Liam Hoofe reviews the season finale of Riverdale season 2…
After eight months, Riverdale season 2 finally came to an end this past Wednesday night, with a finale that suggested the show still has plenty of fuel left in the tank going forward.
Following last week’s explosive episode, the season 2 finale wrapped up several loose ends, before carving out a new path for the show going into the next season. The episode began with Jughead waking up from his attack at the hands of The Ghoulies last week, and his father, FP, was soon explaining to him everything that had happened while he was unconscious. The Serpents lost to The Ghoulies and have not just lost control of the Southside, but it looks as though the group may be forced to disband permanently. Of course, this doesn’t happen, and FP ends up passing his crown over to Jughead. Firstly, wow, Jughead sure recovered quickly for someone who was beaten within an inch of his life. The serpents storyline has been an interesting one to follow but with Jughead just accepting the mantle of leader, I’m not sure really sure how much has changed from a character perspective over the course of the season. The Ghoulies ruling the town should provide an interesting narrative going forward though.
OOOh Hiram you a bad boy. #Riverdale pic.twitter.com/EA31iXktWh
— Riverdale Writers Room (@RiverdaleWriter) May 17, 2018
The storyline that dominated the finale, though, was the rise of Hiram Lodge to the show’s big bad. Hiram’s storyline has been a long and at times, dull one, throughout the season but he was at his sinister best in this week’s episode, and it looks as though he is gearing up for even more evil in the coming season. We found out that Hiram has more plans in store than just the building of a jail in the Southside, but we never found out exactly what they were. We also saw him conversing with Riverdale’s very own band of criminals, in one of the episode’s most amusing scenes. The Ghoulie’s Malakhi, Penny Peabody, Penelope and Claudius Blossom, and Sheriff Minetta now make up Hiram Lodge’s very own Black Order, and they will no doubt provide plenty of fun going into the next season.
Hiram’s most evil plan was saved to last though, as he had Archie arrested on the day of his inauguration as Student Body President. This was a nice way to end the series, and it will keep fans hanging in suspense until season 3 arrives. Of course, Archie won’t be spending too long in prison, but it could certainly lead to some interesting encounters with some other characters, Archie and The Black Hood showdown, anyone? Archie finally feels like he is turning into the character he should be, even if it has only taken two seasons. His defense of the Serpents at school was one of his finer moments in the series, and if we can get that Archie, and the one who later confronted Hiram Lodge, in the next season, then we should be in for a treat.
It looks like Archie won’t be the only enemy Hiram has to face in the next season too. Veronica has turned on him and bought Pops, hoping to save the restaurant from her Father’s mucky hands. While his wife, Hermione, who beat Fred Andrews in the mayoral election in this episode, looks to be turning on her husband, which could make his life incredibly difficult next season. While it has flirted with the idea a lot in season 2, there is a chance that the show will become more politics based going forward.
And finally, there is the Coopers, who have been the most interesting family throughout this season. It looks as though there will be more twists in their tale next year too, with Polly turning up back on the scene, and at the end, telling her Mom that she knows someone from ‘the farm’ who can help her handle her grieving. Looks like Riverdale is set to explore cults next season, which will no doubt be highly entertaining. Betty also confronted her father, and I expect we will see that more often next year. Hal Cooper may turn into Riverdale’s own Hannibal Lector, as Betty continues to grow into a little Starling.
Overall, this finale, while perhaps lacking in excitement, did exactly what it had to do. Season 2 has been a long, and crazy ride, and in fairness to the show, they managed to wrap up the majority of the season’s loose ends and establish plenty of storylines going forward. Riverdale has never been perfect, but it has always been fun, and judging from this episode, season 3 still has plenty more left to offer. See you soon, Riverdale.
Liam Hoofe
