Dispatches from the Riverdale Register: "Peep Show"
A familiar feeling for Riverdale fans: where is this going?
As I reviewed my notes for this episode, there were two primary categories I could sort the notes into. Category one: this episode was a treasure trove of the patented Riverdale off-brand product names. Category two: how much of this old time 50s slang is real? There wasn’t so much on plot or themes, so this recap might skew a little scattershot.
My biggest criticism of this episode is that there was no movement on the mystery: no updates on the murder of Ethel’s parents, or on Ethel herself. I am not the kind of Riverdale viewer who yearns for Season One over and over again. Betty and Jughead don’t need to be teen detectives for me to enjoy the show. But I am disappointed that no one has taken up that mantle.
This episode does move two prime couples forward—Cheryl and Toni, and Betty and Archie. Only Riverdale could make me write the note: “So horny and wholesome.” But what about the uncoupled Jughead? Instead of trying to help his friend Ethel, he tries to ingratiate himself to Brad Raybury, the Riverdale off-brand product version of Ray Bradbury. Raybury ends up being pretty prominent in the episode, so I guess let’s start there.
This isn’t the first time Riverdale has named a character very obviously after a real author. In Season Four we had Bret Weston Wallis (Bret Easton Ellis) and Donna Sweett (Donna Tartt). And these weren’t just fun shout-outs: the plot of Season Four apes Tartt’s novel The Secret History, which was based on Tartt’s time at Bennington College, where Ellis also attended. However, Riverdale’s Bret and Donna weren’t literally a mirror universe version of those two successful authors—they were devious teenagers. Brad Raybury is a pulp writer who has published a short story collection, The November County (Bradbury’s The October Country), and has an unpublished work called The Jupiter Journals (Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles).
Raybury enters the narrative because Jughead has noticed that Pep Comics has been blatantly plagiarizing Raybury’s stories. This is based on something that happened to Bradbury—EC Comics published versions of his stories, uncredited. Bradbury and EC Comics publisher Al Feldstein1 came to a mutual understanding and Bradbury was eventually credited and compensated. Luckily for Jughead, Raybury either lives in Riverdale or one of the oft mentioned other towns (I’m going to guess Greendale). Amazingly for Jughead, Raybury agrees to read one of his stories and seems pretty open to mentoring him. Yay!
But wait! Jughead sees the manuscript for The Jupiter Journals in Raybury’s house and…steals it? Why? The episode does not say, but loyal Riverdale fans know that Jughead has a habit of sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Sometimes this is good (taking down Hiram Lodge) and sometimes this is messy (interviewing Toni’s family to publish an article they didn’t consent to). Maybe I missed something where there was a date on the manuscript that showed it was several years old, because what Jughead does is blatantly admit to swiping the manuscript and demand that Raybury publish it, implying he’s been sitting on it for a while.
First of all Jughead, mind your business! Second of all, when Jughead first found the manuscript, I thought he was going to discover evidence that Raybury was the murderous milkman! I don’t know that Riverdale could get away with borderline defaming a beloved author like that, but I’d love to watch them try.
A few final notes about the real Ray Bradbury. Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa seems to be a fan, as he included Bradbury shout-outs in Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. And if you’re interested in going down a weird rabbit hole, apparently Aguirre-Sacasa used to write film reviews for Washington City Paper, including this review of the film version of Fahrenheit 451.
Other off-brand product names this episode
Oh Mija, their version of I Love Lucy, gets another mention.
Apparently Riverdale hosts a local dancing show called Riverdale Grandstand. This is a reference to American Bandstand, which started as a local show in Philadelphia but eventually became nationally syndicated. Bandstand featured prominently in one of my favorite TV shows, the short-lived but much-loved American Dreams.
Old time slang words this episode
“Paper shaker” is a legit nickname for a cheerleader.
“Bird-dogging” is a term for a relentless pursuit, and/or stealing someone’s date.
A “trip for biscuits” is a pointless undertaking.
Veronica talks about “losing your cherry”, which was interesting to me. I researched the history of the idiom “pop your cherry” and discovered that prior to the 1960s/70s, “losing your cherry” was the expression for losing your virginity.
A “flutter bum” is a good looking guy. I vote to bring this one back.
Stray observations
I totally forgot that Uncle Frank returned at the end of episode four. Frank, who was introduced in Season Four as Fred Andrews’ troubled brother, has always been an unpopular replacement for the irreplaceable Fred Andrews. I was pretty neutral about him, but this version of Frank is an asshole! He suddenly arrives in town, starts lecturing Archie about being the man of the house and then negging him, and has a private meeting with the already untrustworthy Principal Featherhead? Frank is definitely part of the shadowy White Man Cabal—could he also be the murderous milkman? It’s Archie’s turn to be related to an irredeemable murderer.
Betty thinks Veronica is sexy…I’m glad Bi Betty wasn’t lost in the old timeline. Also, when Veronica was confessing what makes her feel sexy, I thought she was gonna introduce Betty to vibrators.
Evelyn Evernever returns to be a bitch once again - but will we see Edgar?
I loved how much Betty and Veronica friendship we got in this episode! Conversely, my kingdom for an Archie and Jughead scene.
Only a timeshifted Veronica Lodge can get away with using the modern parlance of “gaslight”.
Stonewall Prep also returns, but sadly, no Bret (and no Donna, but that’s because Stonewall is an all-boys school in the 50s).
That photoshopped picture of Skeet Ulrich as F.P. in the 1940s made me sad because it confirms for me that Skeet isn’t coming back.
It is overdue, but I must give Madelaine Petsch her flowers! Her acting has been phenomenal all season, but in this episode especially, she gets to play vulnerable Cheryl as well as the bitchy captain of the River Vixens, and it all feels like the same person. Also, to continue the long reference to lesbian novel The Price of Salt, the film version is called Carol, and Cheryl says that her aunt Carol is a lesbian.
Punching Archie is back!
An increasingly horny Archie, to Betty: “Betty, I’m really excited.”
The episode ends with Archie and Betty prepared to strip for each other (they’re next door neighbors whose windows face each other, you see) when they are suddenly interrupted by Frank Andrews and Hal Cooper, respectively. On a show full of serial killers and cults, this somehow gave me the biggest heart attack. How about you? Leave a comment below! See you next week!
I only just realized that Jughead’s boss at Pep Comics, Mr. Fieldstone, is a reference to Feldstein.
I keep expecting the sapphic pop-off between Betty and Veronica, but the flirtiness is already giving me life.
You nailed it with Petsch - she's firing at all cylinders. Cheryl is my favorite, but this season, she brings her to life with such delicate and precise care. Going to miss her so much.
Great write-up, as always!