Riverdale season 4, episode 3 review: Dog Day Afternoon

In the third episode of Riverdale’s fourth season, Jughead gets off to rough start at Stonewall Prep, and Betty reunites with Alice to take down Edgar.

A new school year means new problems for the embattled citizens of Riverdale — but fear not, the problems are just as heinous as ever. Archie proves vigilante habits die hard when a drug lord starts recruiting kids, including Mad Dog’s little brother, at the local arcade. Betty casually learns new skills like crisis negotiation and bomb diffusion.

Elsewhere, Veronica gets an unexpected visitor, and Jughead meets an old friend at his new school. Here’s a look at what went down in “Dog Day Afternoon.”

Moose is back… for now

As he moves into his new boarding school, Stonewall Prep, Jughead is shocked to discover his roommate is none other than Marmaduke Mason, a.k.a. Moose, who is looking for a fresh start since no one knows about his tragic, traumatic life in Riverdale. He even has a new girlfriend (and confirms to Jug that he’s bisexual).

Jughead, of course, promises to keep Moose’s backstory a secret. Unfortunately, their fellow classmate, a stereotypical prep school bully named Brett (naturally), makes no such promises and publishes an exposé in the school paper. Humiliated and devastated, Moose laments that he won’t be getting that blank slate after all but doesn’t actually say whether he plans to leave the school.

According to a recent Entertainment Focus interview with actor Cody Kearsley, Moose will stick around “for a couple of episodes.” Could a reunion with Kevin be on the horizon? We’ll have to wait and see. Even if not, Kearsley believes “later down the road, potentially there’s hope for them.”

Introducing Veronica Luna

Tired of being associated with her depraved family, Veronica files to have her name legally changed to Veronica Gomez (Hermione’s maiden name). But, before she can go through with it, Hiram pays her visit at home. Yes. Her home. Their home. The penthouse. A.K.A. not jail.

Hiram explains that since he owns the prison he is imprisoned in he can “come and go” as he pleases. How does he still own it? Who thought sending him there was a good idea? Who knows?

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In any case, Hiram comes calling because he wants Veronica not to follow in his footsteps. He apparently, much to the chagrin of his own father, changed his last name from Luna to Lodge because his family wasn’t respected in Riverdale, and he wanted to make his own way.

Now, however, Hiram understands where his father was coming from and doesn’t want Veronica to make the same choice. In the ultimate power move, Veronica doesn’t. She changes her name to Luna.

Edgar Evernever: Rocketman

Once you’ve harvested organs from the children, even the sky is not the limit. Space is. For Edgar Evernever’s final act, he launches himself into space in a homemade rocket… or, at least, that was his plan.

Enter Betty & Alice Cooper. After diffusing a bomb with a hairpin, Betty continues putting her resourcefulness to the test as she scrambles to meet Edgar’s demands before he starts killing his own followers. In the end, she gives him everything he wanted, including a bus she steals from school and drives to the compound, but he still double crosses her.

Fortunately, she does reunite with Alice, though, who reveals Evelyn plans to drive the bus off a cliff with the followers inside and Betty and Alice strapped to the front, while Edgar (dressed as Evel Kneivel, unironically) shoots himself into space.

Betty and Alice manage to the turn tables with some help from Riverdale High’s disgraced but repentant former principal, Weatherby, and Alice kills Edgar in a shoot-out. Then, she rushes home to write her exposé on The Farm. I guess she can work on repairing her relationship with her daughter another day?

Here I Stay

Eager to give her son a fresh start in safer town, Mary asks Archie to return to Chicago with her, but Archie insists on staying in Riverdale and working to make it better, like Fred did. Archie’s first goal is to turn the gym into a community center with Mad Dog, but financial trouble leaves Archie turning to old habits like beating up drug dealers and stealing their money.

Mad Dog astutely points out that one does not simply use dirty money to fund a community center for kiddos, so Archie turns to someone who would know a thing or two about money laundering, Veronica.

After telling Archie for literally the entire episode that she can bankroll him, Veronica does so once again, and Archie finally accepts her offer. Easing the financial burden further, Mary offers to get the center certified as a non-profit.

Video Killed… Someone

In the final moments of the episode, Betty and Jughead find a VHS tape (remember those?) on Betty’s front doorstep, entitled “Famous Last Words.”

Riverdale returns to The CW next Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 8:00 p.m. for its Halloween special. Are you excited? What did you think of “Dog Day Afternoon”? Let us know in the comments below!