06x09 - Chapter One Hundred and Four: The Serpent Queen's Gambit

[bunniefuu]

[rock music playing on earphones]

♪ It's filling up right to rafters ♪

♪ Shake it down tonight, yeah ♪

***

- Oh, hell, no.
- When I was back there.

- Right.
- [laughs]

What are you doing in my house?

Archie, don't be rude.

I was just talking to your uncle

about the, uh, the town-wide
census I'm conducting.

Census?

Under what authority?

With council approval.

Well, Alice and Frank.

I can assure you, the
questions are standard.

How long have you lived in Riverdale?

What problems are you most concerned
with in your neighborhood?

And people's answers will
help guide the council.

And of course, I'll get
to meet my neighbors.

Door by door. Face by face.

Tell me, Archie. Would you like
to answer some questions?

No. I would not.

And I'd like you to leave.

Now.

I gotta say I'm shocked, Archie.

- He is not a good guy.
- Oh, good grief, Archie!

You've clearly made up
your mind against Percival.

It's a shame.

He has a lot of great ideas

about how to make Riverdale
a better place to live.

[thunder rumbling]

It's damp and chilly, Mistress Abigail.

Why don't we go back to Thornhill?

I'll brew you some of that
yummy tea that you like,

and we'll get you warm and cozy.

No, as restorative as your tea is,

it's time to vanquish my enemies

and be reunited with my Thomasina.

How?

I shall reincarnate Thomasina's soul

into Toni Topaz's body.

The blood moon will be rising soon.

Perfect time for reincarnation spell.

And once my beloved has returned to me,

- together, we will slay Fangs Fogarty.
- [lightning crackles]

And seal our love for all eternity.

And is Mr. Fogarty the only, um,
enemy you wish to vanquish?

No. There are still the three
descendants of my assassins.

Come along, Brittania.

Ah!

You're in a good mood today.

I am. I just spoke to my dad

and he wants to visit the casino.

Really?

- How's his health?
- He's on the mend,

but it's like he lost his mojo.

The truth is, my dad's always
wanted to feel like the big sh*t.

That's what's most important.

To make him feel like one.

Well, in that case, leave it to me.

The Sheriff's Department
is pleased to announce

that the town-wide census is complete,

and the people of Riverdale have spoken.

And since the unhoused
problem has been dealt with,

their main source of anxiety
is the ongoing g*ng warfare

between the Serpents and the Ghoulies.

Miss Topaz, since you're a
member of the Council of Four

and Serpent Queen,

what have you got to say about that?

Well, to begin with, there is no w*r

between the Serpents and the Ghoulies.

Actually, I've been in constant
contact with the Ghoulies' leader,

Twyla Twyst, in efforts
to de-escalate tension.

And I believe we're very close
to declaring a ceasefire.

Well, I wonder, have you considered
disbanding the Serpents?

Okay, if I could just interject here,

Miss Topaz is not on trial.

Your point has been noted, Mr. Pickens.

Now let's please move on to
the next item on our agenda.

What the hell was that?

An ambush.

Percival went after the
folks in Sketch Alley

and now he's coming after us.

Hey, Toni. Fangs.

- Oh, hey, Prince!
- Hi.

How is my baby boy doing?

Yeah, he's great. He's great.

I'm bummed to let him go.

Nervous, given everything going on.

Oh, don't be.

I gotta be honest.
I'm having second thoughts

about Baby Anthony being
raised around g*ng culture.

- You mean as a Serpent?
- Kevin, I was raised as a Serpent.

- So was Fangs.
- I know. I know.

I'm just... concerned for his safety.

That's all.

[Veronica] Welcome to
Babylonium, Mr. Mantle.

And here we are, our best table,

and our best dealer, Ryan.
He's one of my favorites.

Is there anything else we
can get for you, Mr. Mantle?

No. This is all very impressive.

We aim to please.

I'll come by to check on you later.

But in the meantime, have fun.

[Archie] Thanks for
hanging back, you guys.

Something very, very weird
is happening in Riverdale.

