Hello Riverdale Class of 2018! It's Richard from Zeus Comics!
Blackboard Jungle was not the fizzle I thought it was going to be after Riverdale concluded its Black Hood storyline last episode.
Our episode opens with Veronica witnessing a secret meeting between Mayor McCoy and Hiram and Hermione. The purpose? While we're not privy to the conversation, its immediately after that Southside High is shutdown for toxic drug dealing meth fumes in the school’s basement. Are the Lodges cleaning up the area for business development? Or is the goal to tear down Southside for development? Now complicit in her parent's dealings, Veronica works overtime to make the Serpents transition to Riverdale smooth.
It almost doesn't smooth when a serpent tag appears on a Riverdale hall floor. Was Reggie the culprit? The result was Principal Weatherbee banning Serpent jackets. Reggie and Jughead have it out in the school lounge over Judhead's unwillingness to remove his jacket.
Later Veronica intervenes with a lodge family donation to buy the serpents school uniforms. To get around the "no gangs" rule, Jughead forms his own school club with the serpents - a gaming club the "Swords and Serpents"
Remember those camera snaps on Veronica and Archie's mistletoe kiss last episode, well they continue this episode until FBI Agent Arthur Adams approaches Archie for help spying on Veronica's family the Lodges. Uncertain at first Archie decides to help Agent Adams when he learns that Nick St Claire wealthy son of the St Claires nearly assaulted Veronica like he nearly did with Cheryl. A mysterious accident: a car wreck or ski slope or whatever happened to Nick might explain Why Nick's family backed out of their investment with the Lodges. Archie uses Cheryl Blossom as his cover to get to Nick. Under the guise of getting the Saint Claire's hush money to Cheryl for the assault, Archie visit's Nick serves one severe beatdown
Cheryl is naturally eager to get the money since her mom Penelope has turned Thornhill into the Blossom Bordello to pay the bills. And when Veronica confronts Archie about the Nick beatdown, Cheryl backs up his alibi.
When Archie reports back to the FBI Adams about his suspicions on Lodge's, Archie also asks if in his experience Adams thinks they caught the real Black Hood... Duh - duh - duh. Is Chick Cooper's debut a too obvious answer? His two years out of the orphanage would line up with some Riverdale mysteries. Make that mental note…
After a formerly pregnant Polly resurfaces briefly to grab some belongings, Betty seeks out their long-lost brother Chick Cooper to console Mom Alice since Polly is not sharing the joy of her twins Juniper and Dagwood with the family.
Growing up orphaned didn't do well for Chick as Betty saves him from a John. We leave with a scene of Chick creeping on Betty as she sleeps. And after seeing the promo I have to ask Coopers. who did you invite into your house?
Hopefully Betty's on the case while Archie goes deeper into web of the Lodge dealing in the next new Riverdale "the Wrestler."
