"Chapter Twenty-Two: Silent Night, Deadly Night" is the Christmas episode of The CW drama Riverdale, aired as the ninth episode of its second season.
Synopsis[]
In the days leading up to Christmas, Archie and Jughead are discussing their holiday plans at Pop Tate's Chock'lit Shoppe. Despite initial plans to visit his mother Mary in Chicago, Archie and his dad Fred are staying in town for Christmas, as Mary had booked a singles cruise. When Jughead asks about Archie's current relationship troubles with Veronica, he says that they aren't in the best place. Jughead admits he and Betty aren't on the best terms either. Fred interrupts to ask Jughead if he and FP wanted a Christmas tree, free of charge. Jughead accepts his offer, though it would have to be a small tree since they live in a trailer. Before leaving, Archie checks with Jughead to ensure that he is still attending Kevin's Secret Santa gift exchange.
At Thistlehouse, Cheryl joins Penelope and Nana Rose in the dining room, where she notices that her mother hadn't put Jason's stocking on the table. Penelope explains that she couldn't find it, and besides, they have nothing to put in it. Cheryl then notices the candy canes aligning the table. Her mother says that it would be a "hard candy Christmas this year" and they have to face the fact that they have no more money.
On his way to school, Archie catches Fred reading what he initially presumes is a letter from the Black Hood. Unfortunately, it is something much worse - medical bills from Riverdale General Hospital. The total expense is $86,000, leaving Archie to suspect that something went wrong, given that they have insurance. Fred agrees that a mistake was made and says that he will call them in the morning.
Betty, after having a nightmare about the Black Hood slaughtering her family, joins Veronica at the Pembrooke as she prepares for Kevin's Secret Santa gift exchange, which had a strict $20 gift purchasing limit. Veronica's purchased items, however, have far exceeded the limit, but all the gifts on the table aren't for Secret Santa. She got a Hermes scarf for her mother, a leather passport case for her father, and even a gift for Betty. Betty notices Veronica also has a gift for Archie, even though they had broken up, and asks if it is meant to reunite the two lovers, but Veronica says her gift for Archie was purchased before they broke up.
At the trailer, Jughead hopes to talk to his father about their predicament with Penny, but as far as FP is concerned, Penny is not Jughead's problem, despite that she has Jughead and Archie on camera, delivering drugs to a warehouse in Greendale. Because of this, FP wants to keep Jughead out of her grasp, even if it means "pimping the Serpents out as drug-runners". The conversation is interrupted by Tall Boy arriving at their trailer with a bag that FP instructs him to leave in the other room. When Jughead asks Tall Boy what is in the bag, FP yells at Jughead to mind his own business and go to school.
At school, the gang gathers in the student lounge for Kevin's Secret Santa gift exchange. Veronica opens her gift from Josie, which awkwardly enough, is a certificate for a couples' massage (Archie and Veronica were still together when Josie purchased it). Hoping to make up for the exchange, Josie suggests that Veronica take someone else, such as Betty or her mother. Fortunately, Betty is the last exchange of the evening, and based on the wrapping of her present, she can tell that Archie picked her name. She unwraps the gift to find an old Swiss Family Robinson read-along record that she and Archie used to listen to when they were five years old; he and Fred found it while they were cleaning out the garage. Moose and Midge then arrive unexpectedly, surprising the group, and Archie abruptly leaves.
Betty follows to ask Archie why he is rushing off. He admits that every time he sees Moose, all he can think about is the Black Hood and the pain he has caused everyone Archie cares about. The fact that the killer is still out wreaking havoc was giving Betty anxiety nightmares and making her paranoid. Betty then notices a new janitor cleaning the floors rather than Mr. Svenson. When she asks what happened to Mr. Svenson, the new janitor says he doesn't know and was merely called in as a replacement. Archie and Betty become concerned for Mr. Svenson's well-being, considering that Archie and Veronica had confronted Svenson about his connection to the Black Hood, which they fear led the Black Hood to find and kill him. In the front office, Ms. Bell tells Betty and Archie that Mr. Svenson was out all week with a cold. He sounded terrible when she spoke with him on the phone, so she dropped off some chicken soup at his front door. She goes on to explain that Mr. Svenson often became depressed during the holidays due to having no family to spend them with.
