'Riverdale' recap: 'Chapter Eighteen: When a Stranger Calls'

On the newest episode of Riverdale, an old friend of Veronica’s visits, Jughead joins the Serpents and Betty continues to talk with the Black Hood.

Last week on Riverdale, Betty got a letter from the Black Hood and discovered she was his inspiration. Also, the Red Circle fought a group of Serpents, and Veronica helped Archie.

“When a Stranger Calls” opens where the last episode ended, with Betty receiving a call from the Black Hood. In their conversation, Betty confirms the Black Hood was at the town hall meeting. They say the night was about her, not hurting anyone. They say they want Riverdale to be cleansed. The Black Hood knows where Polly is and threatens to hurt her if Betty does not comply. Alice walks in while Betty is still on the phone, asking if it is Jughead. The Black Hood hangs up and Alice goes on about Jughead being a Serpent. Alice mentions the Sheriff thinks something is off about the letter Betty received and demands Betty come home immediately after school.

The next morning, Archie tells Fred he wrote the apology letter and posted an apology video for the Red Circle. Fred is happy the Red Circle is over, and says he has missed Archie. Archie receives a text from Betty and the two walk to school together. Betty tells him about the call and Archie says to tell the cops. Betty reveals the Black Hood knows where Polly is, and Archie is determined to be supportive.

At the Lodge’s, Hermione reads an article by Alice in The Riverdale Register. Alice blames the Southside for Riverdale’s problems, but she also puts a negative spin on the Lodge’s investment property. Hiram reveals they need more money and says he has invited the St. Clair family from New York, hoping they will invest. Nick St. Clair is an old acquaintance of Veronica’s and her parents ask her to help convince him to get his father to invest. Later at At Riverdale High, Veronica tells Kevin about her time with Nick St. Clair and tells Archie not to worry.

At Southside High, Jughead confronts the Serpents about Dilton getting stabbed. Sweet Pea insists Dilton stabbed himself and mentions Veronica shooting a gun into the air. The Serpents want revenge and are making a pipe bomb to use at The Riverdale Register. Jughead tries to talk them down, but all of them leave except Toni. She says Jughead’s father was the peacekeeper, but without him, violence will prevail.

That night, Archie stays at Betty’s, waiting with her to hear from the Black Hood. Her phone rings and the Black Hood says they are watching her parents. They say Alice is in the way and sends Betty an article with a mugshot of her mother as a Southside teen to publish. If Betty does, then the Black Hood will answer a question.

Later, Jughead goes to the bar and talks to the Serpents. He says he wants to join them, and they talk about an initiation. At the trailer, Jughead awakes to find a group of Serpents wearing masks above his bed. They tell him his first task is taking care of the gang’s dog, Hot Dog. The next morning, Jughead complains about how smelly the dog is to Toni.

At Riverdale High, Archie and Betty talk about what to do about the article. Betty says she cannot damage her mother’s reputation, but Archie argues it will get her an in with the Black Hood. In another part of Riverdale, Veronica welcomes the St. Clair’s to Riverdale, and Nick flirts with Veronica.

Sheriff Keller tells the Cooper’s the experts say the handwriting of the two notes do not match. Alice accuses Betty of writing the note herself or with Jughead for attention. Keller says nothing is ruled out yet. After, Betty texts Archie to let him know she is publishing the mugshot.

Meanwhile, Toni helps Jughead study the Serpent laws. Jughead says his conversation with her inspired him to join so he can help keep the peace. Later, Jughead yells the laws in the bar. Tall Boy announces he passed and then announces the next trial. Jughead pulls a knife out of a snake’s cage, getting bit in the process. He complains to Toni afterward, but she reminds him the snake’s venom was removed and he proved his bravery and passed.

Alice arrives at Pop’s and Pop says he does not judge her for her teenage actions. Alice is confused until Pop shows her a copy of The Blue and Gold. At home, Alice questions Betty on how she got the mugshot, saying she destroyed all copies in the public archive. Betty sidesteps the question by suggesting it was a Southsider. Alice thinks the article is about revenge, but Betty says it is justice. Later, Betty gets a call from the Black Hood and she asks if she would recognize their face. The Black Hood says yes and says they are friends now. They tell her to cut her friends out of her life or they will kill them, starting with Veronica.

Veronica takes Archie and Nick to her bedroom to hang out after a dinner with the family. Nick offers them drugs, which both of them decline. Nick continues to be a terrible person, ignoring how uncomfortable Archie and Veronica are when he makes passes at Veronica and belittles Riverdale.

The next day Jughead meets Jughead at Pop’s. She kisses him and they share how down they both are and how they wish they could leave Riverdale together. Neither shares what is really going on though, not with the Serpents or the Black Hood.

