Chapter Fifty-Seven: Apocalypto

[BETTY] Previously on Riverdale...

Hiram Lodge, you're under arrest.

My own daughter, working with the Feds.

[ARCHIE] Is there someone else here?

I came to tell her that I wanted to be with her.

[BETTY] Gryphons and Gargoylesis literally killing people.

[DR. CURDLE JR.] There was something lodged in his throat.

[JUGHEAD] A matchbook from the Maple Club.

[JUGHEAD] According to Ethel, Jason Blossom

is the Gargoyle King.

The return of the Black Hood.

Now we have two serial killers running around.

[BETTY] Possibly working together.

Let the Farm protect you. Both of you.

The Farm gave me back my brother.

Yes. I see my son.

Charles. And it's like I never lost him.

There's a refrigerator filled to the brim with human organs.

Prepare Betty for her procedure.

Get your hands off my girlfriend!

[CHERYL] Toni, this is your only chance at freedom.

No, run! Go!

[PENELOPE] There, there, Antoinette.

Now that you've settled down with a cup of calming tea, why don't you explain this to me one more time?

Mrs. Blossom, Cheryl is in danger.

She's at the Farm with Betty, Kevin, and Fangs and Edgar Evernever.

And he's harvesting organs from his followers.

Oh, dear. Is that what he's doing there?

Well, isn't it fortunate I was here collecting my mail at Thistlehouse when you arrived?

And Betty's with him, you say?

Yeah, and, um, we need to go save them because we...

Good night, my dear.

Thank you for the information.

Very timely indeed.

[JUGHEAD] I refuse to accept what Ethel said.

That Jason Blossom is the Gargoyle King.

Even though his coffin was empty, it defies logic.

Well, say Ethel is off her rocker, okay, but where's Jason's body?

And someone's still wearing the Gargoyle King's antler, so it's up to you and me to figure out who, Blossom or no Blossom.

I keep thinking about that matchbook that Dr. Curdle found in Baby Teeth's throat.

Kurtz must have got that at the Maple Club, right?

What are you getting at, boy?

Do you have a copy of Kurtz's mugshot I can borrow?

[DOOR OPENS]

[EVELYN] Dad?

Sorry to interrupt, but you have a visitor.

She says it can't wait.

[EDGAR] Mrs. Blossom, what can I do for you?

Let's not mince words, Mr. Evernever.

I am fully aware of the foul activities you're conducting here.

The Topaz girl told me.

I have no interest in exposing your shenanigans.

Then why have you come?

You have something that I want.

- Mrs. Blossom... - You sell organs, don't you?

I'm looking to buy in bulk.

Did you ever see a client in here by the name of Kurtz at the Maple Club? He looked like this.

Yes.

I never worked with him directly.

Who did he work with?

All of his interactions were with...

The Red Dahlia? Penelope Blossom?

Yeah.

Out of curiosity, you never saw Penelope with a young man, a young redhead, did you?

You mean her kid, Jason?

Yeah, sure. He came around.

We've been compromised, Evelyn.

We've had too many breaches.

- It's time. - [ALICE] Edgar.

What's happening?

Why is everyone acting so skittish?

The outside world is encroaching upon us, Sister Alice.

We've had both defectors and unwelcome visitors.

The Ascension is upon us. Tonight.

The Ascension?

- Tonight? - [EDGAR] Yes.

Preparations are being made.

Well, I need to find Betty. Have you seen her?

- Uh... - She escaped, with Toni Topaz.

Escaped?

She was never a believer like you, Alice.

So we will ascend without her.

In the wake of Mr. Lodge's arrest, you now have full ownership of the Pembrooke and all other Lodge investment properties.

And, Veronica, you and your mother are now the co-owners of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe and the speakeasy beneath it.

Now, there's one more property I'm curious about.

Mom, that was Veronica on the phone with some amazing news.

She said she's giving me the El Royale.

That I legit own the gym now, free and clear.

That's a very generous gift, Archie.

But still, I'm interested in where you two stand romantically.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

Are we expecting anyone?

[DOOR OPENS]

[ARCHIE] Someone left mine at the door.

Mine, too.

My dad or Jellybean could have found it.

Mine was waiting for me downstairs, at the speakeasy.