You mean, besides us suddenly
developing mutant abilities?

I'm talking about Percival Pickens.

You heard him. He's been
going around door to door

meeting with everyone in town,
trying to recruit them.

Your mom, my Uncle Frank,

Sheriff Keller. God knows who else.

Ever since Percival
sensed me in his mind,

I've been doing some... research
on heightened psychic abilities.

You know, some people think
that mind control is a real thing,

like a skill, the power of persuasion.

But persuading people to do what?

What does Percival want with Riverdale?

His family was one of the
original settlers of the town.

Maybe he feels like
he has a claim to it?

Whatever it is, it's not good.

Jug, if he really made
your friend Doc att*ck Kev,

what's to say he didn't compel
the people of Sketch Alley

to up and leave the same way?

I mean, if he really can control
people's thoughts, and actions...

Yeah, he needs to be stopped.

Classic superhero narrative.

Okay, Betty, can we
throw this guy in jail?

- You're the FBI.
- Yeah,

but not if we can't prove
he's breaking any laws.

All right, then. Archie,
you are invulnerable.

Let's b*at this guy up.

- Break every bone in his body.
- I can't do that, Jug.

I'd be just as bad as he is.

Besides, we tried both of those
things with Hiram repeatedly.

They're temporary solutions at best.

Percival is going around
recruiting people

for whatever big play he's got.

What if we do the same thing?

We go to our friends,

the people we trust,

make sure that he's not
turning them to his side.

In the short term,
it would stop Percival

from amassing too much
power too quickly.

We'd be concerned citizens
talking to our neighbors.

Guys, what if this is why
we were given our powers?

To protect the town from Percival.

Okay, relax, Professor Xavier.

Who do we start with?

[Cheryl] Well, isn't this fortuitous?

Cheryl, have you had any private contact

with Percival Pickens?

Did he stop by to interview you?

For his census?

Yes, but I was taking a buttermilk bath,

so I couldn't receive him. Why for?

We're worried that his
intentions for Riverdale

may not be above board.

We think he is recruiting
people to his side.

For some nefarious agenda?

Honestly, I'd be more worried
about an angry mob

dragging me into the forest
in the middle of the night

and burning me at the stake.

As Archibald Andrews, Jedediah Jones

and Beatrice Cooper did to my ancestor.

Not this again.

Yes, again.

That transgression hasn't
been settled or forgotten.

Okay, will you just let us know

if Percival tries to influence
you in any way?

- And for what?
- Regarding Mr. Pickens,

I'll keep my own counsel
as I always have.

And as for you three,

my patience, and this
audience is at an end.

Come on, Cheryl. We're the good guys.

Spoken like a true villain.

Let me show you the door.

[door slams]

Stoke the fires and heat
the ovens, Brittania.

We're preparing arsenic-laced scones.

For who?

For that unholy trinity of
self-obsessed malefactors.

The timing couldn't be more perfect.

I need a corpse for my
reincarnation ritual.

Hurry now. Lest we bake
a scone for you, too.

[car approaching]

[screaming]

Toni, where are you right now?

At school. Why? What's up?

Don't tell me more trouble
with the Ghoulies.

Not the Ghoulies. But I
just got a call from Alice.

She and Frank are convening an
emergency meeting of the council.

Why wasn't I told about this?

It's because the meeting is to
remove you from the council.

What? Why?

It's Percival's idea, says Alice.

He's using the drive-by
last night as an excuse.

What's his grudge with me?

I don't know. I mean, you're
a pillar of the community,

and maybe he sees you as a thr*at.

At any rate, it is
classic fear mongering,

and that is why you need to
come with me to this meeting.

I'm on my way.

[Veronica] What's going on?

We want to talk about Percival Pickens.

We don't think he's a good guy.

[Betty] Did he come
by here for his census

to put ideas into your head

or try to shift your point of view?

Or to recruit you for anything?

No and no.

But...

the male Mary Poppins is definitely
up to some serious shadiness.

Why do you say that?

I had one of my associates
look into him for me.

And Percival... doesn't exist.

