Riverdale (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 12 - Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder - full transcript

Previously
on Riverdale...

The story is about a town,
once wholesome and innocent,

now forever changed by the mysterious
murder of Jason Blossom...

This is our insurance.

In case everything
goes to hell.

Stash it. Keep it safe.

I talked it over
with Mrs. Cooper.

She's a part of this?

She's gonna keep FP busy
while we search his trailer

to find anything
that links FP to Jason.

Or, more importantly,
FP to my dad.



We went to your
dad's trailer...

- Why would you guys do that?
- We were wrong.

We didn't find anything.

- You went behind my back, Archie?
- Jug...

My dad just told Mayor McCoy

- about your dad.
- What about my dad?

He was just arrested. For
the murder of Jason Blossom.

Someone planted the gun...

Jason's murder weapon,
in a closet in FP's trailer.

It wasn't there when we searched for it.
He's being framed, Betty.

Well, maybe you didn't see it.

We're not talking about
the Vogue closet here, Bee...

Well, maybe you looked
in the wrong one.

It's a trailer
with literally one closet.



There was no lockbox. No gun.

Whatever Sheriff Keller is saying
he found, it wasn't there.

Look, we need to tell Jughead his
dad's innocent. Where is Jughead?

I don't know.

I tried calling him. I left him messages.
He's not answering his phone.

In the meantime...

- Should we talk to Sheriff Keller?
- No.

Not until we tell our parents.

That we broke into
FP's trailer?

My dad will know what to do.

You did what?

We had to make sure FP wasn't
involved in Jason's murder.

And now we know the truth.
He was.

What? Mom, no.
We just told you.

- The gun was planted.
- By whoever killed Jason.

Couldn't you have
just missed it?

Yeah, excuse me if I trust the detection
skills of an officer of the law

over three amateur sleuths.

Mom, you're the one who
asked Veronica to break in!

- Excuse me?
- What!

- Alice?
- Actually...

I approached Mrs. Cooper.

I had to know if FP was involved,
and if he was connected to my dad.

A gun was found.

FP is the killer.
Case closed. We're leaving.

There was no gun!

Son, this isn't petty theft or a bar
fight we're talking about, Archie.

This is murder.

Okay, fine. Then we'll go
to the sheriff without you.

Archie, you entered
FP's residence illegally.

So whatever you did
or did not find there

would be inadmissible
in a court of law.

I don't care
what happens to me.

I do care. FP may have
ruined Jughead's life,

I'm not gonna
let him ruin yours.

Hi, Mom.

Hey, guess what?

I got a bus ticket to Toledo.

Yeah. I thought I'd come see
you and Jellybean for a while.

I could crash on the couch.

Yeah.

Mmm-hmm.

No. I...

No, I understand.

Look, I...

Forget I said anything, okay?

All right. Bye.

I changed my mind
about Toledo.

Can you just put me on whatever
the next bus out of town is?

I don't even care
where it's going.

Citrusville, Florida. Leaves
tomorrow morning at 6:00.

Great.

Lobby closes in fifteen
minutes, reopens at 5:30.

Mom?
What are you looking for?

- Our passports.
- Why?

Because Lord knows what FP is going
to say, now that he's behind bars.

So, you do think Daddy
hired him to kill Jason?

Honey, I don't know.

But, regardless of that,
we are known associates

of the man
who killed Jason Blossom.

Your father may have had
something to do with that.

Maybe not. But either way,
we need to be ready.

Ready to do what?

Run away? Like we ran away
from New York?

- We're gonna look guilty.
- Baby, we are guilty!

I'm guilty.

I bribed the Mayor
to get the drive-in land,

forged your signature,
paid off the Serpents.

If that comes out, just...

Pack a bag, okay?

Just in case.

Come on.

From what he said in the hall, it seems
like he wants to get to his mom in Ohio.

- Anything?
- No.

Maybe his phone died.

Or maybe, the only friends he has
just completely betrayed him.

- Is that him?
- No, it's Veronica.

Hey. You okay?

Not really. My mom's spiraling,
and I'm on the verge.

I just wanted to talk.
Where are you?

I'm with Betty.
We're looking for Jughead.

Wait.

You and Betty went
on a manhunt without me?

I'll come meet you.

We're at
the bus station,

but it's shut down
for the night.

What's the one place in town
that's open 24 hours?

Hint, we were just there.

- Told you.
- Jug.

Jug, we're so sorry...

About everything.

Juggy, we screwed up.
We all did.