Are we sure they're not fakes?

I don't think so.

And I've been trying Betty at the Farm, but she's not answering.

The invitations say not to tell anyone and not to bring our phones.

So it's a trap.

Was there ever a doubt?

We don't really have a choice.

_

Guys.

Elizabeth. Pretty.

Good evening.

Come and join us, why don't you?

Penelope.

What... What is this place?

This is the Blossom Hunting Lodge on the grounds of Thornhill.

How did I get here?

I bought you from Mr. Evernever.

Just as he was about to cut you into butcher's parts.

Now, Agatha here will show you to your place.

Sister Woodhouse.

You naughty, naughty girl.

Agatha was one of my mentors.

She cared for me when I was an orphan at The Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

Taught me everything I know about poisons.

The murdered nuns.

You did that?

Oh, loose ends.

Such a bother, aren't they?

"Loose ends"?

Is that what we are?

[PENELOPE] Oh, gosh. No, not you.

You are featured players.

The sons and daughters of the original Midnight Club.

Jug, what's happening?

I've almost figured it out.

Oh, have you?

Because if anybody could, it would be you, Mr. Jones.

But first, two more guests.

I believe you know them already.

[SLIGHT CHUCKLE]

What have I told you?

No masks at the dinner table.

Take them off.

[SOFTLY] Oh, my God.

Wait, King, before you do...

Hellcaster.

Care to take a stab?

Sure.

Arthur Conan Doyle famously said,

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

In which case, whoever it is underneath that mask must've had a connection to Hell and to you, Penelope.

But it's not Jason, because he's dead.

Even though his corpse is missing.

The one corpse that hasn't been accounted for and who was last seen by the Black Hood...

- Chic. - ...is Chic.

What the hell?

Since when does Chic have red hair?

I'm guessing since he started working with Penelope.

Doing her bidding.

But this was after he got the Gargoyle symbols tattooed on his back.

It's why Ethel said the Gargoyle King was Jason.

Because you called him Jason.

'Cause you dressed him up like Jason.

You didn't murder Chic.

After you chased him through the woods, you...

I recognized a kinship in him, and I spared him.

He begged for mercy and pledged his life to me in service of my mission.

But it wasn't just your mission, was it, Mr. Cooper?

Maybe not at first, but eventually, you started working with someone else who also had a grudge against Riverdale.

In the middle of all that stuff with the Black Hood last year, my dad was having an affair with Penelope.

Yes, I did cultivate your father's... murderous impulses, it's true.

To take my revenge on a town that allowed me to be sold as a child bride to the Blossoms.

Your parents knew. I told them.

And they did nothing but mock me.

And years later, when my Jason was murdered in cold blood, do you think one of them reached out to me?

No, they were too busy ignoring the rotting, fetid truth that Riverdale is a hideous and cruel place, twisted and cursed.

And the Black Hood and I, we were doing quite well.

Exterminating its sinners.

Until my dad got arrested.

Yes, but that was fine because Hal's disciple came to me, lost, and I gave him purpose.

To continue our great work.

[JUGHEAD] But not as the Black Hood.

So instead, you made him dress up like the boogeyman.

The Gargoyle King.

You introduced G&G to our parents years ago, and then reintroduced it this year to Chic.

- His name is Jason. - Who gave it to...

Ben Button.

Who started playing with Dilton Doiley.

[BETTY] Then Ethel Muggs.

And then G&G spread like a virus or a poison.

And the true mastermind behind it all...the true king is you, Penelope.

Oh.

Well done.

Well done.

But now, it's time to play one final round.

With you, the Midnight children.

To what end?

Say it's to reveal your true nature.

To prove that you are as dark-hearted as the town that birthed you.

And what?

If we win, we escape?

You won't win.

So what happens if we lose?

Well, then, your parents will feel the pain that I felt.

The death of a child.

Could there by anything more dreadful?

You're nuts.

[BELL TOLLING]

It is time.

Come to the lawn for the gathering.

The task before you is simple.

Make it through the woods, survive the night.

You will be tested, each of you.

Refuse my tests or try to escape, and my Gargoyle minion will kill you.

May the final quest begin!

I'd start running if I were you.

The good news is, if Penelope wanted us dead, we would be.