After parting ways with Archie, Betty enters the Blue and Gold offices to find Jughead, who stayed behind to personally deliver her gift and apologizes for their sudden break-up. As Serpents, he and his father were specifically in a precarious place, and he didn't want to see Betty get caught in the cross-hairs. However, Betty says that isn't his decision to make; even if he thought his recent actions were to protect her, her risks were her choice. While Jughead agreed with what was said, he decides that it is best that he leave. As he leaves, Betty gives him a gift too.
After class, Veronica presents Archie with her gift - an expensive engraved watch - which is a bit unfortunate for Archie since he hasn't gotten her a gift. Fortunately, Veronica admits that she didn't want things to be forced between them. Archie sighs, which gives Veronica the impression that her gift for him has only further complicated their relationship. However, Archie says it wasn't the gift, but rather his home life, which isn't going too well. Veronica asks if there is anything she can do to help. Archie is hesitant in revealing that his father owes $86,000 in hospital bills, but he does so regardless. They were already selling Christmas trees for extra money, just to scrape by. Veronica is saddened to hear this and wants to help him, but she doesn't know how. Archie tells her that it is alright as his problems aren't something he should've dumped on her to begin with.
Jughead, meanwhile, heads to the Whyte Wyrm, where he finds the Southside Serpents wrapping gifts and putting forth an effort to help their community. Toni and Fogarty explain that they give back to the Southside every year. It has become a Serpent tradition to look after the Southside's kids and elders during the holiday season and to help out through Toys for Tots and Meals on Wheels. Jughead states that he is always down for charitable works. He then runs into his father, who asks why he isn't in school. Jughead tells him that it was a half day due to Christmas break. FP requests that Jughead look after the Wyrm while he and Tall Boy make another delivery for Penny. Jughead asks to join them, but FP refuses, instead calling on Sweet Pea to assist them in the delivery.
While sawing trees in the parking lot of Pop's diner, Archie gets a call from Betty, who is still at the Blue and Gold offices. She still believes something bad happened to Mr. Svenson and wants Archie to join her in checking up on him. When they arrive at Mr. Svenson's house, they find Ms. Bell's chicken soup still sitting on the front step. They knock on the door several times, but no one answers.
With the revelation of the Andrews' struggle still fresh on her mind, Veronica grows aggravated with her parents at the dinner table as they discuss expensive Christmas presents, such as Glamerge eggs from Spiffany's. Hiram advises her not to worry because they have her Christmas list as well and asks that she not go searching for the gifts like she does every year. But Veronica instead wishes that her parents would realize how fortunate and wasteful they are, when there are people like Fred who can't even afford to pay their own medical bills. Veronica is hoping that her parents can pay the bill, but unfortunately, the Lodge Charitable Trust had made its donations for the fiscal year. Little did Hiram know, Fred has been trying to make ends meet by selling Christmas trees for extra money. That's the kind of father he is, Veronica surmises. However, Hiram wants to hear no more on the matter and storms off to his study.
After purchasing the finest tree she could find, Cheryl takes it home and decorates it, which pleases Nana Rose. However, the same cannot be said for Penelope, who refers to Cheryl as a spoiled and wretched brat upon returning to Thistlehouse. "How are we supposed to pay for it all," she wonders. Cheryl suggests that Penelope ask Hiram for a job, though that would force her to admit that the only skills she has is being a terrible mother. Cheryl advises her to get creative in the new year.