Veronica continues to introduce her friends to Nick, including The Pussycats. He invites them all to a party at his hotel that night. Cheryl hears and introduces herself and says she will see them at the party. Archie sees Betty and runs after her to ask if the Black Hood called, but Betty lies. Veronica and Nick walk over and invite her to the party and she accepts.

At the party, Nick offers everyone jingle jangle and Veronica accepts after he remarks she is supposed to be showing him a good time. Archie gives in when Nick puts his hand on Veronica’s shoulder. Betty declines and watches the others dancing and making out. Betty lashes out at Veronica, saying she only hangs out with them because it is convenient and that she is a bad person. Veronica tells her to leave and she does.

Meanwhile, Toni talks to Jughead at his home, saying he has to be sure about joining the Serpents. She says the Serpents are like other gangs and once you join, your relationships with people outside the gang are frayed.

Veronica talks to Nick about the party and about Betty, then he starts to touch her and she pushes him away. She reminds him they are just friends and she is dating Archie. He throws accusations at her and then tries to kiss her so she slaps him in the face and leaves.

In another part of town, Betty waits at an empty bus stop. The Black Hood calls and she tells them she ruined her friendship with Veronica. She asks what will make the Hood stop, and they reply she can if she continues to do as they ask. They tell her the next person to cut out of her life is Jughead. She continues to cry and says no, but knows the Black Hood will kill Jughead if she does not comply.

The next day at Riverdale High, Betty tells Archie the Black Hood called and told her to kick Veronica out of her life and she must do the same with Jughead. She reminds him the Hood has not hurt anyone since they started talking. Betty asks Archie to break up with Jughead for her and believes they can all fix their relationship with him after the Black Hood is caught. Later, she cries alone in her room.

Archie arrives at Jughead’s home just as the Serpents appear. Archie says Betty wants him to leave her alone and she has been thinking about them breaking up for a while. Jughead has trouble believing it, but Archie is as mean as possible. He realizes Jughead is a Serpent now and says Betty cannot date a Serpent. Jughead is upset and the Serpents tell him the real pain is coming. After, Archie goes to Pop’s and looks distressed.

At the Lodge’s open house, Hermione talks to Fred and invites him to stand on stage with her and Hiram. Alice makes an entrance wearing a snakeskin outfit and a snake dress, despite Hal telling Hiram she was laying low because of the mugshot. Veronica attempts to hide from Nick, but he finds her and apologizes. Veronica accepts after Nick mentions his bouts in rehab and she looks at her parents talking to the St. Clair’s.

Cheryl arrives at the party and she and Nick cat, then he roofies her drink. Hiram makes a speech about how his SoDale development will usher in a new Southside. Josie and the Pussycats perform with Veronica. The girls notice Cheryl stumbling and Nick pulling her out of the tent. The four of them go to Nick’s hotel room and find him about to sexually assault Cheryl. They pull him off of her and Veronica punches him in the face. The group proceeds to beat him up.

The final task is getting beat up by your fellow Serpents. Jughead passes and shakes hands with Sweet Pea. Toni gives him his Serpent jacket and later she kisses him when he says he and Betty broke up.

Betty receives another call from the Black Hood and says she wants to know their identity. The Black Hood sends her to an abandoned house in Fox Forest for answers. Betty goes to the house and the Hood calls again. She finds a wrapped present on the floor and opens it, revealing a black hood. The Hood tells her to put it on and turn around. When she does she is looking into a mirror. They say she is just like them, then she hears a creak in the house and runs. On the way home, Betty gets a call from Archie telling her something happened to Cheryl.

Betty joins Josey, Veronica, and Archie in comforting Cheryl. Veronica feels responsible, and Betty reassures her it is not her fault. Cheryl is distraught. She wants to press charges against Nick and make him suffer for the attempted rape.

Later at home, Betty looks over a list she made of what she knows about the Black Hood when they call again. The Black Hood admits they know Betty has been talking to Archie and threatens Polly. They demand Betty give them a name of someone to kill or they will kill Polly. Betty says no but then they threaten to kill her entire family and everyone she loves. Betty names Nick. The Hood again says they are the same.

This is not what I meant when I said I wanted more Cheryl. I would say this is a well-timed episode given the unmasking of sexual predators in Hollywood right now, but rape and sexual assault are unfortunately always a timely topic because it never goes away. It is good to see Riverdale show the power of women fighting together against a sexual predator.

My interest in finding out who the Black Hood is, or who is in control of the Black Hood increases with every episode. It is possible the Hood is not working alone or that the person wearing the hooded mask is merely a hired grunt, which is why I try to use “they” when instead of “he” when I write about the Black Hood. The handwriting not matching is one of the hints to there being more than one person behind the Black Hood.

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW. Check out the preview for the next episode below.