She wants us alive.

Yeah, well, at least long enough to complete her bizarre social experiment.

Yeah, or die trying.

We don't even know where to go.

Actually, Enchantress, we might.

[ARCHIE] Come on, let's go.

Kevin, Fangs.

Save those eyes for the bedroom, boys.

We're getting out of this house of the devil.

Cheryl, aren't you confined to your room for helping Toni escape?

Yeah, and suddenly you're sounding a lot like Betty.

Betty knew the score.

Edgar Evernever is harvesting organs.

Come with me.

Betty told me exactly where Edgar keeps his innards collection.

Are you still seeing organs, Cheryl?

What?

Edgar must've moved them, or Evelyn did.

Cheryl, we are getting ready to ascend.

And you should, too.

What if I get my hands on irrefutable proof that Edgar Evernever is a modern day Dr. Frankenstein?

You know what? Sure.

Then proof, Kevin, is what you shall have.

Where the hell are they?

[SIGHS]

Who's there?

Reveal thyself.

[CHUCKLES DISMISSIVELY] I'm in no mood.

I said who are...

[SCREAMING]

[JUGHEAD] It's a Red Paladin card.

Archie, this question's for you.

"The Red Paladin must conquer the grizzled beast.

He must battle alone in the Pit to save his home."

What is a grizzled beast?

[DISTANT ROARING]

Oh, crap.

Not again.

Archie.

Don't do this.

That guy is eight feet tall and jacked.

It's just a fight.

I've been fighting all year.

Don't forget, I survived a real bear attack, remember?

If I don't make it, tell my mom and dad I love them.

And you guys.

[GRUNTS]

[GRUNTING]

[GROWLS]

[GRUNTING]

[GROWLING]

[GRUNTING]

Hey.

Come here.

Archie, are you sure you're okay?

Apart from every inch of my body.

What do we do now?

We gotta keep moving.

Penelope has already left us more clues.

Come on.

[EDGAR] What troubles you, Sister Alice?

I can't get in touch with Betty, and I'm hearing rumors.

Whisperings about harvesting?

I see.

May I address your concerns?

Unfortunately, there's not much I can say about Betty or where she is.

About the rumors...

I admit, I have not been entirely truthful about all the activities at the Farm.

What kind of sick monster are you?

Cheryl, I'm in a meeting.

Please respect Sister Alice.

Why? Why would you do such a thing to my own brother?

You had a void.

It's my job to diagnose how to fill it.

By grave-robbing?

- Wait, what? - Grab her.

No! Get your hands off me!

Confine Ms. Blossom to her room.

You won't get away with this.

Toni will come for me.

Kevin's father is a lawman!

[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

Evelyn, Sister Alice, will you help me gather our flock in the chamber?

So that we may ascend with the...

"The Fate and Fortune Challenge.

Before you are six chalices, each filled with Gargoyle blood.

The Enchantress must choose her closest companion.

They will each take turns spinning the bottle and drinking from the chosen chalice.

But beware, for one of the chalices contains a lethal, rapid-acting venom."

Seriously? Spin the bottle?

More like Russian roulette.

That's suicide. I refuse.

"Refusal to participate in the challenge results in the immediate execution of all remaining party members.

Remember, we're watching."

Vee, the scroll says you have to choose your closest companion.

I volunteer.

Betty, no.

It's okay. I have faith.

And what's the alternative? We get shot in the woods by snipers?

I'm having a diabolical sense of deja vu.

How do you feel?

I think I'm fine.

I'm okay, Vee.

- odds.

[VOICE TREMBLES] Okay.

No.

- Vee. - Veronica.

Why did you do that?

Because I love you, Bee. [SOBBING]

You're my best friend, and...

I love you too, Vee.

Remarkable, Enchantress.

You've completed your challenge, and proven your loyalty.

- What? - What?

Of course. It was a character challenge.

The game was testing if you had honor and loyalty.

None of the chalices were poisoned.

On the contrary, all of the chalices were poisoned.

It's slow-acting, but the only way to obtain the antidote is to finish the game, and even then, you might not make it.

Tick tock.

Hey.

I need to say something.

I don't know what's going on with you and Reggie.

He's my friend.

But I love you.