Failing to find Mr. Svenson, Betty returns home, where she discovers her mother making gingerbread cookies in the kitchen, and her sister Polly came home. Betty learns that another gift was left for her on the steps, supposedly from her Secret Santa. Betty opens the gift in her room to find it's a severed finger and throws it down in terror before calling Archie over. With the "gift" came a letter that read "Enclosed is a finger that belongs to the sinner Joseph Conway. You have one final trespass to unearth. Find the truth, reveal it to the town, and you will perhaps save his life." Betty then receives a phone call from the Black Hood, during which she and Archie briefly hear Mr. Svenson's voice, begging to be saved. He had lost a lot of blood, though it is nothing compared to the blood on the hands of the town. The Black Hood instructs her to exhume the past and find where the primal sin was committed; there, she could possibly find Mr. Svenson alive. Archie snatches the phone to talk to the killer himself, but the Black Hood immediately hangs up, leaving Betty to question what he was referring to. Before he was adopted, Svenson lived as Joseph Conway at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Betty and Archie hope that one of the Sisters could possibly help them in figuring out Svenson's sin.
Veronica creeps into her father's study while he is away to look through the drawers of his desk, eventually finding documented files which reveal that Lodge Industries had secretly purchased the Chock'lit Shoppe, as well as her father's gift for her mother - a Glamerge egg. Upon learning that her parents had purchased Pop's without telling her, Veronica calls Riverdale General to settle an account in Fred Andrews' name, claiming to be his business partner, Hermione Lodge. Veronica wishes to pay the bill in full and to keep the payment anonymous, paying with a Black American Excess card.
Meanwhile, FP's parole officer, Jack Walsh, pays Jughead a visit, saying he's here to issue a warning, which Jughead is to pass along to FP. Jughead awaits his father's return home before telling him about Mr. Walsh's unexpected visit. While he managed to get rid of Mr. Walsh, the Serpents moving into "Narcos territory" had already spread. Tired of listening to Jughead's concerns about the Serpents trafficking drugs for Penny, FP opens the duffel bag on the table, revealing Christmas presents. Jughead initially assumes they are disguised drugs, but FP clarifies they are indeed presents for Jughead, his mother, and his sister, Jellybean. FP hopes that on Christmas Day, they can drive up to Toledo and deliver the gifts in person. Despite his good intentions, Jughead keeps asking him about Penny and how her increasingly dangerous favors could mean trouble for the Serpents. Enraged by the non-stop questions, FP yells that them living together isn't working out and that it was probably best if Jughead went back to living with the Andrews or even Betty. Jughead attempts to explain that he only wants to help fix the mess he made, but FP claims that they are trapped and that they had no leverage, meaning he will have to do anything Penny ordered him to do, for as long as necessary. The discussion ends with FP going to get some rest, as a long night of work awaits him.
Later that evening, Jughead rallies Toni, Sweet Pea, Fogarty, and many of the younger Serpents to reveal that Penny has forced his father into dealing drugs. He knows this because he was dealing Penny's drug before his father's release from prison. Since then, she has dragged in Tall Boy and Sweet Pea. Jughead fears that the Serpents will eventually end up like the Ghoulies. Furthermore, he doubts that any of them became Serpents merely to serve a drug Queenpin like Penny. The path that the Serpents are currently headed down only ends either jail or death. In the interest of self-preservation, Jughead wants to take out Penny before she can take out the Serpents. Unfortunately, Sweet Pea is hesitant in joining Jughead's cause given that the Snake Charmer had helped some of them in the past, albeit at a price. If they didn't stop Penny that night, Jughead promises that she was going to drag every single one of them into drug trafficking. The only remaining question is whether or not they are willing to risk their lives in order to save his father's life. Toni, Sweet Pea, Fogarty, and the others agree to assist Jughead in stopping the Snake Charmer.