There's literally no trace of him

before he showed up in Riverdale.

And this sounds crazy, but...

he said something to one of our clients.

I don't know what.

And then that client...

k*lled himself.

Okay. Now, can we b*at this guy up?

Get him thrown in jail?

How does he even have powers?

We were in that expl*si*n.

Not that that makes sense.

None of this makes sense.

But how can Percival
control people's minds?

- [elevator bell dings]
- [cellphones beep]

It's Tabitha. She says we
need to go to the El Royale.

[gavel bangs]

Thank you for assembling.

We've all heard about
the act of g*ng v*olence

that happened at Pop's just last night.

And in response to that incident,

Percival Pickens would
like to submit a motion.

My motion is for the immediate
removal of Antoinette Topaz

from the Council of Four.

How can Riverdale feel safe

with a known g*ng member
shaping town policy?

I think Toni can and
should speak for herself.

Thank you, Tabitha.

Mr. Pickens, I know you're new here.

But I have spent my entire
life in service to Riverdale.

After high school, I graduated college
with a degree in social work.

I then became guidance
counselor at Riverdale High.

I kept its doors open as Hiram
Lodge fought to shut us down.

I then used my position
as a small business owner

and proud member of the
LGBTQIA+ community

to help with various charities
and organizations.

And if there's any doubt
about my integrity,

just know that I'm raising my son here,

and I'm invested in
Riverdale because of him.

And I hope you all let me
continue to advocate for you

and this town.

Thank you.

Well, let's put it to a vote.

See what happens.

Miss Lodge, sorry to interrupt,

but Mister Mantle is back at table

and he's in pretty deep
to the tune of $ ,

All right. I will deal with it.

Thank you.

[Betty] Mom.

- Oh, hey, honey.
- Hey, uh, what's going on?

We heard from Tabitha
that there was a meeting.

Uh, yeah, there was.

Unfortunately, Toni was
voted off the council.

And let me guess, Alice.
This was Percival's idea?

Except for Tabitha, it was
a unanimous vote, Archie.

Unanimous?

Against Toni? How is that possible?

Ah!

[chuckles]

How are you boys doing over here?

The House is calling for a break.

How are you feeling, Mr. Mantle?
Are you doing okay?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.

Um...

I'm a little bit down,
but my luck is turning.

I can... I can feel it.
As a matter of fact,

I was wondering whether or not you
guys could float me, maybe $ , ?

Oh, uh, we don't really do that here.

But maybe you should
step away from the table

and slow down a bit,
you know, cut your losses.

So, you're throwing me out
of my own son's casino?

You're going to embarrass
me in front of these guys.

♪ Baby did a bad bad thing ♪

♪ Baby did a bad bad thing ♪

♪ Baby did a bad bad thing ♪

♪ Baby did a bad bad thing ♪

♪ You ever love someone so much ♪

♪ You thought your little heart... ♪

[Cheryl] Archie Andrews.

Just the he-man I was looking for.

I'm sorry I was so cold to
you at Thornhill yesterday.

May I interest you in an apology treat?

Dearest Jug-Jug,

may I offer you a sugary sweet mea culpa

for my foul mood yesterday?

Sweet cousin.

I come bearing gifts
to mend hurt feelings.

What are you doing, Cheryl?

Offering you an olive branch.

Why won't you take one
like your cohorts did?

What did you put in those scones?

Are you trying to poison me?

[scoffs]

"Cohorts."

Jug. Archie.

Don't eat that scone.

I already did.

What's the problem?

I think she poisoned them.

Okay. Well, I'm invulnerable, remember?

Okay, well, Jughead isn't.

So get a glass of water
and a salt shaker

and meet me by the bathrooms, okay?

Don't take another bite!

Bathroom. Now.

Cheryl gave us poisoned scones?

- Yeah, we think so.
- Well, yes, I saw her aura, okay?

So drink this and then throw up.

Just go.

- I have been thinking, Fangs.
- Mmm-hmm.

What if the Serpents shed their skin

and rebranded a little bit?