Veronica, I don't think I've ever stopped loving you.

Archie...

The night of the fight, nothing happened with Reggie after you showed up at the Pembrooke.

My heart ached for you... because I felt the same way.

I love you, Archiekins.

For whatever good that does us now.

Hey, I'm not letting you die tonight, okay?

None of us dies tonight, I swear.

Do you believe me?

[ALARM BUZZING]

I'm warning you.

Shh.

What are you going to do to me?

Nothing.

I'm here to help you escape. Hurry. Come with me.

Why would I trust you?

You're as brainwashed as Patty Hearst was.

What choice do you have?

There's a tunnel down here that leads to Fox Forest.

I remember. But Betty said it was bricked up.

Edgar reopened it when he bought the compound.

Here, take Juniper, reunite her with Dagwood.

Wait, what? Aren't you coming?

I have to stay for Polly.

But please, Cheryl, swear to me you'll find Betty.

Make sure she's safe from the Farm.

From her father.

- Please. - I promise.

Okay. Now go.

Don't stop running until you get to town.

[NANA ROSE] Wake up, child.

Nana?

What the hell is going on?

There's no time, Antoinette.

The hunt is afoot.

What? What hunt?

At the Thornhill Nature Preserve.

Your school chums are the prey.

You must save them.

Look, I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

But first, I need to save Cheryl.

[BETTY] You're up, Jug.

"The Battle of Kings.

Only one shall leave the Kingdom of Eldervair."

[BOTH GRUNTING]

Why are you doing this?

Why be the Gargoyle King?

Who doesn't wanna be king?

Who doesn't want blood sacrifices made in their name?

Wow. Okay.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

Jug!

[GRUNTS]

Are you okay?

[ARCHIE] Jug.

It's Penelope's poison.

We gotta keep moving.

Come on.

[ARCHIE] Wait, I still don't get it.

Chic got red hair because Penelope's pretending that he's Jason Blossom?

Can we explore the craziness that is Oedipus Riverdale after we get the antidote and out of these damn woods?

Maybe figuring out how all of this is connected is exactly what we should be doing.

Hal, Penelope, Chic...

They created this unholy trinity with direct links to everything bad that has happened in the last three years.

It's like Jason Blossom's death begat the Black Hood, which begat the Gargoyle King.

But the Gargoyle King existed before Jason was killed.

Then it's a case of a serpent eating its own tail.

It's a vicious cycle of never-ending madness that turns back on itself over and over again until someone breaks the chain.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Toni.

Baby?

We were just coming to save you from the Farm.

- How'd you get out? - An angel in disguise.

Where's Betty?

She's being hunted at Thornhill with all the others.

What are you talking about, Nana?

Your mother has been preparing for this for weeks, if not months.

It's the grand hunt.

We have to go there.

We have to save them.

Poisons, Serpents, let's ride!

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

[BETTY] Looks like it's my turn.

Hey.

I love you.

I love you, too.

You know how this has to end.

You have to kill me, Betty.

That's your heart, that's your truth.

You can't deny your destiny.

Don't make me do this, please.

Either kill me and get the antidote, or I will kill you and your friends.

You have till the count of three.

Either shoot me or I'll shoot you.

One...

Two...

[GUN CLICKS]

Argh!

[GROANING]

I will never be like you, Dad.

[PENELOPE] Enough!

Good God, Hal.

You can't be trusted to do anything.

You were a terrible serial killer, and you still are today.

Useless.

[GUNSHOT]

And what do you think you're doing?

Claiming our prize.

We won, didn't we?

We survived the night.

We proved that we're better than this town.

That may or may not be true.

Kill them.

Kill them all!

Come on. Archie!

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

Archie!

Take cover!

Ronnie, here.

[ARROWS WHOOSHING]

Poisons, charge!

[ALL YELLING]

All clear.

[LAUGHING]

Cheryl. Cheryl.

Why aren't you at the Farm? Where's my mom?

She sprung me from that Jonestown-like nightmare and told me to find you.

Edgar was planning to ascend tonight.

Oh, my God. We have to save her.

Come aboard, cousin.

Get in.

Kevin.

They left me.

[TEARFULLY] I wanted to go, but they said that someone had to stay behind to explain what happened.