At the Sisters of Quiet Mercy group home, Archie and Betty speak to Sister Woodhouse, who informs them that Joseph Svenson/Conway was a troubled youth. Archie takes this to mean that he was a sinner, but this is incorrect. Betty asks if he suffered from survivor's guilt, but before Sister Woodhouse can answer, another Nun passes the window and gives a menacing look, forcing Woodhouse to end their discussion. However, Betty will not give up just yet, telling Archie that she had learned from Polly about the corporal punishment that the Sister handed out. If Sister Woodhouse fails to answer their questions, Betty threatens to expose them. In fear of what could happen, Sister Woodhouse tells them that after Mr. Svenson's family was massacred, and he identified the killer, known as the Riverdale Reaper. Having outed him, a small group of citizens had the alleged killer executed, but after Svenson was taken to Quiet Mercy, he admitted in his terror and shock that he accused the wrong man, and thus he had sentenced an innocent person to death. Betty asks if Svenson ever talked about who carried out the execution. Sister Woodhouse says that a group came by to see him once. While she can't remember who they were, Sister Woodhouse recalls that the one woman in the group had striking white hair with a red stripe - a description that Betty concludes matches Nana Rose Blossom.
At a warehouse in Riverdale, Penny hears a knock at the door while loading drugs into a crate for FP to deliver. She is surprised to find Jughead at the door and notices the crowbar in his possession. Jughead explains that he was going to use it in case he had to pry the door open. Penny asks him to give her a hand with the drugs, which she assumes FP won't be too happy about considering that he had taken Jughead's place because he didn't want him involved in drug trafficking. However, Jughead isn't concerned with what his father will have to say because neither of them will be at the warehouse when FP arrives. Penny turns around to the sight of at least half a dozen Serpents wearing snake masks. As they advance towards her, she warns the young Serpents to stop what they were doing at once. However, under Jughead's command, they place a black hood over her head and carrying her away. They drive her out to Greendale, her new place of residence, as she has been banned from returning to Riverdale. While they don't care where she sets up shop, it isn't going to be on the Southside. Penny laughs at them and pulls up the sleeve of her leather jacket to reveal her Serpents tattoo, stating that Serpent law prohibited them from hurting one of their own. With that being said, it was time that she learns that her tattoo doesn't make her a Serpent considering that she hasn't been honoring their ways. Sweet Pea and Toni hold Penny down as Jughead pulls out a knife, which he uses to forcefully remove her tattoo.
Hermione and Hiram return to the Pembrooke from last-minute Christmas shopping after receiving a call from the bank, confirming a charge of $86,000 made from Hermione's credit card. Realizing this was Veronica's doing, they come home to confront her. Veronica had decided that her parents would cover Fred's medical expenses considering that they have the money to buy Pop's and then lie to her face about it. Veronica asks how it is that they can afford an entire diner. Hiram addresses the fact that she wanted a more active role in Lodge Industries, which they gave to her. In response, she breaks into his office and tries to use whatever she can find as leverage against them. While Hiram admits there is a lot Veronica doesn't know, he says that this is intentional. Veronica questions how she can be apart of the family if they keep hiding things from her, believing that she has the right to know the truth. However, this will also mean that the time for being "Daddy's little girl" is over. It is now time for all of them to work in lockstep. Hiram agrees, telling Veronica to follow him to the study. There, Veronica learns the truth behind everything. She agrees to join her parents in running the family business, though she has one ground rule: she will not do anything illegal. In return, her parents denounced any illegal activity on their behalf as well. Her mother shares with her two words to live by; plausible deniability. In regards to the charge that Veronica made towards Fred's medical bills, she wants that to stick. While Hiram was initially against such action as it would only further complicate matters, Hermione agrees to Veronica's demand, stating that they can smooth it over. Furthermore, they need Fred for what would come next. Assuming that they could finesse the situation over with Fred, Veronica agrees to the deal.
Under suspicion that Nana Rose was present for the innocent man's execution, Archie and Betty show up unannounced at Thistlehouse. Cheryl invites them in and takes them to see Rose, whom they ask about the Riverdale Reaper's execution and if she had accompanied the citizens when they killed him. Nana Rose reveals that she wasn't there to see the execution, as she was told to stay at home while the men took care of the rest. When Betty asks where the Reaper was hung, Rose replies that they buried him alive, and tells Betty, whom she mistakes for Polly, to ask her grandfather, who had participated in the execution. Rose had a picture of them at the burial, smiling just beneath the devil's hand. Feeling ill, Nana Rose then calls out to Cheryl, asking to be taken up to her room.