So we no longer be a g*ng,
which is triggering,

but a political activist group,

like the Black Panthers.

We'd focus more on
community-driven programs

helping the town's youth and seniors.

Wouldn't we be handing the town

over to the Ghoulies at that point?

Well, we could ask Betty
for help from the FBI.

You want the FBI to
fight our battles for us?

Where's all this coming from?

Becoming a political activist group?

It would take the wind out
of the witch hunter sails.

I gotta be honest.

I don't think the Serpents
are gonna go for it, Toni.

They will if we stay united on this.

Fangs.

Are we?

United?

Oh, my God!

Kevin?

What the hell? You can't
just come in here.

We got a warrant, Fangs.
We received reports

there's illegal weapons being
stored in this apartment.

Weapons?

Absolutely not. And reports from whom?

- I'll check the baby's room.
- The hell you will!

That's it. He's done.

Come on.

What the hell? Let him go.

Kevin, why are you doing this?

[exhales, sniffs]

[Toni] Fangs, I'm going to get
you out of here no matter what.

But I need to know.

Where did the weapons come from?

They were mine.

[sighs]

Fangs, why?

In our house? With Baby Anthony?

I was storing them.

For a battle royale with the Ghoulies.

You stopped talking to Twyla Twyst,

but she reached out to me,
challenged me to a rumble.

The other Serpents? They want to fight.

I'm sorry, Toni.

[door opens]

- Hey.
- Hey.

[Reggie] How's the scene at the casino?

Dad said he had a blast again.

[sighs] To be honest...

we kind of had a moment.

He was losing a lot of money.

And I asked him if he
wanted to step away.

He didn't and it's
not a big deal, but...

it kind of got me wondering,

how did your dad get
into debt with my dad?

Was it gambling?

He was making capital
improvements to the car lot

and the bank didn't want
to give him a loan.

Damn, Ronnie.

The guy's finally having a good time,

and you want to squash that?

Not at all.

I only wanted to make sure he was okay.

Trust me, he's fine.

[sighs]

Horrid news about Archie,
Betty and Jughead.

Oh, no. Are they... ?

Very much alive, I'm afraid.

How, I have no clue. No matter.

Tomorrow I shall pay Toni a visit.

I need some of her blood for my rituals.

Does that mean that you're
done trying to k*ll the others?

Of course not.

I still hate them, and
I still need a body.

It's just a matter of devising how
I might go about vanquishing them.

How are you feeling, Jug?

Like I swam in the ocean

and swallowed a bunch of sea water.

It was the best way to flush
Cheryl's poison out of your system.

Why is Cheryl trying to
k*ll us all of a sudden?

Because of something that happened
to Abigail centuries ago?

- Really?
- Or it was Percival.

I mean, maybe he got to her,
suggested that she take us out.

And what better way to get rid of us

without leaving any fingerprints?

Well, there's one way to find out.

Jug, you can't read Percival's
mind because he'll sense it.

But maybe try reading Cheryl's?

Maybe you'll pick up
some trace of Percival?

Yeah, I'll do it.

Just let me get my sea legs back first.

Behold. A bouquet of roses so beautiful,

they needed your presence
to keep them company.

Cheryl, [sighs] what's the occasion?

Oh, I just had a sixth sense
that you need a pick-me-up.

Was I wrong?

No, on the contrary, I... Ow!

Oh, no.

Do those roses still have thorns?

Poor hand. Let me see.

Pray, tell, what ails you?

I got voted off the council.

Fangs is in jail,

and the Ghoulies are determined
to start a w*r with the Serpents.

Remind me again, what is
the origin of your troubles

with, um, the Ghoulies?

Most recently?

Well, Archie went ballistic on them

after they blew up his house.

For all I know, they're
still trying to k*ll him.

Probably planning another
drive by even as we speak.

The Ghoulies wish to k*ll Archie?

Tell me more about that.

[Reggie] You called, Dad?

I'm in trouble, Reg.

I lost the car lot.

The dealership?

How? When?

[sighs] Last night.