What did happen?

The worthy ascended, of course.

Who did?

Where's my mom and Polly?

Gone.

Everyone is.

And we'll never see them again.

[JUGHEAD] The Gargoyle King.

The Red Dahlia.

The Black Hood.

Chic was in jail.

Hal Cooper was dead.

Finally.

Only Penelope Blossom managed to slip away

into the night.

Riverdale belonged to us again.

A future was ours to write.

But what would our stories be?

[SIGHS]

Welcome home, Jay-Jay.

You're sure? How could he have hid this from me?

Hid what?

I... I gotta go.

Veronica, that was our attorney.

What was Daddy hiding?

FBI!

Hands up, now.

[VERONICA] Agent Ardilla?

What the hell is going on?

Hermione Lodge, you're under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder.

Your own husband's.

Veronica, listen to me.

It's going to be fine. Call Sowerberry. Talk to him.

- I love you, mija. - I love you, too, Mom.

Mr. Lodge, it's done.

As requested, your wife's been arrested.

And the necessary evidence has been planted.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Ah, Veronica, you don't even know what's coming, mija.

[CHUCKLING]

Can we take five?

Yeah, sure, Red.

What's up?

I've been thinking about making some changes to this place, Mad Dog.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

Maybe make it more than just a gym.

Like a halfway house or a community center.

Place where the kids in the neighborhood can come so they stay off the streets.

I want you to help me run it.

For real?

We might actually have a shot at turning this town around, give people hope again.

Oh, yeah.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Can I help you?

Mr. Jones?

I'm Agent Smith with the FBI.

Is Betty Cooper here by any chance?

[BETTY] Is this about the Lodges?

No, it's about your mother.

My team's been investigating Edgar Evernever for quite some time now.

We almost had him two towns ago.

Well, what were you waiting for?

He and his kooks took over The Sisters of Quiet Mercy months ago.

We had someone on the inside, someone tasked with getting close to Edgar, gathering intel.

We were waiting on her word.

- "Her," you mean... - Your mother.

She's working with us.

My mother? My mother is an FBI informant?

She's been helping us build a case against Edgar Evernever and his Farmies, their organ harvesting, all of it.

You knew about the organ harvesting.

It's vital that we find your mom ASAP.

Which is why my team and I are gonna be setting up shop here in Riverdale until we can safely locate and extract her.

I mean, what... Is there anything we can do to help?

Thought you might ask.

So you're quite the detectives around these parts.

I'm sorry, this is gonna seem weird, but do I... Do I know you?

As a matter of fact, yes.

It's no coincidence that your mother and I found each other.

You see, um...

I'm Charles, your brother.

[CHUCKLES]

You... You can't be.

Wait.

If you're Charles...

You and I are also brothers, Jughead.

That's right.

[ARCHIE] Wait. Back up. Your brother's alive.

And he's an FBI agent?

It's our half-brother.

And it's pretty crazy, right?

Oh, and my mom is also working for the FBI, undercover at the Farm.

What?

Actually, that kind of tracks.

What about you, Vee? Any word about your mom?

She's trying to cut a deal with the DA, but in the meantime, Smithers is my legal guardian.

Guys, let's make a vow.

Another one.

We've got senior year ahead of us. Let's enjoy it.

Let's vow to be done with death cults, and murder mysteries, and gremlins.

[CHUCKLES]

It's gargoyles.

Our senior year could be the last time we're all together in the same place.

And I don't want to let anything ruin that.

Agreed.

I'm in.

I'm so in.

Me too.

Well, it sounds a little dull, but sure.

Let's toast.

[ARCHIE] To the future.

_

[BETTY] Archie.

Archie.

Archie.

- Are you listening to me? - Yeah.

We have to burn all of our clothes, including Jughead's beanie.

We'll wash off the blood in the swimming hole.

After tonight, we never speak of this, ever.

Not to each other, not to our parents.

No one.

We finish our senior year and graduate, and we'll go our separate ways.

That is the only way that we won't get caught.

Do it.

[BUZZING]

[SIGHS]

Friends forever.

[IN UNISON] Friends forever.

♪ My world ♪

♪ Life would lose ♪

♪ Its meaning ♪

♪ If I lost you, my love ♪