Breaking into your
dad's trailer was wrong,

but at least
some good came out of it.

Pretty sure my dad was
just arrested for murder.

That gun wasn't there
when we searched his trailer.

Someone put it there
after we left.

What are you talking about?

The gun we found
in your trailer

matched the bullet
that killed Jason Blossom.

So, did you know him well,

or did you just do it
for kicks?

Last summer,

a redhead kid
comes up to me at the bar,

the Whyte Wyrm.

Said he was planning to run away
with his pregnant girlfriend.

- Polly Cooper.
- So I would learn.

He asked me to set him up with
a getaway car and some cash.

We made a deal.

In exchange for some wheels,

and a tidy sum, he would
make a delivery for me.

- Drugs?
- Mmm.

I got him a station wagon,

stashed some weed in the back.

Then...

I put two and two together.

Realized he was
Cliff Blossom's son.

I thought...

Kid like that has everything.

Why in the hell does he need
a guy like me?

Then he told me his plan.

On July 4th,

his sister was going to row
him across Sweetwater River,

tip the boat,
and say he drowned.

Once he made it
across the river,

I grabbed him before
he reached his getaway car,

which he'd stashed
I don't know where.

And then,
I took him to the Wyrm...

Held him in the basement.

I kept him tied up
and worked out my plan.

Which was?

Get word to Cliff Blossom
that his son was alive,

and being held for ransom.

Set up a drop-off point
for payment to get him back.

Before I sent word to Blossom,

the kid got loose.

Tried to escape.

And that's when you shot him and
stuffed him in the freezer.

Once things quieted down,

and your guys were done dragging
Sweetwater River for his body,

that's when I dumped it.

The only place
we'd already looked.

You break into my house
and steal my files?

Yeah, I did.

I even followed
my son and Betty Cooper

to Jason's getaway car,
and torched it.

You must've
thought you're real smart.

Now, I wanna hear you say it.

Did you kill Jason Blossom?

Excuse me, sir.

We need to see Sheriff Keller.

There's been a huge mistake.

Sheriff, we need to
talk to you about FP Jones.

- What about him?
- He's innocent.

He's being framed.

Then why did he just confess?

Polly, the most incredible
thing has happened.

He killed Jason, not...

I went to the station.

I looked our son's killer
in the eye.

Finally, we'll have peace.

Jason will have peace.

And we...
We can all start over.

All of us.

The police report said
FP worked alone.

No mention of your dad, Ronnie.
That's good news, right?

I can't
stop thinking that...

Maybe my dad hired another
Serpent to plant that gun.

It's surreal, isn't it?
How's Jughead doing?

Not good.

He's not coming in today.
He's at the station.

- Being grilled by your dad.
- Who's just doing his job.

I mean, of course he's gonna
ask Jughead questions.

Okay, well,
he's wasting his time, Kev.

Because FP didn't kill Jason.

- Betty, he confessed.
- Or he was coerced.

Or he's protecting someone,
maybe a Serpent.

My mom saw him
and Joaquin together...

Don't! Do not drag
my boyfriend into this.

What're you...

- Oh, no.
- What?

What happened to him
not coming in today?

I'm sorry, Cheryl.

Enough!

Mr. Jones, you need
to come with me. Right now.

He was apologizing.
He didn't do anything wrong!

- Cheryl?
- I barely touched him.

It's not his fault, Cheryl.

Even if his dad
did do it, it's...

Everybody keeps
coming up to me,

and hugging me,

and telling me that
I must be so relieved

that my brother's killer
has finally been caught.

That this nightmare is over.

Then why doesn't it
feel that way?

What happened in there?

My second interrogation
of the day.

Don't know who's
more of a dick,

Keller or Weatherbee.

Don't listen to them.
Everyone else is wrong.

Your dad's innocent, and
we just need to prove it, Jug.

Who killed him, then, Betty?

Tell me.

If it wasn't my dad,
who killed Jason Blossom?

He said he did it,
and you know what?

I've been waiting
my whole life

for that man
to do the right thing,

and I'm done.

- You should be, too.
- Jug.

Yes, I... I appreciate it.

That was Weatherbee.

He's concerned for
Jug's personal safety.

After what happened
with Cheryl,

he's worried about the other
students' reaction to it.

Thinks Jughead should finish
the semester from home.

Jughead's getting kicked out
because Cheryl pummeled him.

How is that fair?

- It's not. -Well, can we call, I
don't know, the school board?

Son, FP may spend
decades in prison,

potentially the rest
of his life.

