• Home
  • Movies
  • Music
  • TV
  • Video Games
  • Wrestling
  • Topics
  • Latest Comments on Cult of Whatever
Search
Cult of Whatever logo
  • Movies
    Featured
    • The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton as James Bond

      The Living Daylights is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 28, 2022
      Movie Blogs
    Recent
    • The Muppet Christmas Carol: Michael Caine as Scrooge

      The Muppet’s Christmas Carol remains the gold standard for the book

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 20, 2022
    • Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 1

      2022’s Christmas Movie Watchlist!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 18, 2022
    • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Poster

      REVIEW: GDT’s Pinocchio is my favorite film of the year!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 14, 2022
    • Troll: Ine Marie Wilmann as Nora

      REVIEWS: TROLL and TROLL HUNTER -A giant creature double feature!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 5, 2022
    • Harry with The Hendersons

      Harry and the Hendersons is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2022
    • Fantastic Four Poster

      The five best “rogues galleries” in superherodom! (part 3)

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 28, 2022
  • Music
    Random
    • Lady Gaga: Chromatica Album Cover

      Lady Gaga's discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
      Music Blogs
    Recent
    • The Beatles: Get Back

      What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
    • Simon And Garfunkel at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam1982

      The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Michael Jackson Thriller Album Cover

      Thirty years ago music fans said “Nevermind” to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
    • Queen II Album Cover

      On Queen’s The Miracle, and the importance of track ordering

      By Matthew Martin
      | February 16, 2021
    • Linda Paul Mccartney 1976

      50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
    • Beatles Usa 1964

      50 years ago the Beatles said “The End”

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 31, 2019
  • TV
    Featured
    • Big Sky S03e05: Kylie Bunbury, J. Anthony Pena and Katheryn Winnick as Cassie Dewell, Mo Poppernak and Jenny Hoyt

      Big Sky S03E05 Review: Flesh and Blood - Glamping!

      By Salome G
      | October 22, 2022
      TV Blogs
    Recent
    • Big Sky S03e10: Gang

      Big Sky S03E10 Review: A Thin Layer of Rock – Break time…

      By Salome G
      | December 11, 2022
    • Rick And Morty: S01e03

      Is Beth from Rick and Morty a bigger sociopath than Rick?

      By Jason Collins
      | December 7, 2022
    • Big Sky S03e09: Dedee Pfeiffer and Cree as Denise and Emily

      Big Sky S03E09: Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire – Stalling

      By Salome G
      | December 1, 2022
    • The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff as Drax and Mantis

      REVIEW: The GOTG Holiday Special is a sweet prelude to next year’s finale

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 27, 2022
    • The Midnight Club S01: The Gang

      The Midnight Club S1 Review – A series of unfortunate events

      By Salome G
      | November 24, 2022
    • Big Sky S03e08: Reba McEntire as Sunny Barnes

      Big Sky S03E08 Review: Duck Hunting – I love a weirdo.

      By Salome G
      | November 19, 2022
  • Video Games
    Featured
    • Arkham Knight

      Batman: Arkham Knight - A fitting end to a trilogy

      By Tom Farr
      | July 18, 2015
      Video Game Reviews
    Recent
    • Splatoon 3 Screenshot

      A trio of Nintendo Switch reviews!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 28, 2022
    • Nintendo Switch Logo

      Looking ahead to the Switch 2: Predictions and Wants

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 15, 2022
    • Legend Of Zelda

      Can a Legend of Zelda movie work?

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 6, 2022
    • Super Mario 64

      Which system had the better launch: A battle of four Nintendo consoles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2021
    • Luigi's Mansion

      Happy twentieth to Nintendo’s underrated gem, the Gamecube

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 18, 2021
    • Metroid Dread

      Metroid Dread – Post Game analysis and sequel needs

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 29, 2021
  • Wrestling
    Featured
    • AEW All Out 2022: Keith Lee. Anthony Bowens, Max Caster and Billy Gunn

      AEW All Out 2022 - Review and (wild) Speculation!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 5, 2022
      AEW
    Recent
    • WWE WrestleMania 38: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

      Was 2022 the wildest year in wrestling history?

