Riverdale Season 3, Episode 5 recap: Archie’s escape reveals shocking clues

As Jughead sinks deeper into Gryphons & Gargoyles, Veronica’s plan to break Archie out of juvie intersects with the Gargoyle King. Who is Riverdale’s game master?

Raise your hand if you missed Archie. Raise your hand if you have been wondering what his time in jail has to do with Gryphons & Gargoyles. Raise your hand if you didn’t expect there to be a huge connection. After providing context behind the origins of the Gargoyle King, Riverdale drops some vital information about its reemergence in the present, and Bughead’s investigation brings them closer to the big answers. Does the gang succeed in breaking Archie free, and which shady character had been playing the game this whole time?

Let’s dig into the five most shocking moments from the latest jaw-dropping episode of Riverdale. (Warning: It’s about to get real spoilery in here.)

1. Jughead’s lost in Eldevair.

Despite all the warning signs pointing to not playing Gryphons & Gargoyles, Jughead opts for an immersion approach to investigating the Gargoyle King. Betty’s worried about him losing his mind a bit, but she has to admit he’s unlocked some rather interesting details.

For starters, the mystical setting of the game is an anagram for Riverdale, which means the game only exists in their town. (Sorry, to burst your Sabrina crossover bubble.) Jug thinks if he and the Serpents play the game long enough, his role as game master will lead him right to the king himself, and it does…

2. Parents just don’t understand.

Oh, but they do. And that’s the problem. After Betty shares the good word about Alice’s story time about Principal Featherhead’s death to her friends, they ask their parents questions. Some get lies and some get black eyes (see the odds and ends section for a thorough rant).

Josie’s mom and Kevin’s dad (who are getting married) deny any knowledge of the game at all. It’s definitely cagey, but it doesn’t mean that any of them know more than they’re letting on. But if any of them have the energy to pull off this stunt, it’s Hermione or Penelope.

3. Archie’s first escape plan flops.

Left to his own devices, Archie’s not the most skilled in all things stealth. He plans an escape up the fence in the prison yard with Joaquin, but Joaquin falls on the way out and guards start shooting the inmates with rubber bullets. It’s a mess. Because of his role in leading the escape, Warden Norton brands Archie with a hot iron. (Sure, why not?)

Before Veronica’s big plan kicks off at Archie’s latest fight, Joaquin kisses Archie and stabs him in the stomach at the command of Norton. Was the kiss a distraction, a genuine display of care, or both? Am I missing the point?

4. Ocean’s Archie works!

Somehow, Veronica, who’s a high school student and business owner, had the time to cook up an intricate plan to spring her boyfriend out of wrongful imprisonment. The Dark Lord works hard, but Veronica Lodge works way harder.

Veronica assigns roles to all of her friends in the scheme that leads to Archie escaping through the drain in the fight club arena. When V runs into Hiram and Warden Norton catches onto the plan, the escape nearly implodes, but thanks to a decoy in a motorcycle chase, they safely deliver Archie to Dilton’s bunker.

5. A new “to the grave” pact is born.

As they say, history repeats itself. In Riverdale, that’s not a good thing. Once Archie’s safe and sound in the bunker (for now, at least), pieces soon come together and a fresh pact takes shape. Much like their parents, Veronica decrees that their mission remains top secret, the bunker isn’t to be discussed, and no one knows where Archie is.

That’s a dangerous game to play. However, the pieces connect when Bughead notices Archie’s branding and realize Warden Norton was playing Gryphons & Gargoyles.

The kicker? Norton drank a cyanide chalice before his meeting with Hermione.

Odds & Ends:

• The eerie parallels between Jughead’s quest in Gryphons & Gargoyles and the gang’s mission to save Archie were not only chilling but ultimately telling of the game’s totality.
• Jughead meets the Gargoyle King again. Will he engage?
• Should we even try to unpack that whole situation between Archie and Joaquin? Was it queerbaiting? Will it be explained? Should we even care? Oh, Riverdale.
• Veronica: *lowers sunglasses* “I’d recognize those abs anywhere.” The perfect thing about Veronica is that she doesn’t have an ounce of irony in her body, and Camila Mendes plays these throwaway moments of comedy so with the precision of Cheryl with a bow.
• Can we briefly discuss that Reggie was the victim of physical abuse from his father… and it wasn’t addressed? I’m aware Archie has been beaten and stabbed in this fictional hellscape, but Reggie experiencing violence at home seems like it should have a minute to breathe as if this were a normal teen drama. Just a thought.

What did you think of the latest episode? Let us know in the comments!

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.