In the car, Archie asks Betty if what Nana Rose just told them was true. Betty is pretty certain that it is, considering she vaguely remembers the picture Nana Rose mentioned. When her grandfather Louis died, Betty and her family packed up his house. While they donated most of his belongings, they kept the pictures and later organized them at her house. Since her grandfather had a role in the innocent man's death, Betty wonders if this is the reason that the Black Hood chose her to torment. Archie grabs Betty's hand while he explains to her that they could end it all by stopping the Black Hood and saving Mr. Svenson. But in order for that to happen, Archie needs Betty at his side. They then share a kiss before driving off, unaware of Cheryl watching from her bedroom window.
After stopping at Pop's on his way home, Jughead greets his father with a celebratory dinner, saying he rallied the younger Serpents to help drive Penny out of Riverdale. Despite Jughead's best efforts to right his wrongs, FP is furious. He is positive that Penny would return with a vengeance, though Jughead begs to differ because he was very persuasive. However, should she return, they will take care of her together. Jughead recites the sixth law to his father, "In unity, there is strength," which he recited every day while his father was in jail. Jughead is fine with his father taking his Serpents jacket and relegating him to Toys for Tots because no matter what, he would still be a Serpent, which he is proud of.
At Betty's house, she and Archie look over her grandfather's old photos to see if they can find the picture that Nana Rose mentioned. There was one photo in particular that Betty can somewhat remember, but the story behind it, at least according to her father, was that her grandpa Louis and his friends planted some trees in Picken Park. Betty finds the photo, where they can see the burial site of the preacher Mr. Svenson has falsely accused. Archie suspects that the burial ground is where they can find Svenson, hopefully alive. Betty then takes a better look at the branches, which resemble the devil's hand, as described by Nana Rose. Betty and Archie plan to call Sheriff Keller.
Betty and Archie arrive at Pickens Park to find a shallow grave labeled "here lies Joseph Conway". After Archie digs up the grave, he and Betty open the coffin only to find it empty. As they wonder why the Black Hood would bury an empty coffin, the killer himself appears and holds them at gunpoint, demanding that Archie get into the coffin or else Betty will die. Once Archie gets in, the Black Hood instructs Betty to close it and fill the grave with dirt, essentially burying Archie alive, as her grandfather did to the innocent preacher. While burying Archie, she tells the Black Hood that they had uncovered Mr. Svenson's wrongful accusation of the preacher. This is the town's sin, which Betty is willing to expose should the Black Hood allow Archie and Mr. Svenson to live. As police sirens start ringing throughout the park, the Black Hood briefly becomes distracted, allowing Betty to hit him in the face with her shovel and disarming him. She then jumps into the grave to uncover the coffin and save Archie, during which the Black Hood takes off, leaving his gun behind. Once Archie is out the coffin, he grabs the killer's gun before chasing after him with Betty. They chase the Black Hood over a bridge above Sweetwater River, where Archie threatens to shoot him if he jumps into the water. Despite having a gun pointed at him, the Black Hood attempts to jump over anyway but is ultimately shot and killed by Sheriff Keller, who then instructs Archie to drop his gun. Upon removing the hood, they discover that the Black Hood is Mr. Svenson, notably missing a finger, which he cut off to further along his ruse of being a victim in the Black Hood's twisted game. After handing over the gun to Sheriff Keller, Archie and Betty hug as backup arrives.
Archie and Betty are taken to Pop's by the Sheriff, who speaks with their parents as they sit in a booth with Jughead and Veronica. Archie points out how Veronica's suspicions about Svenson being the Black Hood were right, and had Archie listened to her when they confronted him at school, they could've ended everything right there. Now that they know who did the killings, Jughead wonders why. Betty explains that Mr. Svenson accused an innocent man of murdering his family and thus got the man killed. She suspected that maybe in Mr. Svenson's own twisted way, he thought that targeting sinners would somehow balance the scale. While they continue to go over the killer's motives and mindset, Jughead is just grateful that they aren't in a body bag.
