Riverdale season 5, episode 11 review: Varchie to the rescue

Riverdale season 5 returns from its lengthy hiatus with a memorable opener.

When we last saw Riverdale, it went all in on an inexplicably entertaining balls-to-the-wall prison break, forgoing the seriousness that its new time-jump-inspired status quo gifted it with and returning to its more familiarly bonkers roots. It didn’t make any sense but not in a frustrating kind of way either, just in a self-aware Legends of Tomorrow kind of way. And that made it remarkably entertaining.

The show then embarked on an unexpectedly long hiatus, leaving screens for four months and giving us little more than a terrifying cliffhanger regarding Jughead Jones’ whereabouts to go on.

Its return comes in the form of “Chapter Eighty-Seven: Strange Bedfellows”, a subdued midseason premiere that doesn’t always live up to the stakes that its script suggests it should have. But it succeeds nonetheless because it once again goes all in on the bonkers in the back half.

What happened in Riverdale season 5, episode 11?

Riverdale‘s midseason premiere was heavily anchored to what happened in its predecessor, with the breakout from Hiram Lodge’s prison leaving behind a lot of residual damage in town. Riverdale High had been wrecked, meaning that the struggling school would now need three weeks worth of work to restore it, and the town was no longer safe due to the escaped convicts on the loose.

A returning Veronica hoped to settle the financial civil war she had with estranged husband Chad by selling a rare opal, but that was unfortunately stolen by escapees Dodger Dickinson and his mother Darla. And even though Archie told her they should remain friends until the Chad business was sorted, he agreed to help her find her opal (albeit because he was searching for the crooks himself).

Meanwhile, Tabitha and Betty teamed up to find Jughead, who was now sleeping on the streets of Riverdale in order to remember what happened to him in New York, and Hiram Lodge’s dirty dealings came back to bite him when the crooks he used wanted their share of palladium.

The superheroes of Riverdale

Wow, Riverdale went all in on the superhero and comic book references this week. From Jughead Jones’ Superman T-shirt to Archie’s self-aware referral of himself to Batman – and that’s not forgetting the fact that Veronica Lodge literally confirmed that her father is Lex Luthor – it’s easy to see why DC Comics considers The CW its small screen home.

That aside, though, there was something of a comic book feel to “Strange Bedfellows”. That shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise considering Riverdale is based on the Archie Comics and usually has its own heroes and villains, but this one actually felt like an episode of superhero TV – and, for the most part, that’s a good thing.

Archie’s heroics have become a regular part of the show but they didn’t at all feel out of place here and that’s just yet another reminder of how the character has finally found something of a footing in his own TV series. Moreover, the episode went a long way in establishing that he and Veronica are destined to find their way back to each other and their decision to wait probably helps them in the long run.

Speaking of powerful partnerships, Betty and Tabitha worked really well together during their investigation into Jughead’s whereabouts and it really has me hoping that we’ll see them team up again in the near-future. However, I did find it hard to buy that they would allow themselves to fall for Jessica’s plan considering one works for the FBI and the two of them had already figured out that she was up to something.

Overall, what we got made for a serviceable and enjoyable midseason premiere. In places, it felt like the execution lacked the stakes that the events needed (a man was literally shot and we have characters getting excited about rescuing their loved ones from armed gunmen) but I suppose that’s where the “It’s Riverdale” explanation came from.

Riverdale Ramblings

• The fight scene at the end felt like it belonged in an episode of Batman 1966. I LOVED IT.
• The musical sequence between Cheryl and Penelope, and Betty and Tabitha, was so weird. I ALSO LOVED IT.
• From the pair’s scene in the booth at Pop’s, it’s so clear that Archie and Veronica are destined to be together. I am really enjoying them being friends for now and hope that the writers stretch this new dynamic out for a little longer, but Varchie is clearly endgame at this point (and every point before that let’s be honest).
•  Penelope starting her own religion was so strange. I really did ask myself why this character feels the need to return with another crazy idea and then I realized that it’s Penelope so why not?
• The ending scene makes for a great cliffhanger but I feel like we’ve seen it multiple times before this season. That said, it’s definitely building towards the end of the season and will no doubt give Betty her big moment to crack the case and achieve that redemption she’s been searching for.

What did you think of Riverdale season 5, episode 11? Let us know in the comments below!