After we left the casino,

these wise guys invited me
to a private poker game

- at Cucina's Casa.
- You went with them?

We were having a great time.

Okay.

And one thing led to another,

and... and it was like that
time at the race track.

Remember? You know,
I... I... I couldn't stop.

The more I lost, the more
I had to keep on playing.

I was wondering, um...

Maybe you could talk to Veronica

and she could talk to the wise guys.

They're sort of her crowd, aren't they?

[sighs]

Let me see, Dad.

[Toni] Janet. What can I help you with?

I hate having to do this, Toni,

but I'm here conducting
a wellness check.

I've been informed this may
be an unsafe environment

for Baby Anthony.

[distant voice] I received
an anonymous complaint.

I'm here on a wellness check, Toni.

For Baby Anthony.

Toni?

[in normal voice]
Is everything all right?

Yeah. Yeah. I was just having déjà vu.

Janet, I don't know what you've heard,

but I would never do anything

to put Baby Anthony in harm's way. Ever.

Of course.

But as a social worker, I have
to investigate every claim.

Where is he now? Can I see him?

Sure, follow me.

He's asleep in his bedroom.

Wait. Where is he?

[Janet] Toni, the window.

Oh, my God.

[Cheryl] Oh, Archibald.

[Cheryl laughs maliciously]

_

All right, everybody, listen up.

The Sheriff's department and the FBI

are leading their own
search for Baby Anthony.

But here in Riverdale,
we take care of our own.

We've divided the town into a grid,

so we'll hit every house on every block

until we find Baby Anthony.

This is a / operation and
we'll be working in shifts.

Let's bring Baby Anthony home.

[crowd murmuring]

- [distant echoing voices]
- [man ] Poor kid. I hope he's okay.

[woman ] She's not fit to be a mother.

[woman ] She's the leader of a g*ng.

Put her child in harm's way.

What kind of a mother is she?

[man ] No one's safe
in this town anymore.

[crowd chattering]

Picking up on anything?

Nothing.

I mean, if the kidnappers are
keeping tabs on the search,

they're not doing it nearby.

But I'll keep looking.

Okay. I'll take a break.

Archie just texted me. He's outside.

Cheryl, dressed as a Ghoulie,
threw a Molotov cocktail at you?

It's hard to mistake Cheryl, Betty.

No matter what she's wearing.

We'll stay here and join the
search for Baby Anthony,

will you please go read
Cheryl's mind now?

Yeah, definitely.

And hope I don't get k*lled.

[Reggie] We've got a problem.

My dad lost Mantle Motors to
one of Heraldo's wise guys

in a game of poker.

What can we do?

I'll talk to Heraldo's pals.

But now can you admit that
your dad has a problem?

And needs to be cut off?

What?

Your dad k*lled people and
blew up the entire town

and you hung up his portrait.

But my dad has a streak of bad luck,

and you want to bar him from my casino?

You know what?

This is my dad's mess. I'll handle it.

[sighs]

[phone ringing]

- Hello.
- [Twyla] Toni Topaz,

it's your old friend, Twyla Twyst.

You'll never guess what cutie
patootie I'm looking at right now.

You have Anthony? Where are you?

It's time to end this, Topaz.

The Serpents versus the Ghoulies.

The winner gets Riverdale.

And this little heartbreaker right here.

Name the place and I'll be there.

Under one condition.

You deliver Anthony to Pops.

And I'm not going to fight

until I get word from my friend
Tabitha that Anthony's safe.

- Deal?
- Deal.

See you at : in front of the
tuna fish warehouse in the docks.

And come armed. Because we will be.

I'm not comfortable with this, Toni.

Can't we at least loop in Betty?

No. This is how it works.

And this is how it has to be.

And Twyla doesn't want
to hurt Baby Anthony.

She wants bragging rights
that she took me down.

Or the Serpents. Or both.

Okay. Okay, then I will
wait for Baby Anthony,

and then I will call you.

[man] What year do
you think it is? ?

[all laughing]

Having a good time, fellas?

What's it look like, pal?

