Riverdale - Heart of Darkness - Review

Riverdale’s fifth episode is all about Jason’s memorial and it’s a great hour of entertainment. During Heart of Darkness, the attention is focused on Cheryl: she has a lot of space and we are able to dig in her pain and in her troubled family. The Blossoms are clearly insane: Cheryl’s mom is a creepy parent. Not only she doesn’t love her daughter, but she is also capable of humiliating her.

The Blossoms’ twin invites Veronica at her house for a sleepover right before Jason’s funeral. Ronnie gets to know the monsters that are living in the mansion and she tries to help her. I am really enjoying how the writers are creating bonds between these characters. Veronica and Betty have a real friendship and now Ronnie and Cheryl are getting something more interesting too. When she arrived at the event dressed in white, I was astonished: a pleasant surprise.

Meanwhile, Archie meets the new music teacher, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate him as Miss Grundy did. (Not unexpected) He has also an on-going feud with another member of the football team because they both want to win the Jason’s t-shirt and lead the team. In the end, Archie decides not to be the quaterback. I am hoping for a more definite direction towards music, but I enjoy the realistic depiction of a not-so-rich family like the Andrews.

Betty is getting closer to the truth: she talks with her dad and finds out that Polly can not come back home for the memorial. During the event, she explores Jason’s room and meets his granny that has a juicy reveal to share: Polly and her grandson were engaged. I didn’t see that coming, and the mystery is getting more complex and darker.

All in all, Heart of Darkness is a great fifth episode. It’s not as great as the previous one, but it has its moments and it is capable of grabbing your attention from the first minute to the last. I am really curious to see what’s coming next. The show seems to know where is going. The best part of the episode was the easter egg to Afterlife with Archie. Is Sabrina coming next?

What do you think of Heart of Darkness?