Favorite Movie: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Favorite Episode: Wicked Little Town (4x17)
Most Relevant: Wicked Little Town/Hedwig and the Angry Inch (4x17 + 2001)
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Welcome to Hedwig Sweep. Season 4 marks the start of the writers relying more on original titles than movie references, and while that makes me a little sad, it's a testament to the strength of their ideas and means I get to do less work! Wahoo! Let's dig in; I promise this time my post is short and sweet (at least as much as it can be).
4x02: Fast Times at Riverdale High
Heckerling documents the chafing between childhood and adulthood, yet doesn't do anything with it; you can tell the movie was based off a series of anecdotes, rather than a massage she felt compelled to share with the world. In that aspect, it works great with Riverdale because it highlights how the show's shift away from realism makes for a more cohesive (and relatable) message.
A major difference is how the stories interact with adults. Even though FP (and Mr. Mantle) is the only parent we see on screen in this episode, Hiram and Fred's presence influence every action the characters take. This isn't a childhood dream or nostalgia in the making. This is real.
So why the name? It gives the viewer an expectation of how the season is going to play out: a return to form, bringing back the season 1 innocence now that the Farm and Gargoyle King are safely tucked away. If there's one thing Riverdale loves to do, it's defy your expectations.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - ★★★
Fast Times at Riverdale High (4x02) - ★★★½
4x03: Dog Day Afternoon
Edgar may be committing crimes to raise funds for his wife's medical procedures, but he has always had bad intentions. He takes Sal's place because it's the only absolution for his sins, yet there's no one left to grieve. Evelyn moves on, unlike Sonny and his dead-eyed stare as the camera creeps closer. The only character capable of theft without harming hostages is Archie. I saw the DDA poster hanging in your room, bitch. What do you have to say about that.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - ★★★★
Dog Day Afternoon (4x03) - ★★★★
4x04: Halloween
Yet another instance of Betty as the final girl, and this time, she's literally become her. Hold up! Times have changed since the 70s. Teens aren't (always) punished for having sex, and the final girl (sometimes) isn't a virgin. Instead, Betty is allowed to see the caller's darkness reflected in herself, and she wields a knife not out of protection, but a need to hunt. She plays into the tropes, and no one besides the other wolves can see past her fluffy coat.
Halloween (1978) - ★★★½
Halloween (4x04) - ★★★½
4x05: Witness for the Prosecution
Let's set the scene: man and wife stare at each other from across the court room, with mistress, gray area #1, and paid-off lawyer static on the sidelines. The wife knows the first rule of murder, so she keeps her mouth shut until after the trial. Is any of it her fault? The husband says he satisfied the wife's every need, but she still needs to kill. Gut him like a pig.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) - ★★★★
Witness for the Prosecution (4x05) - ★★★★
4x06: Hereditary
If there's one thing Riverdale has always been about, it's bloodlines: gay genes, serial killer genes, witch genes. No one more so than Cheryl. She is trapped in a manor with her taxidermy and puppet brothers, with her mother living in the walls. There is no escape. There will never be an escape, what with Abigail's possession and Cheryl's phoenix powers lurking in the not-so distant future. Like Peter, she's needed not for herself, but for the part she plays in the master plan.
Hereditary (2018) - ★★★½
Hereditary (4x06) - ★★★★½
4x07: The Ice Storm
If I'm honest, I would have liked the ice storm to be more central to the movie's plot. Sure, there's the power-line and the train, but most of the time it feels like a flimsy excuse to have the actors throw a few more imploring looks at each other. There's no tension, while Riverdale is jammed packed with it, between Jughead and the Stonies and their questionably sexual rivalry. As a wise man once said, blond(e)s get it done, but brunet(te)s do it better.
Ice Storm (1997) - ★½
The Ice Storm (4x07) - ★★★½
4x10: Varsity Blues
The ending is attention-grabbing in how lukewarm it is. The movie as a whole is rushed, making the little character growth it has feel fake. So the quarterback with a knee injury lives up to his girlfriend's fear and never leaves his hometown. So what?
I mean, the same thing happens in Riverdale, but we don't know it. Monroe leaves the picture, Reggie takes over the dealership, and Archie. Well. We all know he's never getting out alive. But for one night, they can play at being classic all-American teenagers. The difference between MTV schmaltz and an Emmy is a balanced diet of dramatic irony (and The Runaways).
Varsity Blues (1999) - ★½
Varsity Blues (4x10) - ★★★½
4x11: Quiz Show
Clear references almost give you less to work with because you're immediately satisfied with the connection. Both have quiz shows, and cheating, and that's it. Betty doesn't actually cheat, though; she tries to play by the rules and win on her own terms. It doesn't work. Her future will always be dictated by the person running the show, and more than that, the faceless mastermind in charge of the network. Don't think about him.
Quiz Show (1994) - ★★★
Quiz Show (4x11) - ★★★½
4x15: To Die For
It's a perfect comparison because Alice would do that. It's a good fit for FP and Hal too, if you think of them as Larry split into pre- and post-Suzanne. Even if you escape her, you'll be a deadbeat alcoholic chasing her t(r)ail forever. All that's missing is a weird codependent relationship with high schoolers, but I guess Hiram already has a monopoly on that.
To Die For (1995) - ★★★½
To Die For (4x15) - ★★★★
4x17: Wicked Little Town
As a whole, I love failed replacement stories, and this one does it beautifully—tragically, but isn't that the same thing?—because both parties recognize the potential. It just isn't worth enough. It's the same as Barchie and Varchie: one may be productive, but it always comes back to the other. I do think they missed an opportunity to set up a larger storyline, and maybe I'll speak more on that at some point, but for now let's just say it starts with a J and ends with Archie.
This is a rare episode where the title doesn't just add to the episode, it defines it. Without the background knowledge, audiences believe Archie and Betty singing Wicked Little Town (Reprise) is a return to their childhood innocence. According to the YouTube comments, "it's just so wholesome and pure," and Archie "feels that finally he can be the man he always wanted to be for Betty." Dig a little deeper, however, and you'll realize that this is heartbreak. The situation has become so much greater than either of them can handle, but they continue their orbit, destroying everything in their path.
Maybe incorrect interpretations can be blamed on the show's delivery. The episode cuts arguably the most important line from the song: And now I understand how much I took from you. What's gained from cutting it? Well, Archie and Betty don't want to acknowledge what they've taken from each other. That's part of the cycle: no one can stop them.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) - ★★★★½
Wicked Little Town (4x17) - ★★★★★
4x19: Killing Mr. Honey
It was fun to see how the episode referenced things that happened in the movie/book! The fictional aspect of it allowed the writers to have fun with the medium, paving the way for more ballsy plotlines in the seasons to come. As much as he annoyed me in earlier episodes, Mrs. Tingle makes me appreciate homophobic gay Mr. Honey. The personalities make it a Betty-Ronnie-Reggie movie, without Betty's dark urges and Reggie's guilt complex (so everything that made the episode interesting). They should have killed Mr. Honey and never brought it up again.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) - ★★
Killing Mr. Honey (4x19) - ★★★★
Aaaand scene. This is becoming more and more of a slog as the year goes on, so pray August comes quick. For my sake. Hmu if you want to talk about the doomed butch Jughead late s4 so generously gave us.
- urdeadbestfriend
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