We gotta think
of a long-term solution.

We are the long-term solution.

That's not how it works, okay?
I'm not his legal guardian.

Oh, good thing mom's a lawyer.

Archie, my priority
is keeping you safe.

Keep me safe
from who? Jughead?

Are you kidding me, Dad?

No, from whatever trouble

seems to follow
the Jones' around,

wherever they go,
whatever they do.

Hell, maybe you should
go to Chicago

and live with your mom.

It's not even something
I was considering, Dad.

But you know what?
Maybe I should.

Hey, if it'll keep you out
of trouble, I'm all for it.

Hey, Jug.

I'm gonna sleep
in the garage tonight. Okay?

Jug...

Did you hear that?

Mom, what are you
doing with that?

Get behind me.
Be ready to dial 911.

Don't move.

Hands where I can see them.

Don't shoot, Alice.

- Dad!
- Hal!

These are
Sheriff Keller's files

about the Blossom
murder investigation.

How did you get these, Dad?

I broke into his house

the night
of the last drive-in,

and I took them.

Well, that's impossible.

FP Jones already
confessed to that.

Well, I have no idea
why he would do that,

because it was me.

That's why I'm here.

To destroy any evidence
that could lead back to me.

Wait, that doesn't
make any sense.

Why would FP fess up to
something he didn't even do?

Yeah, I'm not thinking
about FP right now.

I'd like to know why
your father is stealing

and destroying evidence
in a murder investigation.

Look, I was worried
that the investigation

would get back to Polly,
somehow. To us.

And somehow Sheriff Keller would
figure out the connection

between our family
and the Blossoms.

And he would think that
there was some kind of motive.

Wait, you mean about Great-Grandpappy
Cooper being murdered by a Blossom?

Betty...

Your great-grandfather wasn't
just murdered by a Blossom.

He was a Blossom.

After the murder,
our family severed ties

with the Blossoms
and their name,

and we took a new one.
"Cooper."

I'm...

A Blossom?

Polly is a Blossom,

which makes her and Jason

relatives by blood.

- Which is why you wanted to...
- Yeah.

Alice, that's why.

Oh, my God, Hal.

If you're willing to send
our daughter away

to keep her away from Jason...

How far would the Blossoms go
to keep them apart?

We need to get Polly
out of that house.

Don't bother calling the cops.
We're not staying. Polly!

What the hell
is going on here, Alice?

It's the middle of the night.

Oh, sorry to disrupt the
witching hour at Thornhill.

Polly, honey, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.
Betty, what's going on?

We're here to bring
you home, Pol.

She's not leaving us.

She chose
to live here, remember?

With a mentally stable family.

Oh, I know all about
your family, Penelope.

- And the incest.
- What?

What incest?

Hal's grandfather wasn't just
your grandpappy's murder victim.

They were brothers,
which made him a Blossom.

Just like Hal.

- Yeah, so what?
- "So what?"

So, everything,

starting with FP's confession,
has a few gaping holes in it.

He's being used by someone
with a crazy motive,

for example, hiding incest.

You were disgusted that
Jason and Polly were dating

because they were related.

Nothing could be
more purely Blossom

than those babies.

Okay, what is wrong
with you people?

Will you just spare us
the middle-class morality.

It's not like they were
brother and sister.

They were, what,
third cousins.

You think I killed my son?

That's it.
Polly, we are out of here.

Enough of this Doctor Moreau
experimentation in breeding and eugenics.

It's over!

Betty, let's go.

You've made
a grave error, little girl.

No, I don't think so.

And I'm not gonna stop
until I prove it.

Juggy. Jug.
Wake up, we gotta go to Pop's.

Archie asked me to look
into your father's case.

I went down to the station, and
passed myself off as his attorney

to try to get as much
information as I could.

How's it looking, Mom?

Well, unfortunately,
between FP's list of priors,

the anonymous tip,

and the possession
of the murder weapon...

Don't forget
that pesky confession.

Things look pretty bad.

I was with him all night,

and he never once
budged from his story.

Well, if nothing else,

at least
he's an honest murderer.

- Jug...
- Right?

Oh, also,
who is Joaquin DeSantos?

Joaquin? As in
Kevin's boyfriend?

He was FP's one phone call.

Jughead,

my advice to you is,
go and see your father.

Tell him everything
you wanna say.

Once he's arraigned, things
tend to move pretty quickly,

and there won't be
anything left to do.

So, this might be
your last chance.