      By Matthew Martin
      | January 4, 2023
    • AEW Full Gear 2022: Young Bucks and Kenny Omega Elite Entrance

      AEW Full Gear 2022 – A needed reset at the end of a tough year

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 22, 2022
    • WWE Survivor Series 1997: Bret Hart

      The Montreal Screwjob – Twenty Five Years Later

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 8, 2022
    • AEW Grand Slam 2022: Jungle Boy and Rey Fenix

      AEW GRANDSLAM 2022 showcased the present and future of the promotion

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 25, 2022
    • AEW All Out 2022: CM Punk

      AEW All Out Fall Out: All the CM Punk drama that’s fit to print!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 5, 2022
    • AEW Dark: Ricky Starks (22/09/20)

      The future of the AEW World Championship

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 14, 2022
  • Topics
    • site logo
    Latest
    • Was 2022 the wildest year in wrestling history?
    • The Muppet's Christmas Carol remains the gold standard for the book
    • 2022's Christmas Movie Watchlist!
    • REVIEW: GDT's Pinocchio is my favorite film of the year!
    • Big Sky S03E10 Review: A Thin Layer of Rock - Break time...
    • Is Beth from Rick and Morty a bigger sociopath than Rick?

    Riverdale S02E08 Review: House of the Devil – It’s a very, very mad world

    By Salome G
    | December 7, 2017
    TV Blogs

    After experimenting with its storytelling form last week, Riverdale is back to a more conventional method this week. As are its characters, sadly.

    Riverdale S02e8 Cole Sprouse Lili Reinhart Jughead Betty

    The Black Hood continues to cast a long, scary shadow over the town. The reckoning he’s promised hasn’t come yet, but he does send out some love letters to townspeople, including the Lodges. I’m going to take a blase note from them to transcribe it, “Blah blah blah, sinners, blah blah, punishment, blah blah.” Veronica is less chill because they are actual sinners. In fact, they’ve been sinning vigorously. But her parents still brush it off, enacting a few minor safety measures–Veronica will use a car service, “brawny” Archie should come over more often–to try and ease her worried mind.

    That in itself just leads to trouble when Archie tells Veronica that he loves her. She does not say it back. So they spend a good chunk of the rest of the episode thinking and talking over their feelings with their parents and not each other. Veronica finds it hard to love and say she loves someone because she’s never had that kind of relationship modelled for her by her parents. And Archie is maybe not ready to say he’s in love if he snatches back the feeling once it’s not returned.

    But before they get to that point–the point where they break up–they have to be Jughead and Betty. More specifically, they have to be the ones who do the Bughead-type detective work, since Betty blew up that bridge last week when she accused Sheriff Keller of being an unhinged murderer.

    They’re following the thread Jughead found last week, the revelation that there was once a “Riverdale Reaper.” Digging into the history, we find out that the Reaper killed a family of four. “But someone survived,” I say aloud to the television.

    It turns out that going to the sheriff is a bit of nonstarter anyway, because he doesn’t have the original case files. Those are in the possession of the old sheriff, Howard. He’s dead now and his daughter doesn’t know where the files are and she’d appreciate it if everyone would stop asking about it.

    Unsurprisingly, the murder house is the house on the edge of Fox Forest where the Black Hood led Betty. That’s where Archie and Veronica find the case files, because the old sheriff would go out there and puzzle over it all, trying to solve the case. Okay, but that still doesn’t explain how the files would just be sitting there, years after the case.

    Anyway, quelle surprise, there was a third child who survived. He turns out to be Mr. Svenson, the janitor who’s suddenly around now . He tells them that he ran out of the house once he realized what was going on and then stayed hidden so he’d know who the killer was. It was just some guy passing through. But the most important part of his story is that a group of Riverdale men had him point out the killer, who was staying at a local motel, and then they killed him. Could one of those men have fathered the Black Hood?

    Riverdale S02e8 Cole Sprouse Jughead Skeet Ulrich Fp Jones

    We’re not going to get an answer on that this week. Instead, we’ve got to slither over to the Southside for FP’s retirement party, organized by Betty, of course. FP’s been sprung from the hoosegow, likely because of Penny’s intercession, and Jughead is STRESSED. Not because his dad is free, but because he’s trying desperately to keep the Penny secrets from everyone.

