roof as Chic, and Alice and Chic are the only people at home. Is this man another client?

18) Hiram has the traitor in his mob assassinated.

Instead of telling the FBI agent about what he overheard at the poker game, Archie tells Hiram about the coup his associate is planning. Hiram, of course, has the associate killed. Meanwhile, Archie keeps this knowledge from the FBI, further implicating himself in the Lodge's criminal activities - which now include murder.

19) Betty comes home to find her mom mopping up blood.

The strange man who was looking for Chic is seemingly dead on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Betty's mom is scrubbing it up, and Chic is nowhere to be seen. Cliffhanger!