Can I ask you about a game
you played yesterday

with my father, Marty Mantle?

Yeah.

How's he doing?

To be honest,

he's heartbroken that our
family business is gone.

I was wondering if I could buy it back.

Yeah, that may not work for us,

as it's already gone up in value.

See, we're expanding
some of our operations,

and we've been looking for a
business like your dad's car lot.

So if you were to buy it off us,

the price would now include
the projected income

for the next five years,
not just the $ , .

What sort of operation
are you planning for?

I don't think it'd be your cup of tea.

Are we talking a chop shop?

Running contraband, money laundering,

counterfeit play, what?

- Get a load of this guy, will you?
- [Reggie] Please.

I was boot licking him
when I was in high school.

And you might want someone
to interface with the public.

Someone trustworthy and
familiar with how car lots work,

to keep the trains running,
so no one gets suspicious.

What I'm saying is, maybe
we can help each other.

[knocking on door]

[Jughead] Oh. Hi.

Britta, right? Can I see Cheryl?

Uh, no. Um...

Mistress Cheryl is getting
ready for something.

For what?

[Britta thinking] A ritual.

I...

I... I can't say.

She made me promise, and she knows...

She knows when I'm lying.

Okay. Listen to me.

If you think it really loudly,
I might be able to hear it.

You understand?

[Britta thinking] I'm living
a c*ptive existence here.

I'm sure you won't believe me,
but Mistress Cheryl is asleep,

and her ancestor Abigail Blossom
has possessed her body,

and she's been trying to k*ll people.

Including you and your friends
on the eve of the blood moon,

so Ms. Topaz's soul
will go into the corpse

and Thomasina can be reincarnated

into Ms. Topaz's empty body.

Are you going to be okay
until the blood moon?

[man] I can't believe Keller
put us on patrol duty tonight

when everyone else gets be
part of the turkey sh**t.

I want to see some action, man.

Exterminate those
Serpents once and for all.

Would you shut your damn mouth, Walker?

What are you talking about?

What turkey sh**t?

With the Serpents?

Kevin, whatever else is happening,

Toni is still the mother of your child.

Tell me. What is going on?

[cell phone ringing]

Hey, Tabitha, what's up?

The Ghoulies haven't shown up yet.

- Do you have Baby Anthony?
- [Tabitha] No,

and Toni, you have to get out there.

I think you walked into a trap.

What?

[Tabitha] It's the Sheriff and his
deputies. They're out for blood.

Kevin told me it's going
to be a turkey sh**t.

Don't let it become one.

I'll call you right back.

Everyone, we gotta go.

We gotta get out of here right now.

- [police siren wailing]
- [tires screech]

Hands in the air!

Hands in the air, g*ns to the ground!

Freeze. Stay where you are!

Serpents, put your weapons on the ground

and put your hands in the air.

Don't give them a reason to sh**t,

that's exactly what they want.

You heard her. The Serpents
are resisting arrest.

The hell we are.

And I'm live streaming this
right now, you scumbag!

So be careful what you do,

because the whole world is watching.

Reggie. How are things going?

I cleaned up my dad's mess
and I got the dealership back.

Oh, and also you don't have to
worry about my dad coming back.

I told him he has a problem and
barred him from the Babylonium.

That's not what I wanted, but... okay.

Is he gonna get help?

He's fine.

That's all you need to know.

[sighs]

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Hey.
- [Jughead] Your mom isn't here, right?

No, she's at another one of
her secret Council meetings.

Yeah, which we have to go.

I actually think that Cheryl
needs our help more.

[knocking on door]

Cousin?

Why for this crying?

[sobbing] Have you heard about Archie?

He's dead.

He was b*rned alive by a Ghoulie.

Oh, dear.

Can I come in?

Of course.

Follow me into the parlor
and I'll put on the kettle.

Cheryl, if you can hear
me, help is on the way.

[door opens]

Ms. Topaz, are you comfortable?

I'm fine.

Are you sorry your turkey
sh**t didn't happen?

I can't think what you mean.