On Christmas morning, Fred tends to the trees as Josie and Kevin sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" outside of Pop's.
Meanwhile, at Thistlehouse, Cheryl comes downstairs, calling out to her mother and Nana, excited to open her presents, but she receives an unwelcome surprise when she catches her mother in the middle of making out with Vic, the man who sold her the Christmas tree.
At the Pembrooke, Veronica wakes up to find a gift for her from Archie, who had dropped it off the day before. The gift is a heart-shaped necklace with their pictures on each side.
Back at the trailer, Jughead unwraps his present from Betty - a Vintage Underwood, the typewriter of champions. FP asks if he wants to visit the Coopers to thank Betty in person, but he would rather call or text her.
Archie and Fred talk to Mary over the phone, during which Archie lies to her about the town being quiet despite a killer previously being on the loose. He then hands the phone over to his father just before getting a message from Veronica, telling him to come outside. He joins Veronica on his front porch, where they stand under a mistletoe that was hung by her. After sharing a kiss, Veronica addresses Archie's good nature, saying she knows that she needed Archie in her life. Hearing this for the first time pleases Archie, and they share another kiss, unaware that they are being secretly photographed.
Betty opens her present from Jughead, which is the 1987 novel Beloved by Betty's literary hero, Toni Morrison, along with a note reading "A signed first edition for my beloved. Thanks for introducing me to your favorite writer. Love, Jug." After retrieving a box from under her bed, containing all her evidence in the Black Hood investigation, Betty goes downstairs to toss the files and newspapers clippings into the fire. However, she can't bring herself to burn the black hood after having stared into the blackest of voids. The hood is the place where Joseph Conway's soul had once existed. It was in that void that Betty saw a dark reflection, a truth that can't be burned away and whispers to her, "This isn't over."
Songs[]
- Uncredited
Title | Performed by |
---|---|
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | |
"This Christmas (Underneath the Christmas Tree)" | Fascinations Grand Chorus |
"O Holy Night" | Emily Wells |
"O Come All Ye Faithful" | Richard Cottle |
"Carol of the Bells" | Richard Hayman Symphony Orchestra |
"Here Comes Santa Claus" | Doris Day |
Notes[]
- The episode is named after the 1984 horror film of the same name.
Cast[]
Actor/actress | Character |
---|---|
KJ Apa | Archie Andrews |
Lili Reinhart | Betty Cooper |
Camila Mendes | Veronica Lodge |
Cole Sprouse | Jughead Jones |
Marisol Nichols | Hermione Lodge |
Madelaine Petsch | Cheryl Blossom |
Ashleigh Murray | Josie McCoy |
Mark Consuelos | Hiram Lodge |
Casey Cott | Kevin Keller |
Skeet Ulrich | FP Jones |
Mädchen Amick | Alice Cooper |
Luke Perry | Fred Andrews |
Nathalie Boltt | Penelope Blossom |
Jordan Connor | Sweet Pea |
Martin Cummins | Sheriff Tom Keller |
Charles Melton | Reggie Mantle |
Brit Morgan | Penny Peabody |
Vanessa Morgan | Toni Topaz |
Lochlyn Munro | Hal Cooper |
Tiera Skovbye | Polly Cooper |
Barbara Wallace | Rose Blossom |
Emilija Baranac | Midge Klump |
Bruce Blain | Vic |
Beverley Breuer | Sister Woodhouse |
Marion Eisman | Doris Bell |
Cody Kearsley | Moose Mason |
Larry MacDonald | Janitor |
Dean Marshall | Jack Walsh |
Cameron McDonald | Mr. Svenson |
Scott McNeil | Tall Boy |
Alvin Sanders | Pop Tate |
Drew Ray Tanner | Fangs Fogarty |
Derek Schnobb (uncredited) | Patron |
External links[]
- Riverdale Wiki: Chapter Twenty-Two: Silent Night, Deadly Night
- "Chapter Twenty-Two: Silent Night, Deadly Night" at the Internet Movie Database