    Meanwhile, Betty is trying desperately to keep a toehold in Jughead’s world, even if that means that she has to do the “Serpent Dance” at the party. That means that in order to be an, I guess, old lady in the Serpents’ world, you have to do a strip-tease? I would have so many questions, but Toni acknowledges the grossness of it and we just had a drag race like, five minutes ago, so sure. The one remaining question I do have, though, is how on earth would Betty think this is something Juggie wants? At the very least, she should have stopped when she saw him making his birthday party face.

    I would also ask why she would do that in front of Alice, who is also at the party, but Alice is a lot more relaxed at the White Wyrm than she is in literally any other social setting.

    Riverdale S02e8 Camila Mendes Kj Apa Veronica Archie

    And the unsexy Serpent Dance (accompanied by “Mad World” of all songs!) isn’t the cause for everything falling apart, but it might as well kick it off. Here we are at the end and FP’s going back on his talk about going straight. Veronica and Archie break up because they’re not on the same wavelength all of a sudden. Jughead breaks up with Betty because he wants to protect her, not necessarily from the Serpent world, but from one particular snake-handler. We end the episode with Archie staring longingly out his bedroom window at Betty, who’s staring back. Let’s not, shall we?

    It’s a very, very mad world. And that’s without counting the very determined murderer on the loose.

    8/10 – I’m going to be nice and not deduct a point for my having to hear Veronica refer to sex as “making it,” like we’re in a Bread song. Nevertheless, I did not deserve that. Overall, this was a lot of drama for people who seem to forget when it’s convenient that there’s a killer out there. The breakups didn’t feel organic; they felt constructed and contrived. I know this is all just a story, but usually the show is much better at making you forget that.

    Share this article:

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit

    Tags

    Riverdale

    COMMENTS

    Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

    Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

    Subscribe
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    guest

    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    guest

    10 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    5 years ago

    Am I the only one who thought it was weird when the Lodges talked about keeping Archie around because he was brawny? Like, I get it, he’s strong and could protect her, but…I guess they don’t still hate him? Didn’t Hiram have a lot of issues with him? But whatever. I’m not going to focus on the relationships this time around because I get a headache when I think about them. I was really intrigued by the Riverdale Reaper but I don’t know what they’re trying to set up. Most of the options I can think of are ones I… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    5 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    I think maybe Hiram saw him as a threat at first but once the shirtless Red Circle video came out, he was like, “Ohhhh, this kid’s dumb.”

    It seems like a copout that the Black Hood would be someone we met a minute ago. If Svenson is the BH, the reveal will be anti-climactic at best. It’s gotta be someone we know better than that, to really make it mean something.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone did get those letters OR if the Lodges’ letter wasn’t actually from the BH and was instead the standard hate mail they get.

    0
    Reply
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    5 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    Hahaha, that doesn’t seem like it’d be too much of a stretch. I guess knowing his daughter is around someone who would love to take down BH is sort of a nice thing to know…so long as he doesn’t go full Archie and try to hunt him down. It really does. (Hey, Alex Drake.) I think it has to be. I’m hoping he’s just some red herring or that it’s relevant because the Reaper’s kid or something wants to bring down the vigilante justice on Riverdale that the town treated their father to back in the day. HA. Probably just… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    5 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    ALEX DRAKE! I will probably never finish PLL as long as I know that’s what’s coming. Hmm, the Reaper’s kid. Yeah, on second thought, Svenson’s story doesn’t make a lot of sense. A traveling salesman butchered a family? There seems to be something else going on there because after all, BH led Betty to the house. Unless the Reaper story and Svenson are just a red herring, that is. Oh! I forgot that the BH on the phone said that Betty would know their face. If phone BH and real life BH are one and the same, it has to… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    5 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    Hahaha, girl, I never would have if I’d known. I don’t know why I continued to have faith in them at that point though. My younger, more innocent days. I actually think Svenson said he was a preacher passing through town – which goes along nicely with BH’s MO. I found it really interesting that Sheriff Keller had the seven deadly sins on his investigation board. I’m really hoping that ties in. But alas, back to your points! You’re right though. I didn’t think about Betty being led to that house by herself. If it’s a potential son, it could… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    5 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    I checked elsewhere and he was a preacher…slash conman. That could rile up someone–using the Lord’s work as a con.

    Whoever is the BH (or is controlling the person wearing the hood) has to be older, I think. That would rule out Chic. Speaking of, IMDB lists his first credited episode as the first one after the holiday break. They could have that wrong, though, and he may pop up in our lives tonight.