I've got good news for you.

Your bail's been posted by Tabitha Tate.

You're being released.

In the morning.

I don't suppose I can appeal to you

as a mother who's looking for her child.

Oh, you mustn't worry about Anthony.

We raided a Ghoulie lair
earlier this evening

and we found your son.

- Luckily, we got him out safely.
- [sighs]

Alas, the same can't be
said about the Ghoulies.

It was an absolute bloodbath.

Unfortunately, only
one of them survived.

Twyla Twyst.

She escaped.

Like the roach that she is.

And where the hell is my son now?

Safe and sound...

with his father.

[groans softly]

You... Villains.

You'll never get me out of this body.

It's mine now. Mine!

We'll see how long you last
once this fire gets going.

You dare burn me again?

As many times as it takes, bitch.

[chanting in foreign language]

[Betty] By the power of fire,

the element of your
original destruction.

- So too are you banished...
- I'll k*ll you all!

... from this fleshy vessel.

Spirit, we compel you. Leave her.

[screams]

[Alice] Friends, as
you've no doubt heard,

Percival Pickens has been nominated

for emergency election
to the Town Council,

filling the vacancy left

by the currently incarcerated
Antoinette Topaz.

All those in favor.

And with that,

a huge congratulations

to the newest member of
the Riverdale Town Council,

Percival Pickens.

[gavel bangs]

[all applauding]

[Abigail] You're all gonna die for this!

[screams]

[wind howling]

Whoo!

It twitched... in my hands.

Mistress Cheryl?

Cheryl, is that you?

Yeah.

But where's Abigail?

- Oh!
- Oh, thank God.

Oh, honey.

I'm so, so sorry.

He's... he's okay.

- Yeah, we got lucky this time.
- But now he is safe.

And exactly where he should be.

I should tell you, Toni,

it's not easy for me to say this,

but I'm filing for primary
custody of Baby Anthony.

No, Kevin, please don't do this.

I've been talking with Ms. Weiss.

Given Fangs and your recent behavior,

it shouldn't be hard for
me to win guardianship.

Kevin, why the hell are you doing this?

I don't understand.

My only concern is for Anthony's safety.

[tense music playing]

[all cheering]

How's it going, Dad?

Oh, it's great.

Everything's great.

[all laughing]

Glad to hear. You look happy, Dad.

Oh, yeah. Having the
time of my life, son.

Time of my life.

[doctor] It's not looking
good, I'm afraid.

Your father is on the donor list,

but at this point, it is highly unlikely

he'll get a transplant in time.

Barring that, what do you think, Doc?

He's looking at a year.

Maybe two, if he's lucky,

Is there anything I can do?

Not at this point.

Except maybe just make
sure your dad enjoys

what little time he's got left.

[phone ringing]

This is Agent Cooper.

[Dr. Curdle Jr.] Miss Cooper,
so sorry to bother you.

Have you heard about
the Ghoulies' slaughter?

Yeah, I did. Twenty-two Ghoulies dead.

It's horrible. I'm sure
you've got your hands full.

[Dr. Curdle Jr.] I do.

But there is something...
off about the bodies.

Off in what way?

According to the Sheriff report,

the Ghoulies were k*lled in a g*n fight

with deputies on the scene.

But I would say the Ghoulies
wounds were self-inflicted.

Hang on. They... They sh*t themselves?

Yes, I believe the Ghoulies
turned their g*ns on themselves.

There.

Sealed away. Forever.

One more thing, Nana.

It falls to us three women to
keep the eternal flames burning

so that Abigail will never escape

or lay claim to my body again.

Well, at least we saved Cheryl
from being possessed.

So that's a win, right?

Yeah. But while we were doing that,

Percival got himself elected
on the town council.

The council that we formed.

After k*lling Ghoulies,

and almost k*lling the Serpents, maybe.

So... what? He wants
to take over the town?

Like Hiram Lodge? We stopped Hiram.

We can stop Percival.

I don't think Percival wants
to take over Riverdale.

Something tells me
he wants to destroy it.