When Archie told me about
his little plan to help you,

get you on your feet,
and working with Fred,

deep down,
I knew it was a mistake.

Should have listened
to your gut.

You really had me.

Cleaning the trailer.

Convincing me that you
had quit drinking.

I was so happy,
for the first time in so long.

You paid attention to me.

Let's be honest.

The only reason
you even read my manuscript

about Jason's murder,

was to make sure
I wasn't onto you.

And you didn't want to take me

to Toledo to get the family
back together.

You wanted to get away.

You wanted to run away.

I did what I had to do!
What I always do!

Are you even sorry?

Sorry I got caught.

We done?

Look at me, Jughead!

Never come back here!

Understand?

Got it.

He called Joaquin?

Why not Jughead?

Or your dad? Or a lawyer?

- It's weird.
- What does Betty think?

She thinks it's weird.

Joaquin might know
if FP was hired to kill Jason,

if it was my father...

I need to see
this through to the end.

We know FP used his call
from jail to get in touch with you.

What did he say?

It was basically
just a warning.

Said to lay low.

No one uses their one call
to say "lay low."

Joaquin, do you
know something?

I'm not talking to you
as your boyfriend,

I'm talking to you
as the sheriff's son.

Did FP kill Jason?

Yeah.

- I mean, I... I assume.
- Oh, my God.

Did you see him
pull the trigger?

No, no. God, no...

Then why
do you think he did it?

On July 11th,
I got a phone call

in the middle of the night
from FP.

Said he needed help
with some clean-up job

at the Whyte Wyrm.

What job?

The basement of the Whyte Wyrm
is off limits to everyone,

but that's where I met FP,

and that's where I saw...

He'd been shot.

I never asked FP
if he did it. I just...

I mean, I was terrified.
I... I just assumed.

We stashed the body
in the freezer,

cleaned up the mess,
got rid of any evidence...

You are a criminal.

Joaquin, FP has done jobs for my
dad, Hiram Lodge, in the past.

Do you think killing Jason
was one of them?

There was one time
I overheard a conversation

between FP and Mustang...

- Who's Mustang?
- He's another Serpent.

The only other guy
who knew about the clean-up.

The guy you got
into a fight with at the Wyrm.

I heard him tell FP
something about some rich guy.

I don't know who.

- Where is Mustang?
- No, no, no, no.

You do not want to go see him.

Yes, I do.

And you're going
to take us. Or...

Or I'm going to tell my dad
about your little clean-up job.

I'm so glad
that you're home, Pol.

And that you're safe.

And that the babies
are okay and healthy.

But God,
everything else...

Is the worst.

Betty, I saw my dad.

You were right.

He's hiding something.

Not that much money

in local crime
and villainy, huh?

This is him, here.

Mustang? You here?

Oh, my God.

- I can't... I can't be here.
- Let's go.

Call my dad.

- Son...
- I'm okay. We both are.

What were you doing here
in the first place?

We knew Mustang was a Serpent.
We just wanted to talk to him,

to see if he knew
anything about FP.

Veronica, this has to stop.

- Why are you doing this?
- Mom.

What do you think
happened in there?

Likely an overdose.

We're waiting to see
a time of death,

but it wouldn't
surprise me at all

if he was somehow involved
in Jason's murder,

and was feeling the heat.

And how'd you know
he even lived here?

Sheriff...

Found it under his bed.

Hermione Lodge?

Mind explaining to me
why your initials

are on this bag?

Not Hermione Lodge, Sheriff.

- Hiram Lodge. My dad.
- Veronica!

Mom...

He was doing business
with the Serpents.

And that's all we're saying

until there's
an attorney present.

This is exactly
what I didn't want to happen.

If you stay on this path,
you will end up dead.

Just like Jason Blossom.

You gotta believe me.

Okay? When I tell you
I'm trying to protect you.

That is my job.

It's the only one that counts.

- Do you got that?
- Yes.

Mom! Mom... Mom!

It's okay. It's okay.

You gotta tell your friends
to stop before they get hurt.

You really don't know them
at all, do you?

Just like I don't know you.

- Joaquin?
- Yeah?

I'm gonna miss you, Preppy...

Look, I didn't want
to say this

in front of your friends,

but there's something else.

My dad's been
lying to me his whole life,

but he's never been
any good at it.

I saw it in his eyes.

- He didn't do it.
- So, why lie?

Who is he protecting?

Mommy, that last morning,

before Jay-Jay
and I went to the river...

Why were he and Daddy arguing?