    0
    Reply
    itsjustme
    itsjustme
    5 years ago

    I’m pretty sure I got whiplash from those breakups at the end. Also, the Serpents have some of the weirdest initiations. “We want to know we can trust you with our lives and secrets. Dance on the pole.”

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    5 years ago
    Reply to  itsjustme

    Lmao! “Take care of this pupper. And stand by for a beating.”

    0
    Reply
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    5 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    It’s what every good gang leader would want their members to be able to do: be able to babysit the neighborhood dog or be able to dance provocatively. Getting beaten up is at least something that legit gangs make their members do. Penny’s “favors” feel way more like what I expected. (Just realized she must have performed that striptease long ago.)

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    5 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    Speaking of Penny, I’m now reading this theory and I don’t know what to make of it.

    0
    Reply

    You might also like

    • Riverdale S02E07 Review: Tales from the Darkside – Day of reckoning coming soon…

      By Salome G
      | November 30, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E06 Review: Death Proof – A drag race in 2017?

      By Salome G
      | November 16, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E05 Review: When a Stranger Calls – High drama this week!

      By Salome G
      | November 10, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E04 Review: The Town That Dreaded Sundown – Archie almost loses his (sweet, sweet) mind

      By Salome G
      | November 2, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E03 Review: The Watcher in the Woods – We get it, Hiram is shady!

      By Salome G
      | October 26, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E02 Review: Nighthawks – They said this season would be darker, they weren’t lying!

      By Salome G
      | October 19, 2017
    • Riverdale S02E01 Review: A Kiss Before Dying – It’s just fun to have it back!

      By Salome G
      | October 12, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E13 Review: The Sweet Hereafter – We need to talk about Cheryl.

      By Salome G
      | May 13, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E12 Review: Anatomy of a Murder – Mystery solved…

      By Salome G
      | May 6, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E11 Review: To Riverdale and Back Again – Let us never discuss the wig room again.

      By Salome G
      | April 29, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E10 Review: The Lost Weekend – Who doesn’t love a party?

      By Salome G
      | April 16, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E09 Review: La Grande Illusion – Making my maple dreams come true

      By Salome G
      | April 7, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E08 Review: The Outsiders – It’s just nice to have the gang back.

      By Salome G
      | April 2, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E07 Review: In a Lonely Place – Juggy’s struggles are heartbreaking

      By Salome G
      | March 10, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E06 Review: Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill! – This episode has everything! (Except Cheryl)

      By Salome G
      | March 5, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E05 Review: Heart of Darkness – Maple syrup is the root of all evil

      By Salome G
      | February 26, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E04: The Last Picture Show – So where’s Jellybean?

      By Salome G
      | February 19, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E03 Review: Body Double – Riverdale starts to get weird

      By Salome G
      | February 12, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E02 Review: A Touch of Evil – Continues to entertain

      By Salome G
      | February 6, 2017
    • Riverdale S01E01: The River’s Edge – Highly watchable neo-noir teenage soap?

      By Salome G
      | February 1, 2017

    FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

    TV Topics

    Recommended for you

    • Big Sky S03E10 Review: A Thin Layer of Rock – Break time…

      By Salome G
      | December 11, 2022
    • Is Beth from Rick and Morty a bigger sociopath than Rick?

      By Jason Collins
      | December 7, 2022
    • REVIEW: The GOTG Holiday Special is a sweet prelude to next year’s finale

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 27, 2022
    • The Midnight Club S1 Review – A series of unfortunate events

      By Salome G
      | November 24, 2022
    • Doctor Who 2022 October Special Review: The Power of the Doctor – Lackluster

      By Jason Collins
      | October 25, 2022
    • Can the Doctor regenerate into a previous incarnation?

      By Jason Collins
      | October 23, 2022
    • Is the Tardis more sentient plant or machine?

      By Jason Collins
      | October 10, 2022
    • Star Trek Strange New Worlds – Season two wishlist!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 14, 2022
    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every episode ranked! (Part 5/5)

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy and Settings
    • Terms of Use
    • Photo Credits
    • RSS
    All Cult of Whatever articles, logos, illustrations and graphics are copyright CultOfWhatever.com. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2021 CultOfWhatever. All Rights Reserved.
    • facebook
    • twitter
    wpDiscuz