TV Review: Riverdale (Season 3, Episode 17)

This week's Riverdale finally offers some answers regarding the creepy Farm, with the arrival of Edgar Evernever, but it's still unclear as to how this storyline connects with the Gargoyle King - and with only six episodes till the season finale, I cannot tell how all of this is going to fit together.

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We start the episode with what appears to be a raid on Riverdale High, which is incredibly confusing until all is eventually revealed (somewhat anticlimactically).

Betty is taking her Farm investigations up a little this week, as she and Veronica tour the Farm on an open house day. Kevin is their tour guide and is decidedly shady about the contents of one closet in particular, which leads Betty to believe that's where the interview tapes are kept. Is it just me or is anyone else getting serious Scientology vibes from The Farm? 

She takes an interview for The Farm with Evelyn, to try and find out more information, but Evelyn is clearly having none of it, at one point asking if Betty is a "cult" person? It becomes clear to Betty that she needs someone to go undercover, so she enlists Cheryl to help. 

All it takes apparently is one (obviously) fake crying spell and Evelyn is immediately all over Cheryl, inviting her for an interview at the Farm. It is here that we finally get to meeet the famous Edgar (Chad Michael Murray - how weird is it that he is now playing people's dads? When did that happen?) He very quickly turns the subject of the interview towards a subject that's very close to Cheryl's heart, which she seems to enjoy.

She returns to Betty, referring to Edgar as a "yummy snack" and yet another "hot dad" of Riverdale. Betty, of course, isn't willing to let this go quite yet and takes matters into her own hands, leading Cheryl to make a disturbing admission. 

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Meanwhile, Veronica and Archie appear to be back on speaking terms again, as she helps him with his latest scheme. 

It turns out that Mad Dog's relatives are living in an apartment building that has been taken over by the Gargoyles so of course, Jug makes an unwise decision. Someone then decides that it's a good idea to leave Jug alone, despite the fact that he's the least physically able of the group, but sure, Riverdale logic.

They're also apparently superhuman because Jug and Archie survive a fall from a second storey window without even a scratch? This whole thing was a bit pointless since they don't really seem to find anything out and given that Gladys had already threatened Jug at the top of the episode (his little foray into arson didn't go unnoticed), it seems like provocation for no reason. 

Veronica is on a mission to get her parents back together. This week, Hiram is opening his new prison and plans to exclude Hermione from the ribbon cutting ceremony (because apparently ribbon cuttings for prisons are a thing?). Hermione is not happy about this because apparently being a mob ex-wife is potentially life threatening. 

Veronica is naturally upset by the events of this episode, but if your parents have both tried to have the other killed, I think it's time to accept that just because family is important, doesn't mean your parents are right for each other.

Betty confronts her mother about Cheryl's farm revelation and gets her to tearfully reveal her reasons for being so enthralled with the Farm. Betty then demands that her mother allows her to meet Edgar, which she agrees to, although the episode ends before we get a chance to see the meeting.

I seriously hope we start getting answers soon, because I am so confused as to how all this ties together.

Riverdale Season 3 is available on Netflix, with the next episode streaming on April 18th.