We've been over this.

Your father dedicated himself
to grooming Jason

to take over
the family business,

- but in the end...
- He couldn't stomach it.

When, really, I should have
been nurturing you.

Because Jason never
had the stomach for any of it.

But you... You're a Blossom.

I remember. He told me.

But why?
What couldn't he handle?

So many questions, Cheryl...

Okay, who can we rule out?

My dad.

We know why
he was acting so shady.

- Hermione.
- Yeah.

Veronica says
she's guilty of plenty,

but not murder.
Plus, she has an alibi.

She was in New York.

So, that just
leaves Hiram Lodge...

And Clifford
and Penelope Blossom...

I think something
happened, Mommy.

Whatever do you mean?

If Daddy wasn't mad at Jason
about Polly,

it must have been
about the business.

I don't know if he heard
something he shouldn't have,

or he saw something
he didn't like...

You don't know
what you're saying...

What was Jay-Jay
running away from?

The business?

Daddy?

You?

Ow!

You think your
father killed your brother?

You think I did?

You think we murdered him
and threw him in the river,

because Jason knew
some deep, dark, horrible

secret about our business?

You want answers, Cheryl?

Are you ready?

There it is!

There's the sticky,
dark, dirty truth.

Maple syrup!

Drown in it, why don't you?

Well, what do we have here?

You two just can't leave
well enough alone, can you?

Mom, we know what
you're going to say.

The police found
another dead body.

Okay, maybe not that.

A Southside Serpent

and Sheriff Clueless
is convinced

that he was working
with your father.

He allegedly
committed suicide by overdose,

and there was
a bag of money on-site

that links him to Hiram Lodge.

Everything is tied up
into a nice little bow.

Too tidy, if you ask me.

Kevin?

Oh, okay.
We'll meet you there.

Whatever it is
we're looking for,

Joaquin didn't know
if it would help your dad,

or make things worse.

Um, guess
we're going to find out.

And why did he wait
so long to tell us?

FP called him from jail.

Told him to forget
about their plan,

some contingency plan.
He said it was too dangerous.

Deja vu.

Hey, right here.

This is meant to help FP?

I don't know. Looks like more
incriminating evidence to me.

Yeah, this just confirms

that my dad torched
Jason's getaway car.

And that his confession
was true.

Why would FP say Jason's
varsity jacket is dangerous?

What could that mean?

I can ask my father.

He would know,

considering we found
concrete proof

that he hired
the Serpents to kill Jason.

Which probably means

that your dad
pulled the trigger, Jughead.

I'm sorry.

No. No!

No, I'm not giving up yet.

Put this on.

- What?
- Put it on.

Betty, this is weird.

There's a hole in the pocket.

Okay, now we're just
grasping at straws...

Okay, no.
I don't know about you guys,

but whenever I have a hole
in my jacket pocket,

I always lose my chapstick
in the lining.

Or my Montblanc?

Hold on.

What the hell?

Nancy Drew strikes again.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Betty...

Betty, who are you calling?

You have to get out
of that house. Listen to me...

I understand.

Thank you.

Cheryl, what is it?

You did a bad thing, Daddy.

And now everyone knows.

Sheriff. Your office told me
that I would find you here.

You need to see this.
Both of you.

That night,

Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy

saw what we watched
in Archie's garage.

Jason, tied to a chair,

in the basement of a bar,

on the Southside
of Riverdale,

while a Serpent,
Mustang, taunted him.

Then, the unthinkable.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Later, we would learn why
my father confessed.

Because Clifford Blossom

visited him
on the night of his arrest,

with a threat,

that I, Jughead Jones,

would suffer the same fate
as Jason Blossom,

if my father didn't confess.

My dad was protecting me
from a monster,

and the nightmare
was far from over.

...charged with tampering
with evidence,

obstruction of justice,
mishandling a body,

perjury, and that's just
off the top of my head.

He's not getting out
any time soon.

I'm sorry, Mom,

that I ever thought
that Dad...

Shh, mija.

Everyone makes mistakes.

I have good news.

Very good news.

Your father's coming home.

And our families,
far from repaired...

I'm sorry, Mom,
but my friends need me.

You should come
for the summer, maybe?

That'd be great.

- You be careful.
- I will.

You better.

I love you, Archie.

I love you too, Mom.

And though one question
had been answered that night,

that it was Clifford Blossom
who killed Jason,

a new mystery
loomed over Riverdale.

Why had he done it?
It was a question

only Clifford himself
would be able to answer.